well-formed leg is seldom seen among them; this may proceed from their constantly sitting crosslegged, with their legs under them, like the tailors of Europe, or perhaps from their wearing no covering to their legs, which are thus exposed to all weathers. Deformed persons are rarely met with; the loose Arabian dress covers deformity, and their mode of bringing up children, (every thing being left to follow nature) generally prevents it. Corns and deformed feet are unknown; the toes take their natural growth, and are as useful to the mechanics as their fingers. Lame people are seldom seen; but the blind are more numerous than in Europe. Both sexes have very fine teeth. Their complexion, from frequent intermarriage, or intercourse with the Soudanic race, is of all shades, from black to white. The women of Fas are as fair as the Europeans, with the exception of their eyes and hair, which are universally dark. Those of Mequinas are in general so handsome, that it is a rare thing to see a young woman in that city who is not pretty. With large, black, and expressive sparkling eyes, they possess a healthy countenance, uniting the colours of the lily and the rose, that beautiful red and white so much admired by foreigners in our English ladies; indeed their beau. ty is proverbial, as the term Mequinasia is applied to any beautiful woman of elegant form, with sparkling eyes, and white teeth; they also possess a modesty and suavity of manners rarely met with elsewhere. It is extraordinary that the inhabitants of two great and populous cities, situated with.

1

in a day's journey of each other, should discover such a physiogno. mical difference, as is apparent be. tween the females of Fas and those of Mequinas, the former be. ing generally of a sallow or pale complexion. The women of Da quella are ordinary and diminutive, whilst the men are the reverse; be. ing tall, and well-limbed, with regular features. The men of Temsena, and Shawia, are a strong, robust race, of a copper colour: their women possess much beauty and have features highly expres sive; and the animation of the countenances is increased by the use of el kahol filally, with which they tinge their eye-lashes and eyebrows, as already described. In these provinces they are particu larly fond of dyeing their hands and feet with a preparation of the herb henna, which gives them a beautiful orange colour, and, in hot weather, imparts a pleasing coolness and softness to the hands, by preventing, in a considerable de gree, the quickness of perspiration.

The people of this empire being born subjects of an arbitrary des pot, they may be said to have no established laws: they know no other than the will of the prince, and if this should deviate, as it sometimes does, from the moral principles laid down in the Koran, it must be obeyed. Where the emperor resides, he administers justice, in person, generally twice, and sometimes four times a week, in the (M'shoire) place of au dience, whither all complaints are carried: here access is easy: be listens to every one, foreigners ot subjects, men or women, rich or poor; there is no distinction, every one has a right to appear before

him, and boldly to explain the nature of his case; and although his person is considered as sacred, and established custom obliges the subject to prostrate himse.f, and to pay him rather adoration than respect, yet every complainant may tell his story without the least hesitation or timidity; indeed, if any one is abashed, or appears diffident, his cause is weakened in proportion. Judgment is always prompt, decisive, plausible, and generally correct.

In places remote from the emperor's court the (Kalif) vice-re. gent, or bashaw, has his M'shoire, where he administers justice, sometimes according to the laws of the Koran, and at others as his caprice dictates; for the same imperious despotism which the emperor too frequently exercises over his hashaws and alkaids, is exercised by them over those who fall under their government; and the same is done again by their subalterns, when they have it in their power; thus tyranny proceeds progressively from the prince to the lowest of his officers; these petty tyrants are dispersed over the whole empire, and often give sanction to their extortions by effecting them in the name of their master; the accumulation of wealth is the grand object of all their desires; when they learn from their emissaries, or spies, that an individual has acquired considerable property, they contrive to find out some cause of accusation against him, and by that means extort money from him. It often happens, however, that those who amass the greatest sums in this way enjoy them but a very short time; some unexpected order from the emperor, accusing them VOL. LI.

of crimes or misdemeanors, is made a pretext for depriving them, in their turn, of their ill-gotten wealth, which his majesty never fails to inform them can be of no use to them, being more than sufficient to procure the necessaries of life, and ought, therefore, to belong to the (Biet el Mel el Mooselmin) Mohammedan treasury, into which it is accordingly delivered, never more to return to its former possessor!

The influence of this mode of government upon the people, is such as might naturally be expected; they are suspicious, deceitful, and cruel; they have no respect for their neighbours, but will plunder one another whenever it is in their power; they are stran. gers to every social tie and affection; for their hearts are scarcely susceptible of one tender impression; the father fears the son, the son the father; and this lamentable mistrust and want of confidence diffuses itself throughout the whole community.

The pride and arrogance of the Moors is unparalleled for though they live in the most deplorable state of ignorance, slavery, and barbarism. yet they consider themselves the first people in the world, and contemptuously term all others barbarians. i heir sensuality knows no bounds: by the laws of the Koran, they are allowed four wives, and as many concubines as they are able to support, but such is their wretched depravity, that they indulge in the most unnatural and abominable propensities; in short, every vice that is disgraceful and degrading to human nature, is to be found amongst them.

