To
Prevent The Camels From Straying, They Have One Of Their Fore Legs
Bent At The First Joint, And Tied Up:
They are attended by boys, who
take them out early in the morning, and at night bring them back to
the tents, before which each camel takes his place as regularly as our
cows do in their stalls.
The next morning we reached a castle, and a ruinous walled town,
occupied by soldiers, and slaves, who look after the herds of mules
belonging to the Emperor. It is situated on a hill, whence I had a
prospect of the immense plain we had first traversed, upon which not a
single tree is to be seen.
About noon, on the sixth day, we approached a lofty mountain, which
terminated this extensive plain, and formed the commencement of a
chain of high hills, which we ascended and descended successively, and
at length descried the large and populous city of Mequinez: we passed
by a long aqueduct, a remnant of ancient architecture, and several
Roman ruins, and reached one of the great gates of the town, where we
were met by a strong detachment of soldiers commanded by the Governor,
who, after the salutations and ceremonies usual on such occasions,
escorted us to the palace of Eslawee, the Governor of Larache, where I
was kindly received and most hospitably entertained by all his
relations and friends.
On the morning after our arrival at Mequinez, an express arrived from
the Emperor with an answer to a representation which I had made
concerning the loss of a French privateer on the coast of Barbary; I
had sent it at the same time with that respecting the tariff, and
expected the answers together. The affair was this: a French
privateer attempted to board several of our transports, laden with
bullocks, from Tangiers for Gibraltar; but had scarcely succeeded with
one, when the Confounder gun-brig, which was appointed to convoy them,
came unobserved, within pistol-shot, and after an obstinate engagement
of two hours the Frenchman ran on shore, and went to pieces
immediately under the Moorish battery. This was considered, by the
French Consul and his party, as an open violation of neutrality, and
also a gross insult to His Imperial Majesty; and as such it was
represented to him by Governor _Ash-Ash_, seconded by a letter from
the French Consul, and supported by all his partisans. On our part,
the statement was founded on simple facts, which perfectly satisfied
the Emperor, and Governor _Ash-Ash_ received a severe reprimand,
accompanied by the remark, that His Imperial Majesty regretted the
English had been so passive on this occasion, and that his subjects
did not exterminate every Frenchman that presumed to land on his
shores without his permission. You will feel assured that this
additional triumph on our part gave me no small satisfaction.
My good friend Eslawee obtained leave likewise, to repose himself and
his army for three days in his native place.
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