On The Outside Of One Of The Western Gates Of Upper Fez Are The
Gardens Of The Emperor, Surrounded By
A good stone wall, within which
are a number of spacious walks, shaded by rows of tall trees, on each
Side, and intersected by parterres and grass-plots, on which are
elegant pavilions, some in a pyramidical, others in a conical form,
where the Emperor frequently retires, to take his repose, or to amuse
himself with his courtiers. These pavilions are between thirty and
forty feet in height, covered on the outside with varnished tiles of
different colours, and contain three and sometimes four neat
apartments, furnished in the most simple style imaginable, having in
general nothing more than a carpet, several couches, a few
arm-chairs, a table, a clock, and a tea-equipage of china. The
cornices round the walls of these apartments are embellished with
passages from the Koran, and other Arabic sentences, carved in
cedar-wood.
The propensity to cheating, so prevalent in all Barbary, is no where
so notorious as in the lower town of Fez; and the Europeans who trade
with the Moorish merchants here must employ the same means as
themselves, or submit to be most flagitiously imposed upon.
I have visited several manufactories of carpets, mats, silk, linen,
and leather, of which the merchants export great quantities. I have
also seen some beautifully embroidered shawls, scarfs, and
sword-knots, of the manufacture of this country. Their exports besides
are, elephants' teeth, ostrich feathers, copper, tin, wool, hides,
honey, wax, dates, raisins, olives, almonds, gum-arabic, and
sandrach. They carry on a considerable trade, by caravans, to Mecca
and Medina, the inland regions of Africa, and to the farthermost parts
of the coast of Guinea; from which last place they bring gold-dust,
and a prodigious number of negroes, some of whom are destined to serve
in the Emperor's armies; the rest are slaves in the Moorish houses and
fields.
The dress of the Moors is composed of a linen shirt, over which they
fasten a cloth or silk vestment with a sash, loose trowsers reaching
to the knee, a white serge cloak, or capote, and yellow slippers:
their arms and legs are quite bare. The principal people are
distinguished by the fineness of their turbans, their linen shirts,
and cloth or silk garments, which are richly embroidered with gold;
when they go abroad, they cover this dress with an alhaik, differing
in quality according to the circumstances of the wearer; and which
they fold round them like a large blanket. They never move their
turbans, but pull off their slippers, when they attend religious
duties, or their Sovereign, or visit their relatives, friends,
priests, or civil and military officers.
The Moorish gentry are clean in their persons, in their manners
tolerably genteel and complaisant, far from being loquacious, though
not prone to reflection. They possess an unbounded degree of duplicity
and flattery; are perfectly strangers to the notions of truth and
honour, promising a thing one day which they utterly deny the
next. They are less irascible than many other nations; but when
grossly injured, seek revenge in assassination. They are more
vindictive than brave, more superstitious than devout, firmly attached
to their ancient customs, and wholly averse to every kind of
innovation.
The Moors, in general, are extremely fond of fruit and vegetables,
which contribute very much to their contentment. The peasants eat meat
only on certain great days. They are excessively dirty in their
cooking, and the style of their dishes is not at all adapted to the
taste of an Englishman. Their soups are made most intolerably hot with
spices; and their favourite dish is _cous-ca-sou_, which appears to me
to be prepared in the following manner: The meat and vegetables are
laid alternately in a large bowl, and seasoned; then the whole is
covered with fine wheaten flour, made into small grains, very like the
Italian pastes. It is raised into the form of a pyramid, and I should
imagine stewed, or rather steamed, as the outside remains perfectly
white, which it would not were it baked. The whole of the inside, when
brought to table, is mingled almost into one mass; the meat separating
from the bones, without the smallest difficulty: it does not contain
any gravy, and the Moors eat it by handsfull.
I generally live upon mutton and veal, both of which are very good:
the bread and butter are excellent, but the latter will not keep more
than twenty-four hours without becoming rancid. My greatest annoyance
here is the infinite number of bugs and fleas, which infest me by day
and night most intolerably.
LETTER XIV.
_Fez - Debility of the Moors - Mosques - Antiquities, Roman,
Carthaginian, and Saracen - Storks held in great Veneration - Baths -
Bazars - Inhabitants - Residence - Menagerie - Marvellous Preservation of
a Jew - Lions - Tigers - Leopards - Hyenas._
_Fez_, - - .
Considering the mildness of the climate, the uncommon fertility of the
soil, the number of mineral waters, the fragrancy and salubrity of the
air, one would imagine that the frame and constitution of a Moor
cannot but be beautiful, strong, and healthy; yet, though the most
handsome people of both sexes are to be met with in this great city,
the number of miserable objects, the wretched victims of excessive
early passions, is in a much larger proportion: it is shocking beyond
description to meet them in every corner of the streets. I have
visited a great many of these poor creatures, and found them in such a
state, that decency obliges me to draw a veil over it.
The mosques of this town, which I have before mentioned as very
numerous, are square buildings, and generally of stone; before the
principal gate there is a court paved with white marble, with piazzas
round, the roofs of which are supported by marble columns. In niches
within these piazzas, the Moors perform their ablutions before they
enter the mosques. Attached to each mosque is a tower, with three
small open galleries, one above another, whence the people are called
to prayer, not by a bell, but by an officer appointed for that
duty.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 23 of 39
Words from 22506 to 23533
of 39195
