The Mediterranean

Morocco, a region 270,000 sq. M. in area, extends from the Straits of Gibraltar on the N. to the Sahara on the S., and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the W. and by the French colony of Algiers on the E. It is called by the Arabs El-Gharb or Maghreb el-Aksâ (‘the extreme West-land’), being the westmost part of the ancient Barbary (Arabic Jezirat el-Maghreb, ‘island of the West’), the long coast-land of N. Africa between the Libyan desert and the ocean. The backbone of this region, whose population is estimated at from six to eight millions, is formed by the Morocco Atlas, the highest mountains in N. Africa, a folded rock-formation, mostly of early origin. The range consists of three main chains: the barren Great Atlas, an enormous wall of rock culminating in the Tamyurt and Likumpt (about 14,800 ft.); then the Lesser Atlas to the N., rising in the territory of the Beni Waraïn tribe to over 13,000 ft., and separated from the Great Atlas by the Wâd el-Abid and the Mulûya; and lastly the Anti-Atlas and Jebel Sarro or Saghro, parallel with the Great Atlas, and about 6500 ft. in height. A low range of hills, called the Jebel Bani, between the Anti-Atlas and the river Draa, forms the boundary between Morocco and the Sahara. On the N.W. side of these mountains, between them and the ocean, lies an extensive intermediate tableland called the Tell, steppe-like in character, with a girdle of oases, whence protrude the Jebilet, the Jebel el-Hadid, the Jebel Akhdar or Lakhdar, and several smaller isolated heights, which are evidently relics of an ancient range of mountains. The seaboard itself consists of the plain between the rivers Tensift and Sebu (rendered extremely fertile by its mantle of black soil, Tuaress or Tîrs), and of the marshy flats on the lower course of the Sebu (ancient Subur), the most copious stream in Barbary. These occupy a district once penetrated by the sea, and geologically resembling the basin of the Guadalquivir (p. 49). The entire Mediterranean coast, on the other hand, from the Straits of Gibraltar to the Mulûya valley (p. 124), is bordered by the Rîf Mts. (p. 104), a range culminating in the Jebel Mulaï Abd es-Slam (p. 102; 5742 ft.) and the Jebel Tiziren (ca. 8200 ft.), these being folded mountains of recent formation, clothed with extensive forests of Atlas cedar (p. 210) and arar (Callitris quadrivalvis L.). The Rîf Mts. and the Atlas are sharply separated by a deep depression watered by the Sebu and its tributary the Innaûen on the W., and by the Msûn, an affluent of the Mulûya, on the E., a valley which once formed the most important route between Morocco and Algeria. Both of these mountain-ranges are said to contain great mineral wealth (iron, copper, zinc, silver, gold, etc.), but as yet it has only been tapped to a small extent by the natives, chiefly in the Sûs, the region between the Great and the Anti-Atlas, and near Ujda (p. 197).

The Great and the Lesser Atlas, whose chief peaks are covered with perpetual snow, afford also an abundant supply of water, which is utilized for irrigation, though as yet very inadequately, by means of open cuttings (sakhiâ) or underground conduits (foggâra or khattâra). The rainfall in Morocco diminishes as we proceed southwards from the Straits of Gibraltar; at Tangier it is 32 in.; at Mogador, 16 in.; while in the interior (as at Marakesh, 11 in.), and particularly on the S. margin of the Great Atlas, it becomes very insignificant. In the interior the climate may be described as continental (as at Marakesh, where the mean temperature of January is 51½° Fahr., and that of July 84½°), while that of the S. part of the ocean seaboard, thanks to the prevalent N.W. winds and the N. to S. ocean currents, vies with that of Madeira in mildness and equableness. Thus at Rabât the mean of January is 55°, that of August 75°; at Mogador 61° and 72°, respectively. The variations are greater near the Straits (as at Tangier, 50° and 75°) and particularly on the Rîf seaboard.

Morocco is inhabited chiefly by Berbers, the white Hamitic indigenous race of N. Africa; of these the Amâziges live in the N.W., the Berâbs in the Atlas, and the Shilluh or Shluh on the ocean coast. Some of them retain their ancient languages (Tamâzirt, or Shelha, and Berbri), which are akin to early Egyptian, but many, especially the dwellers in the low country, have spoken Arabic since the middle ages. Pure Arab Tribes, mostly survivors of the Beni Hilal and Beni Soleïm immigrants (p. 323), are chiefly met with in the Sebu plain and in the S.W. steppe-region. Many of the dwellers in the towns are Moors (Andalûsi) of Spanish origin, while numerous Jews are settled, usually in a walled ghetto (Mellah), under the direct protection of the sultan. Negroes, too, most of whom were originally slaves, imported from the Sudan by way of the Tafilet, abound in the southern districts of Morocco. The S.W. provinces of Sûs, Wâd Draa, and Wâd Nûn, which are interesting on account of their primæval African flora (p. 30), are mostly inhabited by the despised Harrâtin (sing. Hartâni), the hybrid offspring of negroes and Berbers, or, according to others, descendants of the indigenous population of N. Africa.

Owing to the inaccessibility of its mountains and the natives’ passionate love of independence, coupled with their hatred of foreigners, Morocco has ever been one of the least explored regions. The settlements of the Phœnicians and Carthaginians were limited to a few places on the coast, such as Rusaddir (Melilla?) and Ceuta, and also, beyond the pillars of Hercules (p. 54), Tingis (?), Zilis (Arzila), Lixus (p. 105), and Sala (Salee). The Romans also seem to have shunned the Rîf region, and scarcely ever to have penetrated into the interior beyond Meknes (Mequinez) in the Zerhun Mts. From the time of Emp. Claudius (42 A. D.) Morocco, with Tingis as its capital, formed the Provincia Mauretania Tingitana (comp. p. 124); and after the reign of Diocletian it became part of the Spanish Provincia Ulterior. In the early Christian period also the coast of Morocco, whose inhabitants had joined the Donatists (p. 172), shared the fortunes of Spain, belonging successively to the Vandals (p. 322), the Eastern Romans, and (after 620) the Visigoths, until in 682 it fell into the hands of the Arabs under Sidi Okba (p. 322), and then after long struggles was united with the caliphate of Damascus (p. 485). Although the Berber tribes of Morocco were thenceforth among the most zealous champions of Islam, and in 711, at the instance of Mûsa, the governor, had undertaken their victorious expedition against Spain under Târik (p. 54), yet they afterwards took part in the Kharijite movement against the Arabs (comp. p. 323). In 788 Idris I. (d. 793), an Arab refugee and a descendant of the Prophet (‘sherif’), founded the oldest Moroccan dynasty, that of the Idrisides, and under Idris II. (793–828) Fez became their new capital in 807 instead of Volubilis in the Zerhun Mts. After the fall of the Idrisides the country was divided among Berber princes, and its independence was threatened by Omaiyades (p. 69) and Fatimites (p. 323) alternately. At length in 1055 it succumbed to the attacks of the Almoravides (Morabitîn, comp. p. 368), a Berber sect from the W. Sahara, who under Abu Bekr’s lead converted the inhabitants of the interior as far as the Sudan to Islam. Under Yûsuf ibn Têshufîn they took possession of Agâdir in 1081 (p. 188) and of Ceuta in 1084, and in 1086 took the lead in the struggle against the unbelievers in the Iberian peninsula. Morocco became still more powerful under the Almohades, a Berber sect formed in 1181 in the district now called Oran (p. 169), especially under the gifted caliph Abd el-Mûmen (1130–63), who, after the battle of Tlemcen (p. 188), extended his sway over the Moorish states of Spain, and in 1160 as far as Barca (p. 414). After the overthrow of the Almohades in 1212 there arose in Barbary the three new kingdoms of the Merinides at Fez, the Abdelwadites (p. 188) at Tlemcen, and the Hafsides (p. 323) in Tunis, whose strength was exhausted by sanguinary internecine struggles which lasted for centuries.

