CHAPTER XI.
General Commerce of Marocco. — Annual Exports and Imports of the Port of Mogodor. — Importance and Advantages of a Trade with the Empire of Marocco. — Cause of its Decline. — Present State of our Relations with the Barbary Powers.
The city of Marocco, besides its trade with the various districts of the interior, receives the most considerable supplies of European merchandize from the port of Mogodor, which is distant from it four days journey, caravan travelling;[181] some of the more valuable articles, however, are transported from Fas to the Marocco market, such as muslins, cambricks, spices, teas, pearls, coral, &c. and the elegant Fas manufactures of silk and gold. There is a considerable market held at Marocco every Thursday, called by the Arabs Soke-el-kumise,[182] which all articles of foreign as well as home manufacture are bought and sold, also horses,[183] horned cattle, slaves, &c. Samples of all kinds of merchandize are carried up and down the market and streets of the city by the Delels, or itinerant auctioneers, who proclaim the price offered, and when no one offers more, the best bidder is apprised of his purchase, the money is paid, and the transaction terminated.
The shops of Marocco are filled with merchandize of various kinds, many of which are supplied by the merchants of Mogodor, who receive, in return for European goods, the various articles of the produce of Barbary for the European markets. The credit which was given by the principal commercial houses of Mogodor to the natives has of late considerably decreased owing to the change of system in the government; for, in the reign of the present Emperor’s father, the European merchants were much respected, and their books considered as correct, so that a book debt was seldom disputed, and every encouragement was given to commerce by that Emperor; but Muley Soliman’s political principles differ so widely from those of his father, that the most trifling transaction should now be confirmed by law, to enable the European to be on equal terms with the Moor, and to entitle him to recover any property, or credit given; these measures have thrown various impediments in the way of commerce, insomuch that credit is either almost annihilated, or transformed into barter, which has necessarily thrown the trade into fewer hands, and consequently curtailed it in a great degree. For the purpose of showing at once the traffic carried on in the port of Mogodor, I shall here give an accurate account of its exports and imports during the years 1804, 1805, and the first six months of 1806, which are carefully extracted from the imperial custom-house books.
IMPORTS INTO MOGODOR IN 1804.
| From London, | 661 pieces, of from 40 to 50 yards each piece. | ||||
| 210 pieces, scarlet or media grana, from 40 to 50yards each piece. | |||||
| 150 pieces, plunkets, about 40 yards eachpiece. | |||||
| Superfine Cloths. | — From | London | 50 | pieces. | |
| Leghorn | 12 | ||||
| Other parts | — | ||||
| 62 pieces. | |||||
| Long Ells. | — From | London | 640 | pieces, | coloured. |
| 30 | scarlet | ||||
| 60 | embossed. | ||||
| Leghorn | 300 | coloured. | |||
| Druggets. | — From | London | 40 | pieces, | |
| Red Cloth. | — From | Amsterdam | 17 | pieces. | |
| LINENS. | |||||
| Creas. | — From | London | 902 | pieces. | |
| Amsterdam | 765 | ||||
| Leghorn | 60 | ||||
| 1115 pieces. | |||||
| Plattilias. | — From | London | 1047 | pieces. | |
| Amsterdam | 4708 | ||||
| Leghorn | 650 | ||||
| 6405 pieces. | |||||
| Brettagnias. | — From | London | 500 | pair. | |
| Amsterdam | 400 | ||||
| 900 pair. | |||||
| Cambricks. | — From | London | 20 | pair. | |
| Muslins. | — From | London | 21 | ||
| Amsterdam | 20 | ||||
| 41 pieces. | |||||
| Indian Blue Linens. | — From | London | 749 | pieces. | |
| Amsterdam | 30 | ||||
| 779 pieces. | |||||
| Striped India Silk. | — From | London | 40 | pieces. | |
| Silk Velvets. | — From | London | 131 | cubits.[184] | |
| Leghorn | 250 | ||||
| 381 cubits. | |||||
| Damask. | — From | Leghorn | 456 | cubits. | |
| Amsterdam | 150 | ||||
| 606 cubits. | |||||
| Raw Silk. | — From | London | 1150 | lb. | |
| Leghorn | 1200 | ||||
| Lisbon | 560 | ||||
| 2910 lb. | |||||
| Allum. | — From | London | 95524 | lb. | |
