ed by the Portuguese in 1503. Muley Hamed el-Hassan besieged
it in 1536 with an army of fifty thousand men, and owing to the accident
of a powder-magazine blowing up and making a breach, the Sultan forced
an entrance, to the astonishment of the Portuguese, who were all
slaughtered.

In the reign of Muley Ismail, Santa Cruz was the centre of an extensive
commerce carried on between Europe and the remotest regions of Africa,
which obtained for it the name of Bab-el-Soudan, (Gate of Soudan.) The
inhabitants became rich and powerful, and, as a consequence which so
frequently happens to both the civilized and the barbarian, insolent and
rebellious. In 1773, Sidi Mohammed was obliged to march out against the
town to crush a rebellion; and this done with great slaughter, he
ordered all the European merchants to quit the place and establish
themselves at Mogador. The father of this prince had sworn vengeance
against the haughty city, but died without accomplishing his sanguinary
threats. The son, however, did the work of blood, so faithful to vows of
evil and violence is man. Since that period, Aghadir has dwindled down
to nothing, six hundred inhabitants, and others say only one hundred and
fifty. The greater part of these are Jews, who have the finest women in
all the country. Mr. Davidson says the population of Aghadir is
forty-seven Mohammedans, and sixty-two Jews. At Fonte, the port, are
about two hundred Moors. Were any European power to conquer Morocco,
Aghadir would certainy be re-established as the centre of the commerce
in the south. To a maritime nation like England, the repair and
re-opening of its fine port would be the 6rst consideration, and
doubtless a lucrative and extensive commerce could be established
between Aghadir and Timbuctoo. The city is seven leagues south of Cape
Gheer, in latitude 30 deg. 35'.

I shall now give some further details illustrative of the state of negro
slavery. The Fniperor has an entire quarter of the city of Morocco
appropriated for his own slaves, the number of whom, in different parts
of the empire, amounts to upwards of sixty thousand. This is his, the
lion's share. His Imperial Highness, who was accepting presents from
various governors, lately received five hundred slaves from the Sheikh
of Taradant. The trading Moors, believing me to be sent by the British
Government to purchase and liberate all their slaves, have calculated
the whole of the slaves in Morocco to be worth twent