The attacks of the Portuguese, who took Ceuta in 1415, occupied Arzila and Tangier in 1471, and after 1500 even threatened Marakesh from their base on the ocean seaboard, coupled with the advance of the Spaniards, who after the fall of Granada (p. 75) had conquered Melilla, called forth the new counter-movement of the Saadites of the Draa. To this new dynasty, after the conquest of Marakesh in 1520 and of Fez in 1550, tho feeble dynasty of the Merinides succumbed in 1554. Morocco was afterwards torn by sanguinary family feuds, yet owing to the destruction of the Portuguese army in the ‘battle of the three kings’ at Alcázar (Ksar el-Kebîr), and the influx of well-educated Moors expelled from Spain, the kingdom was greatly strengthened and obtained a new lease of life. It prospered once more, after 1649, under the sixth dynasty, that of the Filali, a family from the Tafilet (see below), and notably under the cruel Mulaï Ismail (1672–1727), one of the most powerful princes of his age, who even fought against the Turks in Oran (comp. p. 206) and led a campaign against Timbuktu.

After the defeat of the Portuguese the pirates of Larash (p. 104) and Salee (p. 106), vying with the Rîf pirates and the ‘Barbaresques’ (p. 221), had seriously hampered European trade for two centuries or more, but by the occupation of Algeria by the French and the expedition of the Spaniards against Tetuán in 1859–60 the seaboard of Morocco was at length opened up to European influence and to commercial enterprise. In 1906 the Algeciras Conference (p. 56) prevented the French from advancing towards Fez and obtaining a passage from the Oran and Sahara railway through the Tafilet or Tafilelt, the richest group of oases in S. Morocco, to the ocean seaboard. In 1907, however, the unrest at Casablanca (p. 107), and also on the Algerian frontier, led to the French occupation of that important seaport along with the adjacent Shâuya, of Ujda (p. 197), and of Berguent and Bu Denib in S.E. Morocco. After the deposition of Mulaï Abdul-Aziz (1894–1907), who was favourable to the French influence, Mulaï Hafid was proclaimed sultan in 1908.

The Morocco of to-day, whose institutions, manners, and customs are still quite mediæval, consists of the so-called Blad el-Makhzen (‘government land’), the dominion of the sultan, and the far larger Blad es-Siba (‘outer land’), occupied by independent tribes. These tribes recognize the sultan, or the grand sherif of Wazzân, a descendant of the Idrisides, as their spiritual chief only, but usually deny the sultan a right of way through their territory between the capital towns of Fez and Marakesh.

The foreign trade of Morocco is confined to the eight ‘open’ ports of Tangier, Larash, Rabât, Casablanca, Mazagan, Saffi, Mogador, and Tetuán, to the capitals of Fez and Marakesh, and has lately extended to Ujda and the Spanish Melilla (p. 124). In 1909 its total volume amounted to 132,612,000 fr. of which were ascribed to Great Britain 52,339,000 fr., to France 51,255,000 fr., to Germany 13,582,000 fr., to Spain 6,456,000 fr., and to the United States 1,111,000 fr. From France Morocco imports sugar, flour, and silk, from England cotton goods, tea, rice, and candles, from Germany iron wares, cloth, and sugar, and from Italy flour and wax-matches. The exports (to Marseilles, Gibraltar, Spain, England, Hamburg, etc., and also to Algeria and America) consist of goats’ and sheep’s hides, fruit (almonds, oranges, etc.), eggs, cattle, chick-pease, wheat, barley, and maize. The Morocco-leather slippers (belra, yellow for men and red for women) go to Egypt, Algeria, and Senegal. Besides the breeding of cattle, that of horses and mules also is important. Sardines and other fish abound off the ocean coasts.

Most travellers are satisfied with a visit to Tangier, an excursion to Tetuán, and the interesting coasting voyage (best in April-Sept.) to Rabât or Mogador. Europeans rarely travel in the interior, except perhaps in Blad el-Makhzen, while in N. Morocco they should avoid the rainy winter season. As roads, bridges, and inns are lacking, a costly equipment for such expeditions is required, including tents, camp-beds, cooking utensils, provisions, drinking-water, candles, medicines, insect-powder, etc. A guide or mule-driver, a cook, an interpreter, and a soldier as an escort (mekhazni) also are usually engaged. Lastly a mule (incl. attendant and fodder, 4–5 pesetas per day) is preferable to a horse (5 p. or upwards), being more sure-footed and enduring. Before starting, the traveller should apply for information and assistance to a consul or other experienced resident, and obtain from them introductions to the local authorities (caid, pasha, or amel) or to so-called protégés (semsar, mokhâlat). Persons of distinction have a right to a formal reception by the authorities and to the mûna (free provisions, like the ancient ‘purveyance’), for which, as also for hospitality, a return is made either in kind (as firearms, telescopes, watches, trinkets) or in money. In the country it is advisable to put up at the village caravanserais (nzalas), where a night-watchman is provided (fee) and where offerings by the peasants (milk, oranges, etc.; small fee) should not be declined. At towns early arrival is essential, as all the gates are closed at sunset. As to dealings with Mohammedans, comp. p. xxv. Travellers are specially warned against photographing or even entering their mosques, saints’ tombs, or burial-grounds.

In the seaport-towns Spanish silver (p. 52) and English or French gold are current, but in the interior Spanish and Morocco money only (silver coins of 5, 2½, 1¼, ½, and ¼ p.). In the interior letters of credit addressed to Jewish or other firms are convenient.

