THE PRESENT STATE OF TANGIER: In A LETTER To His GRACE, The Lord Chancellor of IRELAND, &c.

BEing conscious to my self of my own ve­ry great incapacity to render such an Account as may be delightful [Page 2]and satisfactory; I am ashamed so unprofitably to divert you from better imployments, and so palpably to discover my own weakness in the follow­ing Description of the City of Tangier, and the Territory thereunto belonging: where­in howsoever I had rather be­wray my folly in this abrupt Narration, than administer an occasion to be suspected in my readiness to obey your Com­mands; and therefore I presume to present to your Grace these hasty Notes, resolving to deal truly and impartially, ac­cording to what I have seen and observed, and what hath been related to me by credible persons.

On Saturday the 12 of June last, early in the morning, we entred the Passage into the Streights, between Cape Spar­tel and Cape Trafalgar, in one of His Majesties Frigots: from the Cape to Tangier, (the wind blowing fresh from the Land) a most odoriferous smell, like to the Fume of Cedar or Ju­niper, entertain'd us; which I conceive to be a mixture of pleasant sents arising from the variety of sweet Trees and Herbs growing there wild: the Coast rocky, rugged, and full of Hills, yet very safe for Ships, very green with Grass and Herbs, and full of Trees. When we came into the Bay [Page 4]of Tangier, there fell a most ve­hement storm of rain, which continued an hour, and (as it is said) was more than was seen at that time of the year in any mans memory. Being sa­luted with a thousand shots of great Guns from the Mole, the Castle, the Forts, and the Ships riding in the Bay, we landed, where we were met by the Mayor and Corporation in their Gowns, and conducted through a Guard of Souldiers from thence to the Castle.

The City of Tangier is in the Latitude of 35 deg. 35 min. situated very pleasantly about the middle way between the Entrance and the Mouth of [Page 5]the Streights, in a large Bay like a Semi-Circle, in plain sight of the Coast of Spain, being less than six Leagues di­stant from it: the weather na­turally very hot and scalding, but so temper'd with Friscoes and Breezes both from Land and Sea, that the Air is rendred very tolerable; the Sky alway bright and serene, no Rain (nor hardly a Cloud) being seen there for three parts of the year: the Levant-wind, (which blows very often and very strong, especially during the months of July and August) as it makes the weather more cool, so, besides its unkindness to Ships, it is not very agree­able [Page 6]to Health; many people, especially such as are sickly, being then faint, and more dis-composed. The City seems to have been one of the great­est in the World, which is ap­parent by the old Walls and Ruines, extending S. E. about two miles, as far as old Tan­gier, (where stands a heap of ruined Buildings, a pleasant River, wonderfully stored with several sorts of good Fish run­ning near it, and a large Stone-Bridge over it, but now bro­ken) and stretching N. W. near three miles, and beyond Teveot-Hill, (so called from that Renowned Person the Earl of Teveot, who there was [Page 7]cut off the by Moors) and a pret­ty Brook, called Jews-River, running about the middle way. I dare not take upon me the part of an Historian, or go about to give an exact Ac­count of the Annals of this Place; but only in a few words to deduce the Summary History of its several Owners, till it came into the Hands of His Sacred Majesty, (whom God long preserve over us, and that City under Him.)

