Arrival in Marrakesh

Arrival in Marrakesh

{271} Friday 11 December 1829 Hadj Talib Ben Gelool arrived in the court today.

The largest mosque in Marocco with the highest tower is called El Kootbeea, which Ali Bey, French edition writes Koutoubia and the Emperor after each campaign goes here with his troops to pray.
Another near it called Jamaa Elfnah
This city is said not to be the real or I suppose most ancient Marocco for this lies at the distance of about 12 miles towards the Atlas & is inhabited by Sheriffs & Talebs & held so sacred that no Jew is allowed to pass near it with their shoes on. There is a very high tower in it. I think there is some mistake in all this which Abensur said he heard from a Jew here.
The Jewry at Marocco was begun to be built about 273 years ago.

{273} Presents made to me in Morocco
10^th By the Sultan: about a dozen branches of very fine dates
By Ben Dris: Pigeons, a hare & 5 partridges ( 1 doll)
11^th By the Sultan: 3 gazelles, all bucks, one had its legs burnt
(4 dolls)
By ? Do 2 turkeys (1 doll) Link to Presents Page

{274} Saturday 12 December 1829 Weather delightful as usual.
9 am received a letter from Mr Chaillet despatched from Mogador on 8 instant at 1 p.m., but alas there is not a barometer in the place, so that he can neither make up to us the derangement of mine, or keep my registration for us at his own station.

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Sunday 13 December 1829 On opening the boxes of presents this morning we discovered among the articles designed for the Emperor 2 pieces of Hawes & Hart's of Fleet Street's finest muslin so scratched by the jolting of the journey, notwithstanding the care enjoined by myself in the packing which I superintended as constantly as other business would admit, as to oblige me to substitute 2 other pieces of the best I had from the Irish purchased by me of Messrs Duguid of Gibraltar.
The two slightly damaged but beautiful pieces I determined to give with explanation to Hadj Taleb Ben Gelool
On opening a box of linen designed for sundry presents we discovered another piece of Irish & 3 of Muslin stained by the damp.

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Monday 14 December 1829 Day as beautiful as ever.
One of the larger gazelles, being that one of whose legs I noticed had been shockingly injured by a burn as the people who brought it said, died.

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Tuesday 15 December 1829 The weather as fine as ever!
Was it not today we obtained leave for the first time to walk on the terrace of the main building of our residence whence Washington was enabled to prosecute his trigonometrical astronomical observations with great advantage & Smith to commence a series of drawings which may we trust enable him to furnish materials for a panoramic view of this curious place.

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