Books. R. L. Playfair and R. Brown, Bibliography of Morocco (London, 1892); Budgett Meakin, The Moorish Empire (London, 1899), The Land of the Moors (London, 1901), The Moors (London, 1902), and Life in Morocco and Glimpses Beyond (London, 1905); J. Thomson, Travels in the Atlas and Southern Morocco (London, 1889); W. B. Harris, Tafilet (London, 1895); A. S. Forrest and S. L. Bensusan, Morocco (London, 1904, illus.); D. Mackenzie, The Khalifate of the West (London, 1910; illus.; 10 s. 6 d.); E. Ashmead-Bartlett, The Passing of the Shereefian Empire (Edinburgh, 1910; illus.; 15 s.); H. J. B. Ward, Mysterious Morocco and how to appreciate it (London, 1910; 2 s. 6 d.); A. Brives, Voyages au Maroc, 1901–7 (Algiers, 1909; illus.) and Aperçu géologique et agricole sur le Maroc occidental; Ch. de Foucauld, Reconnaissance au Maroc, 1883–4 (Paris, 1888); Marq. de Segonzac, Voyages au Maroc (Paris, 1903; 27 fr.); Eug. Aubin, Le Maroc d’Aujourd’hui (Paris, 1904; 5 fr.; also Engl, trans., ‘Morocco of To-day’, London, 1906); H. Lorin, L’Afrique du Nord (Paris, 1908).

The best Map of Morocco (1:500,000) is that published by the Service Géographique de l’Armée (Paris; 1 fr. each sheet).

12. Tangier.

Arrival. The steamers (see below) anchor in the open roads, and passengers are conveyed to the pier in small boats. The German companies furnish landing-tickets (1 s. for landing or embarking), otherwise the tariff is 1 peseta (from the larger steamers 1¼ p.) each person; trunk ½, hand-luggage ¼ p. When the sea is rough a blue flag is hoisted on the pier and fares are doubled; in stormy weather (yellow flag) a bargain must be made, provided landing be at all possible. It is advisable to stipulate for the landing of luggage and its transport to the hotel for an inclusive sum (¾–1 p.) and to disregard the noisy importunities of the boatmen and porters. If need be, the help of the hotel-agents may be invoked. The traveller should be on his guard against pilfering also. Guides, who represent themselves as agents for the hotels, also proffer their services, even during the crossing from Gibraltar, but their attendance generally makes everything dearer. Besides the fares mentioned, pier-dues are levied (25 c.; for each package 5 c.).—The custom-house examination at the town-gate is lenient. A passport is unnecessary.

Hotels. Hôt. Continental (Pl. a; D, 1), in a quiet site, not far from the pier, with a fine sea-view, patronized by Americans, pens. from 10s.; *Hôt. Cecil (Pl. b; E, 4, 5), on the Playa Grande, with a terrace and sea-view, pens. 10–12s.; *Hot. Villa Valentina (Pl. c; C, 5), on the Fez road, pens. 8–10s., 8 min. from the Outer Market; Hôt. Villa de France (Pl. d; B, 4), on a height behind the Outer Market, with fine view, 12 min. from the quay, an old-established French house, pens. from 10s.—Hôt. Bristol (Pl. e; D, 2), in the Inner Market (p. 100), pens. 8–10s., good; Hôt. Cavilla, pens. 8–10 p., well spoken of, and Hôt. Maclean, pens. 6–8 p., both in the Outer Market; Hôt. Oriental (Pl. f; D, 2), pens. from 8½ fr., near the Great Mosque.—Wine is usually an extra.

Cafés. Café-Restaurant Central, Inner Market, déj. 2½, D. 3 p.; Lion d’Or and Café du Commerce near the French post-office. The Arab Cafés, mostly conducted by the guides, are a kind of Moorish cafés-chantants (cup of ‘Arab coffee’ in the evening 1 p.).

Post Offices. British, German, and Spanish (Pl. 3, 1, 2; D, 2), all in the Inner Market; French (Pl. 4; D, 2, 3), behind the Great Mosque. Postage on letters to Great Britain, France, Germany, or Spain 10 c., if posted at the respective office, otherwise 25 c.; post-cards 10 c.—British Telegraph (Pl. 6; B, 2), on the old road from the outer market to the Marshan; French, to Oran, at the French post-office; Spanish (Pl. 5; D, 3), not far from the inner market.

Steamers. Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. (E. Chappory), from London fortnightly for Tangier, Mogador, the Canaries, and Madeira (RR. 14, 4, 3); Bland Line (M. Pariente), for Gibraltar (R. 6 b), Tetuán (R. 13), and Larash (R. 14); N. Paguet & Co., for Marseilles, and for Rabât and Mogador (R. 14); Trasatlántica (Ortenbach), Canary Line to Casablanca, Mazagan, etc. (R. 14); Vapores Correos de Africa (Romany y Miquel), for Cadiz and Algeciras (R. 6 b), Ceuta (R. 13), Larash, Rabât, etc. (R. 14); Navigation Mixte (C. Touache; R. Buzenet), for Melilla, Málaga, and Oran (R. 18); Oldenburg-Portuguese (Renschhausen & Co.), for Mogador, etc. (R. 14); Rotterdam Lloyd (Lalaurie & de Testa), from Southampton fortnightly for Lisbon, Tangier, Marseilles, etc.; Nederland Royal Mail, from Southampton fortnightly for Tangier, Algiers, etc.; German East African Line (Jahn & Toledano), from Southampton every three weeks for Tangier, Marseilles, etc.; also excursion-steamers of the Peninsular & Oriental Co., etc. (see p. 2).

Physicians. Dr. Wilson (English); Dr. Herzen, Casa Dahl; Dr. Steiner, Hôt. Villa de France.—Chemists. British Pharmacy; Bouich & Ibbanez; Bouchard, Céreze, both in the main street.—British Hospital on the Marshan (comp. Map).

Banks. M. Pariente (English); Banque d’Etat du Maroc (Pl. 12; D, 2), Inner Market; Comp. Algérienne, main street; German Orient Bank (Pl. 11; D, 2), near the Great Mosque; Jahn & Toledano; Renschhausen & Co., on the shore.

Shops. For Oriental goods (comp. p. 331): Jos. Saadeh, opposite the Spanish church (p. 100); Bensaken; Mimon Delmar (‘Moorish Bazaar’).—Photographs sold by Ruedi (a Swiss); Cavilla, next door to the British Consulate.

Newspapers. El Moghreb el-Akhza, English; La Dépêche Marocaine, El Porvenir, El Eco Mauritano, etc.

Horses, mules, and donkeys (‘borricos’) at Benmergui’s, coast-road, and Pedro’s, Outer Market, near the German Embassy. Donkey, with attendant, per ride ½–1 p., per day 1½–2½ p.; mule, ½ day 2–3, day 3–5 p.; horse a little more (comp. p. 97).

Sea Baths. Delicias de la Playa and Paraíso de la Playa on the Playa Grande (Pl. E, 3, 4), with fine beach, from May to Oct.; bath 25, with towels, etc. 50 c.

Legations and Consulates. Great Britain. Minister, Hon. Reginald Lister (office, Pl. A, B, 4). Consul-General, H. E. White (office, Pl. D, 2); vice-consul, E. Bristow.—United States. Minister, W. Carpenter (office, Pl. D, 3). Acting Consul-General, G. E. Holt.—Lloyd’s Agent, Eugene Chappory, in the main street.

English Church Service, in the church in the Outer Market (Pl. B, 3), every Sun. (from Dec. till end of April) at 8 and 11 a.m., and at 3 p.m.—Spanish Catholic, at the church in the main street (p. 100).

