extend in a N. E. direction almost the whole length of the Empire. They are at a considerable distance from the sea, but are notwithstanding visible from it in many places, on account of their great height. From Mogodor, the central part of this immense ridge may be seen, covered with snow, at a distance of 150 miles. These mountains consist of two extensive chains, called from their position the North and South Atlas, and from them proceed the various rivers which traverse West Barbary and fall into the Atlantic. The different stages of their elevation present a considerable variety of climate; and their influence on the adjacent plains seems to be equally salubrious with that of the Andes in America, the air of Marocco being healthy and invigorating. The soil also is in general very rich, producing wheat and barley in great abundance, as well as the fruits which belong to southern

climates.

The varieties of the Animal Kingdom are considerable in Marocco. Among these, the Hyena is particularly described by Mr. Jackson; and though its countenance is ferocious, its disposition is said to be rather stupid than fierce. Wherever rocks or caverns are seen in Barbary, this animal is to be found. We extract some of the particulars which are descriptive of it:

The mode of hunting this animal is singular; a party of ten or twelve persons. accompanied with as many dogs of various kinds, go to the cavern which they have previously ascertained to be the haunt of the hyæna; one of the party then strips himself naked, and taking the end of a rope with a noose to it in one hand, he advances gradually into the cave, speaking gently, and in an insinuating tone of voice, pretending to fascinate the hyena by words; when he reaches the animal, he strokes him down the back, which appears to soothe him; he then dexterously slips the noose round his neck, and instantly pulling the rope to indicate to those on the outside of the cave, who hold the other end, that it is fixed, he retires behind, throwing a handkerchief or cloth over the eyes of the hyena; the men then pull the rope from without, whilst he who fixes the noose urges the animal forward, when the dogs attack him. Some of the

Shelluhs (natives of the South Atlas) are very expert at securing the hyæna in this manner, and although there may be some danger in case the rope breaks, yet the man who enters the cave always carries a dagger, or large knife with him, with which he has considerably the advantage, for this animal is by no means so ferocious as he ap pears to be in the southern Atlas I have seen them led about by the boys; a rope being fastened round the animal's neck, and a communicating rope attached to it on either side, three or four yards long, the end of each being held by a boy, keep him perfectly secure. It is confinement that is inimical to a hyena, and which increases his ferocity. There are other modes of hunting this stupid

animal, either in the night with dogs, or by shooting him; but he never comes out of his cave in the day-time, but sits at the further end of it, staring with his eyes fixed. Their general character is not to be afraid of man, nor indeed to attack or avoid him; they will, however, attack and destroy sheep, goats, poultry, asses, and mules, and are very fond of the intoxicating herb, called Hashisha. The hyena is said to live to a great age.'

From the hyæna, Mr. Jackson passes to an animal of a more gracious character, the Gazel or Antelope. Arabian poets are fond of complimenting the ladies by comparing their eyes to those of the gazel, and Mr. Jackson's imagination seems to kindle when descanting on this animating topic. • Much art,' he informs us, is employed by the Arabian females to make their eyes appear like those of this delicate animal. Eyes originally black and lively are made to appear larger and more languishing by tinging the outer corner with El Kahol filelly, a preparation of lead ore which gives an apparent elongation to the eye. The eye-lashes and eye-brows being also blackened with this composition, they appear peculiarly soft and languishing; it is said also to improve and strengthen the sight. After this captivating enumeration, Mr. Jackson proceeds to favour his readers with an Arabian sonnet, illustrative of his remarks. It is the address of a lover to his mistress, and is presented by the author in three shapes; in the Arabic character; then in Arabic words in the Roman character; and lastly in an English translation executed by himself. Our fair readers, we believe, will be contented with the latter;

Say, thou Antelope in beauty,

Since permitted to return,
Say, what is a lover's duty

Who with ardent fire doth burn.

Sympathise with him who loves you,

Crown of all my hopes and joys,

'Tis your constant swain approves you,
His Gazel all his soul employs.'

