Fine morning tho' cloudy.
At ten this morning dispatched my last letters to the Schousboes, who had on my inquiring sent half an hour before to acquaint me that their courier (who had now been detained nearly a week by the Vizeer Ben Dris) would without fail depart about this hour for Tangier, via Rabat, whither I sent him a letter to my Agent Smahia Sumbel with desire that he keep all letters for me until further orders. I had sat up until near 2 this morning, writing and making up so as to secure it from rain with assistance of a shoemaker & a goat's skin, the tin box that conveys the numerous letter of myself and suite to Tangier, Gibraltar, England &c.
Contents of package sent back to Tangier
Abensur in the morning having asked leave to visit Ben Dris, Seedy Mohamed went with him to the Vizeer & having returned, I saw A. about 2 pm. He reported that the Sultan who had been night hunting yesterday was much pleased with his day's sport - the party {346} of H.I.M. were out for 10 hours and sent home 3 loads of game - assloads I believe, as one portion of the game - hares principally -which I saw coming into town yesterday evening on my return from riding was brought upon one of those animals which by the bye I have noticed to be more diminutive here than I think in the northern districts of the country & certainly smaller than the asses of England, far inferior of course to those of Spain. Ben Dris had been out with the Sultan all day and complained that he was much tired after it but reported to be in very good humour today.
The province named by Abensur Sragna, through which he pretends that he learnt the Sultan said upon the day of our entry into the city, that, he was so mightily pleased with the events of the day, the appearance made by his troops &c, he w[oul]d send us back, can hardly be the Saragna of Aly Bey's map which that traveller places on the mount[ain]s of Atlas. (Query: Where is Aly Bey's Saragna or is there a district with a like name in the Atlas region?)
The story trumped up by Abensur & the Oozeer & {347} Mohamed ben Abdelmalek is I conclude is [sic] a most lame invention! The object was to deter me from direct application as to the road home by Mogadore (Esaweerah) Saffee, Mazagan (Meheduma) &c., but this absurd non sequitur of the Sultan's satisfaction was not mentioned until many days after my arrival in Marocco, altho' this effect of the Imperial pleasure is said to have been pronounced by His Majesty the very day of my entrance!!! I did not hint my incredulity to my Israelite Toorjeman!
At 8½ rode out with my 3 friends Abensur
& Seedy Mohamed to the great Sokko yet saw fewer people than
we sh[oul]d have expected from the population of the place, of which by
the bye we cannot at present obtain any estimate worth attention. Our leader
showed rather more regard for our task than usual or perhaps the circumstance
of his taking us by mule through which we had not hitherto passed was accidental!
Another species of Ormas [???] apparently in Frederick Schousboe's opinion new to European zoologists, is about ye size of a pigeon. I ate of one at Maroco & of another at Annzah, that was killed by one of our soldiers at ye foot of the Messemah [??] mountains of the Atlas chain. I saw several in the plain of Marocco, & afterwards in the hills, & after our return from Atlas in the lower ranges of the hills on the northern and north western side of the plain of Marocco. See the work of Latham for a notice of the ounas [??] tribe. This bird is called coodry by the Moors.
Feuilleea is the Arabic name
for a root used for horses wounds. It is first peeled & then boiled
for a short time when a cataplasm is made in the form of a paste &
applied when warm to the part. Link to
Flora and Fauna
{350} We passed many objects of antient beauty & curious work - the carved woodwork especially upon the doors of 2 or 3 works & as particularly also work of the same style and apparent antiquity & of delicate execution forming the high facade & as it were frame work of a large public fountain in the side of one of the principal streets of the city. We passed nearer the Kootoobeea than we had hitherto & saw all its antique tracery with delightful distinctness.
The streets ever filthy - the people quiet as regards ourselves but ever
looking most demoralized - fewer in ye streets than usual on
account of the market to which we passed but I did not think that more
than 4000 or 5000 people were collected on its whole surface. The form
of the coarse pottery I noticed as I have frequently before to be often
elegant & vieing even with the elegant chastity of the Greek &
Roman vases.
{353} Two more gazelles sent this Evening as a present from the Sultan to the King - one fortunately a doe. This has been 5 years & the buck 4 domesticated in Moorish families for [??] the last year they have been together.
I had sent a hint to the Vizeer 2 days ago that as H.I.M.'s present of gazelles did not as yet include both sexes the value of the Sultan's gift to my royal master would be much enhanced by the gift of a female. The answer brought back was most civil - inter alia that, I had asked for one more gazelle - two should certainly be sent & if the could be found in the Sultan's home stock two does. I ordered 4 dollars to the bringer as had been given to the man who brought the 3 gazelles soon after my arrival & of which one soon died in consequence of its leg having been severely burnt before it was delivered to myself. Link to presents