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lightened nation. How little can be done by an ignorant defpot is eafy to imagine.

We do not hear of any one who is fit to fucceed Muley Idris (the prefent emperor's uncle, who is dying) or who can equal him in addrefs, artifice, extortion, or in the management of the public bufinefs here; fo that the emperor must have upon his own fhoulders the whole bufinefs of the nation, which will not therefore be better nor more expeditiously done: he cannot delegate power fufficient for any, bufinefs; he has confidence in no man his trufting this uncle fo much, feemed partly from early habits. His phyfician, your poor Portuguese doctor, Don Juan, we hear will be in danger if this prince dies; it feems it is not uncommon here to put a doctor to death for letting his patient die-if a prince or a great man.

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Their money weights and measures you there know with their commerce. The ideas of the wifeft here on thofe fubjects you may be fure are barbarouf ly ignorant; their hiftory a perpetual variation; fometimes attempting borrow European ideas, without even knowledge fufficient to understand or adopt them: indeed to establish any thing lafting in thefe matters requires all the wifdom and ftability of the beft government. But few or none of their customs can be of much importance to us, where none have a tendency or lead to virtue, which indeed would not only be ufelefs but obnoxious here, and for which we cannot find there is any term in their language.

The refpect they pay to the memory of their faints might be well, were it for any thing but folly, or rather an artful imbecility, by which thofe people enjoy a kind of liberty of doing what they pleafe, and feem to have great influence: their folly, which is generally I believe affected, is confidered as a kind of inspiration: it runs in families but you know the particulars. Were I writing to one at a diftance, and lefs acquainted with this country, I might be more circumftantial, but you are neither diftant nor ignorant enough to merit a particular account of any thing here.

u fee fomething like religion; and

priests feem fortunately always to obtain fome influence over men through all the ftages of fociety, and more efpecially in its earlier periods, for which indeed it feems more peculiarly adapted, as a neceffary fupplement to the defects of law and order; and it muft continue to be always a good appendix to the code whenever it can be kept within bounds, or reformed and curtailed of fuperfluous power when neceffary. As the code of laws and modes of education become more perfect, the neceffity for a fuperfti-. tious and all-governing religion probably diminishes; and the authority of its profeffors fhould be carefully regulated and reftrained within bounds while it is, practicable, and before they gain a head of power not afterwards to be control-. led You know fome other nations have not been fo fortunate as ours in this refpect. Here their religion feems to have yet too much influence on their manners, opinions, and conduct; it makes them hate all the reft of mankind, and occupies too much of their time.

Religious fanctuaries here fometimes top the hand of bloody and rapacious tyranny, and tend to leffen the effects of private revenge, as it is ufual for people to take refuge there against their enemies, who are generally obliged to refpect them, and fometimes against the fovereign himself, though he does not always refpect them. The effects of them might be of fome benefit, if they could be made to protect the innocent and not the guilty, as it is pretended; but we know cafes to the contrary, and it is notorious that the guilty have been there. protected as in Spain, and that the innocent have been given up to the fuperior power of the defpot, whenever his intereft or his paffions required it.

If one of thefe faints, by fome fortunate chain of circumftances, were to turn out to be a man of genius and information, he might do what he pleafed with fuch a people; he might improve, reform, and new-model the whole nation and its government. The improbability of fuch a one ever being produced here, banishes the idea of fpeculating upon it. But as we become interested in our own fpeculations, we cannot help

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looking forward with a degree of plea- fuch colonization to happen in our time, or that we are going to fet about it fuch fuppofitions will quicken your diligence. The man who does not fre quently build caftles, plant colonies and gain battles, in idea, will not probably ever do any thing of the kind in reality. If I were to have any hand in their formation, I fhould probably infift upon fome which may appear to you fingularities-I fhould imitate Penn, and have no ftate religion, but fecure a complete toleration and protection to all fectsI fhould have more women, and give them more to fay and to do in fuch colonies than may correfpond with your ideas of military or even of civil life--I fhould be for the fexes living and acting almoft perpetually together, both in public and private, as the firft requifite towards civilization, efpecially in this country; they fhould neither eat, drink, drefs, nor do almost any thing without the prefence and affiftance of each other. I think, even with us, the fexes retiring fo much from one another feldom proceeds from any good motive, and has no good effects; here, their feparation is the great impediment to all the advances of the fpecies, and one of the many pernicious confequences of fubordination of one fex to the other.

