Morocco has its mines of gold, silver, lead, iron, tin, sulphur, mineral, salt, and antimony; but nearly all are neglected, or unworked.  Government will not encourage the industry of the people, for fear of exciting the cupidity of foreigners.  A Frenchman, a short time ago, reported a silver mine in the south, and Government immediately bribed him to make another statement that there was no such mine.  At Elala and Stouka, in the province of Sous, are several rich silver mines.  Gold is found in the Atlas and the Lower Sous.  But this country is especially rich in copper mines.  A great number of ancient and modern authors speak of these mines, which are situate in the mountainous country comprised between Aghadir, Morocco, Talda, Tamkrout, and Akka.  The mines most worked, are those of Tedsi and Afran.  At the foot of the Atlas, near Taroudant, is a great quantity of sulphur.  In the neighbourhood of Morocco, saltpetre is found.  In the province of Abda is an extensive salt lake, and salt has been exported from this country to Timbuctoo.  Of precious stones, some fine specimens of amethyst have been discovered.

There are scarcely any animals peculiar to Morocco, or which are not found in other parts of North Africa.  Davidson mentions some curious facts relative to the desert horse; “sherb-errech, wind-bibber, or drinker of the wind,” a variety of this animal, which is not to be met with in the Saharan regions of Tunis, or Tripoli.

This horse is fed only on camel’s milk, and is principally used for hunting ostriches, which are run down by it, and then captured. [16] The sherb-errech will continue running three or four days together without any food.  It is a slight and spare-formed animal, mostly in wretched condition, with ugly thick legs, and devoid of beauty as a horse.

CHAPTER IV.

Division of Morocco into kingdoms or States, and zones or regions.—­ Description of the towns and cities on the Maroquine coasts of the Mediterranean and Atlantic waters.—­The Zafarine Isles.—­Melilla.—­ Alhucemas.—­Penon de Velez.—­Tegaza.—­Provinces of Rif and Garet.—­ Tetouan.—­Ceuta.—­Arzila.—­El Araish.—­Mehedia.—­Salee.—­Rabat.—­ Fidallah.—­Dar-el-Beidah.—­Azamour.&mdas
h;­Mazagran.—­Saffee.—­Waladia.

Morocco has been divided into States, or kingdoms by Europeans, although such divisions scarcely exist in the administration of the native princes.  The ancient division mentioned by Leo was that of two large provinces of Morocco and Fez, separated by the river Bouragrag, which empties itself into the sea between Rabat and Salee; and, indeed, for several centuries, these districts were separated and governed by independent princes.  Tafilett always, and Sous occasionally, were united to Morocco, while Fez itself formed a powerful kingdom, extending itself eastward as far as the gates of Tlemsen.

The modern division adopted by several authors, is—­