A Jew, once purchasing oil from a poor Arab, carried his villainy so far as actually to make his tare and tret weigh more than the skin-bag when full of oil, and coolly told the amazed Arab he had no money to give him for the value received.  “Give me back my oil!” cried the Arab.  At this the audacious Jew retorted, “There is none!” A European merchant interfered, and saved the Jew from the bastinado he so richly deserved.  A Kady hearing of these abominations, took upon himself to begin a reform, and went about examining weights.  For his honest pains, and, in the midst of his work of reform, the officious functionary received an order from the Sultan, enjoining him to cease his interference, and condemning him, as a punishment for his over-righteousness, “to teach twelve little boys to read every day, and not to sit at his own door for the space of one year.”  So unthankful, so odious is the task of reforming in Morocco and many other countries.

This account of the abominable system of two kinds of weights, I derived from most unquestionable authority, otherwise I could not have given credit to the statement.

There were incessant rumours of war from the North.  The Emperor had got himself into difficulties with Spain and France.  Orders had been sent down to reinforce this garrison and that of Aghadir.  The day before, the Governor, calling his troops before him, did not shew his usual good sense and prudence.  He thus harangued them:—­“Now, let those who want new arms come and take them, and bring back the old ones.  Let all have courage, and fear not the Christians; fear not, women and children!” The movement of troops was part of a general measure, extending to all the coasts, and was, in fact, a review en masse of the disposable forces throughout the empire.  Eighty thousand men were expected in this city or the suburbs.  The Sultan was reported to be on the march towards the North with an army of 200,000 men.

The Sultan did not expect to make use of his new levies, but the policy of the thing was good.  His Highness is evidently a pacific ruler, he has but few regular troops, and he pays them badly.  His predecessor had a large army and paid them well.

Great discontent prevailed among the soldiers, and the Emperor never feels himself secure on his throne.

This apparent crusade against the Infidels has no doubt tended to make him popular, and to consolidate his power.  True, it excited the tribes of the interior against the Christians, but it was better to inflame them against the Christians than to lose his own throne.

The French Consul waited upon the Governor for explanations about the movements of the troops.  His Excellency observed, “I am ordered by my Sultan to defend this city against all assailants, and I shall do so till I am buried beneath its ruins.  Though all the coast-cities were captured, Mogador should never be surrendered.”

Some of the credulous Moors said, “The Shereefs will come from Tafilet, led on by our Lord Mahomet, and destroy all the cursed Nazarenes.  The Sheerefs will fire against the French leaden balls, and silver balls.”  Another observed to me, “If a fleet should come here, it will be immediately sunk, because our Sultan has ordered every ball to hit, and none to miss.”