Races in spring and summer on the beach.—Arabian ‘Fantasias’ (Laab el-Barood) on horseback on the Mohammedan festivals, in the Inner Market or the Marshan.

Two Days (if time be limited). 1st. In the forenoon, the Main Street and the Inner Market (p. 100), Outer Market (p. 100), Marshan (p. 101), and Kasba (p. 101); in the afternoon, walk on the beach.—2nd. Excursion to Cape Spartel (p. 101).

Tangier, Spanish or French Tanger, Arabic Tanja, capital of the Moroccan province of El-Fahs or Fahass, the largest commercial town in the whole country, and the seat of legations from the great powers, lies picturesquely on the hilly W. bank of a shallow bay of the Atlantic. Of the 46,270 inhab. 25,000 are Mohammedans, 12,000 Moroccan Jews, and 9270 foreigners (incl. 7000 Spaniards). The rough and extremely dirty streets of the old town, above whose white sea of houses peeps here and there the minaret of a mosque, afford a genuine picture of Oriental life. Amid the noisy crowds are seen the most widely divergent types, from the pale yellow Moorish aristocrat to the dark-brown Moroccans of the south and the black negroes of the Sudan. Their costumes also are very various. The Mohammedans wear white or coloured burnous, brown jellâbas, yellow slippers (p. 97), and a coloured turban or red fez (tarbûsh). The Jews wear either European garb or the regulation black kaftan and fez. Most of the streets are impracticable for vehicles. The commonest beast of burden is the donkey; the frequent shout of ‘bâlek’ (take care) warns foot-passengers to make room. The busiest places are the quay, whence cattle from the interior are shipped for Gibraltar and Ceuta, and in the morning the three markets.

Although already a Phœnician settlement, Tingis (p. 101) first appears in history in the Roman period, when it vied with Oppidum Novum (Ksar el-Kebîr) and Volubilis as one of the chief places in this region. Augustus conferred on its inhabitants the right of citizenship, and Claudius made the town a Roman colony. It is unknown when Tangier was founded, but in the middle ages it fell behind the thriving seaports of Ceuta, Ksar es-Serîr (p. 123), and Arzila. According to Moorish tradition it was founded by Mulaï Abd es-Slam Buarakia, the patron saint of the town. In 1471 it fell into the hands of the Portuguese, and it belonged to Spain from 1580 to 1640. In 1662 it formed part of the dowry of Catharine of Braganza, consort of prince Charles (afterwards Charles II. of England), and thus came into the possession of the English. In 1664, however, the English were signally defeated by the Moors on the ‘Jews’ River’ (pp. 101, 102), and in 1684 evacuated the town, after demolishing the fortifications and the pier. Since then the town has belonged to Morocco. The present fortifications, constructed by English engineers, are mounted with antiquated guns, and the town-walls date partly from the Portuguese period.

From the Muelle Nuevo (Pl. E, 1; new pier, 1907; adm. 25 c.), we walk past the new harbour for lighters and the granary (Almacen), and then to the S.W. through the harbour-gate (Bâb el-Marsâ) into the Main Street (Pl. D, C, 2, 3), which ascends the hill-side in a curve to the Outer Market. Passing the Great Mosque or Jâma el-Kebîr (Pl. D, 2), with its pretty gateway and lofty minaret inlaid with tiles, we reach the Inner Market (Sok ed-Dáyel; Pl. D, 2; Arabic Sûk ed-Dakhl), the centre of traffic, with the European post-offices (p. 98). Higher up, where the street takes the name of Siiaguin, are situated on the left the Spanish Catholic Church (Iglesia Español; Pl. C, 3) and the Morocco Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the end of the street is the upper gate of the inner town (Bâb ed-Dakhl), leading into Los Herradores (Farriers’ Square; Pl. 8, C, 3), to the left of which, and also connected with the Outer Market by a gateway, lies the Meat and Vegetable Market (Plaza de Abastos; Pl. C, 3). From the Farriers’ Square a second gate on the right leads to the Mercado (Pl. C, 2, 3), an intermediate market-place, with rows of booths and a caravanserai (Fondak). Passing through the N. gate (Bâb el-Marshan; Pl. C, 3) and skirting the town-walls and the Christian Cemetery (Pl. B, 2), we reach, on the left, the Paseo de Cenarro (Pl. B, A, 2), the new Marshan road, and (straight on) the Kasba and the old Marshan route (see p. 101).

The Fez Gate (Bâb el-Fahs; Pl. C, 3) leads into the Outer Market (Sûk el-Barra; Pl. B, C, 3), which deserves a visit on market-days (Thursdays and particularly Sundays). In this great and very uneven plot of ground, adorned with the shrine of Sidi Makhfî (Meyfi), the patron-saint of the market, we witness a strange and indescribable scene. Between the rows of salesmen and saleswomen, the latter veiled and clad in white, moves a motley throng of bargaining and jostling customers, while smaller groups gather round the jugglers, story-tellers, and snake-charmers (members of the sect of the Aïssaouas; p. 373).

On the N. side of the Outer Market the Monte Road (Camino del Monte; Pl. B, A, 3; p. 101) leads to the W., past two Mohammedan Cemeteries (Cementerio de los Moros; Pl. B, A, 2–4) and the Portuguese Legation (Pl. A, 3), to the (¼ hr.) Villa Sicsu (comp. Map), with its pretty garden (gate-keeper ½–1 p.).

From the gate of this villa a by-road ascends in a curve to the right to the Marshan (El Marxán; 341 ft.), a plateau to the N.W. of the town. At the W. end of it, above the Bubana Valley (see below), lie an estate of the Sherif of Wazzân (Xerif de Uazán) and a Mohammedan Cemetery. Farther to the E., beyond the Austrian Legation, we come to a number of square Phœnician Rock Tombs, now partly used as cisterns, situated on the steep margin of the coast, which is undermined by the sea.

The walled Kasba (Pl. B, C, 1), on the E. slope of the Marshan, is the highest and the most curious quarter of the town. Entering it by the upper gate (Bâb ed-Doulah or Bâb el-Marshan; Pl. B, 1), we first come to the barracks and the Naham Battery (Pl. B, 1), where we have a splendid view of the Straits of Gibraltar. Opposite us is the Rauda, or burial-chapel of the patron saint of the town (p. 100). A little below is seen the Sultan’s Palace (Pl. B, C, 1), a good example of late-Moorish architecture, with a fine colonnaded court, a mosque, and a garden. The square at the lower end of the Kasba is bordered by the Tesoro (Pl. 10; treasury), the Mexuar (Pl. 9; law-courts), at the entrance to which the cadi administers justice from 8 to 11 in the morning, and the State Prison (Cárcel; visitors admitted), where male prisoners are employed in basket-making and other work. Near this is a smaller prison for women.

From the Bâb el-Assa, the lower Kasba gate (Pl. C, 1), a steep footpath, which soon offers a striking *View of the white houses of Tangier and of the beach, descends to the town.