Tangier, or Tingis, was first built (as some say) by those fugitive Canaanites, who in the Fields adjoining erected Pil­lars, with this Inscription in the Phoenician Language, import­ing [Page 8]in English, We flee from the face of the Son of Nave, the great Robber: Or, as others, by Tinga, Wife of Antaeus, slain by Hercules. I shall not mention what Leo Africanus saith of it, because himself al­lows it fabulous. It was a City of great note and esteem, when the Carthaginians con­tended with the Romans, and gave Name to all the adjacent Country, but is said to have been buried by Caesar in the Ruines of Juba its King; but by Claudius (who first made Mauritania Tingitana a Roman Province) to have been resto­red, and made a Colony, called Traducta Julia: From thence [Page 9]it continued the Metropolis of Mauritania, until Constantine the Great laid it to the Diocess of Spain; in which condition it continued during some time of the Empire, until about the year 642. Suintilla King of the Goths in Spain, added it to his Dominions. So that they seem to err, who report, this City, and its dependant Coun­try, to have been possessed by the Vandals, invited into Afri­ca by Boniface, in the Empire of Valentinian the third. It continued subject to the Goths, longer than Spain did: for though Osman, the third Caliph Successor of Mahomet, con­quered the rest of Barbavy; [Page 10]yet Tingitana was still held by the Goths, and afforded retreat and shelter to the Sons of Viti­za, the true Heirs, during the Usurpation of Roderic the last King, and also some years after his slaughter, and the subver­sion of the Gothish Kingdom in Spain, by Musa and Tariffe, Lieutenants to Ʋlidor Ʋlit, the Saracenical Caliph. The Moors, when they held this Town, had here a Publick School or University, where their Youth were taught Let­ters; as also an Hospital libe­rally endowed by Joseph a Ben Teifin, the second of the Al­mora Vides, who founded Mo­rocco, conquered Fez, and sub­dued [Page 11]all the Moorish Roytelets in Spain, adding this to his large Dominion. Under his Successors of the three Races, (the Almoravides, the Almo­hades, and lastly the Merines) Tangier was their chief Port for Spain; for in this Bay, and that of Alcazzer, not far from the Point, did Alboacen embarque his Army for Spain, confisting of 400000 Foot, and 70000 Horse, who were discomfited by the Christians at Salado near Tariffa: by which blow, the power of the Miramemolins was so broken, that their Em­pire declined very fast both in Spain and Africa, their civil dissentions also hastning their [Page 12]downfal; in which decay of the Merin Family, Tangier was deserted by the Moors, as most of this Coast was, on the ap­proach of Alphonso the fifth, King of Portugal, who took possession of it An. Dom. 1472. whose Successors held it with continual Wars, and various Successes with the Xerisses, un­til the year 1669. when it was delivered to that excellent and much-lamented General, the Earl of Sandwich, for the use of CHARLES the Second, King of Great Britain. But whoso­ever desires a more particular and satisfactory account of these things, may consult He­rodotus in Vita Cambysis, Proco­pius, [Page 13]Enagrius, Josephus, and Bochartus his Phaleg, Plutarch's Sertorius, &c. the Histories of Spain, written by Mariana or Turquet; of Portugal, by Osorius, &c. of Africa, by Leo, and others.