It must be confessed, however, 3 C that

that some of the well-educated Moors are courteous and polite, and are possessed of great suavity of manners. They are affable and communicative where they repose confidence; and if in conversation the subject of discussion be serious, and the parties become warm in dispute, they have generally the prudence to turn the subject in a delicate manner; they are slow at taking offence, but, when irritated, are noisy and implacable.

There is one noble trait in the character of this people which I cannot avoid mentioning, that is fortitude under misfortune; this the Moor possesses in an eminent degree; he never despairs; no bodily suffering, no calamity, how ever great, will make him complain; he is resigned in all things to the will of God, and waits in patient hopes for an amelioration of his condition.

Character of several Nations, by Peter the Great, Czar of Muscovy, and Emperor of Russia. [From Porter's Tra vels in Russia and Sweden.]

You may give to a Frenchman liberal pay: he never amasses money, and loves pleasure. The case nearly answers to the German; only he spends what he labours for in good-living, not on the gay vanities of the Frenchman. To an Englishman more must be given: he will enjoy himself at any rate; should he even call into his aid his own credit. A Dutchman rarely eats enough to pacify nature: his sole object is economy; less, consequently, will serve him. An Italian is by nature inoculated with

parsimony; a trifle, therefore, will do for him: almost out of nothing he will contrive to save; making no mystery of it, but acknowledg. ing that he serves from home with no other view than to amass money to enable him to return with affu. ence, to the heaven of Europe, his own dear Italy.

Dwarfs and Fools, exhibited in the Houses of the Nobles of Moscow. [From the same.]

They are here the pages and the playthings of the great; and, at almost all entertainments, stand for hours by their lord's chair, holding his snuff-box, or awaiting his commands. There is scarcely a nobleman in this country who is not possessed of one or more of these frisks of nature; but, in their selection, I cannot say that the noblesse display their gallantry, as they choose none but males.

These little beings are generally the gayest drest persons in the ser vice of their lord, and are attired in a uniform or livery of very costly materials. In the presence of their owner, their usual station is at his elbow, in the character of a page; and, during his absence, they are then responsible for the cleanliness and combed locks of their companions of the canine specics.

Besides these Lilliputians, many of the nobility keep a fool or two, like the motleys of our court, in the days of Elizabeth; but like in name alone; for their wit, if they ever had ny, is swallowed up by indolence. Savoury sauce, and rich repasts, swell their bodies to the most disgusting size; and, ly. ing about in the corners of some

splendid

Her

luxuriant tresses over her brow and head, was looped up with a double diadem of jewels. robe was splendidly embroidered; and on her breast she wore the badges of the order of St. Catherine. And certainly it must be acknowledged, that the star, whe ther of distinction or of beauty, never shone brighter than on the bosom of the fair Helen of the North; for thus this beautiful queen is generally distinguished; though, were I to give her a title, it should rather be that of Andromache, whose beauties, lovely as they were, were yet transcended by the more endearing graces of the

chaste wife and tender mother.

During the whole of the eveniug, after the musical salutation, their majesties mingled with the company, conversing with every person with the kindest condescension. Every citizen was spoken to; and their eyes sparkled with joy, while their tongues faltered out a reply to the address of their sovereign. His conversation with the subjects of his brother in arms, our revered monarch, was of the most gratifying complexion; no coldness, no form; all was frank, great, and consistent with himself. In short, it would have been impossible for any potentate to have shown more graceful, knight-like courtesy to all present; or for a sovereign to be received with deeper homage from a brave and loyal people. In many courts I have seen the body of loyalty; here its spirit was felt.

Moors and Jews. [From Sem. ple's Second Journey in Spain.]

Could we have reconciled our. selves to the delay, and to the insults to which we were exposed, if we moved out alone, there was every thing in the country sur. rounding Tetuan to make our time pass away agreeably. Sometimes we crossed the river, and rode along the narrow paths which in tersected the orange-gardens, while the whole air was perfumed with their blossoms. A small sum procured us admission into any of them, and the liberty of loading ourselves with the fruit. I found the trees planted in rows, with small trenches, to conduct the wa. ter to the roots, exactly as in the plantations near Palma, at the junction of the Genil and Guadal quivir. Among these gardens, the most celebrated is that of Kytan, in the centre of which are the ruins of the palace of a basha, who formerly contended for some time against the emperor of his day. He had pretensions to the crown, and was supported by the wild and hardy race which still people the neighbouring mountains; but he was unsuccessful, and his ruined palace alone remains a memorial of his fate. At every step we meet with innumerable proofs of the extreme ignorance of these peop'e in the art of war, and consequently in almost every other art. This palace, which stood a long siege, is commanded by heights within musket-shot. Yet the Moors have a high idea of their own military character. Talking to our soldier one day, he expressed great hatred of the French. We asked, why