Excursions. We may walk or ride to the S.E., past the Sea Baths (p. 99), along the beach, which forms an excellent riding-course at low tide, to the (¾–1 hr.) Roman Bridge across the brook Galeres (Wâd el-Mogoga), and thence a little inland over the sand-hills (100 ft.) to the Ruins of Tingis (Arabic Tanja el-Bâlia), where the Roman seaward gateway is still well preserved. The road then makes a long bend to the N. to the Torre Blanquilla (243 ft.), an old Moorish battery on Cape Malabata (p. 6), 2½–3½ hrs. from Tangier.—Another pleasant ride may be taken from the shore to the S.W., inland, through orange-groves to (1¼ hr.) the village of Es-Suani, where we strike the Fez Road (p. 102), by which we may return to the Outer Market.

The *Excursion to Cape Spartel, 7½ M. to the W. of Tangier, takes nearly a day (horses, etc., see p. 99; bargain advisable; provisions should be taken). From the Villa Sicsu (see above) we descend the Monte road to the Bubana Valley, watered by the little Wâd el-Ihûd (‘Jews’ River’), ¾ hr. to the W. of Tangier. From the bridge we may go straight on, and mount direct to the top of the Jebel Kebîr (1070 ft.), which is overgrown with low underwood, or (more attractive) we may follow the Monte road to Monte Washington, a colony of charming villas immediately overlooking the sea, and then, ¾ hr. farther on, rejoin the direct route. On both routes we enjoy a splendid view of the sea and the Spanish coast with Cape Trafalgar (p. 58). The main road at length descends to the W. margin of Cape Spartel (Arabic Râs Ishberdil), the ancient Promontorium Ampelusia, the north-westmost point of Africa. The lighthouse (312 ft.), built and maintained by the European great powers, at present the only one on the coast of Morocco (others are projected at Melilla, Casablanca, Mazagan, Saffi, and Mogador), is visible at sea from a distance of about 30 M. Near it are a signal-station and a meteorological station belonging to the nautical observatory of Hamburg.

From the cape we may ride along the coast to the (2½ M.) Hercules Grotto, where excellent grindstones and millstones have been quarried from time immemorial, or, in returning to Tangier, we may diverge from the Bubana Valley to visit the Olive Groves, between the Jews’ River and the Fez road (see below).

13. From Tangier to Tetuán (Ceuta).

The journey to Tetuán, about 37 M., may be performed (on horseback or by mule) in one day, but travellers wishing to break their journey may spend a night at a fondak (see below) where, considering the rough accommodation, it is best to camp outside (tents and camping-utensils should be taken from Tangier). An escort is advisable. Or we may go to Tetuán by a steamer of the Bland Line (usually on Sat. even., in 3 hrs.; $4), and return thence to Tangier or Gibraltar by the Navigation Mixte (p. 123; every second Tues.; agent at Tetuán, Salvador Hassan). From Tangier to Ceuta direct there is a weekly steamer (on Thurs.) of the Vapores Correos de Africa. For the excursion to Ceuta a passport visé by the Spanish consul at Tangier or Tetuán is required. A local boat crosses daily from Ceuta to Algeciras (p. 56) in 2 hrs.

From the Outer Market we follow the Fez road (Pl. C, 3–5; Camino de Fez) to the S., passing at some distance from the stone huts of the Berber villages (Duâr) in the fertile hill-country of the province of El-Fahs. Nearing the village of Aïn-Dalia, we pass below it, ride to the S.E. in view of the steep peak of Jebel Zinat, crowned with the ruined house of Raisuli, and ascend in the fertile valley of the Wâd Marhar (Tahaddart). Here, on the right, beyond the hills inhabited by the Berber tribe of the Beni Msaur, we can sometimes descry in clear weather the distant Jebel Mulaï Abd es-Slam (5742 ft.), the most sacred mountain in N. Morocco.

The track then ascends through remains of cork-tree forest in the beautiful hill-region of the Wâd Râs. At the top of the pass (1476 ft.), the watershed between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, stands the fondak of Aïn el-Jedida, the largest caravanserai in N. Morocco (comp. above). The roof-terrace commands a fine view of the hills around.

The track, which soon affords a beautiful *View of Tetuán, now descends the stony slope to the E. into the valley of the River Martín, a stream rising on the Jebel Mulaï Abd es-Slam.

Tetuán (197 ft.; Hot. Dersa, pens. 10 p.; Hot. Calpe, R. 3, pens. 10 p., plain but good; Hot. Victoria, pens. 6–8 p.; Brit. vice-cons., W. S. Bewicke), Arabic Titawân, Berber Tettawên, an interesting town, containing among its 30,450 inhab. 6000 Jews, 400 Spaniards, and about 500 immigrants from Algeria, lies 7 M. from the Mediterranean and above the left bank of the River Martín, not far from the ancient Roman Thamuda. The garden-like environs are fertile and well watered. With its numerous minarets, its domed tombs of saints, its town-walls garnished with many towers, and its loftily placed citadel (Kasba) overshadowed on the N. by the red sandstone rocks of the Jebel Dersa, it presents a most charming picture of an Oriental town entirely free from European disfigurement. The narrow, winding streets recall the ancient part of Cordova, and the colonnaded courts of the externally plain Moorish houses resemble the patios of Seville (p. 61). In the more regularly built Mellah (Jewish quarter) one is often struck with the beauty of the Jewish girls and the women’s gold-embroidered festive attire. Some parts of the town still show traces of the Spanish siege of 1859–60, which gained for the victorious Marshal O’Donnell the title of ‘Duke of Tetuán’.

The graves in the Jewish Cemetery are sometimes not unlike the anthropoid sarcophagi of the Phœnicians (comp. p. 347).

The old Portuguese Watch Tower at Kilallin affords a superb panorama.

The mouth of the River Martín, which is much choked with sand, forms the harbour of Tetuán, but sea-going vessels have to anchor in the open roads. The trade of the place is unimportant.

A coast-road was constructed by the Spaniards during the Morocco campaign, connecting Tetuán with Ceuta (23 M.), but now only a track remains. It leads at first through the coast-plain at the E. base of Jebel Dersa (see above), and then, beyond the Cabo Negro or Cape Negron (886 ft.; Arabic Râs et-Tarf), skirts the fertile spurs of the Anjera Mts. Beyond the Moroccan frontier guard-house, we enter Spanish territory, protected by a chain of block-houses, and skirt the E. slope of the Jurassic Sierra Bullones or Apes’ Hill (2809 ft.; Arabic Jebel Mûsa, i. e. Hill of Moses), where apes abound. This is the highest peak of the Anjera Mts. and was famed in antiquity as one of the pillars of Hercules (p. 54).