It is certainly a very sweet and well-chosen place, at the foot of a very great Hill, on which the Castle standeth, on a Declivity, but yet insensible, of an irregular square, and fen­ced with a high, thin, old­fashioned Wall, (much like to that of Droghedah in Ireland) having only two Gates, one to­ward the Country, called Port-Catharina, a wonderful strong, and well-contrived Entrance; the other to the Sea, called the [Page 14] Water-Gate. The Streets are extreamly narrow, (which is absolutely necessary in all pla­ces where the Sun is so much Vertical) which makes the Town seem much smaller, and less considerable than it is: but were they extended at the rate of the new Streets in and about London, it would take up a great deal of Ground, and appear a very large Town. The Houses are low, and ge­nerally little, with Spanish Roofs, almost flat, (which is the cause that it makes the less shew) the Walls generally of Stone and Mudd, the cover­ing crooked Tiles, the In side and Cielings of Slit Deal, or [Page 15]Pine: There are many of the Officers and principal Towns­men, who have fine, large, com­modious, and well-furnished Houses and Gardens; and in­deed the Houses are for the most part very pretty and con­venient, hardly any without a little Garden, but extreamly beautiful and delighting, full of sweet Herbs, and pleasant Trees, especially Vines, which running up upon Pillars made of Stone, and Espaliers made of great Reeds, (which for that purpose they commonly Nurse in a corner of the Gar­den, and annually cut down for that use) all their Walks, and Back-sides, and Spare­places, [Page 16]are covered and shaded with Vines, mightily loaden with excellent Grapes, of di­vers sorts, sizes, and shapes, and some very early ripe. The Air, taking one time with ano­ther, exceeding temperate, not so sultry as many times of the day in Ireland, nor so sharp as many of the nights there. It is observed, that the Inhabi­tants here (as of the adjacent Country) are much subject to sore eyes, which I am apt to impute not to any innate qua­lity of the Air, but to the dry­ness and continual brightness of it. New-comers are wel­comed constantly with strange Blisters and Pimples, like to [Page 17]the Small-Pox, which is ge­nerally attributed to the biting of Muskitoes, (which are just the Gnats in some parts of Eng­land, but a little more pert) and Chinches, (which much re­semble Ticks, but that they leave so intolerable a stink when they are killed) but I rather think it to proceed from an Ebullition of the Blood, upon change of the Air, it hap­pening most severely to such as drink much water at their first coming. There can be no place in the World better accommodated with Water, and the best that can be tasted; no Garden in the Town (at least on the North-West-side) [Page 18]but hath a Well, and some many; and in the Market-Place is a handsom large Con­duit, with a very fair Cistern, and a Cock continually run­ning on each side: the Water is brought to the Town in most admirable and costly Aque­ducts, made formerly by the Romans, and said to come from the Foot of Mount-Atlas; but where the Passages are, no man can discover, till you come within two hundred paces of the Lines, and there they may be seen, curiously made of Brick and Stone; and at eve­ry twenty yards, or there­about, a little Well, into which the Gravel, Mudd, or any [Page 19]other Filth doth fall, and when they are filled, it is easie to empty and cleanse them. I have often wondred that the Moors (such inveterate Ene­mies and Haters of all Christi­ans, especially the Tangerines) should forbear cutting and spoiling the Aqueducts, or poysoning the Water; till I understood, that it is a point of their Law and Religion, not to destroy any thing that is made for the natural and ne­cessary use of Mankind, (which is the cause that they so curse and exclaim on the Christian-Dogs, when a Party hath been sometime sent out of this Ga­rison to burn their Corn.) The [Page 20]Land about the Town is very rich and pleasant, abundantly luxuriant in the production of fine Flowers, (as Narcissus, Crocus, Iris, &c.) and sweet smelling Plants, which with so much care and cost are nou­rished and reared in the Gar­dens of Europe; so that the Hay made there by the Gari­son, is only a wither'd Nose­gay of Rosemary, Thyme, Marjoram, Pennyroyal, and other sweet-smelling Herbs. In the Gardens are very good Pease, Beans, Artichokes, (As­paragus growing wild in the Fields) Strawberries, Lettice, Purslane, Cucumbers, &c. but Melons, so plentiful, so various [Page 21]in the shape and kind, and so delicious, that it cannot be de­scribed to understanding and belief. The common Fruits of this Place are Apricocks and Peaches, (which I cannot say are so good as in England, and I conceive the cause to be, that they are Wildings, and not mended by Inoculation) Figgs, which bear twice a year, and Mulberries, (much better) O­ranges, Lemons, Limes, Ci­trons, Pomegranats, Plumbs, some Cherries, but not worth eating, some Pears and Apples, but very scurvy, (which pro­bably ariseth from the cause before hinted, that no pains are taken in Grafting;) but the [Page 22]Grapes are certainly not to be parallel'd in any place of the World. They ordinarily use Calabashas, a kind of a long Pompion, and Simnels, in stead of Cabbage and Turnips, but they are no way comparable to either of them. The Fields about the Town were hereto­fore much more delightful, when they stood full of O­range-Trees, Lemons, Olives, Pomegranats, Figgs and Mul­berries; but some time since, there being no timely provisi­on made for Firing, the Soul­diers were necessitated to cut them down, and burn them, for want of other Fewel. There is a very great and curious [Page 23]Wood near the Town, green all the year, which I daily saw out of my Chamber-window; and though I did not hold it convenient to take a nearer survey of it, I was told, by such as in time of Peace have been in it, that it is a ravish­ing Wilderness of Oranges, Lemons, Figgs, &c. Scarlet-Oak, and Cork-Trees; and in stead of Bryars and Thorns, thickned with Damask Roses, Groves of Myrtle, Jasemine, and Bushes of Rosemary.

