enever
the south-wind blows; the town was fortified when in possession of
the Portuguese, and is situated in a declivity between two hills,
so that during the rainy season the waters come down so rapidly
that they sometimes overflow the lower apartments of the houses and
commit considerable damage. On the 8th June we started from Saffy
at nine o'clock, and arrived at the sanctuary of Seedi Cuscasoe at
five o'clock, P.M.; and proceeding on, we reached El Woladia at
nine, and pitched our tents. This place might be made a secure
harbour for the whole British navy, by blowing up a rock which
impedes the narrow passage at the entrance of a long and extensive
bay. From hence we started at half-past five o'clock in the
morning; we proceeded northwards along the coast till eleven
109 o'clock, when we reached the beautiful and abundant valley, the
Woolga; travelling on through the country, leaving the sea to the
left, we arrived at six o'clock at the Douar, (an encampment of
Arabs,) called _Woled Aisah, i.e._ "Sons of Jesus," situated in the
productive province of Duquella. The environs of the Douar of Woled
Aisah abound in plantations of tobacco, of a superior quality,
equal to the Havannah. The next morning, viz. on the 10th June, we
struck our tents at six o'clock, and travelling three hours we
arrived, at nine, at the _Jerf el Saffer_ (the Yellow Cliff): three
hours more brought us to Tet, and an hour more to Mazagan, which we
reached at one o'clock. Mazagan is the Portuguese name; the Moorish
name is El Burreja. This is a very strong place, having several
stout bastions; there is a magnificent (_mitfere_) cistern of
water, built by the Portuguese, supported by many pillars of great
strength of the Tuscan order. The water in the neighbourhood of
Mazagan is very salubrious; this country is full of springs. The
inhabitants have a good healthy colour, very different from the
inhabitants of the plains of the province of Duquella, which being
supplied by water from wells only, of from 100 to 200 feet deep,
have a sallow and sickly appearance. It may, in Europe, appear
extraordinary that the quality of water should produce such a
manifest difference in the complexion of the inhabitants, but when
we consider that these people drink no wine, spirits, or malt
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