arate quarter.

This town, as well as Salee, is admirably calculated for trade,
capable of furnishing foreign markets with large quantities of wool,
leather, wax, and other important commodities. These contiguous
cities are surrounded by gardens, watered by plentiful streams, which
are artificially conveyed from a neighbouring spring, that takes its
rise in a valley called _Tamura_, to the south of Rabat, and which
also supplies all the houses of the two towns with fresh water.

Both places contain docks for building vessels, and several small
corvettes in the Emperor's service winter in these harbours: but the
roads, like those of Larache, are only to be frequented from the
beginning of April to the end of September, on account of the shifting
of the sand, which accumulates on the wind blowing from the
south-west, when the bar is rendered unsafe for vessels to pass. Too
great attention cannot be paid by commanders or masters of ships, on
anchoring there, as a great number of anchors have been lately lost,
and many vessels stranded.

Curiosity prompted me to inspect a small ruinous town to the east of
_Rabat_, named _Shella_, supposed to have been built by the
_Carthaginians_: but my approach was rudely prevented by the
inhabitants; no Christian, nor even Jew, being suffered to enter, on
account of its containing several tombs of their most celebrated
saints, while in fact it is only a sacred asylum for malefactors, and
all the rogues of the country.

To the south, and about eight leagues from _Rabat_, in a sandy and
almost desert place, is a castle, in a most dilapidated state, called
_Mensooria_, which was erected by _Jacob Al__mansor_, for the
accommodation of travellers, and is still resorted to by the trading
Moors and Jews, as a refuge at night from the attacks of robbers.

Conceiving it rather hazardous to penetrate further in useless
researches, I returned to this place, greatly chagrined at having been
foiled in my attempts to explore the remains of antiquities in
_Shella_, and other places. I assure you, my disappointment was not
owing to the want either of perseverance or resolution, but the
serjeant of my guard was an ignorant bigot, and a great coward,
therefore unwilling and unable to protect, or share any danger with
me. On my return here, I dismissed him, and obtained another serjeant,
and a new guard, from the Governor, who caused my dismissed serjeant
to be seized; and ordered him the _pallo_