rest, six per cent per month being often paid for it. It is in this manner that the subjects of a great maritime power have been neglect. ed in a country where, by adopting a few political regulations, all the hardships of bondage might be prevented." Whilst the Europeans remain in the hands of the Arabs and Jews, they are employed in various domestic services, such as bringing water, possibly the distance of nine or ten miles, to the habitation, and in collecting fire-wood. In performing these offices, their feet, being bare, and treading on the heated sand, become blistered and inflamed, the sandy particles penetrate into these blisters when broken, and irritate in such a manner as sometimes to cause mortifi. eation and death. The young lads, of which there are generally two or three in every ship's crew, are often seduced by the Arabs to be. come Mohammedans; in this case the Sheick, or chief of the duar, adopts him, and iniates him in the Koran, by sending him to the (Mdursa) seminary, where he learns to read the sacred volume, and is instructed in the pronuncia. tion of the Arabic language; he is named after the Sheick who adopts him, after which an Arabian wois offered to him as a wife; be marries, has a family, and be comes one of the clan, thus abandoning for ever his native country and counexions... man The state of domestic comfort enjoyed by Christians in West Barbary or Marocco, is far from being impeded by those degrading distinctions practised in Egypt and other Mohammedan countries, where they are not allowed to ride -dyid out of 102 916 Y on horses (the prophet's beast), to wear green (the prophet's colour), &c. &c.; here they may do either: they may even enter towns Ou horseback, a privilege, however, which was not granted till of late years: Mr. Chenier, the French consul, first broke through the de grading custom, for being opposed by the gate-keepers at Saffy, he drew his sword, and forced his en. trance, adding, that no one should stop the representative of the King of France; and when I went to Agadeer, by order of the Sultan Muley Yezzid, on my arriving at the gate, the Bashaw's son ob. jected to my entering on horse. back, alleging, that it was near a sanctuary, and that Christians had never been allowed to enter the gate on horseback; I immediately turned my horse, ordered the bag. gage to be put on board the ship from which I had just landed, and declared, that I would not reside in any town, where I was not on a footing with the Mooselmin; but the old Bashaw, El Hayanic, a men of ninety years of age, sent out two of his sons to request me to come back: Old customs,' said he, when I afterwards met him at the gate, are done away we wish to see the place flourish with commerce, as in its former establishment; enter and go out on horseback whenever you please;" accordingly, ever since this cir cumstance, Christians (but not Jews) have been allowed to enter the town on horseback; they may ride about the country in safety, and amuse themselves in the sports of the field; they are not obliged to stop at the approach of a Ba. shaw or his family, or to alight till the great man has passed it is expected that he salute him in his his own country fashion, by tak ing off his hat, which, however, is considered by Mooselmin, unac customed to Christians, much in the same light that we should a man taking off his wig; for they go uncovered in the presence of the emperor, unless they have a red or Moorish cap on, which is a substitute for a wig, their heads being shaved." "Those who have philosophy enough to confine their wants solely to what nature requires, would view the individual happiness of the people, who compose the caravans, with approbation. Their food, dress, and accommo. dation, are simple and natural; proscribed from the use of wine and intoxicating liquors, by their religion, and exhorted by its prin. ciples to temperance, they are commonly satisfied with a few nourishing dates, and a draft of water; and they will travel for weeks successively, without any other food; at other times, a little barley-meal and cold water is the extent of their provision, when they undertake a journey of a few weeks across the desert; living in this abstemious manner, they never complain, but solace them. selves with the hope of reaching their native country, singing occasionally during the journey, when. ever they approach any habitation, or whenever the camels appear fa. tigued; these songs are usually sung in trio, and in the chorus all the camel-drivers who have a mu sical voice join; it is worthy observation, how much these songs renovate the camels, and the symphony and time they keep, surpasses what any would imagine, who had not heard them. In traversing the desert, they generally contrive to terminate the day's journey at l'Asaw, a term which they appropriate to our four o'clock, P. M. so that between that period and the setting sun, the tents are pitched, prayers said, and the (Lashaw) supper got ready; after which they sit round in a cir ele, and talk till sleep overcomes them, and next morning, at break of day, they proceed again" on their journey. 