MR

R. Lempriere's narrative deferves much attention. Without any obtrusive affectation of entertaining and inftructing, without indulging in fentimental refinements, or filling his pages with quarrels and dif. putes, he gives a plain and interefting relation of what he faw. He feems to have obferved with great attention, and to have related his travels with fidelity. The object of his journey was to cure the fon of the late emperor of Morocco of a complaint in his eyes, and it was undertaken on the application of the prince to the governor of Gibraltar. He landed at Tangier, and followed nearly the windings of the coaft till he arrived at Santa Cruz. He then went a little to the fouth till he approached the river Suz, from whence he directed his courfe eastward to Tarudant, the refidence of the prince. Circumstances, which we fhall foon explain, led him to Mo rocco, and he afterwards returned by a notherly route to the capital till he fell in with the coaft at Menfooria, and came home in his former track. After having thus defcribed the direction of his journey, which our readers may cafily underftand from the commoneft maps, we shall follow

him at a distance, and notice, as ufual, fome of the newest and most interest ing circumftances and reflection in this narrative.

At Larache the emperor's fhips ufed to winter; but it is now choak. ed up with fand, and almoft all the ports are faid to have, in different degrees, been filled up. An enquiry in. to this circumstance, and into the state of the emperor's navy, our author thinks of importance to European powers, who now pays a difgraceful tribute to this fhadow of royalty. The emperor cannot, indeed, build or refit his veffels; but at a very large fhare of the trade of Europe paffing before an extenfive coast, he would be enabled to greatly injure different nations, without the navies of England or France being able to prevent the danger or revenge the injury. The fmalleft galleys, or even row-boats, which a frigate could never reach, would be fufficient; it is better, therefore, to fubinit to the difgrace, than for the fake of a trifling injury to expofe our merchandise and our feamen to fuch great risques.

The country in this route near the fea, is reprefented as fandy and rocky, divided by rivers, without the conve.

niences of bridges, or even the advantages of a boat. The Moors, with out difficulty, lay afide their loofe drefs, place it on their heads, and Swim over with little apprehenfion. In the internal parts, which our author faw, the fertillity and beauty of the country is very confiderable. We know that, in the laft æra of Rome, Africa was the retreat of her fena tors, a fertile resource for provifions and fruits of different kinds, adorned with every fpecies of architecture which the luxuries or wants of this powerful nation required. At pre fent, in the poffeffion of a fpirited and enlightened people, it would be the first country in the world.-At Larache our author was frequently confulted, as his profeffion and errand were known. The difeafes, he tells us, were the hydrocele, from the loofe dress, the warm bath, and intemper ance in pleasure; complaints of the eyes from the reflection of the white houfes; itch and other cutaneous complaints from an hereditary taint; indigeftion from luxury; and dropfies among the lower fort from poor living. The medical knowledge of he Moors and Jews is derived from Arabian receipts, which they employ with little distinction or reflection: their remedies are almost wholly external, their inftruments rude and inartificial, while fuperftition renders amulets and charms objects of almoft univerfal attention. In this route our author met with an encampment of Arabs, and we shall felect a part of his defcription.

Thefe encampments are generally at a very confiderable distance from the cities, and towns; the villages, on the other hand, are commonly quite in the vicinity of fome town. The encampments confift of broad tents, conftructed either by the leaves of the palmetto, or of camels hair. Some of them are fupported by canes, and others are fixed by pegs. The form of an Arabian tent is in fome degree fimilar to a tomb, or the keel

of a fhip reverfed. They are dyed black, are broad, and very low. The tent of the Shaik or governor is confiderably larger than any of the others, and is placed in a confpicuous part of the camp. These camps are named by the Arabs Douhars, and the num ber of tents in them vary according to the proportion of people in the tribe or family Some of the Douhars contain only four or five, while others confift of near a hundred. The camp forms either a complete circle or an oblong fquare, but the first is moft common. The cattle, which

are left to graze at large in the day, are carefully fecured within the boundaries at night.

In all the camps the tents are closed on the north fide, and are quite open on the fouth, by which means they efcape the cold northerly winds fo prevalent in this country during the winter feafon.

The Arabs who inhabit these encampments are in many refpects a very different race of people from the Moors who inhabit the towns. Thej latter, from being in general more affluent, from their intercourfe, with Furopeans, and from their different education, they have introduced luxu ries, and imbibed ideas, of which the others are entirely ignorant. From their ftrong family attachments indeed, as well from their inveterate prejudices in favour of antient cuftoms, these tribes of Arabs appear to be at a vaft distance from a state of civilization. As this fingular people affociate continually in tribes their marriages are confined to their own family; and fo strict are they in the obfervance of this attachment. that they will not permit who is not fome degree, related to them to inhabit the fame camp with themselves.

The husband, wife, and children all fleep in the fame tent, commonly on a pallet of fheep-fkins, but fometimes on the bare ground. The chil dren remain with their parents till they marry, when the friends of each party

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