The Hay-Harvest useth to be about the middle of May, and is compleatly made in two days. Barley and Wheat are cut down in June; the Grain [Page 24]trodden out by Oxen, laid up in Caves, and the Straw kept for Food for Horses and Cat­tle: And in the Month of August, the Stubble through the whole Country is set on fire, partly to destroy the Ver­mine, which otherwise would become insupportable, and partly to inrich the Ground, there being no other manure used. The Seasons seem to be opposite to those in Eng­land and Ireland, and quite in­verted: for whereas there from May to All-Hallontide, the Ground is green, and pleasant, and covered with Grass, and from thence to April dry, white and withered; on the contrary, [Page 25]all the Verdure and Sweetness in Barbary, rank Grass, and variety of Flowers and Herbs, is from November to April; but from thence to November, the Ground dry, white, wither'd, and burnt with the Sun; this I mean of the Country, but the Gardens are perpetually green, and produce two Crops in a year of almost all Garden stuff and Sallads: nay, the Cows, Asses, and Horses, (directly contrary to the usage of Eng­land) do live all the Summer upon Hay, and chopt Barley­straw, (which is brought in Barca-luengos from Spain) and upon Grass in the Winter. If a Peace were made with the [Page 26] Moors, all manner of Fresh Provisions would be as good as in England, and as plentiful and cheap as in Ireland: the Beef and Mutton is not so ge­nerally fat, but as sweet and juicy as in any other place: Hens, Chickens, Capons, Geese and Turkies, are extreamly plentiful, and very good; the Pigeons very large, and very fat; but the Ducks are certainly the best in the World: for being kept from Puddles and dirty feeding, and fatned with Oatmeal and Pease, the Flesh of them is quite changed in colour and taste. I have eaten here Plover, Curlew, and Bu­stard, and very good; the Par­tridge, [Page 27]though much larger, doth not please me so well as those of England and Ireland: but here are a sort of Birds about the bigness of a Phea­sant, the Spaniards call them, Pesones de Campo, which I must commend above all the Fowl that ever I tasted. In the mean time, no place under Heaven, perhaps, is better furnished with excellent kinds of Fish, and great plenty; here are (beside Soles, Gurnets, Mul­lets, Turbets, Lobsters, Eels, Shrimps, &c. in common with England) Cod-fish, Bonito's, Old-women, Porgo's, Salmo­netto's, Rock-fish, Star-fish, and many other, for which they [Page 28]have no name. The Castle of Tangier is situated most secure­ly and most delightfully upon a very high Hill, overlooking the Town, Country, and Har­bour; Fortified, beside its Foundation, on inaccessible Rocks, by four the most regu­lar, high, and well-built Ba­stions that can any where be seen; several excellent, and inexhaustible Wells within it; and is, in a word, to all appea­rance, a place impregnable; all the Store-houses of Ammu­nition and Provision, many Houses, Streets and Gardens contained within it, and very near the third part of as much Ground as is in the whole City, [Page 29]being divided from it by a Wall that reacheth to the Sea. The Upper-Castle, or the Go­vernours House, is very noble, large and commodious, and owes its beauty and conveni­ences to the care and genero­sity of that excellent Person, the Earl of Middleton, late Go­vernour, and doth afford a most incomparable Prospect, all Ships that pass to or from the Mediterranean sailing un­der the sight of the Windows: out of Foraging-Port, the Gate that looks to the Sea, an even, plain, and very pleasant Walk leads to Charles Fort, a strong and well fortified Place, and Commanded by Captain [Page 30] Charles Daniel, whose Inge­nuity I must not forget, that hath so curiously beautified the Fort, without impairing the Strength, having on one side made a most delightful Walk between the Wall and the Graft, about twelve foot wide, and near two hundred yards long, curiously Gravelled, and covered close with Vines, which run up upon Pillars, and afford a cool shade on the hot­test day. On another side he hath his Melon-Gardens, and not far from thence his Garden for Flowers and Herbs; so that Charles Fort, which is the great terrour to the Moors, and which they dare not come near, is [Page 31]the greatest delight of the In­habitants of Tangier, and con­tinually visited like Spring-Garden. There is another House of Pleasure within the Lines, which they call by the name of White-Hall, a place where the Ladies, the Officers, and the better sort of people, do refresh and divert them­selves with Wine, Fruits, and a very pretty Bowling-Bare. The Mole is in its design the greatest and most noble Un­dertaking in the World, (all other Moles, as at Genoa, Ma­laga, Algier, &c. not deser­ving more than the name of a Key, in comparison of it) it is a very pleasant thing to look [Page 32]on; and if it may be finished according to His Majesties purpose, who hath spared no cost upon it, it will not only secure the Bay and Ships in it, but in time render Tangier ve­ry considerable and advanta­geous to His Majesty and His Kingdoms: It is now near four hundred and seventy yards long, and thirty yards broad, several pretty Houses upon it, and many Families; on the in­ner side twenty four Arched Cellars, and before them a cu­rious Walk, with Pillars for the Mooring of Ships. Upon the Mole are a vast number of great Guns, which are al­most continually kept warm, [Page 33]during fair weather, in giving and paying Salutes to Ships which come in and out: for the most part of the year there are imploy'd in this work three hundred Men, and several Carts with good Teames of Horses continually going with Stone and other Materials be­tween the Mole and Whitby; which is a little English Ham­let, planted by that industrious and ingenious Gentleman Sir Hugh Cholmely, where are about twenty Families, beside at least an hundred Labourers and Souldiers lodge there eve­ry night, and are sufficiently defended by Guns and Forts from any Attaque of the Moors. [Page 34]It is very pleasant to see how busie every man is there in his several Trade; the Smiths, Carpenters, Sawyers, Coopers, Wheelwrights, Carters, Ma­sons, Miners, Drill-men, Quar­ry-men, and Stone-cutters, making a pretty confused Mu­sick, and very pleasant to such as do not pay for it. There were in Tangier, when the Portugueses left it, seventeen Churches and Chappels; but now there are only two; one whereof, with a large scope of Ground, a Convent, and Lodg­ings for the Church-men, and very commodious Out-houses and Gardens, is left to the Portuguese Inhabitants, and is [Page 35]indeed a fine Church, delicate­ly beautified all round it with neat and costly Altars: the other, a pretty plain Chappel, formerly dedicated to St. Jago, and now to Charles the Martyr, is the Protestant Church, and very well filled on Sundays. There is also an Hospital for sick and wounded Souldiers, very well provided for; and an Exhibition of 200 l. per ann. for maintaining and breeding the Orphan-Children of Soul­diers or Towns-men.