We would observe, en passant, that the tautological expression of burning with ardent fire,' shews that the author possesses no critical mastery of language; a remark which is farther confirmed by an unfortunate use of the active for the passive mood, in the same page, in the phrase the antelope soon fatigues but we pass with pleasure from animadversions on style, to a consideration of the useful matter with which Mr. Jackson frequently presents his readers.

Africa has been, from time immemorial, the nursery of Locusts; and we have here an account of that destructive insect which fully coincides with the affecting picture given in the Old Teftament:

Locusta

Locusts are produced from some unknown physical cause, and proceed from the Desert, always coming from the south. When they visit a country, it behoves every individual to lay in a provision against a famine; for they are said to stay three, five, or seven years. During my residence in West and South Barbary, those countries suffered a visitation from them during seven years. They have a government among themselves, similar to that of the bees and ants; and when the (Sultan Jerraad) king of the locusts rises, the whole body follow him, not one solitary straggler being left behind to witness the devastation. When they have eaten all other vegetation, they attack the trees, consuming first the leaves, and then the bark, so that the country, in the midst of summer, from their unsparing rapacity, bears the face of winter. In my travels, I have seen them so thick on the ground, as sometimes actually to have covered my horse's hoofs, as he went along; it is very annoying to travel through a host of them, as they are continually flying in your face, and settling on your hands and clothes. At a distance, they appear, in the air, like an immense cloud, darkening the sun; and whilst employed in devouring the produce of the land, it has been observed that they uniformly proceed one way, as regularly as a disciplined army on its march; nor will it be possible to discover a single one going a different way from the rest. In travelling from Mogodor to Tangier, before the plague in 1799, the country was covered with them: a singular incident then occurred at El Araiche; the whole country from the confines of Sahara to that place was ravaged by them, but after crossing the river El Kos, they were not to be seen, though there was nothing to prevent them from flying across it; moreover, they were all moving that way, that is to the north; but when they reached the banks of the river, they proceeded eastward, so that the gardens and fields north of El Araiche were full of vegetables, fruits, and grain. The Arabs of the province of El Garb considered this remarkable circumstance, as an evident interposition of Providence.

This curse of heaven can only be conceived by those who have seen the dismal effects of their devastation: the poor people, by living on them, become meagre and indolent, for no labour will yield fruit, whilst the locusts continue increasing in numbers. In the rainy season they partially disappear, and at the opening of the spring the ground is covered with their young; those crops of corn which are first mature, and the grain which becomes hardened before the locust attains its full growth, are likely to escape, provided there be other crops less forward for them to feed upon.

In the year 1799, these destructive insects were carried away into the Western Ocean by a violent hurricane; and the shores were afterwards covered with their dead bodies, which in many places emitted a pestilential smell; that is, wherever the land was low, or where the salt water had not washed them; to this event succeeded a most abundant crop of corn, the lands which had lain fallow for years, being now cultivated; but the produce of the cultivation was accompanied with a most infectious and deadly plague, a calamity of which the locusts have often been observed to be the fore-runners.'

Of the tribe of reptiles, in Marocco, the most remarkable is the famous Boa Constrictor :

:

The Boah, or desert Snake, is an enormous monster, from twenty to eighty feet long, as thick as a man's body, and of a dingy colour: this inhabitant of Sahara is not venomous, though it is not less destructive the Arabs (speaking of it figuratively,) affirm, that as it passes along the desert it fires the ground with the velocity of its motion. It is impossible to escape it; it will twist itself round an ox, and after crushing its bones, will swallow it gradually, after which it lies supinely on the ground two or three days, unable to proceed till the animal be digested. Two of these monsters station. ed themselves near the road from Marocco to Terodant, near to the latter city, a few years since; one of them was killed, the other, remained there several days, and prevented travellers, from passing the road; they were both young ones, being about twenty feet long. Various stories are related by the Arabs of Sahaia respecting the Boahs; but they are mostly ingenious fables, originally intended to, inculcate some moral truth, or trait of human nature, which, by the embellishments of tradition, added to the credulity of the Arabs, are now related as facts. Without speaking of all the various kinds of serpents which are either timid, harmless, or not venomous, I must observe, that

