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 sub. stitute 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 happimess 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 principles 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 occa sionally 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 ob. servation, how much these songs renovate the camels, and the symphony and time they keep, sur. passes what any would imagine,

who had not heard them. In tra versing 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 cle, and talk till sleep overcomes them, and next morning, at break of day, they proceed again on their journey,

The Arabic language, as spoken by the camel-drivers, is peculiarly sweet and soft; the guttural and harsh letters are softened, and with all its energy and perspi cuity, when pronounced by them, is as soft, and more sonorous, than the Italian; it approaches the an cient Korannick language, and has suffered but little alteration these twelve hundred years. The Arabs of Moraffra, and those of Woled Abbusebah, frequently hold an extempore conversation iu 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."

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1

"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 ex. hibited in the sock, or public mar. ket-place, they are sold to the high. 303

est

best 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 receive the first impression, the fundamental principles of the Moosel. min doctrine; 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 eman. cipation 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 after eight or ten years servitude; for the more conscien. tious Mooselmin consider them as servants, and purchase them for about the same sum that they would pay in wages to a servaut during the above period, at the expiration of which term, by giving them their liberty, they, according to their religious opinions, acquire a 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 fiberation is entirely voluntary

on the part of the owner; and I have known some slaves so attached to their masters from good treat. ment, that when they have been offered their liberty, they have ac tually refused it, preferring to con. tinue 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 intermarrying them, for the purposes of propagation and of sale, when they are placed in the public marketplace, and there turned about, and examined in order to ascertain their value."

The above extract, relating to the ruin of the French trade, and projects for the present, on 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 seas-2. 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 a commercial alliance 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

thorough

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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:

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 con. 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. ing successfully negociations with a prince, in conversing with whom some ignorant and illiterate interpreter, generally a Jew, and a de 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 politica 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 in. trusted with any secret wherein the interest of nation is concerned. Of this the emperor himself is con

vinced, as was also his father, who frequently, during his reign, expressed his regret to Mr. A. Layton, that no English consul® could be found capable of holding direct Intercourse with him.” wied ཉི་ཟིན་ལྡན,19(『

"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 fe quested an answer; but it remain. ed 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.

"It appears to me extraordi nary, that a language which is spoken over a much greater extent of country than any other on earth

a language combining all the powers and energy of the Greek and Latin, should be so little understood, that an Arabie letter, written by the present Emperor of Marocco to the King of Great Britain, actually lay in the secretary 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 gentleman 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 had been sent to one, if not both uni versities, and to the post-office, but that, either from a difference in the 304 punctuation

accomplishing what he promises; from his negociations in Turkey and Persia, and the threat he has expressed of, invading our Indian provinces, are we authorized to hold him so cheap as to feel no solicitude on the subject? We must by this time be satisfied that the means we have hitherto employed to oppose his ambition, are insufficient and nugatory; and our mi nisters cannot. flatter themselves that by perseverance in their old maxims they can work effects con. -trary to those which they have over and over again experienced, and that they can stili claim the confidence of the nation which they have so often disappointed,

"It is evident that the taking part with the old established go. vernments, or the new ones that act on their principles, has only shewn our ministers that they deceive themselves, while they have overlooked, in every part of the world, those materials which Bonaparte has used, and of which they would not even deign to ac knowledge the existence. Will

they, after what every one knows of Turkey and Persia, disregard these facts, and take those broken and heterogeneous masses for ho. mogeneous and integral states? Will they continue to act on this principle, and send troops and subsidies to those countries, with out being conscious that they send them to the assistance of nobody, and to attain no object but disgrace? Are they so hardened in ignorance of facts, and stupidity to events, as to be totally unable to comprehend the elements of Bo. naparte's progress? Are they determined to shut their eyes against that which every one sees, and to

defend themselves from the mac knowledgment of their errors by invincible obstinacy? Are they determined to continue the war, while they reject the only obvious means by which it can be wagod with success? Would it not be more consistent to recommend submission, than to deprive us both of the advantages resulting from war, and the tranquillity of peace 2 But they are entangled in difficulties from which they cannot extricate themselves. They see that peace and submission are synonymous terms. The bad success they have experienced makes them consider war as a dismal alternative. They have not candour enough to acknowledge their errors, and act on a better system; and, they have just enough ambition to wish to keep their places. They are sensible of the disgrace which awaits their half digested) counsels, and the fear of shame has not sufficient influence over them, to induce them either to act on more rational principles, or to retire from situations to which they are unequal..

Two lines of conducte are open before us either we may submit to Bonaparte, and become a part of his immense empire, give up our laws and institutions, bur personal freedom, the security of property, the dominion of the seas, the commerce of the world, and what is more than all, the high character, we have hitherto borne as a great people, or we must contend with him in earnest, and oppose the greatness of his projects, by the magnitude of our own. continue blockading ports, taking possession of here and there a rock and a harbour, defending Spanish juntas and Sicilian tribunals,

To

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