The Moors (greatly pleased to hear the sound of their own mother-tongue in the land of their pilgrimage).—­“Net jerrej.  We are enjoying ourselves.”

Traveller.—­“What do you think of the country (Cordova)?”

The Moors.—­“This is the land of our fathers.”

Traveller.—­“Well, what then?  Are you going to possess it again?”

The Moors.—­“Of what country are you?”

Traveller.—­“Engleez.”

The Moors (brightening up).—­“That is good.  Yes, we are very glad.  We thought you might be a Spaniard, or a Frenchman.  Now we’ll tell you all; we don’t fear.  God will give us this country again, when Seedna Aisa [4] comes to deliver us from these curse-smitten dogs of Spaniards.” [5]

Traveller.—­“Well, never mind the Spaniards.  Have you seen anything you like here?”

The Moors.—­“Look at this knife; it is rusty; it should not be so.”

Traveller.—­“How!”

The Moors.—­“We read in our books and commentators that in Andalous
(Spain) there is no rust, and that nothing rusts here.” [6]

Traveller.—­“Nonsense; have you seen the hundred pillars of your mosque?” (Now converted into a cathedral.)

The Moors.—­“Ah, we have seen them,” with a deep sigh; “and the pillars will stand till to-morrow.” (End of the world.)

I was obliged to say farewell to these poor pilgrims, wandering in the land of their fathers, and worshipping at the threshold of the noble remains of Moresco-Spanish antiquity, for the diligencia was starting off to Seville.

To return from my digression.  I soon found myself at home in Tangier amongst my old friends, the Moors, and coming from Spain, could easily recognise many things connecting the one country with the other.

The success attending the various measures of the Bey of Tunis for the abolition of slavery in North Africa, and the favourable manner in which this prince had received me, when I had charge of a memorial from the inhabitants of Malta, to congratulate his Highness on his great work on philanthropy, induced the Committee of the Anti-Slavery Society to confide to me an address to the Emperor of Morocco, praying him to enfranchise the negro race of his imperial dominions.

We were fully prepared to encounter the strongest opposition from the Shereefian Court; but, at the same time, we thought there could be no insuperable obstacle in our way.

The Maroquines had the same religion and form of government as the Tuniseens, and by perseverance in this, as well as any other enterprise, something might at last be effected.  Even the agitation of the question in the empire of Morocco, amongst its various tribes, was a thing not to be neglected; for the agitation of public opinion in a despotic country like Morocco, as well as in a constitutional state like England, admirably prepares the way for great measures of reform and philanthropy; and, besides the business of an abolitionnist is agitation; agitation unceasing; agitation in season and out of season.