The seraglio of the Emperor, and indeed the harams of men of less rank, are sacred.  No strangers are admitted, and it is profanation in a man to enter; but as a tweeb, I am privileged, and enjoy a liberty, never granted before.  The day after my arrival, His Excellency the Sheik called upon me, and requested me to go home with him.  He informed me that he had been assured, in the most positive manner, by all the doctors, and female attendants, that his wife had a dead child in her, and that nothing less than a miracle of their great Prophet could save her.  The poor man was very much agitated while giving me this account.  I find she is his favourite wife, and no wonder, for she is a very lovely woman.  Upon examination, I found that what they imagined to be a dead child, is a protuberant hardness in the region of the liver, extending nearly all over the abdomen.  The tumefaction was considered as a case of pregnancy; and she having considerably passed her time, the child was thought to be dead within her.  I have begun a course of medicine, which I flatter myself will entirely eradicate the disorder.

My stay was so very short, when I was here before, that I could give you no account of the town, &c.  The city of Mequinez is in the kingdom of Fez, and thirty miles from the capital of that name.  The dynasty of Mequinez were the founders of this town, which they erected upon the ruins of the old one.  Stephanus takes notice of it, by the name of Gilda, and says, that it was a place of great note.  Marmol also asserts, that the present Mequinez answers in every respect to the ancient Gilda.  It was considerably enlarged by Muley Ishmael, who (as well as several other Moorish princes, successively) defended himself in this place, against the attacks of the mountaineers.  Several lines of circumvallation and intrenchments are still to be seen.

It is surrounded with walls, and fortified by two bastions; but has no artillery.  It contains about one hundred thousand inhabitants; twenty-five thousand of whom are Jews, who have a town of their own, irregularly fortified, and guarded by a strong force, under the direction of an Alcaid, who is styled the Governor of the Jews.

There is not the smallest difference, in the construction of these houses, from those of Fez; though the inhabitants differ very materially.  The men are of a short, thick, muscular make, and swarthy complexion, with long black beards and black eyes.  The women are excessively handsome, and remarkably fair; nor are they devoid of neatness and elegance in their dress.  They improve the beauty of their eyes with paint.

The Moorish inhabitants of this city are all militia-men, entirely at the disposal of the Emperor.  They are excellent horsemen, expert at the sword and lance; and with fire-arms most admirable marksmen.  They are generally considered barbarous and ferocious.

The people of distinction go about richly attired, having much gold and silver on their clothes.  They take great pains in cleaning their teeth, combing their long beards, and keeping their nails pared extremely close.