fure and hope, to fome future period of conqueft or colonization of this country again from Europe; and yet upon reflection we may fear it is ftill far diftant. We have not yet, I fear, got near enough to the termination of the long period of fuperftition and fanaticifm, and we muft probably wait for that of reafon, before fuch events can be produced. Though the Mahomedan conquefts and eftablifhment are not perhaps fo firm and intimate here as generally imagined, and might be rather eafily overturned by certain operations from the north, affifted by colonies from the fouth; but mankind, during this fanatical age*, are no where fufficiently qualified and prepared to mix well and intermarry with the natives, nor the natives with them, not even in the countries where they emigrate moft to each other, though fuch mixture is perhaps the only way to fecure any conqueft or eftablishment, and to improve the human race. The difficulties generally proceed from their differing in religious opinions. Were it not for the barbarous inveteracy of Mahomedifm, we might hope in time to fee it wear down by the arts of peace, and give way to the weight of its own abfurdities. Its future hiftory cannot yet well be forefeen; it seems doubtful if it can ever again become fufficiently rational and tolerant to admit of the neceffary improvements in arts and government; or if it muft go in ignorance and barbarity, and at laft decline by its own corruption and inconfiftencies, till fupplanted by fome new fyftem of fanaticiim. There is no giving Mahomedans any ideas of liberty or good government as yet, for they have no notion of fovereignty without defpotic

power.

To fecure and to civilize this country, I believe it must be done by military colonies fimilar to thofe of the Romans: I wish you could fearch and find out all the internal police, manners, and management of thofe. Let us fuppofe N T E.

Whatever we may think of curfelves and the north of Europe, Mahomedifm and the fouth of Europe certainly fill deferve the epithet of fanatical.

The importance of this great continent or peninfula of Africa is obvious, and its being as yet fo little known or improved is equally furprifing; however, many parts of it are known to be capable of every kind of produce, and may yet again fupply Europe, &c. with many things better than now by distant colonies.

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The native and natural race of throughout this great continent is probably the black, of two kinds, the woolly-headed on one fide of the peninfula, and the long-haired on the other, except thofe of Atlas and the northern coaft, where they were probably always white in fome degree; but thefe have been fo frequently mixed and colonized from Europe and Afia, that it is now be come impoffible to diftinguish the indi genous and the different exotics; however, in and about Atlas are the coun. tries I fhould like moft to explore, if it were poflible; and I fufpect it is not

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fo impracticable, nor the inhabitants fo wild and barbarous, as generally reported and imagined. We might there difcover many objects of curiofity and utility-in thofe of nature and of antiquity -in Roman and Carthaginian remains -in the different languages and races of people---perhaps the Punic language. When this country was better peopled and more productive, the communication between the northern and fouthern coafts, and with fome of the internal parts, was probably much greater than we yet know or can trace. Carthage poffibly drew much of her wealth and greatness from that fource. In Tunis, and the country around it, they fay a fpirit of commerce and induftry is fill perceptible.

fame footing of eftimation, unless they happen to be Jews or Chriftians, and they may be confidered and compared in all the different ftations that this ftate of fociety affords, from the bafhaw or general down to the menial flave: in our iflands and colonies we fee the

blacks only in the fate of flavery, which produces always a diftinct and fimilar character.

The fea-ports are the moft effential parts of a country: they might have three or four tolerably good here, by a little affiftance given to nature, at Santa Cruz, Mogodore, Woladia; and perhaps Tangier might ftill be made 2 pretty good one, by clearing it, and rebuilding the mole, which might be car ried much farther out. If the Chrif tian powers had continued to increaf and improve their garrifons and ports on this coaft, they might by this time have ferved as places of trade and friendly intercourfe in times of peace, or of afylum, or as military fchools, in cafe of war; the people around would have liked them for the fame reafons that the people of all the fouthern coafts of Spain and Portugal like to have the Englith at Gibraltar.

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But this government can never probably be fufficiently fettled to undertake or finish any public works that require much time; hardly any of these emperors have of late been able to finish even a houfe to live in. This one mounted the throne with the rare advan tage of having no competitor, being an only fon; an advantage which his fucceffor, whoever he may be, will not likely enjoy his more favage fons may probably vie with each other for the fucceflion, as ufual, and again drench the country in blood, and in all the horrors of a civil war.

