MOROCCO or Marocca, the Marakash of the Arabs, a country of 300,000 square miles, at the N.W. extremity of Africa. The dominant race are Moors. Berber, Shellok, Arab, Negro, Christians, and Jews are numerous. All the mercantile and artisan transactions are carried on by Jews.. These reside in the Mellah quarter, and are obliged to wear black clothes. It is the ancient Mauritania, and has been successively under the sway of the Romans, Vandals, Greeks, and Arabs. In the-11th century it fell under the Fatimite khalifs, and in the 16th century under the sherifs, descendants of Mahomed, who are still reigning. It has a population of about eight millions, but Behm and Wagner only estimate 6,140,000,— Berber, . . . 2,300,000 Jew,. . . 340,000 Shellok, . . . 1,450,000 Negro and Abid, 120,000 Moor, . . . . 3,660,000 Christians, . . . . 300 Arab, . . . . 740,000 Renegades, . . . . 200 The Arabs of Morocco are the Moors of Spain, the Saracens of France, tall graceful sons of the Arabian desert, courteous, brave, hospitable, and confiding,—descendants of the conquerors who, in the first ages of the Hijira, propagated the religion of 3iahomed, crossed the Straits of Gibraltar, destroyed the Gothic chivalry, reigned in Spain for 700 years, invaded France, devas tated Italy, and pillaged the suburbs of imperial Rome. When the last Arab king submitted to
Ferdinand and Isabella, and the MoOrish palaces of Grenada were surrendered to the Christians, the old conquerers went back to Africa and resumed their nornade life. In Tripoli, the Arab has monopolized the country. In Tunis the native reappears in a smaller proportion, and in Morocco he is very scarce. The Berber and Shellok are untamed warlike tribes dwelling in the mountains ; when possible, rovers of the sea, claiming fanciful origins, but impatient of any subjection. They are the same race whom the French call Kabyle and Zouave. The Moor are little idle men, who grow fat from indolence. They are lowlanders, traders, dwellers in cities, avaricious, perfidious, cowardly, cringing, and insolent. The Riff dwellers of Kalhya, Cape Tres Forcas, correspond to the Arab Sahali on the Red Sea coast, the name • Riff being evidently from Ripa, a bank. The towns of Mequenez on the north, and Morocco on the south, are the chief cities.—Cettafago.