The Domestic Serpents claim some attention. In the city of Marocco these animals abound; there is scarcely a house without its domestic serpent, which is sometimes seen moving along the roofs of the apartments; they are never molested by the family, who would not hurt them on any consideration, conceiving them a benediction on the household; they have been known to suck the breasts of wo men whilst asleep, and retire without offering any further injufy. They are so susceptible as to be sensible of enmity towards them, and it is thought imprudent to incur their displeasure; for this reason the inhabitants of Marocco treat them kindly, and as members of the fa-. mily, not wishing to disturb an animal that claims the rights of hos pitality by settling in their house.'

The Population of the Empire of Marocco considerably exceeds the amount which has hitherto been supposed, being fifteen millions. The principal cities are, Fas, (commonly called Fez,) containing 380,000 inhabitants; Marocco, the Imperial residence, 270,000; and Mequinas, 110,000.- Next to those in population is Terodant, an inland town with 25,000 inhabitants; and, on the coast, Rabat, 25,000; Sallee, 18,000; Tetuan, 16,000; Saffy, 12,000; and Mogodor, 10,000.

The City of Marocco is situated in a fertile plain, interspersed with groves of lofty palm trees, and bounded on the East by the snowy mountains of Atlas, distant from the city about thirty miles. It was built in 1052, and bears marks of having been more extensive and flourishing in former ages than it is at present. The ruins of decayed houses encumber the

It is sur

streets, and form an impediment to cleanliness. rounded by very thick walls, made of a cement of lime and sandy earth, put in cases, and beaten together with square rammers. The atmosphere here is very healthy, the Atlas mountains defending the city from the Shume or hot wind' of the desert. Marocco is properly the capital of the southern division of the Empire; and the capital of the northern division is Mequinas, which city stands in a beautiful valley about sixty miles inland from Sallee: but its interior is not equal to the environs, the streets not being paved, and mud consequently accumulating in the rainy season. The inhabitants are extremely hospitable; their manners are mild; and the beauty of the women is renowned throughout the Empire.

Fas, or Fez, is both more populous and more antient than either of the cities which we have mentioned, having been founded in the year 786. In opulence, however, it is not equal to them. The houses have flat roofs, covered with terras, on which the inhabitants spread carpets in summer to enjoy the cool breezes of the evening; they are large buildings; and in the centre of each is an open quadrangle surrounded by a gallery, which communicates with the stair-case, and into which the doors of

the different apartments open. The principal houses have

cisterns under them, to hold the water used in the baths. In the city are nearly two hundred caravanseras, or inns, each three stories high, and containing between fifty and a hundred apartments but in these apartments consists the whole accommodation afforded by the inn-keeper, the traveller carrying his own bedding along with him, and buying his provisions out of doors. Each trade or profession has a separate department of the city assigned to it. In one quarter are seen the offices of notaries; in another, stationers; in a third, shoemakers; here is a fruit market, and there are wax chandlers. -Terodant is an antient town, situated to the southward, in the province or kingdom of Suse, of which it was formerly the capital. It has considerably decreased in population, and is now famous only for the manufacture of saltpetre, and of leather.

All these towns are in the interior of the country. The principal places on the coast, commencing from the North, are Tetuan, Ceuta, Tangier, Sallee, Rabat, Azamor, El Woladia, Saffy, Mogodor, and Agadeer, or Santa Cruz. Tetuan is convenient as a naval station, where a fleet may lie in safety while watering and victualling; Ceuta belongs to Spain; Tangier affords a supply of provisions to Gibraltar, and a station to Moorish pirates; Sallee is a walled town, but with a decaying harbour; Rabat, in its neighbourhood, a REY. OCT. 1809. populous