We do not here perceive any reality in the fuppofed inferiority of the black race to the white, but often the contrary; fome of the beft officers, farmers, workmen, of this empire, and I believe of feveral others, have been of that race. All the different colours feem to be nearly of the fame African character, comprehending a variety of tempers and turns of mind as among ourfelves; here may be fome fhades of difference, phyfical and hence moral, fometimes perceptible in the humour and temper of mind between the blacks and whites; the black may have rather more of that kind of volatile fenfibility, or irritability, which feems to attend the human character as it approaches the funwarmer, yet weaker: their fentiments, though more ardent, feem to be more tranfient than ours; and their faculties, as well as formation, may be fomewhat different, but not, I think, beyond the power of habit and education to model and affimilate. They mey have the advantage in fome faculties, and the whites in others, and I doubt not but great characters and a great nation might be formed of thefe, as well as of other human beings; but the world wants yet more knowledge and experi- [Extracted from Dr. Bradshaw's Edience on this fubject, and we fhould retion of the Works of Jofephus.] ' quire much more refidence and more attention to determine any thing in it: this is certainly one of the beft countries for that purpofe; here all the various races and colours of men are nearly on the

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On the Veneration of the Jews for their
Sabbath.

modern Ifraelites are not lefs THE Arict (after their way) than their ancient idolatrous brethren were remifs in keeping the fabbath. Buxtorf, in

his account of the religious cuftoms and ceremonies of that people, has given us the following fingular prohibitions, felected from among many others, which regard their obfervance of this holyday.

1. If, on the fabbath, a Jew arrives at home, or elsewhere, on a horfe or afs (as, by means of the privilege of the fabbath-day's journey, he may) he is at liberty to cafe his beaft, when he puts him up, by loofing the girths; but it is a profanation to take off the faddle. If the beaft fhakes it off, all is well enough, fay the Rabbins: for that is a thing the Jew hath no hand in. But in fuch a cafe, the Jew muft let the faddle lie, fall how it may.

2. If, on the fabbath, he leads a horfe with a bridle, he must take care that fuch a portion of the reins hang beneath his hand, or between his hand and the bit, as that he cannot be fuppofed, inftead of leading the horfe, to affift only in carrying the bridle.

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3. It is lawful on the Sabbath-day to leap over a ditch, but not to wade through the water, left, fay the Rabbins, a neceffity fhould arife for profaning the day, by drying the stockings.

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4. A Jew is not to wear a fword, or any fuch thing as a weapon or warlike accoutrement, on the fabbath: nor is a taylor, at this time, to go out of his house with a needle fticking on his clothes.

5. The paralytic, and the lame perfon, who cannot walk without a ftick or cane, is permitted the ufe of one on the fabbath; but the blind, who are not lame, muft handle no fuch thing. The ufe of ftilts, for paffing over water or dirt, is at this time unlawful; becaufe, fay the Rabbins, very fagacioufly, though the ftilts feem to carry a man, yet in fact it is the man who carries them; and no one muft incumber himself with any thing on the fabbath, that hath but the fmalleft refemblance to, or the leaft nature of, a burden.

6, A plaifter that is on a wound may be continued; but if it drops off, it is not to be put on again, nor any thing in its stead, till the fabbath is gone.

7. A Jew ought not to carry either

gold or filver, or any fort of money about him on the fabbath: and if at any time he finds a purfe of money, he is not to meddle with it.

8. While the dirt which is upon his coat, cloak, or ftockings is moift, he may fcrape it off with the nails of his fingers; but if it is dry, he muft let it remain till the fabbath is ended; because, fay the Rabbins, the fcraping it off when it is dry, makes a duft; which gives the matter the look of pounding or grinding. If his hands happen to be daubed with dirt, he may wipe them upon a cow's tail, or upon the mane or tail of a horfe, but not with a towel, or a linen whatever, left a neceffity fhould arife, of which he would be the caufe, of wafhing it before the fabbath is spent.

9. If a Jew fpies a flea upon him on the fabbath, he is not to catch it unless it bites him; in which cafe he may lay hold of it, if he can, and throw it from him; but he must be sure not to kill it; because a flea, fay the Rabbins, was created, like other creatures, out of the earth: but he may crack a loufe; becaufe, fays the fame learned gentleman, a loufe is generated, not of the earth, but of the fweat of man's body. But in this latter cafe, the rabbinical body is oppofed by Rabbi Eliezer, who in the Talmud maintains, that he who cracks a loufe on the fabbath is as guilty as he who on that day kills a camel. And there are many doubts upon the matter to this day.

