"You will recollect," he writes to that gentleman, "that we left Dover on Tuesday morning, the 17th ult., and reached Madrid within six days of our departure from London. I mention this in order that the Board may understand that, to the best of our ability, we used every effort to proceed with all possible celerity towards the hoped-for accomplishment of the objects of the Mission. Considering that some important matters calculated to lead to a prosperous issue might receive attention at Madrid, I deemed it expedient with this view to make some stay in that city. I waited on his Excellency, Sir J.F. Crampton, our Ambassador at the Court of Madrid, on Thursday, the 26th ult., and experienced from him a most kind and friendly welcome. On the same day, his Excellency introduced me to the Marquis of Miraflores, the Prime Minister of Spain, who gave me the encouraging assurance that I need be under no apprehension of any further steps being taken for the present against the unfortunate prisoners at Saffi, the proceedings against whom, he stated most emphatically, had not been influenced by any prejudice or ill-will, on account of their religious persuasion; and the Marquis consented to solicit Her Majesty the Queen of Spain to grant me the honour of a private audience; he also, at my request, promised to give me a letter of introduction to Don Francisco Merry y Colon, the Spanish Minister at Tangier.
"On Monday, the 28th ult., in the afternoon, I had the honour (upon the introduction of his Excellency Sir J.F. Crampton) to be presented to Her Majesty, and to the King Consort, at a private audience. I have reported to you, in a former letter, how gracious a reception was accorded to me, but I may add that I shall never cease to bear in mind the gratification I experienced on that interesting occasion. I was received by their Majesties with the utmost courtesy and kindness, and was joyfully impressed with the assurances of the King Consort of their respect for all religions.
"During my stay at Madrid, I had the advantage of introductions to his Grace the Duke of Tetuan, General Prim, several of the foreign ambassadors, and other distinguished persons, by several of whom I was favoured with letters of introduction for Tangier.
"Having, under the blessing of God, succeeded in effecting, at Madrid, the objects contemplated, I left that city with my companions very early the following morning (Tuesday, Dec. 1), en route for Seville, as I was desirous of handing to Don Antonio Merry (the Russian and Prussian Consul at Seville, and the father of the Spanish Minister at Tangier) a letter of introduction. We travelled by railway to Santa Cruz de Mudela. On Wednesday, the 2nd December, we left Santa Cruz, and proceeded by diligence to Andujar, at which place we arrived the same evening. I was too exhausted to proceed further that night, although my fellow travellers, Dr Hodgkin and Mr Guedalla, in their kind anxiety to secure for me a fitting resting-place at Cordova, continued their journey till midnight by the same diligence, so that they might make the necessary arrangements.
"We arrived at Seville on Sunday, the 6th inst. The following day I delivered to Don Antonio Merry the letter of introduction to him with which I had been favoured, and he very kindly gave me a letter to his son, Don Francisco Merry y Colon, the Spanish Minister at Tangier.
"On Tuesday, the 8th inst., we left Seville by railway, and reached Cadiz late the same night, where, after some delay, I ascertained that a French steam frigate, the Gorgone, under the command of Captain Celliér de Starnor, was lying off the port, and would proceed the same night direct to Tangier.
"I lost no time in transmitting a request to Captain Starnor to allow me and my companions to embark in his beautiful ship. This request was at once most politely acceded to, and we were gladdened at 5 A.M. the next morning, Friday, the 11th inst., with the tidings that we had anchored off Tangier.
"We found, on our arrival at Tangier, that, owing to the care and kindness of Mr Moses Pariente, the President, Mr Moses Nahon, Vice-President, and the other members of the Executive Committee of the Hebrew Congregation here, an excellent house had been prepared for our reception; and we were greeted with a most enthusiastic welcome by these respected gentlemen, and by the whole Jewish population. And here I may be permitted to say, before reverting to the more immediate purport of my Report, that I cannot sufficiently express my grateful appreciation of the demonstrations of regard, and evidences of goodwill and kind-heartedness we were daily experiencing during my stay here, nor omit rendering a just tribute of praise to the intellectual and educational advancement distinguishing the gentlemen of our faith, and their families, resident at Tangier, with whom I have had the good fortune to be placed in contact since my arrival.
"Here also I have had the gratification to receive deputations from our co-religionists of Gibraltar, Tetuan, Alcassar, Larache, Arzila, and Mequinez. I have also received addresses from the Jews of Fez, Azemor, and Mogador.
