FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96  
97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   >>   >|  
stitute a very striking exception to the progress of civilization along the shores and in the isles of the Mediterranean. Many countries in Southern Europe are in a state little superior, and the Moorish civilization is almost on a par with that of the Grecian, Sicilian, or Maltese, and quite equal to Turkish advancement in the arts and sciences of the nineteenth century. The only real advantage of the Turks over the Moors consists in the improvements the former have made in the organization of the army. Whoever travels through Morocco, and will but open his eyes to survey its rich valleys and fertile plains, will be impressed with the conviction that this country, cultivated by an industrious population, and fostered by a paternal government, is capable of producing all the agricultural wealth of the north and the south of Europe, as well as the Tropics, and of maintaining its inhabitants in happiness and plenty. CHAPTER VI. Influence of French Consuls.--Arrival of the Governor of Mogador from the Capital; he brings an order to imprison the late Governor; his character, and mode of administering affairs.--Statue of a Negress at the bottom of a well.--Spanish Renegades.--Various Wedding Festivals of Jews.--Frequent Fetes and Feastings amongst the Jewish population of Morocco.--Scripture Illustration, "Behold the Bridegroom cometh!"--Jewish Renegades.--How far women have souls.--Infrequency of Suicides. Notwithstanding the sarcasm of a French journalist that the French and other Europeans consuls are "consuls des jusifs, et pour la protection des jusifs," the French consuls both here and at Tangier, have real power and influence with the Government. The Governor of Mogador, Sidi Haj El-Arby, arrived from Morocco. His Excellency feared an attack from the Shedma and the Hhaha people, and was obliged to have a strong escort. Not long ago, the Sultan himself had a narrow escape from falling into the hands of a band of insurgents; their object was to make their lord-paramount a prisoner, and extort concessions as the price of his liberty. This will help us to form an opinion of the want of sympathy between potentate and subjects in Morocco. His Excellency brought an order from the Imperial despot to imprison the late governor, if the balance of 6,000 dollars was not instantly forthcoming, he having only paid nine out of the 15,000 demanded. The late governor was confined in his house, instead of in the comm
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96  
97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

French

 

Morocco

 

consuls

 

Governor

 

jusifs

 

Mogador

 
imprison
 

Excellency

 

civilization

 

Jewish


population

 

governor

 
Renegades
 

Europe

 

Shedma

 

people

 

attack

 
feared
 
Government
 

arrived


Infrequency

 
Suicides
 

Notwithstanding

 
Behold
 
Bridegroom
 

cometh

 

sarcasm

 

journalist

 
Tangier
 

protection


Europeans

 

influence

 

falling

 

despot

 

Imperial

 

balance

 

brought

 

subjects

 

opinion

 
sympathy

potentate

 
dollars
 

confined

 

demanded

 
forthcoming
 

instantly

 

narrow

 

escape

 
Illustration
 

Sultan