Tangier, and the Territory belonging to it, is at the pre­sent governed by the Earl of Insiquin, a Person of very great Abilities, and immoveable [Page 36]Loyalty. In whose time though it unluckily fell out, that a party of men were cut off by the Moors, yet it ought to be no Impeachment of his Prudence and Conduct. For the Garison being extreamly scarce of Provisions, the Stores exhausted, and nothing to be had from Portugal or Spain, (whither he sent Vessels with ready money to buy Meat, but could get none) and the Cor­poration by a Remonstrance laying before him how ill the Stores were furnished both in quantity and quality, he called a Council of War, by whom he was with one consent advi­sed and intreated to send a [Page 37]Party out to fetch in a Prey of Cattle; and accordingly on the 19th of September he sent out a Party of 500 men, under the Command of Sir Palmes Fairborn, (being the rather in­duced to it by the encourage­ment of James Hamet, a Rene­gado-Moor, recommended to the Governour as a fit person to be a Spy) the Forlorn con­sisting of 100 Souldiers, and about 35 Voluntiers, marched two miles beyond the Body, and were suddenly encompas­sed by a great Party of Horse, who lay in Ambush, and all slain, except Captain Alexander Mac Kenny, who commanded 15 Horse-men; and being dis­mounted, [Page 38]lay among the dead bodies, till he found an oppor­tunity to steal into the adjoin­ing Wood, where he lay that night, and attempting to re­turn to the Garison next day, he was met by the Moors, and carried prisoner to Tetuan: He gave an account by Letter, that sitting in a Tree, he saw the Moors gather 80 bodies from among the dead, of such as were most considerable among them, and having laid them in a Funeral-Pile, and performed their accustomed ceremony in howling and lamenting, burnt them, leaving a great number of the ordinary sort mingled among the dead bodies of our [Page 39]men: In the mean time the main Body, being divided into two parties, one commanded by Sir Palmes Fairborn, the other by Captain James Leslie, made a safe and honourable Retreat, though furiously attacqued on all sides by a great number of Horse and Foot, performing their parts even to admiration. This action was a very great terrour to the Moors, who ne­ver lost so many men, since the English possessed the Place; and thereby were feelingly convinced, that the Christians would fight for their Lives, which before they would not seem to allow, all the former Losses having happened upon [Page 40]treacherous surprises, and at such times when our men were not provided for a fight. The Garrison consisteth of 1440 Foot, and 30 Horse, and is certainly a Body of as brave, bold, well-trained men, as are to be seen any where in the World; they are paid 6 d. per diem in meat, and 3 d. in mo­ney. The Town is for the most part peopled with His Majesties Subjects, who live neatly and pleasantly, and are generally of a kind and hospi­table disposition: The Cor­poration consisteth of a May­or, six Aldermen, and twelve Common Council-Men, all annually elected, and then ap­proved [Page 41]and sworn by the Go­vernour. Every Sunday the Mayor and Aldermen in their Scarlet Gowns, and the Com­mon-Council-Men in Purple, do pay a civility to the Gover­nour, coming up to the Castle, and from thence attending him to the Church. There are in the City about 200 Families, beside Officers (who have, and keep very good Houses) and Souldiers, who have very con­venient Quarters assigned them, Strangers, the Inhabi­tants within the Castle, the Dwellers on the Mole, and at Whitby. Among the Inhabi­tants there are some few of se­veral Nations, as French, Spa­nish, [Page 42]Portugueses, Italians, and divers Jews both of Barbary and Europe, who are great Dealers in Trade, and have their several Synagogues with­in the Town: I say, several, for although they agree in the common Reading and Vene­ration of the five Books of Moses, their Denial of our Sa­viour Jesus Christ, and their Hatred to Christians; yet they are not free from their little Schisms, as appears by a pas­sage since my coming hither, which may perhaps be worth the relating.

