The immense trade of every kind carried on at Fez gives it almost the air of an European city.  In the great square, called Al-Kaisseriah, is exhibited all the commerce of Europe and Africa—­nay, even of the whole world.  The crowd of traffickers here assemble every day as at a fair.  Fez has two annual caravans; one leaves for Central Africa, or Timbuctoo; and another for Mecca, or the caravan of pilgrims.  The two great stations and rendezvous points of the African caravan are Tafilett and Touat.  The journey from Fez to Timbuctoo occupies about ninety days.  The Mecca caravan proceeds the same route as far as Touat, and then turns bank north-east to Ghadames, Fezzan, and Angelah, and thence to Alexandria, which it accomplishes in four or five, to six months.  All depends on the inclination of the Shereef, or Commandant, of the caravan; but the journey from Fez to Alexandria cannot, by the quickest caravan, be accomplished in much less time than three months and a half, or one hundred days.  The value of the investments in this caravan has been estimated at a million of dollars; for the faithful followers of the Prophet believe, with us, that godliness is profitable in the life that now is, as well as in that which is to come.

Fez is surrounded with a vast wall, but which is in decay.  What is this decay!  It applies almost to every Moorish city and public building in North Africa.  And yet the faith of the false prophet is as strong as ever, and with time and hoary age seems to strike its roots deeper into the hearts of its simple, but enthusiastic and duped devotees!

The city has seven gates, and two castles, at the east and west, form its main defence.  These castles are very ancient, and are formed and supported by square walls about sixty feet in front, Ali Bey says, subterraneous passages are reported to exist between these castles and the city; and, whenever the people revolt against the Sultan, cannon are planted on the castles with a few soldiers as their guard.  The fortifications, or Bastiles, of Paris, we see, therefore, were no new invention of Louis Philippe to awe the populace.  The maxims of a subtle policy are instructive in despotism of every description.

The constituted authorities of Fez are like those of every city of Morocco.  The Governor is the lieutenant of the sovereign, exercising the executive power; the Kady, or supreme judge, is charged with the administration of the law, and the Al-Motassen fixes the price of provisions, and decides all the questions of trade and customs.  There are but few troops at Fez, for it is not a strong military possession; on the contrary, it is commanded by accessible heights and is exposed to a coup-de-main.