The principal towns of Morocco are, Morocco, Me quinez, Mogadore, and Fez, (for an account of which see the respective articles under those heads,) Tero dant, the old metropolis of the kingdom of Suse, an ancient and extensive town, in which there is a magnifi cent palace, adorned with delightful gardens, but now decreasing in population, and noted only for the manu facture of leather, saddles, dyeing of cloths, and the pro duction of a superior kind of saltpetre. Santa Cruz, or Agadeer, the most southerly sea-port of the empire, strongly fortified by its elevated situation and numerous batteries, possessing one of the best roads for shipping, and formerly the centre of a very extensive commerce, but dismantled in the year 1773, in consequence of an attempt on the part of its governor to resist the power of the emperor Seedy Mahornet; SalTy, au ancient town, between two hills, which expose it to the torrents of winter, and increase the heat of the summer, surrounded by thick and misty w tils, possessing a road for shippnig, sale in summer, but in winter exposed to violent gales, and carrying on a considerable trade in corn; El-Wala a small square situated on an extensive plain, tv.th a very spacious harbour, capable of containing 500 sail of the line, but having its entrance obstructed by rocks ; Mazagan, remarkable for its salubrious air and excellent water, which is drawn by buckets from wells 100 feet deep, and possessing also a curious subterra nean cistern, constructed by the Portuguese, for collect ing the rain water for the supply of the garrison ; Aza more, in the province of DuqueIla, remarkable for the immense number of storks by which it is occupied, and which are said to exceed the number of the inhabitants ; Pedals, in a delightful fruitful district, and furnished with a safe road for shipping, at all seasons; Rabat, a walled town, with docks for ship-building, and a manu factory of cotton cloth, but chiefly remarkable for the ruins of a magnificent mosque, of which the roof was supported by 360 marble columns, and for a subterra nean cistern, the tower of which, above 180 feet high, has so gradual an ascent to the top, made of a mixture of lime and sand, that a man on horseback may ride to the summit ; Sallee, on the opposite side of the river to Rabat, which is also a walled town, defended by batteries, and formerly had a harbour capable of admitting large vessels, but is now greatly obstructed by the accumula tion of sand at the entrance of the river ; Mamora, or Maheduma, now a deserted place, partly on account of the swarms of annoying insects by which it is infested, and chiefly occupied by fishermen, who take incredible quantities of a species of salmon, called shebbel, for the supply of the interior ; Larache, or El Araiche, in a rich and beautiful tract, where the gardens of the Hesperides are supposed to have been situated, and formerly a place of considerable commerce, but since 1780 almost totally evacuated, by the orders of the emperor; Tangier, or Tinjiah, which was given by the crown of Portugal, in 1662, as a marriage portion, with the Princess Cathe rine, to Charles II. of England, but abandoned by the English in 1684, after they had demolished the fortifica tions, a place which has few productions in its vicinity for the purposes of commerce, but is still a favourable station for Moorish pirates; Ceuta, or Cibta, supposed to be of Carthaginian origin, and formerly the metropo lis of the countries held by the Goths in Hispania Trans fretanu, now possessed by the Spaniards, though often besieged by the Mahommedans; Tetuan, or Tetawan, situated in a country which produces the finest fruits, particularly oranges, and which carries on a consider able trade in provisions with Gibraltar, but in which no Europeans are allowed to settle since the year 1770, in consequence of a Moor baying been shot by an English man ; Vet's, or Bedis, situated between two mountains, and surrounded with excellent timber; and Melilla, a place celebrated for the best wax and honey, and which has been in the possession of the Spaniards since the beginning of the 16th century.
The government of Morocco is the most unlimited despotism, both in theory and practice. There are really no other laws than the will of the emperor, whose man dates must he obeyed, even though they should deviate from the principles enjoined by the Koran. He admi nisters justice in person, where he resides, and hears all complaints in the hall of audience, generally twice, and sometimes four times a week. Every individual, of whatever country, sex, or station, has free access to his presence, and full permission to state his cause. Every
appliCant brings a present suited to his condition; and the smallest matter, even a few eggs, will be accepted. Judgment between the parties is always prompt, and considered as generally correct, unless where wealth has interposed to bribe the judge. In other places, remote from the court, the vice-regent or hashaw administers justice in like manner, according to the laws of the Ko ran, or as his own caprice may direct. All subaltern magistrates proceed in the same despotic manner, often using the authority of the emperor to enforce their ex actions ; and all of them having no other object than to extort money from any individual who is known to pos sess property to a considerable amount. Emissaries and spies are continually at work to discover the persons who have any treasures in their possession, and to find out grounds of accusation against them. These very extortioners are in their turn exposed to the same treat ment from the emperor, who sends some unexpected order, accusing them of crimes and misdemeanors, and demanding their accumulated wealth for the imperial treasury. In every province is a governor, named a ba shat", who is appointed and removed at the will of the emperor; in every douar, or Arab encampment, a simi• far officer of government, called a sheik ; and in every town another, called alcaid ; each possessing, in their respective districts, equally unlimited power with the sovereign, except that their decision may be carried by appeal before the emperor. Under the alcaid is an officer named el-haikum, or deputy governor, and an other denominated cadi, who acts both as a priest and a civil judge, and in whose absence any of the talbs or common priests is authorized to discharge the office.
Trifling offences are usually punished by the basti nado, or beating the back and legs with leather straps, which is sometimes executed with great severity. In greater crimes, particularly theft, the hands are cut off, or a leg or hand. Persons capitally punished are some times shot, run through the body with swords, knocked down with clubs, or beheaded. A peculiar mode of pun ishing offenders is tossing, which is so managed that the sufferer falls immediately upon his head; and there are executioners so•expert at this practice, that they can throw persons up, so as at pleasure to break the head, dislocate the neck, fracture a leg or arm, or let them fall without any material injury. But almost every mode of cruelty is occasionally practised in this miserable country. These punishments are usually superintended by the emperor in person, and used formerly to be fre quently inflicted by his own hand, but now are generally executed by some of the negro soldiers.
The principal officers of the court are, the effendi, or friend, who is the prime minister and responsible person in the state ; the secretary to the treasury, (united with the office of the effendi,) who disburses the payments of the emperor, has several under secretaries; the master of the horse, with 120 assistants; the grand•chamber lain, with 17 assistants ; and grand-falconer, (a heredi tary office)' with 20 assistants ; the keeper of the great seal; two grand-stewards; five inspectors-general of all the emperor's affairs, of whom the effendi is the chief; three masters of ceremonies for public audiences, with 40 assistants; an interpreter-general for European lan guages, who is usually a renegado; two grand-keepers of the jewels and plate ; a grand-master of the baths ; two grand-keepers of the arsenal ; two keepers of the emperor's goods and warehouses ; three inspectors of mosques, Sce.; five keepers of the provisions; two keep ers of the library; two astrologers; four masters of the cal riages ; twelve sons of renegadoes, who have not had beards, employed in drawing the small carriages; three principal assistants for prayers, with several deputies ; three bearers of the umbrella, with their assistants; the bearer of the sabre ; two bearers of the basin ; two bear ers of the lance ; the bearer of the watch ; five bearers of the emperor's firelocks, with their assistants ; the bearer of the standard ; a physician and surgeon, with many kinds of tradesmen. All these officers receive no salaries from the emperor, but depend entirely on the perquisites which are paid to them by those who trans act any business with the court ; and even what they re ceive in this way is often liable to be seized by the sove reign, unless he be gratified by occasional presents.