4 The Arabic language, as spoken by the camel-drivers, is pe culiarly sweet and soft; the guttural and harsh letters are softened, and with all its energy and perspicuity, when pronounced by them, is as soft, and more sonorous, than the Italian; it approaches the ancient Korannick language, and has suffered but little alteration these twelve hundred years. The Arabs of Moraffra, and those of Woled Abbuscbah, frequently hold an extempore conversation in poetry, at which the women are adepts, and never fail to shew attention to those young Arabs, who excel in this intellectual and refined amusement." "These slaves are treated very differently from the unhappy vic tims who used to be transported from the coast of Guinea, and our settlements on the Gambia, to the West India islands. After suffer. ing those privations, which all who traverse the African desert must necessarily and equally submit to, masters, as well as servants and slaves, they are conveyed to Fas and Marocco, and after being exhibited in the sock, or public mar. ket-place, they are sold to the high303 est A est bidder, who carries them to his home, where, if found faithful, they are considered as members of the family, and allowed an intercourse with the (Horraht) free. born women of the household. Being in the daily habit of hearing the Arabic language spoken, they soon acquire a partial knowledge of it, and the Mohammedan religion, teaching the unity of God, they readily reject Paganism, and embrace Mohammedanism; their Mooselmin masters then instil into their vacant minds, ready to re ceive the first impression, the fun. damental principles of the Moosel min tloctrine; the more intelligent learn to read and write, and after, wards acquire a partial knowledge of the Koran; and such as can read and understand one chapter, from that time procure their emancipation from slavery, and the master exults in having converted an infidel, and in full faith, expects favour from heaven for the action, and for having liberated a slave, When these people do not turn their minds to reading, and learn ing the principles of Mohammeda, nism, they generally obtain their freedom dafter eight or ten years servitudes; for the more conscientious Mooselmin consider them as servants, and -purchase them for about the same sum that they would pay in wages to a servant during the above period, at the expiration of which term, by giving them their liberty, they, according to their religious opinions, acquire blessing from God, for having done an act, which a Mooselman considers more meritorious in the sight of Heaven, than the sacrifice of a goat, or even of a camel, This liberation is entirely voluntary H ཅན་ on the part of the Owner; and I hare known some slaves so attached to their masters from good treat. ment, that when they have been offered their liberty, they have actually refused it, preferring to continue in servitude. It should not, however, be supposed, that the Arabs and Moors are always in. clined thus to liberate these de, graded people; on the contrary, some of them, particularly the latter, are obdurate, and make an infamous traffic of them, by pur. chasing, and afterwards intermar. rying them, for the purposes of propagation and of sale, when they are placed in the public market place, and there turned about, and examined in order to ascertain their value." 3 The above extract, relating to the ruin of the French trade, and projects for the present, an the coast of Barbary, gives rise to two reflections 1. It is consolatory to think that there are vast and rich portions of the globe to which the tyranny exercised over the continent of Europe cannot be extended, while a great power, hostile to the tyrant, is mistress of the seas2. That the balance, that is, the freedom or political in. dependency of continental Europe being lost, Great Britain should aim, by all means, at forming a new political balance, on a great scale, the balance of the world, by cul. tivating commercial Lupalliance with Asia, Africa, North America, and, if possible, and what seems mighty easy, South America. And we are taught, or rather reminded by Mr. Jackson, how much our commercial and political connec tion with the Barbary powers would be promoted by acquiring a theroogb thorough knowledge of their respective languages. For a complete and most satisfactory proof and illustration of this position, we must refer our readers to Mr. Jackson's eleventh chapter, from which we are constrained, by our limits, to make no other than the following extracts: vinced, as was also his father, who frequently, during his reign, exe pressed his regret to Mr. A. Lay ton, that no English consul could be found capable of holding direct intercourse with him." In a conversation with the minister at Marocco for European affairs, his excellency asked me if, in the event of his master's writing to his majesty, the latter would be able to get the letter interpreted; I answered in the affirmative; and a very polite and friendly letter was afterwards written, which re. quested an answer; but it remained here in the secretary of state's office, without any attention being paid to its contents; a mark of dis respect which gave great