looking to the right nor to the left, fearful of
encountering with their one eye the rude glance
of man: laden camels instinctively bending to
be disburdened of their load of fruit, grain,
or other load: bands of wild-looking negroes,
with scarcely any covering, hooting in tones
most dissonant to civilised ears. To all these
discords was added a constant din of Moorish
music, which appeared to give ecstatic delight
to the negroes, whose wild gestures were
marvellous to behold.

Our attention was, by this time, attracted to
the houses which, from their peculiar construction,
offer a complete contrast to anything
European; the rooms are built so as to form
a square court, which is open to the sky; the
exquisite climate precluding the necessity
of using their painted oil-skin canopy except
as a protection against the heavy rains by
which they are occasionally visited. This
court is covered with a carpet or matting,
according to the season; and in the centre
there is a fountain, which, continually playing,
produces a delicious freshness; the windows,
instead of looking on to the streets, open
generally into, and receive light and air from,
this court. By this arrangement the sun is
entirely excluded, and the houses are frequently
found cooler and more comfortable,
notwithstanding the heat of the climate, than European
dwellings. The roofs are quite flat, and
form terraces, on which people walk in the
evening, or whenever the sun is sufficiently
temperate. Looking down from this promenade,
the town has a singular appearance; the
minarets of the mosques alone standing out in
relief from the flat, low, white roofs, give it the
appearance of a large churchyard; and this
impression is somewhat strengthened by the
repeated call to prayer from the mosques.
It begins at daybreak, and is continued at
intervals all day; the Moslem priest
addressing himself alternately to the four winds.

A considerable part of the population of
most Moorish towns is Jewish, and they
form (it need scarcely be said) a separate
and distinct class, being wholly different
in habits, manners, and dress from the
Mahometans. The male costume is prescribed
by law; it consists of a tunic or gaberdine
of dark-blue cloth, fitting close to the throat,
and descending to the ankles, slashed at the
sides, and trimmed with braid; a row
of small buttons are ranged down the front,
and the slashed sleeves are ornamented to
correspond; there is an under vest of white
cotton buttoned to the throat, which one
sees by the upper part of the blue dress being
left open; the white sleeves are also seen
under the open sleeves of cloth; the waist is
encircled by a handsome Moorish scarf, of
satin, with stripes of all the brightest colours
worked in with gold thread; yellow slippers,
and a little black cloth cap, resembling that
worn by the modern Greeks, complete the
Jewish dress worn throughout Morocco. It
is a classic costume; the sombre tint of the
tunic contrasting not unpleasingly with the
white Moorish dresses on which the eye is
constantly dwelling.

It is said that many of the frail daughters
of Israel offending against their own strict
laws become followers of the Prophet, to
avoid celibacy, which is the penalty of
indiscretion inflicted on Jewish maidens; but one
never hears this charge of heresy brought
against the men, who, having no indulgence
to crave from Mahometanism, are proverbial
for a scrupulous observance of their religious
feasts and fasts.

We had not remained long in the city
before I was afforded the rare privilege of
being present at a Jewish wedding. The
solemnisation of the marriage rite is
preceded by seven days' feasting and rejoicing
at the house of the betrothed. Open house is
indeed kept, where the friends and relations
of the affianced couple meet every day to eat,
drink, and be merry. The guests usually
assemble before noon. On my arrival at twelve
o'clock the rooms were already filled with
visitors. I was conducted first to a chamber
where the bride, prettily attired and veiled,
was seated on a bed to be looked at; Moorish
modesty forbidding that she should take any
other part in the merry-making than that of
silently looking on. Passing through the
adjoining room—where cakes, wine and fruit of
every description were spread in abundance,
I was ushered into the presence of the family
group and their large circle of friends, all of the
gentler sex; male visitors being rigidly
prohibited. I have rarely seen anything more
classically beautiful than the faces of those
Jewish women. One more beautiful and
pensive-looking than the rest appeared to take
a prominent part in the affair. She was
magnificently dressed in amber-coloured and
crimson silk damask embroidered with gold,
white silk with satin stripes; spangles; a
jacket of pale blue velvet embroidered with
gold and trimmed with gold buttons; sleeves
of white gauze, curiously pinned together
behind the back, leaving the arms exposed,
the rounded form of which was set off by
costly bracelets, in keeping with a profusion
of jewellery in the shape of brooches, ear-
rings, and necklace. A handkerchief was tied
over the head, and red slippers embroidered
in silver completed the dress.

Dancing appeared to form the chief
entertainment, and was kept up with great spirit
to the discordant sounds of sundry tom-
toms and a fiddle. The want of harmony
was, however, amply compensated by the
singularity of their national dances. They are
intended to represent the human passions.
They were generally performed singly, though
sometimes two persons stood up together,
each holding a gay-coloured handkerchief
coquettishly over the head. They seldom
moved from one spot, and their movements
were nearly all with the body; not with the
legs. Their figures were entirely unconfined