The religion of the empire of Morocco is Mahom medism ; but toleration is granted in some measure to any sect which does not admit a plurality of gods ; and, on proper application, they arc permitted to appropriate a place for public worship. There are Catholic establish ments in Morocco, Mequinez, Mogadore, and Tangier.
rough all the country, there are buildings of an octa gonal form, called Zawiat, or Sanctuaries, with an unin closed piece of ground attached to each, for the interment of the dead. In these places is a priest or saint, who su perintends divine service, and the burial of the dead, and who is often applied to as arbiter in disputes. In these consecrated places, the wealthy inhabitants often deposit their treasures for security ; and criminals find protection against the hand of justice. The other reli gious institutions of the empire, arc so similar to those of other Mahommedan countries, as to render a separate account of them altogether superfluous.
The estimates given by different travellers of the population of the empire, are so irreconcileable with une another, that it is impossible to speak on the subject with any degree of certainty. The whole inhabitants of Morocco have been calculated at two, at six, and at fifteen millions. The last is the statement of Mr. son, who made his extracts from the imperial register. The city of Morocco contains, or did recently contain, The population of the empire of Morocco, is princi pally composed of two great original classes, the Bereb bers, and the Arabs.
The Berebbers are the descendants of the original in habitants of the country before the Arabian conquest ; and occupy all the mountainous districts. Though they have acknowledged the authority of the Koran, they have tenaciously maintained their independence, and carry on a desultory warfare against their Mahom mcdan invaders. They arc an athletic, hardy, and en terprising race, with regular, and sometimes handsome features, but remarkable for the ferocious expression of their eye. They arc characterised by a peculiar scan tiness of beard ; and, in the southern districts, many of them have only a few straggling hairs on the upper lip, with a small tuft on the chin. Their whole dress con sists of a woollen jacket without sleeves, and a pair of trowsers. They dwell in caves, mud huts, or hovels of stone and timber, which are generally situated on some commanding eminence, and frequently surrounded with walls furnished with loop-holes for musquetry. They cultivate the ground, and feed cattle ; but arc almost universally robbers ; and fall without mercy upon all travellers, who have not purchased a protection from some of their chiefs. They are divided into a number of petty tribes, distinguished by the names of their re spective patriarchs and founders, and speak a variety of dialects, quite distinct from the Roman and Arabic languages. The great subdivisions of this class of na tives are the Errifi, who inhabit the extensive moun tainous province of that name, on the shores of the Mediterranean, and who are the most athletic, ferocious and faithless of them all ; the Berebbers of the interior, who occupy the highlands from the southern confines of Errif, to the vicinity of Fez and Mequinez, and who are similar to the former in person, but less savage in their disposition ; the Berebbers of Middle Atlas, who resemble the last mentioned in most respects ; and the Berebbers of south Barbary, who extend from Moga dore southwards, and from the eastern limits of Atlas to the sea coast—who are also called Shilluks. These last, who are sometimes described as a distinct race, are more diminutive in person than those of the north, and have, in general, also an effeminate tone of voice. They have more of the social qualities ; and are more faithful in observing the promises of protection granted by their chiefs.
The Arabs, who are the direct descendants of the invaders of the country, compose the most numerous class of the population, and are scattered over the whole level districts of northern Africa, even to the confines of the Great Desert. They arc generally tall
and robust, with fine features, and conntenances full of intelligence, their eyes large, black and piercing, their noses gently arched, their teeth white and regular, their beards full and bushy, their hair strong, straight, and universally black, their skin, in the northern parts, of a bright, clear, brown colour, gradually darkening to black, as they approach towards the south. They arc all cultivators of the earth, and breeders of cattle, de pending entirely on agricultural pursuits for subsist ence. They dislike the restraints of cities, and dwell invariably in tents, in families that vary in number from ten to a hundred. Each of their tribes has its own chief or sheik, who explains the Koran, and ad ministers justice ; and in the centre of each encamp ment is a tent, appropriated for religious worship and the reception of travellers. They move from place to place as the pasturage fails, or the land becomes ex hausted ; and separate into different parties, as their number and flocks may require. On their march, the women are placed on the backs of the camels, the chil dren and lambs in the panniers on each side ; and the fowls instinctively perch upon the baggage. Part of the men on horseback are armed with muskets, and act as a guard to the party, while the rest drive along the herds. They are more violent, but less treacherous than the other classes; faithful to the laws of hospitali ty within the limits of their encampment, but ready to murder the last night's guest when they meet him again beyond these boundaries. They are perpetually engaged in war with one another, with the Berebbers, or with the troops of the sovereign, who are sent out to collect the taxes, and they carry on their hostilities with the most savage brutality ; sometimes ripping up the dead bodies of their victims, to discover the riches which they suspect them to have swallowed for the purpose of concealment.
The Moors, a name used only by Europeans, are the inhabitants of the towns, whom the Arabs call Medai nien, or towns people, and who call themselves Moos Ern, or believers. They are a mixture of all the nations who have at any time settled in Northern Africa, and are subdivided into four classes : 1. Those descended from Arab families, who form the larger part of the population in the southern towns, and of those which border on Arab districts ; 2. Those who are sprung from the Berebbers, who are more or less numerous in the towns, according to the proximity of the Berebber districts ; 3. The Bukharie or black tribe, who are the descendants of the negroes who have been brought as soldiers into the country, and who are most numerous in Mequinez ; and, 4. the Andalusie, the reputed de scendants of the Arab conquerors of Spain, who form a large class in the towns of the north of Barbary, and are seldom seen to the south of the river Asa Moor. The two former classes distinguish themselves by the name of the tribes from which they have sprung, and keep up a close alliance with their kindred families in the country ; but the two latter denominations are entire in themselves, as two distinct communities. The Moors are an indolent and taciturn race, jealous, deceitful, and cruel, losing even the natural affections in their extreme selfishness, and altogether degraded by the influence of their ab surd religion, their gross ignorance, and their wretched government. The reader is referred to the Article BARBARY for an account of the manners and customs of the inhabitants. See Chenier's Present State of Mo rocco. Lempriere's Tour to Morocco ; Jackson's Account of the Empire of Morocco ; ..A'arrative of Adams, a Sailor, with appendix by Mr. Dupuis ; Ali Bey's Travels ; Keatinge's Travels in Europe and Africa.