r Jew is suffered to enter, on
pain of death.

Friday being their Sabbath, the day is kept perfectly holy; all the
Moors are employed in prayer, reading the Koran, or visiting the tombs
of their departed friends.

Curiosity prompted me to go and see an assemblage of fanatics, at a
celebrated saint's house, in the neighbourhood of this town. They
were to perform many wonderful things, such as tearing a live sheep in
pieces, and devouring the flesh, fighting with wild beasts, and
several other barbarous exhibitions. These people, called in Barbary
_Free Masons_, are nothing more than a set of canting, roaring
companions, surcharged with wine and other liquors, and assembled in
this holy place, for the sole purpose of giving free vent to their
brutal passions. This society is peculiar to itself, having no
connexion with our ancient or modern Free Masons. I have however
obtained a free access to their saints' houses and secret meetings,
with permission to go any where unmolested; but I always take the
precaution to go well armed, and escorted by the Emperor's guards, as
nothing can exceed the barbarous acts of this fanatic set of people.

I am extremely happy to say, that my most sanguine expectations with
regard to the poor man, whose accident I mentioned in my last, are
realized; every unfavourable symptom has vanished, and I can safely
rely on his perfect recovery. The complaint of my female patient has
also given way to a proper course of medicine, and the Governor is one
of the happiest of men. When I announced the pleasing intelligence of
her disease being removed, he embraced me with such ecstacy that I
almost dreaded suffocation; in short, he has spared nothing that can
evince his gratitude and satisfaction, for what he terms the
inestimable benefit I have conferred upon him.

The country round this city is inexpressibly rich and beautiful, being
laid put for several miles in gardens, abounding in flowers and
fruit-trees; among the latter the vine sands pre-eminent, yielding
most delicious grapes. The air here, as in the other parts of
Barbary, is very pure and salubrious.

LETTER XVII.

_Depart for Morocco--Roads dreadfully infested, by Robbers--A Tribe of
aboriginal Freebooters--Description of Morocco--Filth of the common
People--Tobacco disallowed--Justice of the Emperor_.

Mequinez

Since I wrote last, I have taken a trip to Morocco and back again. As
I had a great deal of leisure time, and every