they are considered as members of the family, and allowed an intercourse with the (Horraht) freeborn women of the household. Being in the daily habit of hearing the Arabic language spoken, they soon acquire a partial knowledge of it, and the Mohammedan religion, teaching the unity of God, they readily reject Paganism, and embrace Mohammedanism; their Mooselmin masters then instil into their vacant minds, ready to receive the first impressions, the fundamental principles of the Mooselmin doctrine; the more intelligent learn to read and write, and afterwards acquire a partial knowledge of the Koran; and such as can read and understand one chapter, from that time procure their emancipation from slavery, and the master exults in having converted an infidel, and in full faith, expects favour from heaven for the action, and for having liberated a slave. When these people do not turn their minds to reading, and learn ing the principles of Mohammedan ism, they generally obtain their freedom after eight or ten years servitude; for the more conscientious Mooselmin consider them as servants, and purchase them for about the same sum that they would pay in wages to a servant during the above period, at the expiration of which term, by giving them their liberty, they, according to their religious opinions, acquire a blessing from God, for having done an act, which a Mooselman considers more meritorious in the sight of Heaven, than the sacrifice of a goat, or even of a camel. This liberation is entirely voluntary on the part of the owner; and I

have known some slaves so attached to their masters from good treatment, that when they have been offered their liberty, they have actually refused it, preferring to continue in servitude. It should not, however, be supposed, that the Arabs and Moors are always inclined thus to liberate these degraded people; on the contrary, some of them, particularly the latter, are obdurate, and make an infamous traffic of them, by purchasing, and afterwards intermarrying them, for the purposes of propagation and of sale, when they are placed in the public marketplace, and there turned about, and examined in order to ascertain their value."

The above extract, relating to the ruin of the French trade, and projects for the present, on the coast of Barbary, gives rise to two reflections:-1. It is consolatory to think that there are vast and rich portions of the globe to which the tyranny exercised over the continent of Europe cannot be extended, while a great power, hostile to the tyrant, is mistress of the seas.-2. That the balance, that is, the freedom or political independency of continental Europe being lost, Great Britain should aim, by all means, at forming a new political balance, on a great scale, the balance of the world, by cultivating a commercial alliance with Asia, Africa, North America, and, if possible, and what seems mighty easy, South America. And we are taught, or rather reminded, by Mr. Jackson, how much our commercial and political connection with the Barbary powers would be promoted by acquiring a

thorough

thorough knowledge of their respective languages. For a complete and most satisfactory proof and illustration of this position, we must refer our readers to Mr. Jackson's eleventh chapter, from which we are constrained, by our limits, to make no other than the following extracts:

"When we recollect that the envoys to Marocco for the last century have been men almost wholly unacquainted with the the manners, customs, and religious prejudices of the people, and ignorant of their language, we shall cease to be surprised that our connections with that empire has been so limited, and impeded by mutual misunderstanding of each other's sentiments, originating, but too of ten, in deficiency and inaccuracy of interpreters. What expectations can be indulged of terminating successfully negotiations with a prince, in conversing with whom some ignorant and illiterate interpreter, generally a Jew, and a devoted subject of the emperor, must be made the confidential servant of the party treating? Besides, every one acquainted with the nature of the government, and political principles of the court of Marocco, is well aware, that, even supposing it possible to procure a Jew, capable of interpreting accurately the English into Arabic, and vice versa, yet there are many expressions necessary for an envoy to use to the emperor, which no Jew in the country dare to utter on pain of losing his head; the general garrulity of those people, moreover, is such, that they are perhaps unworthy of being intrusted with any secret wherein the interest of a nation is concerned. Of this the emperor himself is con

vinced, as was also his father, who frequently, during his reign, expressed his regret to Mr. A. Layton, that no English consul could be found capable of holding direct intercourse with him."

"In a conversation with the minister at Marocco for European affairs, his excellency asked me if, in the event of his master's writing to his majesty, the latter would be able to get the letter interpreted; I answered in the affirmative; and a very polite aad friendly letter was afterwards written, which requested an answer; but it remained here in the secretary of state's office, without any attention being paid to its contents; a mark of disrespect which gave great offence to the emperor.

The

"It appears to me extraordinary, that a language which is spoken over a much greater extent of country than any other on earth -a language combining all the powers and energy of the Greek and Latin, should be so little understood, that an Arabic letter, written by the presenr emperor of Marocco to the king of Great Britain, actually lay in the secretary of state's office some months without being transiated. circumstance coming to the knowledge of the chancellor of the exchequer (the right honourable Spencer Perceval) that gentleman expressed a wish to a friend of mine to have a translation, and the letter was transmitted to me for that purpose. Doctor Buffe, who delivered it, assured me it had been sent to one, if not both universities, and to the Post-office, but that, either from a difference in the punctuation

and pursuing other partial objects which do not for a moment arrest the progress of the enemy, nor increase our own strength, is wasting our time and resources in a feverish attempt to put off the day of our destruction a little longer. Unless we become ambitious like our enemy, unless we follow the maxims we have so much enlarged upon, we must finally submit. We

have no alternative but to increase our own empire, or become a part of that of France."