On the 9th of July last, a Petition was presented to the [Page 43]Governour by Joseph Artnitel, Samuel Mexias, Joseph Benja­min, and Moses Benazara, in the name of the Barbary-Jews residing in Tangier, setting forth that Abraham Cohen, an Am­sterdam-Jew, did continually affront, molest, and disquiet them, that they could not at­tend their Callings: whereup­on Abraham Cohen, and the European-Jews, being sum­moned, and the matter heard, it appeared that they were on both sides in Faction and Fire, for that the said Abraham Co­hen and his Fellows did drink Wine, and traded in Swines-Flesh; for which cause the Tangier-Jews had made their [Page 44]complaint to the Sabios of Te­tuan, who had actually Ex­communicated the said Cohen, and the rest: but the Gover­nour perceiving knavery in the business, and that the inhibi­ting the European-Jews to bring Pork into the Town, might be out of design to hin­der the bringing in of Provisi­ons; and that their Appeal to the Moorish-Jews at Tetuan, and the publishing of an Ex­communication, was a very great presumption, and an af­front to His Majesties Govern­ment; commanded the Bar­bary-Jews within a few days to dissolve the Excommunica­tion, and to renounce the Au­thority [Page 45]of Tetuan, or any other Power, but of the King of England; or else he would turn them and their Families out of Town: which took good effect, caused a Peace among them, and no more was heard of it. The following Address was made to the Mayor of Tangier by Abraham Cohen, &c.

