- Tegaza. - Provinces of Rif and Garet. -
Tetouan. - Ceuta. - Arzila. - El Araish. - Mehedia. - Salee. - Rabat. -
Fidallah. - Dar-el-Beidah. - Azamour. - Mazagran. - Saffee. - Waladia.
Morocco has been divided into States, or kingdoms by Europeans, although
such divisions scarcely exist in the administration of the native
princes. The ancient division mentioned by Leo was that of two large
provinces of Morocco and Fez, separated by the river Bouragrag, which
empties itself into the sea between Rabat and Salee; and, indeed, for
several centuries, these districts were separated and governed by
independent princes. Tafilett always, and Sous occasionally, were united
to Morocco, while Fez itself formed a powerful kingdom, extending itself
eastward as far as the gates of Tlemsen.
The modern division adopted by several authors, is -
Northern, or the kingdom of Fez. Central, or the kingdom of Morocco.
Eastern, or the Province of Tafilett. Southern, or the province of Sous.
Some add to this latter, the Province of Draha.
Then, a great number of districts are enumerated as comprehended in
these large and general divisions; but the true division of all
Mussulman States is into tribes. There is besides another, which more
approaches to European government, viz, into kaidats, or jurisdictions.
The name of a district is usually that of its chief tribe, and mountains
are denominated after the tribes that inhabit them. There is, of course,
a natural division, sometimes called a dividing into zones or specific
regions, which has already been alluded to in enumerating the natural
resources of Morocco, and which besides corresponds with the present
political divisions.
I. The North of the Atlas: coming first, the Rif, or mountainous region,
which borders the Mediterranean from the river Moulwia to Tangier,
comprising the districts of Hashbat west, and Gharet and Aklaia east.
Then the intermediate zone of plains and hills, which extends from the
middle course of the Moulwia to Tangier on one coast, and to Mogador on
the other.
II. The Central Region, or the great chain of the Atlas. The Deren [17]
of the natives, from the frontiers of Algeria east to Cape Gheer, on the
south-west. This includes the various districts of the Gharb, Temsna,
Beni Hasan, Shawia, Fez, Todla, Dukala, Shragno, Abda, Haha, Shedma,
Khamna, Morocco, &c.
III. South of the Atlas: or quasi-Saharan region, comprising the various
provinces and districts of Sous, Sidi Hisham, Wadnoun, Guezoula, Draha
(Draa), Tafilett, and a large portion of the Sahara, south-east of the
Atlas.
As to statistics of population I am inclined fully to admit the
statement of Signor Balbi that, the term of African statistics ought to
be rejected as absurd. Count Hemo de Graeberg, who was a long time Consul
at Tangier, and wrote a statistical and geographical account of the
empire of Morocco, states the number of the inhabitants of the town of
Mazagran to be two thousand. Mr. Elton who resided there several months,
assured me it does not contain more than one hundred. Another gentleman
who dwelt there says, three hundred.
