As Many Of Them As Are Needy And
Speculative, This Imperial Boon Is Without Scruple Greedily Accepted.
The Emperor Likewise Provides Them With Commodious Houses And Stores;
Gives Them At Once Ten Or Twenty Thousand Dollars Worth Of Credit, And
Is Content To Receive In Return Monthly Instalments.
These instalments
never are, never can be regularly paid up.
The debt progressively and
indefinitely increases; and whilst they live like so many
merchant-princes, carrying on an immense trade, they are in reality
beggars and slaves of the Emperor. They are, however, styled _imperial_
merchants, and wear their golden chains with ostentatious pride.
This credit costs his Shereetian Highness nothing; he gives no goods,
advances no moneys, whilst he most effectually impoverishes and reduces
to servitude the foreign merchant resident in his empire, never allowing
him to visit his native country without the guarantee of leaving his
wife and family behind as hostages for his return. The native merchant
is, in all cases, absolutely at the mercy of his imperial lord. On the
bombardment of Mogador, all the native and resident traders, not
excepting the English merchants, were found overwhelmed with debt, and,
therefore, were not allowed to leave the country; and they were only
saved from the pillage and massacre of the ferocious Berber tribes by a
miracle of good luck.
Since the bombardment of Mogador, the Emperor has more strongly than
ever set his face against the establishment of strangers in his
dominions. Now his Imperial Highness is anxious that all commerce should
be transacted by his own subjects. The Emperor's Jews are, in future, to
be the principal medium of commerce between Morocco and Europe, which,
indeed, is facilitated by many of the native Jews having direct
relations with European Jews, those of London and Marseilles. In this
way, the Maroquines will be relieved from the embarrassments occasioned
by the presence of Europeans, Jews, or Christians, under the protection
of foreign consuls. The Emperor, also, has a fair share of trade, and
gets a good return on what he exports; the balance of commercial
transactions is always in his favour.
I must add a word on the way of treating politically with the Court of
Morocco. The modes and maxims of this Court, not unlike those of the
Chinese, are procrastination, plausible delays, and voluminous
despatches and communications, which are carried on through the hands of
intermediaries and subordinate agents of every rank and degree. You can
never communicate directly with the Emperor, as with other Barbary
princes and pashas. This system has admirably and invariably succeeded
for the last two or three centuries; that is to say, the empire of
Morocco has remained intact by foreign influences, while its system of
commerce has been an exclusive native monopoly. The Americans, however,
have endeavoured to adopt a more expeditious mode of treating with the
Maroquine Court. They have something, in the style and spirit of Lynch
law, usually made their own demands and their own terms, by threatening
the immediate withdrawal of their consul, or the bombardment of ports.
The Shereefs, thus intimidated, have yielded, though with a very bad
grace. Nevertheless, the Americans have received no favours, nor have
they obtained a nearer approach to the awful Shereefian presence than
other people; and it is not likely they ever will succeed beyond their
neighbours. The French and English have always negotiated and
corresponded, corresponded and negotiated, and been worsted once and
worsted again. Somehow or other, the Emperor has, in most cases, had his
own way. Neither the American nor our own European system is the right
or dignified course. And I am still of opinion, that the Maroquine Court
is so far enlightened respecting the actual state of the barbarians or
Christian infidels, out of its Shereefian land of Marabouts, out of its
central orthodox Mussulman land of the Mugreb, as to be accessible to
ordinary notions of things, and that it would always concede a just
demand if it were rightly and vigorously pressed, and if the religious
fanaticism of its people were not involved in the transaction. Thus far
we may do justice to the government of these Moorish princes.
This opinion, however, does not altogether coincide with that of the
late Mr. Hay. According to the report of Mr. Borrow, as found in his
work, "The Bible of Spain," the Moorish government, according to Mr.
Hay, was "one of the vilest description, with which it was next to
impossible to hold amicable relations, as it invariably acted with bad
faith, and set at nought the most solemn treaties." But, if the
Maroquine Court had acted in this most extraordinary manner, surely
there would now be no Moorish empire of Western Barbary.
CHAPTER II.
Arrival at Tangier. - Moorish Pilgrims in Cordova. - Address of the
Anti-Slavery Society. - Mr. D. Hay, British Consul. - Institut
d'Afrique. - Conveyance of Eunuchs in vessels under the French
Flag. - Franco-Moorish Politics. - Corn Monopolies in Morocco. - Love and
veneration for the English name. - Celebration of the Ayd-Kebir, great
festival. Value of Money in Morocco. - Juvenile Strolling
Singer. - General account of the city of Tangier. - Intercourse between
the Moorish Emperor and the Foreign Consuls. - Cockney sportsmen, - The
degrading of high Moorish Functionaries. - How we smuggle Cattle from
Tangier to Gibraltar. - The Blood-letting of plethoric Placemen.
The communication between Gibraltar and Tangier is by no means easy and
regular, though the places are only a few hours' distance from the
other. I had waited many days at Gib. (as our captain called the former
place), before the wind enabled us to leave, and then, our boat being a
small transport for cattle, and the Government contractors wanting beef
for the garrison - for an Englishman or an English soldier cannot live in
any part of the world without beef - we were compelled to leave with the
wind in our teeth, and to make a night's voyage of this four or five
hours' traverse. It might be worth while, one would think, to try a
small steam-tug for the conveyance of cattle from Tangier to our
garrison, which, besides, would be a great convenience for passengers.
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