Upon an Order from the Mayor, the Decree was pro­duced; which, for the satisfa­ction [Page 47]of your Grace, who may be pleased with such a curio­sity, I have set down, as it was Translated out of the Hebrew Language into English.

There remain in Tangier many marks of the Roman Greatness, Ingenuity, Arts, and Architecture: as,

1. The strong, vaulted, well-compiled Foundations of Houses, (in the digging up of which great store of Medals are found, of Corinthian Brass, Copper, and Silver, stamped with the Effigies of their Em­perours, and Consuls, and with other Mottoes and Fancies.

2. The outside of the Rock next to the Bay, between the Water-Gate and the Mole, on which the Town-Wall is built, which is faced with Rows of little Walls from the Water to the Foundation of it, equally distant one from the other; which served not only to strengthen the Foundation, and to keep it from sliding, but [Page 53]also for an Amphitheatre; and on these Rows of Seats did the people sit to behold their Pa­stimes and Shews upon the Water, the whole Bay being under the view of it.

3. The curious Arches and Vaults, among which I saw one built with Brick and Free­stone, of an unknown length, about eight foot wide at the Floor, and about ten foot high; the half of which Arch is standing, and serves for a curious, close, cool Walk.

4. The Aqueducts, of which I have given an account before. I shall not mention the Salt-Pits, (though a pretty curio­fity, cut out in the Natural [Page 54]Rocks that lie on the surface of the Ground within the Lines) nor the strange, deep, narrow Pits cut into the Rocks, (of which I cannot apprehend the use, unless for Burying-places) because they may be the work of the Portugueses. But one thing I must mention, a Re­main of the Moorish Grandure, the Ruines of a most rich and sumptuous Structure, some of the Floors whereof are yet to be seen, made of small Roman Bricks two or three inches square, of divers colours, the sides of the Walls lined with delicate Mosaick Work; and in one place is an Inscription of Arabick Characters cut in [Page 55]Stone, not worn by time, though done more than three hundred years since, very easie and plain to be read, the Let­ters not being cut into the Stone, but the Stone cut away from the Letters; and because this is a piece of great Curio­sity, as well as Antiquity, I have caused it to be Transcri­bed from the Original, and afterward Translated.

THE PRESENT STATE OF ALGIERS.
Their First Rise. The Several Changes of the Government. The Manner of the Present State, and the Prin­cipal Persons in Credit. What People the City of Algiers consists of, and the Number of the Inhabi­tants. Their Militia, and the Dis­cipline thereof. Their Naval For­ces, and Sea-Discipline.

BY the Ancient Re­cords of the Divan Hoggi, or Publick Secretary, it ap­pears, that the City was for­merly [Page 74]Commanded by the Genoeeses, who kept a constant Garison in the Castle, that stands at the head of the Mole, of about three hundred men, until the defeat of Bajazett by Tamberlain the Great, when two Brigantines of fugitive Turks put in there for shelter; who conspiring with the Arabs and Moors, Then the Divan was kept in the Cas­sale, the Aga was kept in a Cage to preserve himself from the fury of the multitude. in a few days after, on a Holy-day, (as they were at Mass) fell upon them, and became their Masters. Where­upon, as having before practi­sed the Trade of Piracy, they armed all the Vessels they could make themselves Masters of, [Page 75]and in short time had One hun­dred & fifty Sail in Corso. They builded then likewise the Cas­sale, where the Publick Trea­sure is kept, and the principal Magazines for Arms and Pro­visions, and formed a Govern­ment by a Divan, who was to sit every Saturday to con­sult of Publick Affairs, till in the year of the Hegira 810. in respect to the Grand Seignior, they admitted Bashaws of his to precide in the Divan, and Govern them; (only keeping in their hands the Command of the Cassale:) The first where­of was called Osman Bashaw, allowing them 12000 Dollars per annum out of the pay, be­sides [Page 76]an allowance of all sorts of Provision for his whole Fa­mily and Officers.

