t length given to our King, Charles the Second, as
part of the dowry of his consort Catharine, We did not keep it long;
for, owing to the little harmony that subsisted between that Monarch
and his Parliament, it was ceded to the Moors in 1684, after we had
blown up all the fortifications, and utterly destroyed the
harbour. Since that event, it seems to have been gradually dwindling
into its present insignificance.

I have before observed, that the situation of Tangiers is well adapted
to the purposes of commerce, being about two miles within the Straits
of Gibraltar (or Hercules); but the ruins of the fortifications and
harbour have rendered the anchorage in the bay of Tangiers very
unsafe. This is a great obstacle to trade; very little is carried on
there at present, and that little is by a few Jews, and lately, by a
Spanish merchant of the name of Don Pedro.

The town being built on the declivity of that high tract of land
called Cape Spartel (the Cape _Cottes_ or _Ampelusian_ of the
ancients), it is seen at a great distance; but on entering the bay, it
appears to the best advantage. It is defended by two martello towers,
a castle, and a large battery; but I am confident that it could not
withstand the attack of a few English frigates, and that such a force
from the bay might destroy the town in the space of a few
hours. Notwithstanding the vicissitudes to which this place has been
exposed, it still possesses a superiority over the other towns in the
empire of Morocco; it is the capital of the kingdom, and the residence
of the Consuls General of the powers in amity with his Imperial
Majesty. The houses of these foreign residents are constructed with
great taste in the European style; the habitations of the Moors are
neat; the air is pure and salubrious; the supply of excellent water,
abundant; and the market cheap and plentiful. This combination of
advantages renders Tangiers, in many points of view, an eligible
residence. The European society, which consists almost solely of the
families of the foreign consuls, is pleasant and agreable, The
adjacent country is beautifully romantic; and the opposite coast and
bay present a most delightful prospect. The Moorish inhabitants are
all soldiers, very poor, and entirely subject to the arbitrary will of
the Emperor. It is capable of furnishing, at a moment's warning,
three thousand cavalry, and two thousand infantry and artillery-men;
but these troops are badly trained,