MOCHA, or Moxua, a maritime town of Arabia Felix, on the eastern coast of the Red Sea, is situated in the midst of a barren plain, about 15 miles north from the Straits of Babelmandel, in 13° 16' N. Latitude, and 43° 11' 15" E. Longitude. It is placed between two low points of land, which project From the shore, so as to form a bay capable of sheltering such ships as can approach within a mile of the shore. On each of these points, which are about five miles distant from each other, is constructed a circular castle. built of stone, and provided with artillery, (either of which a British ship of war would level with the ground by a single broadside ;) and nearly in the centre of the walls of the town, fronting the sea, is a similar fort, protect ing the only gate in this quarter for the entrance of goods and passengers. From this gate a pier of stone runs out in a due westerly direction for the space of 150 yards, which was built about the middle of last century, by Captain Watson, superintendant of the Bombay Marine. The town itself stands so close to the shore, that during a westerly wind the sea washes against the walls, and is about a mile and a half in length from north to south, and half a mile in breadth. It is completely surrounded with walls of hewn stone, about 16 feet high on the sea-side, but about 30 in some places on the land-side, which are generally kept in good repair, and provided with loop-holes for arrows or musketry at the distance of ever y five feet. There are also batteries at each end of the town, and round towers on the walls at equal distances. But the walls are too thin to withstand a cannon hall, and the batteries scarce ly able to bear the firing of their own guns. The houses fronting the sea are very lofty, built of stone, and all white-washed. There are several mosques in the place, the minarets of which rise to a considerable height, and the largest of them serves as a landmark to ships en tering the road, particularly as a steering point to avoid the dangerous shoal, which begins about four miles from the shore, and reaches nearly to the pier-head. There are several tombs or square edifices, covered with cir cular domes, which break the uniform line of the Qat roofed houses, and altogether the appearance of the town, when seen from the roadstead, is striking and handsome. But the expectations of the stranger arc
completely disappointed as soon as he enters the gates, when he sees the streets covered with filth, and full of vacant spaces, or the ruins of deserted habitations. The principal building in the town is the residence of the DoIn, a large and lolly structure with turrets on the top, and a variety of fantastic ornaments in white stucco. One front of it looks towards the sea, and another into a square, the only regular place in the town where the Dola and his officers amuse themselves in throwing the jerid. The best houses look towards the sea, and are chiefly situated to the north of the sea-gate. They are mostly built of brick made by the heat of the sun, and, unless carefully preserved from the access of moisture, are soon reduced to a heap of mud. The windows are generally small, placed regularly in the walls, and sel dom capable of being opened for the admission of fresh air. The floors as well as the roofs of the larger houses, are made of chunam, laid on pieces of plank or thin sticks, closely arranged like laths across the beams, but are extremely uneven, a circumstance which occasions less inconvenience where neither chairs nor tables are used. The internal structure of the habitations is uni formly bad, the passages long and narrow, and the stairs so steep as to be ascended with difficulty. The lower orders live in huts, composed of wicker work, covered on the inside with mats, and sometimes on the outside with a little clay, the roofs of which are uniformly thatched, and each of which has a small yard fenced in front. The suburbs are situated to the south of the town, with a large vacant space between them and the walls, and contain as many inhabitants as the city itself, but chiefly of the poorer classes. One quarter is occu pied by Jews, another by prostitutes, a third by the pub lic slaves, who are mostly Abyssinians, employed in .repairing the buildings or loading the vessels belonging to the government, and the other districts, by labourers, artisans, and a few gardeners, who, by means of great industry and plenty of manure, contrive to raise a little sallad, pulse, and sweet potatoes, The amount of in habitants, both within and without the walls, is not sup posed to exceed 10,000.