If we could yield to our inclination, we would present to our readers the whole of this little treatise, without dread of being called to account by Mr. Leckie, whose views appear to be merely patriotic, for invading his literary property.

the country, and the manners, politics, and complexion of the court, we must not expect that the British merchant will be sufficiently encouraged to make considerable adventures to West Barbary and hence one reason why the trade has of late years been in a great degree abandoned by us, and has fallen into the hands of a few Jews, subjects of the emperor.

"The French, aware of the importance of a trade which carries off manufactured goods of all kinds, and furnishes in return raw materials, were induced to attempt an establishment of considerable capital; but the British cruizers in the Mediterranean, rendering it almost impossible for their ships to sail to or from Marseilles, have lately obliged them to relinquish their enterprize for the present, though there can be no doubt, that in the event of a permanent peace, it will be resumed with additional vigour. The same causes have also compelled the other merchants, natives of countries now under the dominion of France, to remain almost entirely inactive, waiting impatiently for some change that may enable them to resume with some security their commercial negotiations; so that, with the exception of two or three houses, there is, at present, no European establishment of any consequence at Mogodor.

The commerce of Mogodor with America, during the years 1804 and 1805, was impeded by a dispute between that country and the emperor, which, however, has been amicably adjusted, and the trade is now resumed. Vessels going from Salem, Boston, and other parts of America, with East and West In

dia produce to Mogodor, receive, in return, the various articles of Barbary produce; and by this means, the agents of the American merchants established at Mogodor are enabled to undersell us in all East and West India goods.

"A close connexion with the empire of Marocco is of the greatest importance to Great Britain both in a political and commercial point of view; for besides the various articles of trade already enumerated, it affords ample supplies of provisions; and if a friendly intercourse between the two nations were firmly established, we should never have any difficulty in victualling not only Gibraltar, but also all our different fleets which cruize in the Mediterranean, and on the northern coast of Africa, a resourse which, in the present state of things, certainly merits the serious attention of this country. The advantages of a trade with this empire must be evident from what has been detailed in the preceding pages, where it will be seen that nearly the whole of the exports to Marocco consists of manufactured goods, and that the returns for these are entirely raw materials, many of which are essentially necessary in our manufactures. That the present trade is so inconsiderable, arises entirely from the little encouragement and support it meets with; for British subjects, finding they had to depend on their own exertions alone for the protection and safety of their property embarked in this traffic, have for the most part abandoned it, and now it is falling into the hands of subjects of Marocco, established in England. This is the more to be regretted, as we have it

in

in our power, by proper representations, and a judicious negotiation, to supply, through this channel, a great part of the interior of Africa with our superfluous manufactures, while we might receive in return many very valuable and useful articles, such as oil of olives, hides, skins, almonds, gums, wax, silver, and gold, in addition to which may be mentioned, oranges and lemons, of which a greater quantity might be procured from two ports in the empire, than is afforded by both Spain and Portugal. The oranges of Tetuan are the finest in the world, and are sold for eight drahims, or about three and sixpence per thousand. It may, perhaps, be objected by some, who have experienced difficulties in treating with the emperor, that he would not, probably, allow fruit to be exported to this I answer, that it is possible, by proper means, to obtain almost any favour from a sovereign who is uncontrollable; it is not gold which rules his conduct, though some ingenious persons have imagined that to be the only means of procuring any thing from him: had this been the case, he would not have granted me the privilege of exporting mules to the West Indies at half the duty the French house of Messrs. Demellet and Sabatier of fered him. In short, nothing is wanting to secure a most extensive and lucrative trade with Marocco, but an established friendship between the two nations, strengthened by a mutual return of good of fices and attention. Indeed the present emperor, Muley Soliman, may be said to have made overtures of this nature; but from our impolicy and inattention, added to the ignorance of the proper mode

of treating with him, these overtures have been neglected."

There are other chapters, as those concerning the culture, the mineral, animal and vegetable productions of Marocco, not certainly altogether unconnected with mercantile speculation; but they fall more properly under the head of literary and liberal entertainment. Of this division of the work we have given some specimens in our present volume, under heads of Characters, Natural History, and Miscellaneous Articles. To these, add the following:

"The Arabs going nearly in a state of nature, wearing nothing but a cloth or rag to cover their nakedness, immediately strip their unhappy victims, and march them up the country barefooted, like themselves. The feet of Europeans, from their not being accustomed, like the Arabs, to this mode of travelling, soon begin to swell with the heat of the burning sand over which they pass: the Arab considering only his booty, does not give himself the trouble to inquire into the cause of this, but abstemious and unexhausted himself, he conceives his unfortunate captive will, by dint of fatigue and travelling, become so too. In these marches the Europeans suffer the pains of fatigue and hunger in a most dreadful degree; for the Arab will go fifty miles a day without tasting food, and at night will content himself with a little barley-meal mixed wish cold water, miserable fare for an English seaman, who (to use the term that is applied to the richest men among the Arabs) eats meat every day.

"They carry the Christian captives about the desert, to the dif

ferent