An account of the empire of Marocco, and the districts of Suse and Tafilelt; compiled from miscellaneous observations made during a long residence in, and various journies through, these countries. To which is added an account of shipwrecks on the western coast of Africa, and an interesting account of Timbuctoo, the great emporium of Central Africa

by James Grey Jackson

MEQUINAS.

The city of Mequinas stands in a beautiful valley about sixty miles from Salée, near the sanctuary of Muley Dris Zerone; and is surrounded by gentle eminences, and highly cultivated vales, ornamented with plantations of dates, grapes, figs, pomgranates, oranges, olives, &c., all which grow in abundance, the surrounding country being well watered by various springs and streams.

This city owes its present extent and consequence to the Sultan Muley Ismael, who, after having secured to himself the undisputed sovereignty of the small kingdoms which now form the empire of Marocco, determined, in order to keep his people in more complete subjection, to have two imperial cities, and in consequence made Marocco the capital of the south, and Mequinas that of the north; he at the same time considerably enlarged the city to the westward, and erected a beautiful palace, which is defended by two bastions mounted with a few guns of small calibre.

In the plain, on that side of the city towards the Atlas mountains, is a wall of circumvallation about six feet in height, which was built as a defence against the Berebbers, whose attacks, though impetuous, are momentary, and do not require a long defence. Muley Ismael, and his successor, Muley Abdallah, have repeatedly defended themselves in this city against these people, when, in attempting to bring them under their yoke, they have been routed, and their armies pursued to its very walls.

At the south end of the city stands the palace (which encloses the Horem, or seraglio), a very extensive quadrangular edifice, built by Ismael, after his own design; it contains several gardens admirably laid out, and watered by numerous streams from the adjacent country. I obtained permission to view this building from the Emperor’s brother, as no person is suffered to enter it without leave. In the centre of the enclosure is the horem, within which is a spacious garden, planted with tall cypress trees; it is surrounded by a gallery, supported by columns, which communicates with the adjoining apartments, the largest of which are appropriated to the women (the smaller rooms being for the eunuchs and female attendants), and terminate in a hall, or large chamber, built on a causeway which divides the gardens; here the females look through the iron-latticed windows, and take the air, which, in the summer, is perfumed with the smell of violets, jasmines, roses, wild thyme, and other delectable odours. The palace is also interspersed with buildings called Kobbah, which contain a spacious square room, the roof of which is pyramidical, and on the inside curiously carved and ornamented with painting and gilding.

This extensive palace is rendered more spacious by being built altogether on the ground floor; the rooms are long and lofty, but narrow, being about 12 feet wide, 18 high, and 25 long; the walls are inlaid with glazed tiles of bright colours, which give an air of coolness to the apartments; and the light is communicated by means of two large folding doors, which are opened, more or less, according to the degree of light required in the room. Between the different suites of apartments are courts regularly paved with squares of black and white marble; and in the centre of some of these stands a marble fountain.

The Millah, or that part of the city inhabited by the Jews, is walled round, and is extensive, and in good repair. Many of the Jews live in affluence.

Contiguous to the Millah is another enclosure called the Negroes’ quarter, built by Ismael for the residence of the families of his black troops;[66] of this, however, nothing remains but the walls.

In this city was an hospitium, or convent of Spanish monks, founded about a century since by the king of Spain, for the relief and spiritual comfort of Catholic captives, and Christian travellers. This convent, and that at Marocco, were much respected by the Mooselemin, from the essential service afforded by the monks to the poor, whom they used to supply with medicines gratis; but, after a long practice, they found their prescriptions were grossly abused by the Moors, who took them without any regard to regimen; they were therefore obliged to make a general medicine for all applicants, composed of a decoction of simples with honey, and this they denominated the dua sheriff, or princely remedy. This convent was deserted by the monks previous to the accession of Soliman, the present Emperor.

The streets of Mequinas are not paved, and on this account it is a very disagreeable place in winter, as the rains cause the mud to accumulate, which renders walking abroad very unpleasant. The inhabitants are extremely hospitable: they invite strangers to their gardens, and entertain them sumptuously: indeed, the manners of the people in this part of the empire, are more mild, perhaps, than in any other.

Nature seems to have favoured the women of Mequinas, for they are handsome without exception, and to a fair complexion, with expressive black eyes, and dark hair, they unite a suavity of manners rarely to be met with even in the most polished nations of Europe.