of police and government, it is the ordinary and revolting practice to adopt means one cannot describe for the purpose of preserving their honour.  Private punishments are frequent; to my certain knowledge, a female slave was tied up by the heela, head downwards, and, after being cruelly flagellated, was left for dead by her, pitiless master.  She was at last cut down at the intercession of her mistress whose humanity got the better of her hatred and jealousy.  While I was at Mogador, a negress had two of her children torn away from her to be sold at Morocco, to pay the debts of her master, who was a Moor.  The children were sons of the man who sold them into bondage!  The mother was inconsolable, ran about distracted, and probably will never recover from the blow.  These facts are enough, and with any human man they will out-weigh all other instances, however numerous, of alleged good treatment on the part of Moorish slave masters. [32]

I took a ride with Mr. Elton on the sandy beach.  There is a fort in ruins, at about half an hour’s distance, illustrating most emphatically the parable of the man who built his house upon the sands.

This fort, which was to command the southern entrance of the harbour, is supposed to be of Spanish construction, and built about the same time as the city.

It was once of considerable size and height, but is now a fallen and ruined mass, its foundations “upon the sands” having given way.  Storms along this shore are often terribly destructive, we passed a portion of the hulk of a vessel completely buried in the sand. [33]

Notwithstanding the sober and taciturn character of the Moor, he can sometimes indulge himself in pleasantry and caricature.  The Moors have made caricatures of the three last emperors, assisted by some Spanish renegade artist:  these Princes are Yezid, Suleiman, and Abd Errahman.  Yezid is represented as throwing away money with one hand, and cutting off heads with the other, depicting his ferocity in destroying his enemies, and his generosity in heaping favours on his friends.  Suleiman is represented as reading the Koran, in the character of a devout and good man.  The present Sultan is hit off capitally, with one hand holding a bag of money behind him, and with the other stretched out before him, begging for more.

H B could not have better caricatured the three Shereefian Sultans.  The Moors affirmed that Muley Abd Errahman will keep faith with no one where his avarice is concerned, and, when he can, he will sell a monopoly twice or thrice, receiving money from each party.  Of his meanness and avarice, I adduce two anecdotes.  Four years ago, Muley-Abd Errahman ordered some blond for his Harem from Mr. Willshire.  Just when I was leaving Mogador, his Imperial Highness graciously returned it to our merchant with the message—­“It’s too dear.”  Not long before, a man was murdered upon the neutral land of two adjacent provinces, and a thousand dollars were taken from his baggage.