Even before this piece of treachery of one Mussulman towards another at the hour of prayer, the feuds seemed to have existed.  It is a remarkable circumstance in the history of Islamism, that many of the most treacherous and sanguinary actions of Mahometans have been committed within the sacred enclosures of the mosques, and at the hour of prayer.  One of the caliphs having been assassinated in a mosque, seems to have been the precedent for all the murders of the kind which have followed, and indelibly disgrace the Mussulman annals.

These Hhaha and Shedma people are also borderers, and fight with the accustomed ferocity of border tribes.

Their conflicts are very desultory, being carried on by twos and threes, or sixes and sevens, and with sticks, and stones, and other weapons, if they cannot get knives, or matchlocks.  Meanwhile, the Emperor folds his arms, and looks on superbly and serenely.  When the two parties are exhausted, or have had enough of it for the present; his Imperial Highness then interferes, and punishes both by fine.  Indeed, it pays him better to pursue this course; for, instead of spending money in the suppression of factious insurrections, he gains by mulcting both parties.  The Sultan, in fact, not only aggrandizes himself by the quarrels of his own subjects, but he profits by the disputes between the foreign consuls and his governors.

The imbroglio which took place some years since, between the Governor of Mogador and the French Consul, M. Delaporte, is sufficiently characteristic.  An Algerine Mussulman, who was of course a French subject, behaved himself very indecent, by setting all the usual rules of Mahometan worship at defiance.  This was a great scandal to the Faithful.  The Governor of Mogador, in defiance of religion, took upon himself to punish a French Mussulman.  The French Consul remonstrated strongly in presence of the Governor, almost insulting him before his people.  The Sultan approved the conduct of his governor.  The Consul General decided that both parties ought to be removed, and the French Government recalled their vice-consul.  The Sultan, promised, but did not dismiss his Governor, or rather the Governor himself would not be dismissed.  The French reiterated their complaints, which were supported by a small squadron sent down to Mogador.  The Governor was now cashiered, and was besides obliged to pay the Emperor a fine of thirteen thousand dollars, upon the pretext of appeasing the offended Majesty of his royal master.  So the Sultan always makes money by the misadventures of his subjects.  To indemnify the poor Governor for his fine, he received soon after another appointment.  On his return from Morocco, having waited upon Mr Wiltshire regarding the presentation of the Petition of the Anti-Slavery Society, the Vice-Consul explained the great difficulty the Emperor had in receiving a petition which called for an organic change in the social condition of the country, and that, indeed, the abolition of slavery was “contrary to his religion.”  I then represented to Mr. Willshire the propriety at least of waiting for the arrival of the Governor of Mogador from Morocco, in order to have a personal interview with him, to which the Vice-Consul acceded.