ruins of Anfa or
Anafa, [22] which they destroyed in 1468. They, however, scarcely
finished it when they abandoned it in 1515. Dar-el-Beida is situate on
the borders of the fertile plains of the province of Shawiya, and has a
small port, formed by a river and a spacious bay on the Atlantic. The
Romans are said to have built the ancient Anafa, in whose time it was a
considerable place, but now it scarcely contains above a thousand
inhabitants, and some reduce them to two hundred. Sidi Mohammed
attempted this place, and the present Sultan endeavoured to follow up
these efforts. A little commerce with Europe is carried on here. The bay
will admit of vessels of large burden anchoring in safety, except when
the wind blows strong from the north-west. Casa Blanco is two days
journey from Rabat, and two from Azamor, or Azemmour, which is an
ancient and fine city of the province of Dukaila, built by the Amazigh
Berbers, in whose language it signifies "olives." It is situate upon a
hill, about one hundred feet above the sea, and distant half a mile from
the shore, not far from the mouth of the Wad-Omm-er-Rbia (or Omm-Erbegh)
on its southern bank, and is everywhere surrounded by a most fertile
soil. Azamor contains now about eight or nine hundred inhabitants, but
formerly was much more populated. The Shebbel salmon is the principal
commerce, and a source of immense profit to the town. The river is very
deep and rapid, so that the passage with boats is both difficult and
dangerous. It is frequently of a red colour, and charged with slime like
the Nile at the period of its inundations. The tide is felt five or six
leagues up the river, according to Chenier. Formerly, vessels of every
size entered the river, but now its mouth has a most difficult bar of
sand, preventing large vessels going up, like nearly all the Maroquine
ports situate on the mouths, or within the rivers.

Azamor was taken by the Portuguese under the command of the Duke of
Braganza in 1513 who strengthened it by fortifications, the walls of
which are still standing; but it was abandoned a century afterwards, the
Indies having opened a more lucrative field of enterprise than these
barren though honourable conquests on the Maroquine coast. This place is
half a day's journey, or about fourteen miles from Mazagran, _i. e_. the
above Amayeeghs, an extremely ancient and strong castle, erected on a
peninsula at the bottom of a spacious and excellent bay. It was rebuilt
by