MEQUINEZ, or Miquinez, the northern capital of the empire of Morocco, stands at the extremity of the province of Beni'Hassan, eighty leagues north from the city of Morocco (.which is the southern imperial city), and twenty to the east of Sallee and the ocean. Maknassa, its founder, built it first at the bottom of a valley; but Muley Ismael extended it considerably over the plain which lies to the west of the valley. It is surrounded with well cultivated fields and hills, adorned with gardens and olive plantations, and abundantly watered with rivulets. The fruitfulness of the soil, and the temperature of the climate, seem to produce even a superior urbanity in the inhabitants. ’ The winter, indeed, is very inconvenient, on account of the dirtiness of the town, the streets not being paved, and the soil being slimy. Mequinez is surrounded with walls; and the palace is fortified with two bastions, on which some small guns were formerly mounted. In this city Muley Ismael and Muley Abdallah often resisted the efforts of the Brebers,the sworn enemies of their tyranny. To the west are seen some walls of circumvallation, six feet in height, which were probably mere in trenchmen ts for the infantry, the attacks of the [7:14:590]Brebers being only sudden and momentary inroads, which did not require a long defence. The houses are neater than those of Morocco, and here, as at Morocco, there is a walled and guarded suburb for the Jews, who are more numerous, and can turn their industry to greater account, than those of the northern capital. Near the Jewry there is another inclosed and separate quarter, called the negro town. It was built by Muley Ismael, for the accommodation of those black families which composed his soldiery, but it is now uninhabited.

At the south-east extremity of the city stands the palace of the emperor, which was built by Muley Ismael. The space occupied by this palace is very great; it includes several gardens, elegantly disposed, and well watered. There is a large garden in the centre, surrounded by a vast and pretty regular gallery resting on columns, which communicates with the apartments. Those of the women are very spacious, and have a communication with a large chamber which looks into the garden. As you pass from one apartment to another, you find at intervals regular courts paved with square pieces of black and white marble; in the middle of these courts is a marble basin, from the centre of which rises à jet dean, and the waterfalls down into this basin. These fountains are numerous in the palace; they are useful for domestic purposes, and they serve for the ablutions, which the scruples of the Mahommedans have exceedingly multiplied. The palaces of the Moorish kings are large, because they are composed only of one range of apartments, which are long and narrow, and from eighteen to tw enty feet in height; they have few ornaments, and receive the light by two large folding doors, which are opened more or less, as occasion requires. The rooms are always lighted from a square court in the centre, which is generally encompassed with a colonnade.

The Moors here are more courteous than those in the southern parts; they are civil to strangers, and invite them into their gardens, which are very neat. The women are beautiful, and have a fair complexion, with fine black eyes, and white teeth. They are sometimes seen taking the air on the terraces; they do not hide themselves from Europeans, but retire very quickly on the appearance of a Moor.