Traveller.—­“Admitting the curse pronounced here was right, that Ham and Canaan were the progenitors of the African negroes, and that the curse was to be extended to all generations of Africa—­are these reasons why the all-Merciful Deity will hold man guiltless who enslaves and maltreats poor Africans?  Now, the Jews have been dispersed all over the world, and maltreated, if not enslaved, by both Christians and Mahometans (as now) according to prophecy, but will God hold us guiltless for persecuting or maltreating you, Jews?”

The Rabbi.—­“But we are the slaves of God, not of you Christians, and besides, we are commanded to treat well our slaves in the Scriptures.”  Here he quoted many passages from the Pentateuch.

Then followed a desultory conversation, some asserting “that inasmuch as the slavery of the whites was permitted by God, how much more right had they to enslave blacks who were the servants of servants!” Others even added, “If we were Sovereigns of Morocco, we should make slaves of both Mahometans and Christians.”  This indeed is the genuine feeling of Barbary Jews; oppression begets oppression, and wrong begets revenge.  Another observed, “If you ask me what I think as a British subject, and not as a Jew, I will give you my opinion against slavery.”

Such distinctions in morals are not easily admissable, but the Jews there are acute enough to make them, and are as good Jesuits as those of Rome.  Some cited the cavtivity of Joseph us, as a reason for carrying on the slave-trade.

On another occasion, I had a conversation with Hassan Yousef, the High Priest, or Archbishop, as Captain Phillips calls him.  The Chief Priest acknowledged that he who stole a man, whether white or black, was condemned to death, according to the fair interpretation of the Mosaic law.  He and all Jews were much astonished at the tenor of Lord Brougham’s Act, and got not a little frightened; for all the merchants of Mogador, Christians and Jews, more or less aid and abet the slave-trade, all having connections with slave-dealers.  At length, our Jewish Archbishop opined.  “Well, well, it is better now, since the Christians have put down slavery in most of their countries, that we Jews should follow their example.”

It would be useful, and might subserve the cause of civilization, were the Jews of Europe to take some means of enlightening their brethren of North Africa on the question of slavery.  The Israelites, who have suffered so much from slavery and oppression, after becoming free themselves, should endeavour to emancipate those who are still in the chains of bondage.

The Hhaha levies were about to return to their country; the disposable force of this province is about 70,000.  The troops from Shedma were to come in after the departure of those of Hhaha.  Government were afraid to bring both together, lest they should fight among themselves.  Alluding to the quarrel of their Sultan with the French, these hostile tribes mutter to each other, “We must kill our own French first;” that is to say their own “hereditary enemies.”