44 E l Waladia. are made with a gentle inclination towards the cistern; this water becomes extremely clear, and the lime brought with it fiom the terraces, clarifies and preserves it from worms and co rru p tion ; the cistern was somewhat damaged b y the bombs thrown into the town during the siege in 1769, but it still serves the purpose o f p reserving the water. T h e vaulted roof is supported b y twenty-four columns o f the Tuscan o rd e r ; and the descent is b y stairs. 1 he exportation o f corn and wax from this place was v e ry considerable in the time o f S eedy Mohammed ben Abdallah. A t a short distance south-west o f Mazagan, is an ancient town, called Bureeja, whence the Moorish name Bureeja, which th e y g iv e to Mazagan. Th irty -five miles south o f Mazagan, is the town o f E l Waladia, situated in an extensive plain. Here is a v e r y spacious harbour sufficiently extensive to contain 500 sail o f the lin e : but the entrance is obstructed b y a rock or two, which, it is- said, might be blown up ; i f this could be effected, it would be one o f the finest harbours for shipping in the world. T h e coast o f E l W a lad ia is lined with rocks, at the bottom o f which, and between them and the ocean, is a table land, almost even with the surface o f the water, abounding with springs, where e ve ry necessary and lu xu ry o f life grows in abundance. The view o f this land from the plains above the rocks, is extremely beautiful and picturesque. T h e town o f E l Walad ia is small, and encompassed b y a square w a ll: it contains but few inhabitants. It may have been built towards the middle o f the 17 th century by Muley E l W a led , as the name seems to indicate. T o the south o f this, at the extremity o f Gape Cantin, are Saffy- 45 the ruins o f an ancient town* called by the Africans Cantin, probably the Conte o f Leo Africanus. Twen ty-five miles south o f E l Walad ia, we discover the ancient town o f Saffy, situated between two hills, w hich render it intolerably hot, and in winter v e ry disagreeable, as the waters from the neighbouring mountains, occasioned b y the rains, discharge themselves through the main-street into the ocean, deluging the lower apartments o f the houses ; and this happens sometimes so suddenly and unexpectedly, that the inhabitants have not time to remove their p rop erty from the stores. T h e walls o f Saffy are extremely thick and h ig h ; it was probably built b y the Carthaginians; but in the beginning o f the 16th century it was taken b y the Portuguese, who vo lu n ta rily quitted it in 1641, after ha vin g resisted e v e ry effort o f the Mooselmin princes, who endeavoured to take it. T h e road is safe in summe r; but in winter, when the winds b low from the south or south-west, vessels are obliged to run to sea, w hich I have known some do several times in the course o f a month whilst taking in their cargoes. T h e re are many sanctuaries in the environs o f Saffy, on which account the Jews are obliged to enter the town barefooted, taking off their sandals, when they approach these consecrated p la c e s ; and i f riding, they must descend from their mule, and enter the town on foot. T h e people o f Saffy, although it has been a place o f considerable trade, p articula r ly in corn, are inimical to Europeans, fanatical, and b i- gotted, insomuch that till la te ly , Christians found it an u n pleasant residence- T he surrounding country abounds in corn.
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