Delaware gazette and peninsula advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1814-1820, 1817-05-28
OF the Moors and Moorish
Arabs.
FROM RTLET'S NARRATIVE.

| The Moors are stout athletic race|
of min, and generally Of about tivel
set en- inches in height. They
sprung from the Bereberries, OF old
Inhabitants of the north and western
parts Of northern Africa. together
with tn descendants Of the Cartha-
genians and various Greek and Ro
man cdonies on those coasts, con
quered by and commixed with the
1 Arabs n Saracens who passed the
|Isthniss ofssuez, and subiugated the
north % 4sss;9::a, under The caiiphs OF
the pretended prophet Mohammed.
F'ex is at present the great capital OF
; the empire, and chief residence Of the
: emperor, who is styled by the Moors
, and Arabs et Sultan. (the Sultan) or,
as they pronounce it, Sooltan. Suse
has become independent ofthc Moors.
IThe Moors are all strict followers oil
the Mahommedan doctrine, and firm
Professionalism. l call the doctrine
iyNahonedun instead Mahomeinn. be
cause the name Of their prophets is
pronounced, both by the Moors and
Arabs, M1hdnsr,ed, and both Of them
pronounce their letters very distinctly,
and with their mouths open, like the
| Spaniard. giving TO every letter its
iIul! sound for though they write
with characters, and do not know how
to form a Roman letter with pen,
yet person understanding letters,
who hears them speak. would say they
were perfectly familiar with the Ro-
man Alphabet, and laid more cmpfa-
sis and stress on the letters, by means
! Of With they. speak their language
j vo,,et tnan any other people on earth.
| The MoOrs, in general, do not learn
to read and write, but their Tabs are
learned men, who take great pains 10
become acquainted with the princi-
pies Of their own and the ancient
Arabic language, and with the laws
OF the Koran, which is held by them
to be "a sacred book, and to contain
. nothing but divine revelation. The
Tabs transact all the business that
requires writing, and serve alternate
iy as scriveners, lawyers and priests.
The Maors use no bells for their
places Of worship but in the towns
and cities. their religious houses have
high minarets or steeples, With Hit
tops, and KIND of bainstrade round
them to the tops OF these the Tabs
ascend to call the people at stated
times to prayers; and as the steeples
are very high, and the Tabs are ac-
customea 20 call aloud, they are heard
at great distance, particularly when
all is still in the city. Their times
Of prayers are before day light in the
morning, at about midday, about the
| middle OF the afternoon, at sunset, and
again before they retire TO rest, about
s or 40 O'Clock in tlie evening. The
Tabs. who are on the steepIes before
day light in the morning, commence
by calling all the faithful to prayers !:
their voices sound most tremendously,
and thrill through the air in a singu-
lar manner. | was always awakened
by them myself, while staid at Mo-
galore, and often went to the window
TO hear them: their call reminded me
Of my duty alse. After they sum-
moned all the faithful TO attend pray
ers, they either rehearse,l particular
passages from their Bible or Koran,
or sang some sacred poetry with d
loud ana pitrcifis. but at the same
very mclotlions and pleasing tone Of
voire. The Moors who live near the
places Of Worship SO in. join with the
laibs, and pray together; but by far
the greater number perform their de-
veiions in their own rooms. The
falls. am informed, perform tllci,
Religious duties, which are very fa.
4 'iSuing, merely from motives of piet,
l--tliey ,lo not receive the smallest re
Enumeration, either from the prince or
lpcoplc, in any shape or way whatever.
All worship by turning their faces to
the east, and bow their heads in The
dust, like the wandering Arabs: they
wash their bodies all over with water
before prayers. as well as their hands
and faces for which purposes, with
in the walls of their MOSQUES O,
! churches, they have wells or foun-
tains OF water, and large stone basons,
in which to battle. When they an.
pear before God Gas they call it) il
their places of worship, they diyesl
ti'emse!.ag ct all supcrilcas orna.
ments and clothing, and even Of their
y lhppccnrs: After nurifxin.. with ,,.n4an