Ceuta (several small Spanish inns; no photographing allowed), Arabic Sebta, a town of 10,000 inhab. (of whom 3000 are soldiers), the only important Spanish possession in Morocco besides Melilla (p. 124), lies on a narrow, flat tongue of land between a spur of the Sierra Bullones, crowned with the white tomb of a saint, and the strongly fortified peninsula of Almina, which culminates in the Monte del Acho (637 ft.). Originally Phœnician, it became a Roman colony, under the name of Ad Septem Fratres (later Septon or Septa Emporia), and in the middle ages was the most important and prosperous seaport of N. Morocco. In 1169 it was the seat, of a Genoese trading station, and in 1415 it fell into the hands of the Portuguese, from whose time date the ruins of Ceuta la Vieja (old Ceuta). Since 1580, in spite of repeated attacks by the Moroccans (1694–1720, 1732), it has remained in the uninterrupted possession of Spain, and it now presents a sadly decayed appearance. The tunny and sardine fisheries here are very thriving.

411 M. Steamboats. 1. Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. (see RR. 5, 4, 3; often full all the way from London), every other Friday, viâ Casablanca, Mazagan, and Saffi to Mogador in 5 days (agents at Tangier, Eug. Chappory; at Casablanca and Saffi, Murdoch, Butler, & Co.; at Mazagan, J. de Maria; and at Mogador, R. Yuly & Co.).—2. Oldenburg-Portuguese Line fortnightly to Mogador, calling at intermediate ports (agents at Tangier and Larash, Renschhausen & Co.; at Rabât, Weickert & Enke; at Casablanca and Saffi, Lamb Bros.; at Mazagan, Ch. Balestrino; at Mogador, Borgeaud, Reutemann, & Co.).—3. N. Paquet & Co. (p. 120), Monday evenings (returning on Frid.), to Rabât, intermediate ports, and Mogador in 4 days.—4. Vapores Correos de Africa twice monthly to Mogador viâ, Larash, Rabât, Casablanca, Mazagan, and Saffi in 5½ days. There are also the small cargo-boats of the Genoese Servizio Italo-Spagnuolo, of Rius & Torres of Barcelona, and others. The small boats of the Bland Line ply between Tangier and Larash once or twice weekly. The Canary Line of the Compañía Trasatlántica touches once monthly at Tangier (if required also at Casablanca and Mazagan).—Landing and embarkation in lighters at most of the intermediate ports is often impracticable for weeks together, especially in winter. Harbours are in course of construction at Larash and Casablanca, and one at Saffi is projected.—Tangier, Rabât, Casablanca, and Mogador have wireless telegraph stations.

Along the Ocean Seaboard of Morocco (about 835 M. to Cape Juby) navigation is often impeded by gales, sandbanks, and fogs. The seaports lie mostly at the mouths of rivers or in small and shallow open bays.

The Steamers round the sandstone rocks of Cape Spartel (p. 102) and steer to the S.W., at some distance from the land, above which in clear weather are seen the Rîf Mts., with the Jebel Habib (2990 ft.) and the Jebel Mulaï Abd es-Slam (p. 102).

In the coast-plain of El-Gharbia we next observe, on a terrace abraded by the sea, the decayed little seaport-town of Arzila, the Phœnician Zilis, Rom. Colonia Zilis Constantia, with a ruinous town-wall of the Portuguese period.

Beyond the Haffet el-Beida, a spur of the hill-region of Sahel, once famed for its cork-tree groves and its fertility, we near the broad mouth of the Lukkus or El-Kus, the Lix of antiquity, and obtain a splendid view of the white sandstone walls and the castellated Kasba of Larash.

Larash, also called Larache or Laraiche, Arabic El-Araïsh (Hot. Lukkus, on the river-bank; landing or embarkation 1 p.; Brit. vice-cons., L. Forde), a somewhat dirty town of 13,220 inhab. (incl. 3000 Jews and 200 Europeans), one of the chief seaports of Morocco, lies on the left bank of the Lukkus, about 100 ft. above the river. The total exports and imports are valued at 18 million francs. In the 16th cent. the town was an important Portuguese centre of trade, and in 1580–1689 it belonged to Spain. It then became a war-harbour and the headquarters of the pirates of Morocco, and was fruitlessly attacked by the French in their disastrous expedition of 1765, and by an Austrian squadron in 1829. The former harbour, which was rendered inaccessible to vessels of larger draught by the bar obstructing it and the shallowness of the river-mouth, is being superseded by a new harbour now under construction. The town-walls, the moats, the coast-batteries, and the small fortifications on the S. bank of the river date from the Spanish occupation.

From the landing-place on the N.E. margin of the town we pass through the harbour-gate into the spacious Inner Market (Sûk ed-Dakhl), with the old Spanish Merchants’ Hall (Fondak el-Essbenyoli) and arcades lined with shops. Gateways lead thence to the N.W. to the picturesque Kasba (no admission), and to the S.E. to the Government Palace (Dâr el-Makhzen). The Chief Mosque was once the Spanish cathedral, and several of the dwelling-houses are still Spanish in character.

Outside the Bâb el-Khemis lies the extensive Outer Market (Thurs.). Excellent oranges and other fruit are grown in the beautiful gardens around.

Some Roman ruins, relics of the old town of Lixus (p. 95), now overgrown with brushwood, lie on the Jebel Tshemmish, a low hill on the right bank of the Lukkus, about 1½ hr. from Larash (best reached by boat).

As the Steamer proceeds there appears on the horizon a range of sand-hills, 31 M. long, which separates the Sebu bay from the sea. This bay (p. 93) is now dry land, with the exception of two shallow lakes (Merja ez-Zerga and Merja Râs ed-Dôra) and large tracts of swamp. To the E. rises the Jebel Sarsar (1805 ft.), near Ksar el-Kebîr. On the left bank of the Sebu (ancient Subur), near the Mamora Forest, the largest plantation of cork-trees in Morocco, lies Mehedia or Mehdiya (pop. 500), a thriving seaport during the sway of the Almohades, but now fallen to utter decay. A fine Moorish town-gate of the 12th cent. and many ruins of the Portuguese period may be visited.

Rabât (Hot. Ignace, R. 2, pens. 10 fr., Hot. Alegría, Spanish, both unpretending; Brit. vice-cons., A. H. Cross; Engl. Church service), or Rbât, situated in the Tell (p. 93) on the left bank of the Bu Regreg, 138 M. from Tangier, is one of the sultan’s residences and vies with Tetuán (p. 102) as a most interesting coast-town. Its population together with that of Salee (p. 106) is 47,140 inhab., incl. 3000 Jews and 100 Europeans. As it is the ‘key of Morocco’, where the caravan routes from Tangier, Fez, and Casablanca (Marakesh) converge, and is also exposed to the attacks of the turbulent inland tribes of the Zemmûr and Zaïr, it has been fortified with an inner and two outer walls. A Fort, built in 1888–92, defends the entrance to the harbour, now much choked with sand. The difficulty of landing (charge for each passenger 2½ p.) has caused the trade of the place (imports and exports about 8 million francs) to decline and to fall behind that of Tangier, Larash, and Mogador. Several of the industries have long been famous (carpet-making, wool-weaving, woodwork, saffian leather, etc.).

