Burton Street,
Sept. 30th, 1811.
FOOTNOTES:
[1]Edinburgh Review, No. 28. Critical Review, Aug. 1809. London Review, August 1809. Anti-jacobin Review, Aug. and Sept. 1809. &c. &c.
[2]Since this book first appeared, the Proceedings of the Society for promoting the Discovery of the interior Parts of Africa have been published in two volumes octavo. In the second volume are two letters from me to Sir Joseph Banks, wherein I observe the following errors of the press, which I take the liberty here to correct: P. 366, for zahaht, read rahaht; p. 373, for Alshærrah, read Emsharrah; p. 376, for Ait Elkoh, read Ait Ebkoh; for Idantenan, r. Idautenan; for Kitrivæ, read Kitiwa; and for Alsigina, read Emsegina.
PREFACE.
The following sheets have been compiled from various notes and observations made during a residence of sixteen years in different parts of the Empire of Marocco, in the successive reigns of Cidi Mohammed ben Abdallah ben Ismael, Muley Yezzid, Muley el Hesham, and Muley Soliman ben Mohammed; and which were originally intended merely as memoranda for my own use; but shortly after my last arrival in England, I had the honour to converse with a distinguished Nobleman[3] on the subject of African knowledge, and from his Lordship’s suggestions I first determined to submit to the public such information as a long intercourse with the natives of Barbary, as well in a political as a commercial capacity, and a thorough knowledge of the languages of North Africa had enabled me to obtain.
It was justly observed by Mr. Matra, our late consul at Marocco, that “there are more books written on Barbary than on any other country, and yet there is no country with which we are so little acquainted.” The cause of this is to be found in the superficial knowledge which the authors of such books possessed respecting this part of the world; having been generally men who came suddenly into the country, and travelled through it without knowing any thing either of the manners, character, customs, or language of the people. Indeed, the greater part of the compositions respecting North Africa, are narratives of journies of Ambassadors, &c. to the Emperor’s court, generally for the purpose of redeeming captives, compiled by some person attached to the embassy, who, however faithfully he may relate what passes under his own eye, is, nevertheless from his situation, and usual short stay, unable to collect any satisfactory information respecting the country in general, and what he does collect, is too often from some illiterate interpreter, ever jealous of affording information to Europeans even on the most trifling subjects.
Leo Africanus is, with very few exceptions, perhaps the only author who has depicted the country in its true light; and although he has committed some errors, chiefly geographical, yet Marmol, as well as many moderns, have servilely copied him. There is some original matter contained in a book, entitled, “A Journey to Mequinez, on the occasion of Commodore Stuart’s Embassy, &c. &c.” London, 1725. Lemprière’s Marocco contains an interesting description of the Horem, or the Seraglio; but the rest of his account has many errors; the map appears to be copied chiefly from Chenier, some of whose orthographical errors he has adopted. The work of the last mentioned author is the best I have seen,[4] and this is to be attributed to his having resided in the country several years; and though his ridiculous pride did not allow him to associate generally with the Moors, yet a partial knowledge of their language, and his natural penetration and judgment, enabled him to make many useful observations derived from experience.[5]