general, however, they carry on war chiefly by surprise and ambuscade. The idea formed of them by the Saracen conquerors may be conceived by a passage in a celebrated Arabian writer (Bakoui), wire gravely informs us, that they are the offspring of the giant Goliah, whom they resemble in strength and wickedness. They are divided into various tribes, of whom the Errifi, inhabiting a province of the name between Algiers and Morocco, are the most powerful and ferocious.
The Brebers are distinguished frown the other in habitants of Barbary by a language which has no thing in common with any of the rest. It is consi dered by Adelung to be the same (allowing for some variation of dialect) with that of the Tibbo, the Tuarick, and of all the indigenous population of this rut of Africa. Marsden and Langles have supposed tt to be a corruption of the ancient Punic language; but Mr Pinkerton forcibly argues, that a language which has no abstract terms, none belonging to the arts and sciences, and no written characters, could scarcely be even a corruption of the language of civilized people. Its high antiquity, however, can not be doubted.
. The Shelluhs inhabit the southern parts of Mo rocco. They are smaller in stature than the Brebers, and in charamer somewhat leas rude. In all other respects, they exactly resemble, and may be consi as a branch of that race. Some writers have asserted their language to be different ; but the voca bulary given by Chenier, and the information of Dupuis, seem to leave no doubt that it is merely a dialect with very slight variations.
To these different classes we may finally add one which is not inconsiderable,—that of the negroes. Ori ginally brought as slaves from Soudan and Tombuctoo, they have multiplied greatly, and have even risen to distinguished estimation. The sovereigns of Moroc co, unable, from the natural jealousy of despotism, to trust their own subjects, have placed their entire confidence in negro troops. These form the stand ing army of•the empire, the body guard of the stove -reign, and the 'garrison of all the principal fortresses. Their pay is very small, not exceeding a -penny a day ; but its smallness is.00mpensated by the licence in which they are allowed to indulge. A person, -well acquainted with Morocco, being asked what their pay was, answered, " Whatever they can rob or steal." Maley Ishmael maintained nearly 100,000
of these troops. Their fidelity to their monarch is said to be exemplary. Negro slaves still continue to be imported in great numbers, particularly into Mo rocco.
We proceed now- to take a view of the political state of this extensive region, which has sustained no change from the lapse of time, and is that of a savage, uncontrolled, and turbulent despotism. In Turkey and the Asiatic empires, there are pub lic bodies, rendered venerable by religion, by law, and even by knowledge, who share and moderate the power of the despot. In Barbary, there are none such ; the will, or rather momentary caprice of the sovereign rules every thing. Yet the throne, though thus absolute, is not thereby rendered secure ; resting on no basis; it is overturned by the slightest storm that arises. The death of a sovereign is almost invariably followed by disputed succession and civil war ; so that tranquillity, the sole boast of despotism, is not even secured by it to this unfortu nate country.
The present sovereign of Morocco is named Mu ley SoLiman. He has three brothers, two of whom contended with him for the sovereignty, and being overcome, now live in exile. He is about forty, ra ther handsome, and of a quick comprehension. He is afakih or doctor, deeply versed in the Mabometan faith, and passes the greater part of the day in pray er. His religious austerity prompts him to shun every appearance of luxury in his dress and manner of life. Requiring still greater simplicity in his mi nisters and attendants, he has completely banished that splendour which Usually accompanies a court. The most pernicious effect of this bigotry consists in the hostility with which it inspires him against vari ous branches of industry. He has ordered all the plantations of tobacco to be destroyed, because, al though the prophet has not forbidden the use of that plant, there is no evidence of his having used it himself. In the same spirit, he opposes every possible obstruc tion to commerce with Europeans, whom, as infidels, he regards with horror. In other respects, his go vernment is said to be milder than that usually ex perienced by the people of Mqrooco.