This government speculates in and carries on commerce; and, like most African and Asiatic governments, has had its established monopolies from time immemorial, of some of which it disposes, whilst it reserves others for itself, as those of tobacco, sulphur, and cochineal.  All the high functionaries engage in commerce, and this occupation of trade and barter is considered the most honourable in the empire, sanctioned as it is by the Emperor himself, who may be considered as the chief of merchants.  The monopolies are sold by public auction at so much per annum.  On its own monopolies, government, as a rule, exacts a profit of cent per cent.

The following is a list of the monopolies which the Emperor sells, either to his own employers or to native and foreign merchants.

1.  Leeches.—­This is one of the most recently established monopolies, dating only about twenty years back.  The trade in leeches was set on foot by Mr. Frenerry; it brought, at first, but a few dollars per annum, and now the monopoly is sold for 50,000.  Leeches are principally found in the lakes of the north-west districts, called the Gharb.

2.  Wax.—­This monopoly is confined almost exclusively to the markets of Tangier and El-Araish.  It sold, while I was in the country, for three thousand dollars.

3.  Bark.—­This is a monopoly of the north, principally of the mountainous region of Rif.  It is farmed for about sixteen thousand dollars.

4.  The coining of copper money.—­The right of coining money in the name of the Emperor, is sold for ten thousand dollars to each principal city.  It is a dangerous privilege to be exercised; for, should the alloy be not of a quality which pleases the Emperor, or the particular governor of the city, the unfortunate coiner is forthwith degraded, and his property confiscated.  Indeed, the coiner sometimes pays for his negligence, or dishonesty, with his head.

5.  Millet, and other small seeds.—­This monopoly at Tangier is sold for five hundred dollars.  The price varies in other places according to circumstances.

6.  Cattle.—­The cattle exported from Tetuan, Tangier, and El-Araish, for the victualling of Gibraltar, is likewise a monopoly; it amounted during my stay to 7,500 dollars.  In consequence of an alleged treaty, but which does not exist on paper, the Emperor of Morocco has bound himself to supply our garrison of Gibraltar with 2,000 head of cattle per annum, 1,500 of which must be shipped from Tangier, the rest from other parts of the Gharb, or north-west.  British contractors pay five dollars per head export duty, the ordinary tax is ten.  It is estimated, however, that some three or four thousand head of cattle are annually exported from Morocco for our garrison.  The Gibraltar Commissariat contractors complain, and with reason, that the Maroquine monopolist supplies the British Government with “the very worst cattle of all Western Barbary.”

These monopolies do not interfere with the custom-house, which levies its duties irrespectively of them.  Leeches pay an export duty of 2s. 9d. the thousand; wax pays an ad valorem duty of fifty per cent; bark pays a very small duty, and millet scarcely a penny per quintal.