| Copperas. | — From | London | 91061 | lb. | |
| Sugar in loaves. | — From | London | 36966 | ||
| Amsterdam | 9653 | ||||
| Lisbon | 9600 | ||||
| 56219 lb. | |||||
| RawSugar. | — From | London | 7100 | ||
| Lisbon | 2100 | ||||
| 9200 lb. | |||||
| Iron. | — From | London | 8871 | bars. | |
| Amsterdam | 1415 | ||||
| Leghorn | 375 | ||||
| 10661 bars, 522700 lb. | |||||
| Gum Benzoin. | — From | London | 14239 | lb. | |
| Gum Lac. | 51800 | lb. | |||
| Hardware. | — From | London | 19 | cases. | |
| Amsterdam | 4 | barrels | |||
| Gum Tragacant. | — From | London | 1058 | ||
| Amsterdam | 370 | ||||
| 1428 lb. | |||||
| Pepper. | — From | London | 9231 | lb. | |
| Cloves. | — From | London | 6444 | ||
| Amsterdam | 1056 | ||||
| 7504 lb. | |||||
| Nutmegs. | — From | London | 712 | lb. | |
| Rhubarb. | — From | London | 246 | lb. | |
| Green Tea. | — From | London | 1310 | ||
| Amsterdam | 200 | ||||
| 1510 lb. | |||||
| Wrought Pewter. | — From | London | 5 | ||
| Amsterdam | 7 | ||||
| 12 casks | |||||
| Tin Plates. | — From | London | 60 cases, 13875 pieces. | ||
| White Lead. | — From | London | 2530 | lb. | |
| Copper in sheets. | — From | Amsterdam | 1035 | lb. | |
| Thread. | — From | Leghorn | 800 | ||
| Amsterdam | 200 | ||||
| 1000 lb. | |||||
| Mirrors, called in Holland Velt Spiegels. | |||||
| From | Amsterdam | 7250 | dozen. | ||
| Leghorn | 350 | ||||
| Mirrors of various sizes. | — From | Amsterdam | 1750 | pieces. | |
| Earthen Ware. | — From | Amsterdam | 70 | cases. | |
| London | 16 | crates. | |||
| Wool Cards. | — From | Amsterdam | 210 | dozen. | |
| Dutch Knives. | — From | Amsterdam | 13738 | dozen. | |
| Brass Pans. | — From | Amsterdam | 550 | lb. | |
| Osnaburg Linen. | — From | Amsterdam | 180 | pieces. | |
| Irish Linen. | — From | London | 170 | pieces. | |
| Leghorn | 150 | ||||
| 320 pieces. | |||||
| Lanthorns. | — From | London | 100 | dozen. | |
| Glass. | — From | London | 5 | cases. | |
| Red Lead. | — From | London | 1853 | lb. | |
| Calamine. | — From | London | 2100 | lb. | |
| Argol. | — From | London | 3 | cases. | |
| Paper. | — From | Leghorn | 27 | bales. | |
| Cotton. | — From | Leghorn | 2400 | lb. | |
| Tin in bars. | — From | London | 6000 | lb. | |
| Espique Romano. | — From | Leghorn | 3850 | ||
| Amsterdam | 3000 | ||||
| 6850 lb. | |||||
| Coral Beads. | — From | Leghorn | 50 | lb. | |
| Amber Beads. | — From | Leghorn | 150 | ||
| Amsterdam | 100 | ||||
| 250 lb. | |||||
| SalAmmoniac. | — From | London | 1200 | lb. | |
| Chaplets. | — From | Leghorn | 7 | barrels. | |
| Gold Lace. | — From | Amsterdam | 10 | lb. | |
| Looking Glasses, called bulls’ eyes. | — From | Leghorn | 4 | barrels. | |
| Silk Handkerchiefs. | — From | London | 100 | ||
| Amsterdam | 10 | ||||
| Leghorn | 100 | ||||
| 210 dozen. | |||||
| Glasses. | — From | Amsterdam | 20 | ||
| Leghorn | 1 | ||||
| 21 cases. | |||||
| Corrosive Sublimate. | — From | Amsterdam | 50 | ||
| Leghorn | 50 | ||||
| 100 lb. | |||||
| Venetian Steel. | — From | Leghorn | 2500 | lb. | |
| Hebrew Books. | — | Leghorn | 10 | cases. | |
| Romals. | — From | London | 286 | pieces. | |
| Baftas. | — From | London | 821 | pieces. | |
| Lisbon | 350 | ||||
| Rouans. | — From | Amsterdam | 505 | pieces. | |
| China. | — From | London | 330 | dozen cups and saucers. | |
| Amsterdam | 30 | dozen ditto. | |||
| Cochineal. | — From | London | 375 | ||
| Cadiz | 700 | ||||
| Lisbon | 230 | ||||
| 1305 lb. | |||||
| Wire. | — From | Amsterdam | 5000 | mass. | |
| Copper Tea Kettles. | — From | Amsterdam | 119 | ||
| Brazil Wood. | — From | Lisbon | 600 | lb. | |
| IronNails. | — From | London | 11573 | ||
| Amsterdam | 1000 | ||||
| Leghorn | 1000 | ||||
| 13573 lb. | |||||
| Deals. | — From | Amsterdam | 1886 | pieces. | |
| Empty Cases. | — From | Amsterdam | 900 | cases. | |
| Sealing Wax. | — From | Amsterdam | 20 | lb. | |
| Coffee Mills. | — From | Amsterdam | 20 | ||
| Buenos Ayres Hides. | — From | London | 350 | ||
| Cadiz | 300 | ||||
| 650 hides. | |||||
| Mexico Dollars. | — From | London | 18000 | ||
| Cadiz | 47000 | ||||
| Lisbon | 16000 | ||||
| Teneriffe | 10000 | ||||
| Amsterdam | 8000 | ||||
| 99000 | |||||
| Total value of Imports in 1804, £151450. | |||||
EXPORTS FROM MOGODOR IN 1804.
