s o Tetuan. are forests o f excellent timber, with which the Moors, before the Spaniards obtained possession o f it, built fishing-vessels. Proceeding from hence westward, we discover the river Busega, near Tetuan, o r Tetawan, as it is called b y the Arabs, where some o f the Emperor’s gallies occasionally winter. A bout four miles inland from the roadstead,stands the town o f Tetuan, in the province o f E l G a rb : this town is built on the d e c liv ity o f a rocky h ill, but is n either large nor strong: its walls are built o f mud and mortar, framed in wooden cases, and beaten down with mallets. T h e inhabitants are rich from commerce, receiving from Spain and Gibraltar dollars, German linens, and cloths, also British manufactures, for which they barter wax, skins, leather, raisins, almonds, olives, oranges, honey, fee. It is inhabited b y Moors and Jews, who, for the most part, speak a corrupt Spanish, in which language their commercial négociations are transacted. T he environs o f T etuan abound in gardens o f the most delicious fruits ; here are grown the finest oranges in the world, and the y are in great abundance; the adjacent country abounds also in vineyard s, the grapes o f which are exquisite, and in great variety. From the raisins and figs the Jews distil an ardent spirit (called Mahaya), which, when a year old, is similar to the Irish usquebah, and they prefer it to European brandy or rum, because it does not (as the y pretend) heat the blood : they drink immoderately o f this spirit, and generally take a glass o f it before eating. Tetuan was founded, according to report, by the Africans, and was a populous town at the time the Moors were driven out o f Spain. It was the place o f residence for many o f the consuls o f the European powers, till the year 17 70, when an Englishman Ceuta. 31 having shot or wounded a Moor, all the Europeans were ordered to quit the place, and the Emperor Seedy Mohammed declared, he would never suffer an European to settle there again. It is remarkable, that in this declaration he lite ra lly kept his word This port carried on a considerable trade in provisions with Gibraltar, as vessels are obliged to come here in preference to Tangier, whenever the wind is in the west, and does hot permit them to make the latter p la c e ; at this time ships may lie in security, and our fleets often water and vic tu al here, as did that o f the immortal Nelson, previous to his v ic to ry in A b ou - keer Bay. W e next come to Cibta, or Ceuta, as it is called b y Europeans; it is situated near (Jibbel d’Zatute) A p e ’s Mountain, called b y the ancients A b y la , one o f the pillars o f Hercules. T h e town o f Ceuta is probably o f Carthaginian o r ig in ; the Romans colonized i t ; it afterwards became the metropolis o f the places which the Goths held in Hispania Transfretana; was next occupied b y the A ra b s ; and, in 1415, taken b y the Por- tu gu e z e ; it is now in the possession o f Spain. It is celebrated for the strength o f its fortifications, its advantageous situation at the entrance o f the Mediterranean, being the nearest point to Europe. It is situated on a rising ground, at the foot o f the m o un tain ; near it stands the mountain with seven summits, called b y the Arabs Sebat Jibbel, and b y the ancients, Septem Fratres. I f the Emperor Ye zzed had succeeded in taking Ceuta, which he twice besieged about the close o f the last century, * There is in the middle of the town a mattamora, or dungeon, where they used to coniine their Christian captives taken by the corsairs.
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