"On Sunday, the 13th inst., I had the pleasure to wait on Sir John Hay Drummond Hay, K.C.B., the British Minister, and of conversing with him, and also Consul-General Reade, on the subject of the Mission. On the same day (accompanied by Mr Samuel), I placed in the hands of Don Francisco Merry y Colon, the Spanish Minister, the letter given to me by his father, also the letter of introduction entrusted to me at Madrid, by the Marquis of Miraflores, and several other letters, which I had obtained at Madrid.
"I am happy to say that I was most courteously received by the Spanish Minister, who gave me his willing consent for the immediate release of the two men, Shalom Elcaim and Jacob Benharrosh confined at Tangier; and he also promised to place in my hands a letter to the Moorish Government, intimating the desire of the Spanish Government that the proceedings against the two unfortunate prisoners at Saffi, 'Saida and Mouklouf,' should be stopped. Within an hour of this interview with the Spanish Minister, we had the gratification of seeing the liberated prisoners, Shalom Elcaim and Jacob Benharrosh, at our residence.
"Although my interview with the Spanish Minister took place late on the afternoon of Sunday, yet, early in the forenoon of the following day (Monday, the 14th instant), I had the gratification to receive from him a note, expressing his satisfaction in complying with my request, and containing the promised letter. Immediately on the receipt of the letter I applied to Sir John H.D. Hay to introduce me, with Mr Samuel, to Sid Mohammed Bargash, Minister for Foreign Affairs at Tangier. Sir John accompanied us to the Minister, to whom I presented the letter from the Spanish Minister, and who expressed his pleasure at its contents, and promised to forward it instantly by special courier to his Sovereign at Morocco. He stated, however, that he feared a month would elapse ere a reply could be received.
"A letter to the Sultan was also transmitted at the same time from the British Minister, representing the desire of our own Government to the same effect as that of Spain.
"With the view to obtain the earliest possible release of the prisoners, I requested that the order for their liberation might be forwarded direct to Saffi.
"On the 16th instant we paid a visit of respect to the Rev. Mordecai Bengio, the Chief Rabbi, and also on the same day had the pleasure of being introduced by the British Minister, at their respective residences, to the Ministers of the several Powers at Tangier (France, Spain, United States, Italy, Portugal, &c.), to several of whom I had letters.
"On my return from visiting the Moorish Minister I found awaiting for me a deputation of upwards of fifty Moors, with their chiefs, from a distant part of the country, urging my intercession for the release from prison of one of their tribe, who had been in confinement for two years and a half, on suspicion of having murdered two Jews. As this unfortunate being had endured the horrors of a Moorish prison for so long a period on mere suspicion, and without having been brought to trial, I considered that his was a case in which I might with propriety intercede; and I am happy to say that such intercession was successful, that within a few hours his chains were struck off, and he was brought to me by his tribe to return thanks for his deliverance, and the chiefs gave me their solemn pledge that they would be answerable for the safety of all Jews travelling by day in their country.
"I am induced to place great reliance on this pledge, because it is evident these men were unable to extend it for the safety of those who should incautiously travel by night.
"I am thankful to say that from the religious authorities here of the Catholics and the Moors I have also received evidence of respect and goodwill.
"I know the Sultan is most kindly disposed towards his Jewish subjects, and we may reasonably hope from this pleasing fact, and the kind assurances I received from all the Representatives of Foreign Powers in Tangier, that the Jews of Morocco may look forward to a brighter future.
"It remains for me only to add that, although in effect the objects of the Mission have, under God's blessing, been happily attained, still I do not consider that its work will have been fully done, nor that I ought to leave this vicinity until the actual liberation of the prisoners. I feel certain that the Sultan will, immediately on receipt of the despatches, give directions to that effect.
"I intimated in my telegram of the 15th instant that I contemplated a visit to the Sultan at Morocco. This will be with the object of thanking His Sheriffian Majesty for his gracious compliance with the request of the British and Spanish Governments, for his favourable disposition towards his Jewish subjects, and to entreat that His Sheriffian Majesty will extend to them his favour and protection, and direct the removal of the degrading grievances under which the Jews of the interior are still suffering. With objects so important, I shall not hesitate, before my return home, to encounter this long, fatiguing, and hazardous journey."
Sir Moses had no doubt of the innocence of the two unfortunate men who had been executed. "True," he says, "alas! we cannot recall the dead to life, but it is consolatory to reflect that, out of the unhappy events which gave rise to the Mission, good will follow; and it will indeed be a subject of rejoicing to us all to learn of the future welfare and prosperity of the vast Jewish population (nearly half a million of souls) in the Moorish Empire."