Founded in 1197, opposite to Salee (see below), by the Almohade Yakûb ibn Yûsuf (p. 61), the still prosperous town is noted for its well-educated population, mostly Moorish, and its genuine Moroccan character. The dwelling-houses, in the Andalusian-Moorish style, vie in their internal architecture with those of Tetuán. Noteworthy are also the old town-gates, the portal of the Kasba, with the barracks of the Udaia, and the decayed Medersa (school of the learned), with its picturesque colonnaded *Court. At the S.E. angle of the town, not far from the harbour-gate and the Mohammedan cemetery, is the Mellah or Jews’ quarter.

Outside the Bâb el-Hâd, on the W. side of the inner town-wall, is the Jewish burial-ground, adjoining the Sûk el-Hâd, or Sunday market, the most important cattle-market in the whole country, supplied chiefly by the Zemmûr, Zaïr, and Zaiân tribes.—On the terrace of the coast, by the W. outer wall (reached also from the Bâb el-Alû by the road past the Christian cemetery), stands the handsome, but now disused sultan’s palace of El-Kebibât.

Beyond the Jews’ quarter, and not far from the *Bâb Shellah (1178–84) with its two octagonal towers, we see rising amidst orchards, above the Bu Regreg, the conspicuous *Hassan Tower, the great landmark of Rabât. This was once the minaret of a mosque, erected, according to tradition, by Jâbir (p. 62) for Yakûb ibn Yûsuf in 1197, but now entirely destroyed saving a few columns and fragments of masonry. The unfinished tower, with its notched arches and ornamentation in relief style, is 145 ft. high.

About 1 M. to the S. of the town, near the outer walls, is the Dâr el-Makhzen, a second palace of the sultan, with the burial-mosque of Mohammed XVII. and Mulaï Hassan (1873–94), and a beautiful garden.

Near this is the S.E. outer gateway. Among the neighbouring hills, beyond a small Mohammedan burial-ground, is a walled and turreted square enclosing the ancient town of *Shellah, the mouldering ruins of which are overgrown with rank vegetation; we find here an excellent well. In the dilapidated burial-mosque repose the Almohade Abû Yakûb (p. 61), the Merinide Ali V. (d. 1351), and other sovereigns.—A little way off, on the S. margin of the swampy and malarious river-flats, are famous orange-gardens.

A ferry connects Rabât with the antiquated town of Salee, Saleh, or Slâ, the Sala of the Carthaginians and Romans, which, down to recent times, was like Larash one of the most dreaded haunts of pirates (‘Salee rovers’) and one of the worst slave-markets in all Morocco. The town shows every sign of decay; but its gates, especially the Bâb el-Ansera (now walled up), with its two towers, the ruinous gate of the cemetery, and the domed tombs of saints, all present a most fascinating architectural picture.

Proceeding on her course the Steamer skirts a monotonous, treeless coast, broken only by the mouths of a few small rivers, with here and there a poor village. One of these villages is Fedalah (in the middle ages Afdalah), once a thriving little seaport, which was temporarily occupied by the Spaniards in 1773. On a headland much exposed to N. winds, 190 M. from Tangier, lies—

Casablanca.—Passengers are conveyed from the steamers, which anchor in the open roads to the N.E. of the town, to the new quay by boat (2½ p. each person).

Hotels. Hôt. Central, R. 4–5, B. 1, D. 2, pens. 10–12 fr., Hôt. de France, pens. 8–10 fr., both good; Hôt. Moderne, pens. 8–10 fr.; Hôt. de l’Univers; Hôt. de l’Europe; Hôt. Continental; Hôt. de Cuba, outside the town, Spanish.

Consuls. British, A. M. Madden; vice-consuls, E. G. Lomas, R. H. Broome.—United States Consular Agent, H. Toel.

English Church. St. John the Evangelist’s, outside the town; service every Sun. at 11 a.m.

Casablanca, Arabic Dâr el-Beida (‘the white house’), a town of 31,700 inhab. (incl. 2500 French and as many Spaniards), was founded in the 16th cent. by the Portuguese as Casa Branca on the ruins of the ancient (Phœnician?) town of Anfa. The place appears in mediæval Venetian charts as Níffe or Anafe, but it was abandoned by the Moors in 1468. The town was destroyed in 1755 by an earthquake simultaneous with that of Lisbon; it was not rebuilt till the 19th cent., and is now the most important outlet in the country for Moroccan commodities (exports and imports in 1909 ca. 25½ million fr.). To this centre are brought cattle from the neighbouring provinces, from the remoter districts of Tadla (or Tedla), and from the steppes of the Central Atlas, while the fertile region of Shâuya supplies it with grain and wool. Thanks to the peace and security which the French troops of occupation have restored trade has steadily increased.

The town, which is still enclosed by a wall of defence built in the Portuguese period, lies on a terrace of Devonian sandstone (E. side) and slate (W. side), in which the surf has worn a small shallow bay. The harbour thus formed is to be protected by a breakwater (in course of construction) which will make landing and embarking in all weathers possible (comp. above).—From the harbour we pass through the Waterport Gate into the main street of the Medina or Mohammedan business quarter. Most of the foreign consulates and banks and the international Anfa Club are situated in this street. Just off it are the British Consulate and the British Post Office, while higher up is the new French post-office. The Mellah, or Jewish quarter, lies on the S. side of the town.

Near the Bâb es-Sûk, or S.E. gate, is the *Market (Sûk; comp, p. 335), and a little beyond it are the warehouses of the foreign merchants.

In the W. quarter (Tnaquer), which down to 1907 consisted chiefly of the reed-huts of the lower-class workmen, similar to those outside the S.W. gate (Bâb Marâkesh), modern stone dwellings have sprung up and public grounds also have been laid out. Farther out are the wooden barracks of the French and Spanish troops of occupation. On the low hills to the E. and S.E. are the new French forts ‘Provost’ and ‘Ihler’.

A considerable way beyond Casablanca the Steamer passes the mouth of the Um er-Rebîa (see below), on the left bank of which is Asimmûr, and a little farther on it casts anchor in the open roads of Mazagan, far outside the little harbour, which dates from the Portuguese period. (Landing or embarkation 3 p.)

Mazagan (Hôt. de l’Univers, pens. 6–8 fr.; Hôt. du Commerce, same charges; Brit. vice-cons., T. G. Spinney; pop. 25,500, incl. 3000 Jews and about 500 Europeans), formerly called El-Brîja by the Moroccans, now El-Jedida (‘the new’), 250 M. from Tangier, lies on a terrace on the W. shore of a large bay which is now much choked with sand. It was founded by the Portuguese in 1506, held by them down to 1769, and was their last possession in Morocco; but it long remained a place of no importance. The old town, square in shape, protected from the surf by a chain of cliffs, and altered after 1769, is still enclosed by its Portuguese wall of defence, which is 29 ft. thick at places. Several houses bearing Portuguese coats-of-arms and the Palace of the Inquisition in the N. angle of the town recall the Christian domination. In recent times Mazagan has developed into the chief seaport of Marakesh. The great Thursday market, held on the W. side of the town, and the granaries on the S. side afford an idea of the extent of its trade (imports and exports being estimated, when crops are good, at 20 million fr. per annum). The climate is considered very healthy.