| Sweet Almonds. | — To | London | 6853 | ||
| Amsterdam | 231638 | ||||
| Leghorn | 4505 | ||||
| Lisbon | 15524 | ||||
| Cadiz | 61041 | ||||
| Teneriffe | 2356 | ||||
| 321917 lb. | |||||
| Bitter Almonds. | — To | London | 233019 | lb. | |
| Amsterdam | 126607 | ||||
| Leghorn | 2980 | ||||
| 362606 lb. | |||||
| Gum Barbary. | — To | London | 99417 | ||
| Amsterdam | 213540 | ||||
| Leghorn | 10254 | ||||
| Lisbon | 2583 | ||||
| Marseilles | 9642 | ||||
| 335436 lb. | |||||
| Gum Soudan or Senegal, from Timbuctoo, by thecaravans. | |||||
| To | London | 36416 | lb. | ||
| Amsterdam | 59021 | lb. | |||
| Marseilles | 519 | ||||
| 95956 lb | |||||
| Gum Sandrac. | — To | London | 16995 | ||
| Amsterdam | 9056 | ||||
| Leghorn | 3314 | ||||
| Lisbon | 2869 | ||||
| 32234 lb. | |||||
| Bees Wax. | — To | London | 1957 | ||
| Leghorn | 52616 | ||||
| Lisbon | 11595 | ||||
| Marseilles | 30022 | ||||
| Cadiz | 93791 | ||||
| Teneriffe | 4878 | ||||
| 194859 lb. | |||||
| Goat Skins. | — To | London | 12726 | dozen. | |
| Oil of Olives. | — To | London | 5850 | lb. | |
| Amsterdam | 30757 | ||||
| Lisbon | 14729 | ||||
| Teneriffe | 5900 | ||||
| 57236 lb. | |||||
| Cow and Calf Skins. | — To | London | 64376 | ||
| Leghorn | 41611 | ||||
| Marseilles | 14496 | ||||
| 120483 lb. | |||||
| Sheeps Wool. | — To | Amsterdam | 62972 | ||
| Marseilles | 29624 | ||||
| Teneriffe | 5300 | ||||
| 97896 lb. | |||||
| Ostrich Feathers. | — To | London | 555 | lb. | |
| Elephants Teeth. | — To | Amsterdam | 800 | lb. | |
| Pomegranate Peels. | — To | London | 2184 | ||
| Amsterdam | 44097 | ||||
| 46281 lb. | |||||
| Dates, of the quality called Adamoh, fromTafilelt. | |||||
| To | London | 1129 | |||
| Lisbon | 1305 | ||||
| 243 lb. | |||||
| Raisins. | — To | London | 200 | lb. | |
| Worm Seed. | — To | London | 465 | ||
| Lisbon | 2468 | ||||
| 2933 lb. | |||||
| Rose leaves. | — To | Amsterdam | 138 | lb. | |
| Wild Thyme (Zater). | — To | Amsterdam | 2860 | ||
| Lisbon | 1714 | ||||
| 4574 lb. | |||||
| Glue. | — To | Amsterdam | 84 | lb. | |
| Anice-seeds. | — To | London | 200 | ||
| Amsterdam | 4650 | ||||
| Lisbon | 829 | ||||
| 5679 lb. | |||||
| Fennel. | — To | Amsterdam | 856 | lb. | |
| Gingelin Seed. | — To | London | 460 | ||
| Amsterdam | 2044 | ||||
| 2504 lb. | |||||
| Walnuts. | — To | Lisbon | 240 | lb. | |
| Straw. | — To | Lisbon | 24 | bales. | |
| Tallow. | — To | Teneriffe | 1465 | lb. | |
| Tallow Candles. | — To | Teneriffe | 350 | lb. | |
| String. | — To | Teneriffe | 2852 | lb. | |
| Total value of Exports from Mogodor in 1804, inEurope, after paying freight, European duties, &c. £127679.sterling. | |||||