Tangier, December 21st.—Sir Moses sent to the President pro tem. a copy of a draft of the instructions which Don Francisco Merry y Colon, the Spanish Consul at Tangier, had directed to the Consuls, to the effect that Her Majesty the Queen of Spain had been greatly pained to hear that the Spanish Consuls in Morocco were accused of ill-treating the Jews; that it was her wish the Consuls should aid and protect the Jews, and avail themselves of every opportunity to prevent acts of cruelty on the part of the Moorish authorities, and the infliction of the lash or tortures to extract confessions.
From Tangier Sir Moses went to Gibraltar, and it was during his stay there that the sad intelligence reached him of the death, at Nice, of his sister, Mrs Goldsmid. He would have at once returned to England had he not felt it a duty to continue his journey in the sacred cause of suffering humanity; but the party lost the valuable co-operation of Mr Guedella, the son-in-law of Mrs Goldsmid, as he had to start at once for Nice. In a further report to the Board of Deputies Sir Moses says:
"Through the kindness of Earl Russell and the Naval Authorities here and at Malta, H.M. ship the Magicienne, Captain Armytage, R.N., has been sent from Malta to convey me to Saffi. She is now in port, and her departure is fixed for to-morrow evening.
"We embarked on board the Magicienne, Captain Armytage, on Tuesday evening, the 5th instant, and left the Port of Gibraltar early the following morning. We arrived off Saffi the following Saturday, the 9th instant, but it was not safe to land; we learned, however, that the Saffi prisoners had been set at liberty on the preceding Wednesday, the 6th instant.
"Not being able to land at Saffi, we proceeded onwards to Mogador, and arrived here the following morning, the 10th instant.
"The Sultan's escort was awaiting us at Saffi, but had to follow us here. The preparations for the journey to the City of Morocco are, however, as yet very incomplete, and probably we may have to wait here till Monday or Tuesday next, if not later. This, I can assure you, is a great trial of patience.
"On Friday night, the 8th instant, while at sea, part of the rudder of the ship broke, and on the following night we had a very heavy gale.
"The whole of our party, consisting, in addition to myself, of Dr Hodgkin, Mr Samuel, Captain Armytage, two of his officers, and Mr Consul Reade, with servants, &c., are being most hospitably entertained by Mr Abraham Corcos, one of the most opulent of the Jewish merchants at this port. The whole of his house is placed at our disposal."
On Tuesday, January 26th, Sir Moses wrote to the Board of Deputies:
"My last letter, dated the 14th instant, was addressed to you from Mogador. We experienced considerable difficulty in effecting the preliminary arrangements for our departure from Mogador, as a journey through a desert country, for so large a party, needed great care and foresight.
"At length we were enabled to fix on Sunday, the 17th instant, for the day of our departure. The bustle of preparation lasted from an early hour in the morning till between one and two in the afternoon. The Governor and his officers accompanied us to the gates of the city and for about an hour on our way; and our hospitable host, Mr Abraham Corcos, the Chief Rabbi, the Second Rabbi, and several other members of the Mogador Jewish Community, travelled with us the first day's journey, and stayed with us during our first night's encampment.
"Were I to attempt even an outline of each day's events, I should greatly exceed the limits of an official letter. Suffice it therefore to say, that we happily accomplished our journey from Mogador to this city in eight days, resting on the Sabbath. During this period we were subjected to a broiling sun by day, and cold and occasionally heavy dews and high winds by night. Nevertheless we have borne our fatigues well. Fortunately we escaped rain; otherwise, apart from every other inconvenience, we might have been detained for days in staying to pass rivers; as it was, happily no such impediment arose. We were met at a short distance from Morocco (at which place we arrived yesterday at about 1 P.M.) by a guard of honour, and we were all located in a palace of the Sultan, in the midst of a garden; and I can assure you that the change, after sleeping under canvas for so many nights, is most acceptable. The Jews here are not allowed to walk the streets except bare-footed. It will be, indeed, a happy event for them, if I can induce the Sultan to do away with these degradingly distinctive marks, and also to place all his subjects, irrespective of faith, on an equal footing. Whether there is the remotest possibility of success in this, I am at present utterly unable to say. I am assured by every one, that the moral effect of my visit to Morocco will prove of advantage to my Moroquin co-religionists."
On the 17th February, Sir Moses informed the President pro tem. of the Board of Deputies, by telegram from Gibraltar, that he had succeeded in obtaining an Imperial Edict from His Sheriffian Majesty, and forwarded a translation by post to London. I therefore invite the reader's attention to the following translation of the address presented on that occasion to the Sultan, as well as of the latter's reply.
