Travels through the Empire of Morocco | Page 7

themselves into the plains, preserve so great a moisture in the soil, that
it is covered with a continual verdure.
There are no public inns for the accommodation of travellers on the
road; but the Emperor has caused stone buildings to be erected, at
certain distances, as substitutes. These buildings are not so good as
many of the stables in England; they resemble the sheds, made, by
farmers, to-give shelter to their cattle in tempestuous weather: yet,
miserable as they were, I was glad to accept the offer of a night's
lodging in one of them, not having provided myself with a tent.
The Cadi of the village conducted us to this delectable abode, which we
found already occupied by six Moorish wanderers, who, in the
Emperor's name, were ordered to turn out, and make room for me and
my suite. Supper was brought me by the Cadi; it consisted, of boiled
rice and milk, and some fresh-water fish, tolerably well dressed. When
I had partaken of this homely repast, I prepared myself for rest, of
which I stood in great need from the fatigues of the day; but, alas! my
evil genius had determined otherwise; it seemed as if all the fleas and

bugs in His Imperial Majesty's dominions had been collected, to
prevent my closing my eyes; or it was, possibly, a legacy bequeathed,
me by my predecessors. Be that as it may, I found them such very
troublesome companions, that I preferred the night air to the prospect
of being devoured before morning; I therefore wrapped myself up in a
thick blanket, and slept, unmolested, in the open air, till after daybreak,
when I found myself sufficiently refreshed to pursue my journey.
Crossing the river, we passed through a ruinous walled town, called
Arzilla, commanded by an Alcaid, under the Governor of Larache. This,
which is a maritime town, lies at the mouth of the above river, and was,
according to Strabo, Pliny, and others, a _Phoenician colony_; it was
afterwards successively in the hands of the Romans, Vandals, Arabs,
and occupied by Aphonso, King of Portugal, surnamed the African. It
was abandoned by the Portuguese in 1471, when it fell under the power
of the kings of Morocco.
I observed several ruins in this town and its vicinity, but could not stay
to inspect them, It is inhabited by Moors and Jews, and is surrounded
by gardens abounding with lemon, orange, and grape trees. On the
evening of the same day we reached this place. I shall defer the account
of my reception here, and the state in which I found the Governor, till
my next.

LETTER III.
Conducted to the Governor--Medical Hint from his
Secretary--Governor recovers--Larache--Its Harbour, Shipping, and
Inhabitants.
Larache, February 1806.
On our arrival at this place, we were met, at the gates of the garrison,
by the Governor's public Secretary, who conducted us to a house
belonging to Mr. Matra, and afterwards accompanied me to the castle
to visit my patient. On our way thither I requested the Secretary to give
me his opinion concerning the present state of the Governor's health; I
also asked how he had been accustomed to live, and how long he had
been confined to his bed. "What do you mean," said he, "by asking
such foolish questions? you are not a _tweeb_" (the name for a
physician). I told him that I was. He continued: "That must be
determined by your success or failure; if you succeed, you will for ever

establish your fame in Barbary; you will be esteemed and respected by
all the Moors; but, if you fail, and His Excellency should die under
your hands, I would then advise you to make your escape as quickly
and as privately as possible, and never to attempt to revisit this
country." I confessed the weight of the encouragement and threats
which he held out; and inquiring whether he meant to insinuate, that if
the Governor died I should suffer death? and whether they always
punished their tweebs thus when they dispatched any of their patients
to the other world? he rejoined, "Not exactly; but consider, you are a
Massarene, which makes a great difference." I then intimated that I
would decline having any thing to do with his master, and would return
to Gibraltar. "You do not think of such a thing!" he exclaimed; "it
would be unworthy of your character and situation. But come; I will
give you a few salutary hints, which may be of service to you; the rest
you will discover at the bed-side, and on feeling the pulse of your
patient, I wish you may succeed in recovering him; but I am afraid he is
going, and that no tweeb on earth can save him."
He then informed me that His