10. A Jew is forbidden to climb a tree upon the fabbath, left he should rub or break any thing off; the ftripping of the fmalleft twig at that time being judged a profanation.

11. If corn be thrown to poultry on the fabbath, care muft be taken that the feathered family pick it all up, or that it be thrown to them in a place to which no rain can come, left any of the grain fhould take root and germinate; for, in fuch cafe, this, fay the Rabbins, would be fowing on the fabbath a crime for which there is no expiation.

12. If, on the fabbath, a Jew ar rives from fea at an harbour, he is not to go afhore till the fabbath is over, unlefs

he is clofely purfued, and his life is in danger.

We fhall clofe this fubject, by adding a curious narrative concerning it, taken from a Jewish writer.

Once upon a time three Jews, who were together upon a journey, being overtaken by the fabbath in a wood, at a great distance from any houfe or cottage where they might lodge, one of them faid, What is to be done? The road is infefted with robbers, and the wood is full of wild beafts: is it not, therefore, more advifeable for us to go forward, than to expofe ourselves to fuch a hoft of dangers, by ftopping here, out of a fcrupulous regard for the fabbath? With two of them this queftion paffed in the affirmative; while the other faid, he was refolved not to ftir a ftep further till the fabbath was paffed. "God," faid he, "who hath commanded us to reft on the fabbath, is able to preferve me from danger in the very heart of this wood." And accord ingly there he pitched his tent and ftaid; while his companions purfued their way, and thereby violated the fabbath.

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Being not without a viaticum, and a little furniture for the table, he fpread a napkin on the ground, and fet out his fupper; which having hallowed with the cuftomary prayers and benedictions, he fell to with great chearfuluefs and appetite; when a fierce and frightful bear of monftrous fize prefented himfelf at the tree, and beheld him with fuch looks of cruelty and famine, that the bones of the good Jew rattled with horror. But in an inftant recovering his prefence of mind, ftrengthening his heart with this reflection, that God was able to preferve him, he threw to the bear a lump of bread; and the bear ate it and kept his ftation, without the leaft attempt to plunder or moleft him. The Jew, obferving his vifitor to be fo well difpofed, took courage, and finifhed his fupper without farther compliment; while the bear looked on, without any token of difcontent that he tafted no farther of the Jew's hofpitality.

"Supper being over, the Jew betook himfelf to nocturnal prayer, and after that, to fleep. The bear lay down by

him, and the Jew flept foundly; and all went well during the whole night, the Jew not awaking till the next morning; when finding the favage creature stretched at his repofe hard by him, and confidering how peaceably things had been carried, and the manifeft tokens of friendship and good humour on the fide of the bear, he lifted up his eyes to the heavens in raptures of gratitude, and betook himself with a joyful heart to the religious offices of the morning, praifing God with a fervid bofom for fo amazing an inftance of his love and protection. In a word, there he dined and fupped, and performed all the religious offices of the day: the bear attending him all the time as a guard, and behaving as upon duty, not once offering him the leaft moleftation.

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The fabbath being over, the good Jew purfued his way; while the bear who was not yet at the end of his commiffion, marched behind him, keeping him compary all that night. Before morning this bleffed Ifraelite was met by his two fellow-travellers, who had left him in the wood, and who this night had fallen into the hands of villains, who had robbed them of all they had. As foon as the bear beheld these violaters of the fabbath, he flew upon them with all his fiercenefs, and tore them to pieces, to the great aftonishment and terror of the good Jew, who now shook with apprehenfion that the bear would next fall upon him, While he was in this fright, he was accofted by the villains who had robbed his companions. They afked him who he was, and from whence he came? Trufting in God, and not being afhamed of his nation of religion, he replied, that he was a Jew, and that he came from court (he meant the fabbath, but they believed he meant the court of the fovereign of the country). They then afked him, how he came to be attended by the bear? for they obferved the creature refpected him. He anfwered, the king had commanded that the bear fhould accompany him. Upon which, the robbers whifpered to one another This Jew muft needs be a great favourite of the king, fince his majefty hath given him this bear for company. Let us, faid one of them, give

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