Directly west of the city of Morocco and farther south than Mekinez lies Mogadore, the most important seaport of Morocco upon the Atlantic coast. The inhabitants, who take great pride in their town, give it a name signifying square. It is, however, somewhat triangular in shape.
The town is quite modern in its construction. It is built upon a sandy beach; which, fortunately, has a rocky foundation. The streets are somewhat narrow, but they are straight and well laid out. The houses are arranged with much regularity and precision on either side.
The town is divided into two parts. One section contains the citadel, the public buildings, governor's palace, and the residences of the consuls and merchants who represent the several countries of Europe. The other section of the town is occupied by the Jews and Moors. The Moors have their own special quarter, called villah, which the police close at night.
The walls of the town are not especially high nor strong. They are, however, of sufficient height and strength to serve as a defense against the attacks of the savage mountain tribes and the Arabs of the plains.
The harbor of Mogadore is formed by a bay, which is closed by an island of the same name situated about two miles from the mainland. The harbor contains some slight fortifications and a mosque—all situated upon this island.
It has been estimated that the town of Mogadore has a population numbering between thirteen and fifteen thousand people. About four thousand of these are Jews, and there are possibly one thousand Christians.
If we approach the town from the interior it presents a most curious aspect, surrounded as it is by immense batteries in the form of pyramids. Each of these is constructed in such a way as to serve as a defense to the approaches to the city. An aqueduct, which is filled from a small river, furnishes the water supply for the inhabitants.
The climate of the town is very healthy. There are no lowlands nor marshes to breed malarial fevers. Rain seldom falls, but the dryness of the air is tempered by the Atlas mountain chain on the one side, and the sea on the other. The former serves to keep off the hot land breezes, while the latter lends its refreshing breezes to give coolness and moisture to the atmosphere.
The suburbs of Mogadore consist mainly of desolate waste land. At intervals gardens with a few vegetables and flowers may be seen. These gardens are always cultivated in the very midst of the sand at no little outlay of time and strength. They furnish striking evidence of man's ingenuity to make the most of his resources, even in so sterile a land.
At one side of the town are two cemeteries; one for Christians, the other for natives. That for Christians is desolate in the extreme. Not a sod, nor even the most humble flower is to be seen; not a tree shades the tombs. The mournful winds of Old Ocean sweep over its expanse, and it seems indeed forsaken; but, dreary as it is, the Moorish cemetery is even more unattractive.