offence to the emperor. When we recollect that the envoys to Marocco for the last century have been men almost wholly unacquainted with the manners, customs, and religious prejudices of the people, and ig. norant of their language, we shall cease to be surprised that our eon. nection with that empire has been so limited, and impeded by mutual misunderstanding of each other's sentiments, originating, but too of ten, in deficiency and inaccuracy of interpreters. What expecta. tions can be indulged of terminat. "It appears to me extraordi. ing successfully negociations with nary, that a language which is a prince, in conversing with whom spoken over a much greater extent some ignorant and illiterate inter- of country than any other on earth preter, generally a Jew, and a de-a language combining all the voted subject of the emperor, must be made the confidential servant of the party, treating? Besides, every one acquainted with the nature of the government,and political principles of the court of Marocco, is well aware, that, even supposing it possible to procure a Jew, capable of Interpreting accurately the English Into Arabic, and vice versa, yet there are many expressions necessary for an envoy to use to the emperor, which no Jew in the country dare to utter on pain of losing his head; the general garrulity of these people, moreover, is such, that they are perhaps unworthy of being intrusted with any secret wherein the interest of a nation is concerned. Of this the emperor himself is con powers and energy of the Greek and Latin, should be so little un. derstood, that an Arabic letter, written by the present Emperor of Marocco to the King of Great Britain, actually lay in the secre`` tary of state's office some months without being translated. The circumstance coming to the know ledge of the chancellor of the exchequer (the right honourable Spencer Perceval) that gentlemare expressed a wish to a friend of mine, to have a translation, and the letter was transmitted to me for that purpose. Doctor Buffe, who delivered it, assured me, it shac been sent to one, if not both unis versities, and to the post-office, but that, either from a difference in the *8.0.4 mitaez, eopunctuation punctuation of the characters, or in the language itself, no one could be found capable of rendering it into English. This statemcut, however unaccountable it may appear to many, was afterwards far ther confirmed, by passports and other papers in African Arabic be. ing sent to me for translations, the want of which had detained vessels in our ports, and caused merchants in London to suffer from a loss of markets." An academy of commerce was instituted by the emperor Joseph II. at Vienna; at which academy the pupils were instructed in a va.. riety of foreign languages, and in the art of drawing. Such an academy might be founded by the British government, without imposing any burthen on the public, at Malta. The whole property in this island, formerly belonging to the Knights of St. John, has devolved to the crown of Great Bri-. tain. This property might be converted into a fund for the support of proper masters, who could be procured from the islands and coasts of the Mediterranean, and a certain number of scholars. In ths seminary young men might he trained up to act in the capacities of consuls, commercial interpreters, and agents, and as travellers under the patronage of literary and liberal individuals or societies, for the exploration of unknown regions, and the improvement of both natu. rai and civil history. From the islands and the countries on the Mediterranean, as well as from Great Britain and Ireland, young men, besides those on the foundation, might be attracted to the college of Malta, so finely situated for such a rendezvous, and the acquisition of the living languages. facilitated by social converse among ingenious youths of different nations. If this project of a collegeat Malta should come under the eye, and meet with the approbation of Mr. Jackson, it would be well if he would take it up. There is no one we know of, better qualified to point out its advantages, and the arrangements proper for carrying it into execution. State of the Foreign Affairs of Great Britain for the Year 1809. By Gould Francis Leckie, Esq. THE grand political measure of. opposing a kind of maritime empire to the overgrown, and still growing empire, of France, on the continent of Europe, touched on: in our last article, is so ingeniously and ably recommended to the British government in the writings of Mr. Leckie, that we do not he sitate to give this small pamphlet a place among the books we have selected as favourable specimens of 1809. It exhibits a happy and rare union of patriotism, learning, genius, comprehensive views, and solid sense.* The spirit and ten. dency of the pamphlet is briefly stated in the conclusion: "From all that we have hitherto experienced of the views of Bonaparte, from his undertaking, and See also our account of his "Ilistorical Survey of the Foreign Affairs of Great Britain, with a View to explain the Causes of the Disasters et the late and present Wars," in our Accoun1 OF BOOKS, Vol. L. p. 267. L accomplishing |