MOROCCO, a city of West Barbary, and the metro polls of the empire of Morocco, is situated in the midst of a beautiful valley, formed by a chain of mountains on the north, and those of the Atlas on the south and east The country which immediately surrounds it is a fertile plain, diversified by clumps of shrubs and palm trees. and watered by numerous streams which descend from the Atlas mountains. About five miles from the city towards the south, are seen the emperor's gardens. and large inclosed olive plantations, which greatly increase the beauty of the surrounding scenery. The city was founded in A. D. 1052, by an Arab chief named Jusuf Teshfin, and is said to have encreased so rapidly, that, in the time of his grandson, it contained a million of inhabitants. Leo Africanus speaks of it as one of the largest cities in the world ; but the extent of ground which it covered, (which is ascertained by the ancient walls which still exist, and which are only 7 or 8 miles in circuit,) contradicts the probability of its having ever contained so great a population. At present its inha bitants do not exceed 30,000 ; and many of its most magnificent buildings are in a state of ruin and decay. The walls are extremely thick, and are built of a cement of lime and sandy earth, called by the Moors tabbia, which is put into cases, and beaten together with square rammers. These walls are flanked by square towers, and surrounded by a wide and deep ditch. There are numerous entrances, consisting of large double portions, built of tabbia in the gothic style, the gates of which are regularly shut every night at certain hours. The streets are very narrow, dirty, and irregular ; and the best houses are built in the midst of the gardens behind high walls of the rudest construction, as every proprietor is anxious to conceal his wealth from the eye of the pub lic. Most of them, also, are constructed like forts for defence, and approached by a narrow lane, capable of admitting only a single horseman at a time. There are many temples or mosques in the city, but few of them remarkable for magnificence. One of them, which has a cistern under it for collecting water in the rainy sea son, has its central space supported by pillars of marble, and has a lofty square tower, with a winding terrace reaching to the top, from which Cape Cantin, distant about 120 miles, is distinctly visible. Another tower is remarkable from the circumstance of its having three golden balls on its top, weighing together, it is said, 10 quintals, or 1205 lbs. avoirdupois, which several kings, when in want of money, have in vain attempted to take down. The imperial palace, which faces mount Atlas, is built of hewn stone, ornamented with marble. The architecture of the principal gates is Gothic, em bellished with various ornaments in the Arabesque style. The walls of some of the rooms are of fillagree work, and others of glazed tiles, which arc fixed in the walls with much art, and which have a cooling effect.
There are three gardens attached to the palace, abound ing in the richest fruits and most fragrant flowers. In these gardens are irregular square buildings called pavillions, with pyramidal roofs, covered with glazed tiles of various colours, lighted by four lofty doors, and painted and gilt in the Arabesque style. In these pa villions the emperor takes coffee or tea, and transacts business with the officers of his court. They seldom contain any other furniture than a couple of sofas, some china and tea equipage, a clock, a water-pot, a few arms hung round the walls, and carpets to kneel upon in prayers. Near the palace is the place of audience, an extensive quadrangle, walled round, but open above, in v.hfich the emperor gives audience to his subjects, and administers justice. The Kasseria, a place at trade, is an oblong building, surrounded with small shops, filled with silks, cloths, and other valuable articles. These shops, like those of other towns in Morocco, are nothing more than openings in the walls about a yard from the ground. and just of sufficient height. to admit a man to sit within them cross-legged, with the goods and draw ers so arranged round him, that he can serve his custo mers, who stand in the street, without needing to move from his seat. At the extremity of the city, towards the Atlas mountains and near to the imperial palace, is the district occupied by the Jews, which lot ms a sepa rate town of itself, with an alcaide appointed by the the emperor, to give them protection, and the gates of are shut and opened at certain hours ; but not much above 2000 Jews now reside in the place, as most of them prefer a dwelling in the adjacent mountains, where they are free from oppression and insult. In this quarter stands the Spanish convent, which used to be occupied by a few friars, but is now deserted. There is an ancient subterraneous aqueduct built of brick, twenty feet below the surface, which goes round the town, and from which pipes or brick work branch off at every hun dred yards, to convey the water into the houses. But this aqueduct is much neglected, and the city is sup plied with water by wooden pipes from numerous wells in the adjoining olive plantations. The wealthier in habitants procure water from the river Tensift, which flows at a short distance from the city, and the water of which is accounted very salubrious, and particularly medicinal in cases of indigestion. Many of the streets are filled with the ruins of old houses, and in the Jew's quarter, the heaps of dung arc as high as the houses. The houses are also greatly infested with vermin, par ticularly with bugs, which, in the summer season, lite rally cover the walls. The air around the city is gene rally calm, and the climate healthy, as the neighbouring mountains of Atlas, which arc always covered with snow, serve at once to cool the surrounding atmosphere, and to furnish a shelter from the scorching winds of the desert. W. Long. North Lat. 30° 57'. (q.)