All the apartments are on the ground floor, and are
large long rooms, about twenty feet in height, receiving air from two
folding doors which open into a square court, with a portico round,
embellished with colonnades. The walls of the rooms are faced with
glazed tiles, and the floors paved with the same, which gives an air
of coolness and neatness, so desirable in this warm climate.
The seraglio of the Emperor, and indeed the harams of men of less
rank, are sacred. No strangers are admitted, and it is profanation in
a man to enter; but as a _tweeb_, I am privileged, and enjoy a
liberty, never granted before. The day after my arrival, His
Excellency the _Sheik_ called upon me, and requested me to go home
with him. He informed me that he had been assured, in the most
positive manner, by all the doctors, and female attendants, that his
wife had a dead child in her, and that nothing less than a miracle of
their great Prophet could save her. The poor man was very much
agitated while giving me this account. I find she is his favourite
wife, and no wonder, for she is a very lovely woman. Upon
examination, I found that what they imagined to be a dead child, is a
protuberant hardness in the region of the liver, extending nearly all
over the abdomen. The tumefaction was considered as a case of
pregnancy; and she having considerably passed her time, the child was
thought to be dead within her. I have begun a course of medicine,
which I flatter myself will entirely eradicate the disorder.
My stay was so very short, when I was here before, that I could give
you no account of the town, &c. The city of Mequinez is in the
kingdom of Fez, and thirty miles from the capital of that name. The
dynasty of _Mequinez_ were the founders of this town, which they
erected upon the ruins of the old one. Stephanus takes notice of it,
by the name of _Gilda_, and says, that it was a place of great note.
Marmol also asserts, that the present Mequinez answers in every
respect to the ancient _Gilda_. It was considerably enlarged by Muley
Ishmael, who (as well as several other Moorish princes, successively)
defended himself in this place, against the attacks of the
mountaineers. Several lines of circumvallation and intrenchments are
still to be seen.
It is surrounded with walls, and fortified by two bastions; but has no
artillery. It contains about one hundred thousand inhabitants;
twenty-five thousand of whom are Jews, who have a town of their own,
irregularly fortified, and guarded by a strong force, under the
direction of an Alcaid, who is styled the Governor of the Jews.
There is not the smallest difference, in the construction of these
houses, from those of Fez; though the inhabitants differ very
materially. The men are of a short, thick, muscular make, and swarthy
complexion, with long black beards and black eyes. The women are
excessively handsome, and remarkably fair; nor are they devoid of
neatness and elegance in their dress. They improve the beauty of their
eyes with paint.
The Moorish inhabitants of this city are all militia-men, entirely at
the disposal of the Emperor. They are excellent horsemen, expert at
the sword and lance; and with fire-arms most admirable marksmen. They
are generally considered barbarous and ferocious.
The people of distinction go about richly attired, having much gold
and silver on their clothes. They take great pains in cleaning their
teeth, combing their long beards, and keeping their nails pared
extremely close.
The streets of this town are not paved; and the soil being clay, they
must be very disagreeable in winter; for, after a heavy shower of
rain, they are almost impassable from the accumulation of mud in every
quarter. The market-places, with which this place abounds, are long,
narrow, arched or covered streets, with small shops on each side,
superintended by a Cadi, and an officer under him, for the purpose of
collecting the duties on the sale of goods, &c. The chief furniture of
the houses consists of beautiful carpets, cushions, and mattresses,
upon which they sit and lie.
In and about the neighbourhood of this place are several saints'
houses, near which no Christian, nor Jew, is allowed to pass. The most
remarkable is the _hospitium_ of Sidi-el-Marti.
The Emperor's favourite diversions, while here, are shooting and
hunting, in both of which I am told he excels. He keeps a large pack
of greyhounds, as fine as any I have seen in England. His
pleasure-grounds, and park, in the vicinity of this town, abound in
all kinds of game, hares, rabbits, and deer, and in wild boars and
foxes.
LETTER XVI.
_Courtship_ - _Marriage_ - _Funerals_ - _Sabbath_.
Mequinez.
I shall now give you an account of the manner in which the marriages
are invariably negotiated and conducted in this country. A female, the
confidential friend of the suitor, is dispatched to observe and report
the beauty and accomplishments of the young lady; and when those are
found to be perfectly adapted to the gentleman's taste, she is further
delegated to sound his eulogium, and by every means, such as
presenting her with valuable jewels, &c. to ingratiate him in the good
opinion of the fair one. When this curious courtship ends, by terms
being agreed upon, the destined bridegroom pays down a sum of money to
the bride, a license is taken out from the Cadi, and the parties are
married. I send you a description of a marriage-ceremony, at which I
was present the other day.
The bridegroom (who is one of the officers of the household) came out
of his house, attended by a vast number of his friends, and mounted
one of the best horses belonging to the Emperor, most curiously and
richly caparisoned.