The alcanna shrub (Lawsonia inermis) abounds in the environs. From its leaves is prepared the brownish-red henna, used for colouring the finger-nails. This ancient custom still prevails among both Mohammedans and Jews in N. Africa.

Excursions. The picturesquely situated town of Azimmûr, about 12½ M. to the E., lies on the Um er-Rebîa or Morbêya, the Asama of antiquity, a stream which separates the Shâuya region from the Dukkâla The town, with its 10,000 inhab., incl. 1000 Jews, contains the shrine of Mulaï bu Shaïb, much visited by pilgrims, and is environed with beautiful gardens of pomegranates, oranges, and figs. On the same river lie the orange-groves of Mhiula.—To the S.W. one may ride along the coast, past the Zâuya Mulaï Abdallah and the ruins of the Roman town of Tit, to Cabo Blanco (see below).

Leaving Mazagan we pass the Cabo Blanco (230 ft.; Arabic Jerf el-Asfâr) and then the Walediya Lake, ca. 40 M. long. Farther on, from the abrupt coast juts out Cape Cantin (450 ft.; Arabic Râs el-Hûdik), well known to mariners as a landmark, whence the coast runs S. to the Tensift (p. 109). We call next at—

Saffi (Hot. Llamas; Brit. vice-cons., G. B. Hunot; pop. 19,750, incl. 2500 Jews), called also Safi or Asfi, 350 M. from Tangier. The harbour is inadequately sheltered from the W. and S.W. gales by a narrow neck of land and two cliffs, and its entrance is obstructed by a sandbank. (Landing or embarkation 1 p.) Saffi is the capital of the fertile region of Abda, noted for its horse-breeding, and girdled with black soil (comp. p. 93) fertile to a breadth of 37 M. at places. It lies picturesquely on a lofty chalk plateau, in an almost semicircular bay, amidst woods and green pastures, but is haunted by fever in summer. Prior to the foundation of Mazagan and Mogador it was the chief port of Marakesh, and like Agâdir (p. 110) was one of the most important harbours of S. Morocco, but its trade, mostly in European hands, has now fallen off (total about 10 million francs). The chief industry of the place, which has given its name to Saffian leather, is now the manufacture of pottery.

Close to the harbour lies the Jewish Quarter, and behind it is the Medina or Mohammedan quarter, both squalid. Adjoining the latter is the Spanish Catholic church. The picturesque Citadel at the E. end of the old town and the town-walls are of Portuguese origin. The Sûk, or market, is in the S. suburb of Rabbât.

The Steamer next sights, near the mouth of the Tensift, the Jebel el-Hadid (2182 ft.; ‘iron-mountain’; p. 110), already famed in Punic times for its iron-ore, the only considerable hill on the coast between this and Mogador. The vessel rounds Cape Hadid, the S. limit of the fertile coast-plain, sighting in the distance the spurs of the Great Atlas (p. 93), and soon reaches (410 M. from Tangier; landing or embarkation 2½ p.) the seaport of—

Mogador (Hôt. Royal, English; Palm Tree Hotel, 2½ M. to the S. of the town, prettily situated, good; Brit. vice-cons., H. B. Johnstone; U. S. cons. agent, G. Broome; Engl. Church service), called in Arabic Es-Sueïra also, with 24,350 inhab., incl. 12,000 Jews and a good many French, English, Spanish, and other Europeans. The new town with its straight lines of streets was erected in 1760–70 under Sultan Mulaï Sidi Mohammed on the site of Mogator, which was destroyed in 1755 by the same earthquake as that of Lisbon. In 1844 the town was stormed by French marines.

Mogador lies in 31° 31′ N. lat. and 9° 60′ W. long., on a flat spit of land, bounded on the W. by a small lake, beyond which rises a great range of sand-hills, at places 427 ft. high and 3¼ M. in breadth. To the S.W. a chain of cliffs and the rocky islet of Mogador, the only island on the coast of Morocco, form the harbour, which is much exposed to the sea-winds. The N. entrance to the harbour, between the town and the island, is about 825 yds. broad and 45 ft. deep; the broad S. entrance, opposite the mouth of the Wâd Kseb, is only 13 ft. in depth. Mogador serves as a port for the adjacent provinces of Shiâdma (or Shedma), Haha, and Mtûga, as well as a mart for goods from the Sûs (see below). It is the stronghold of Judaism in Morocco, as the Jews control the inland trade with Marakesh, and it is only of late that they have had European rivals in the ocean traffic. The total exports and imports amount to about 17 million francs.

We land not far from the Harbour Battery, mounted with antiquated guns, and proceed first to the Kasba quarter, where the governor’s house, the chief mosque, a synagogue, and the Spanish church are situated. From the Meshwâr, the principal square in the Kasba, a broad street leads to the Medina, the Mohammedan quarter, where a number of Europeans and wealthy Jews also reside. Here, in the centre of the town, is the Sûk, famed for the native copper wares, besides various goods from Marakesh, which are sold there. Beyond the market, in the N.E. angle of the town, is the Mellah, an extremely dirty quarter, with narrow streets, inhabited by the poorer Jews.

From the Bâb Marâkesh, the S.E. gate, we may follow the conduit, at first along the embankment between the bay of the harbour and the lake, and then past the Kubba of Sidi Mogdul, the local saint, to the winding valley of the Wâd Kseb. Here rises a ruinous Palace of the Sultan, and beyond the sand-hills lies the sadly neglected Sultan’s Garden.

The finest point in the wooded inland region near Mogador, which abounds in game, is the valley of Aïn el-Hajar (‘rock-spring’), 15½ M. to the N.E. From the Bâb Asfi, the N.E. town-gate, the route leads past the Christian and the large Jewish cemeteries, and follows the Saffi caravan-track along the coast, where at low tide it is pleasanter to ride on the beach. After about 2 hrs. we cross the hill to the E., where in the extensive growth of underwood are seen numerous argan-trees (Argania sideroxylon), the kernels of whose fruit yield a table-oil resembling that of the olive.—From Aïn el-Hajar we may in clear weather ascend the Jebel el-Hadid (p. 109), which rises to the N.; on the summit (2182 ft.) is a chapel dedicated to Sidi Yakûb, whence in the far distance we may descry the Great Atlas.

To the S. of Mogador lies the hilly region of Haha, skirting the base of the Great Atlas, and rich in olives and argan-trees, through which a rough caravan-route, running inland from Cape Tafetneh and passing Cape Gîr, leads to Agâdir (pop. 2500). This was formerly the seaport for the region of Sûs (p. 94), and was even the goal of caravans from the Sudan district, but since the building of Mogador has lost all European trade. In the 16th cent. Agâdir, under the name of Santa Cruz, was the southmost possession of the Portuguese in Morocco.