to admit ships o f 100 tons. T h e gardens o f the Hesperides have been supposed to have heen situated here. E l A ra ich e was fortified about the end o f the 16th century b y Muley ben Nassar; in 1610 it was given up to Spain, and in 1689 retaken b y Muley Ismael. There is an excellent marketp lace in the tow n : the castle, which commands the entrance o f the road, is in good repair, and the guns well mounted, an uncommon thing in this co u n try : and it is further strengthened b y several batteries on the banks o f the river. T he French entered the river in 17 65, but b y a feint o f the Moors, they were induced to go too far up, when they were surrounded by superior numbers, and fell victims to their own impetuosity. Some foreign commerce was carried on here b y the nations o f Europe so late as the y ea r 1780, when the Emperor Seedy Mohammed, for some reason unavowed, caused it to be evacuated, and ordered the Europeans to quit i t ; some o f whom went to Mogodor, and others to Europe. T h e larger vessels o f the Emperor, which, however, are but small, when compared to our ships o f the line, generally winter in a cove on the north side o f the river, where there are magazines o f naval stores, sufficient for the equipment o f such force. T h e soil is sandy, and too loose to admit o f the erection o f stocks for ship building. T h e road is not secure in winter, when the winds blow from the south and west, but from A p r il to September inclusive, it is a safe anchorage. E l Araiche stands in 35° XI' N. lat. Proceeding southward from El Araiche, we reach Maheduma (or Mamora, as it is called b y Europeans), distant sixty-five miles. This town is situated on an eminence, close to the riv er, near the southern banks; it is a poor neglected place, the ferrymen and the inhabitants o f w hich subsist b y fishing for (Shebbel) a species o f salmon, o f w hich they take an incredible quantity, for the su p ply o f the interior, as w e ll as the neighbouring country, from the autumn t ill the spring. T h e country hereabouts is a continued plain, in which are three fresh-water lakes, one o f which is 20 miles in length. This country was formerly populous, but the incalculable number o f musquitos, gnats, nippers, and other annoying insects, have obliged the inhabitants to quit the place. These lakes abound in eels, which are taken and salted for pre se rvation and s a le ; dueks and all kinds o f water-fowl also abound on them. Skiffs made o f the fan palm and o f rushes, about seven feet long and two broad, are used b y the fisherman, who guides them with a pole, and pierces the eels with a lance, or long dar-t, when he sees them in the water, which is not deep. The re are a few insulated spots in the largest lake, on which are (Zawiat) sanctuaries, inhabited b y the Maraboots, who are held in veneration by the inhabitants o f the plains. T h e plains and va lley s are delightfully pleasant in the months o f March and A p r i l ; but in June, Ju ly , and August, when musquitos are so indescribably troublesome, they are parched up. On an eminence, at the southern extremity towards the riv er Seboo, is á sanctuary and asylum for tra ve llers, annexed to w hich are several gardens and plantations o f olives and almonds. The sand bank at the mouth o f the Seboo has p a r tia lly disappeared^ and perhaps a little nautical skill might make the riv e r n a v igable w ith safety to ships Of 200 tons burden. T ra v e llin g to the south from Meheduma, at the distance o f sixteen miles we reach Sláa, or Salée, on the northern bank o f the river, which is formed b y the jun ction o f the streams o f the
27f 39
To see the actual publication please follow the link above