The Governor.—­“No, it does not command it, but those who voluntarily liberate their slaves are therein commended, and have the blessing of God on them.” [29]

Myself.—­“Sidi, is it in my power to do anything for you in London?”

The Governor.—­“Speak well of me, that is all.  Tell your friends I did all I could for you.”

I may mention the opinions of the more respectable Moors, as to the mission.  They said, “If you had managed your mission well, the Sultan would have received your Address; your Consul is slack; the French Consul is more active, because he is not the Sultan’s merchant.  Our Sultan must receive every person, even a beggar, because God receives all.  You would not have obtained the liberation of our slaves, but the Sultan would have promised you everything.  All that emanates from the English people is good this we are certain of; but it would have been better had you come with letters from the Bey of Tunis, shewing what had been done in that country.”  Mr. Treppass is also of the opinion, that a deputation of several persons, accompanied with some presents for the Emperor and his ministers, would have produced a better effect, by making an appearance of shew and authority, suitable to the ideas of the people. [30] If coming direct from Government, it would have greater weight.

He thinks, besides, there are a good number of Moors who are favourable to abolition.  Of the connexion between the east and Morocco, he says, all the Barbary States look up to the Sultan of Constantinople as to a great authority, and during the last few years, an active correspondence, on religious matters, has been carried on between Morocco and Constantinople, chiefly through a celebrated doctor of the name of Yousef.  If the Turkish Sultan, therefore, would bona-fide abolish the slave-markets, I have no doubt this would produce an impression in Morocco favourable to abolition.

During the time I was in Morocco, I distributed some Arabic tracts, translated from the English by Professor Lee of Cambridge, on the abolition of slavery.  A few Arabic Bibles and Hebrew New Testaments were also placed at my disposal for circulation by the Societies.  I also wrote an Anti-slavery circular to the British merchants of Mogador, on Lord Brougham’s Act.

CHAPTER VIII.

El-Jereed, the Country of Dates.—­Its hard soil.—­Salt Lake.  Its vast extent.—­Beautiful Palm-trees.—­The Dates, a staple article of Food.—­ Some Account of the Date-Palm.—­Made of Culture.—­Delicious Beverage.—­ Tapping the Palm.—­Meal formed from the Dates.—­Baskets made of the Branches of the Tree.—­Poetry of the Palm.—­Its Irrigation.—­ Palm-Groves.—­Collection of Tribute by the “Bey of the Camp.”