Under these Bashaws (who above the said allowance found ways to exact great Treasures from the Moors and Inhabi­tants, in so much that some of them, after their ordinary three years residence, have been known to carry away 200000 Dollars, besides Jewels, &c.) they lived with great Obedi­ence, notwithstanding all the said Oppressions, until the time of Ʋsuff Bashaw, a Gal­lant Prince, and one that made it more his business to increase the Conquests against the Moors, than to mass up Wealth, [Page 77]for which reason then, upon the Petition of the Publick Divan, his Commission by the Grand Seignior was renewed. He took Constantine from the Moors, Bugia from the Christians, Bona from the Tuniseenes, marched with his Army in­to the Zachary, A desart Coun­try only affording Dates. sixty days South-East, and continued his Con­quest four months march to­wards Angola, all which are to this day Tributary to Algiers: So having been two years in the Camp, he returned in great triumph, accompanied with all the popular applauses ima­ginable. But all this could not secure him from the secret con­spiracy [Page 78]of his Kia; who, ha­ving had the sweetness and be­nefit of the pay in his absence, made a faction against him, murdering him in the Bettistan, or Market-place, in the year 1642. Since which time, though they have received the Bashaws sent by the Grand Seignior, yet have they never admitted them to sit in the Di­van, or to meddle with Pub­lick Affairs, but they have been muzled, receiving only their ancient allowance, the extraordinary Revenues being wholly taken away; so that this place being not of so great profit as was formerly, it has not been so greedily sought for [Page 79]at the Ottomans Porte, witness this present Bashaw, called Is­mael, who has lived here now near fifteen years.

After the said Rebellion, there has been a person chosen out of, and by the Divan, to sit over the pay, and had the Title of Governour. To his care was committed the receipt and payment of all money brought into the Publick; and his presence required at the pay of the Souldiers, which is every two months. Thir­teen persons have succeeded in this Office, of which but one is found to have died in his bed, the other having been poisoned, or murthered by [Page 80]some means or other. The last that served in that Office, was Ally Aga, who was cut in pieces by the Souldiers in the year 1672. after their Ships were burnt in Bugia: When the said Ally Aga came to the Government, the Divan con­sisted of Bulga-Bashaws, Geo-Bashaws, and Youde-Bashaws, in all above one thousand Per­sons, besides that the Souldi­ers would come into the Divan upon any Foreign Affair that was to be debated; so that it was a rabble of people, and a confused multitude, until he found a way to reduce them to forty eight, of each quality beforementioned, viz. 144 [Page 81]persons in all, whereof himself was the head. The day that he was murthered, all the Soul­diers were in Arms in great confusion; some that were of his party fled and escaped, o­thers were kill'd in the Streets, and in their Houses: the Ba­shaw then brought out the Grand Seigniors Bandera, and made Burgone, That all Soul­diers should come under it; which they readily submitted to; so that it was believed the Bashaw would be brought into the Kings House, or place of Judicature, and the former Authority of his Predecessors not only restored, but also the Keys of the Cassale given him, [Page 82]when in the middle of the tu­mult, a bolder fellow than the rest cry'd out to bring in Ma­homet Raise Treig, formerly Admiral, Present Go­vernment. but at that time in disgrace: this cry was seconded by all the Sea-faring people, and in less than half an hour it was deter­mined to fetch Treig to the Kings House. The Old Man knew not whether they came to Kill, or to Crown him: But so soon as he came there, he was given to understand that they had chosen him Go­vernour; which he obstinately refused, until some that had occasioned his coming thither, cryed, Father, Will you let us [Page 83]suffer by your Humility? Up­on which he made a bold speech to the Souldiers, telling them, If they gave the Govern­ment into his hands, he would be absolute, and no ways con­trouled by the Divan; whose Counsel he would willingly ad­here unto, but the Decisive Vote should be left to him. They, unwilling to refuse him any thing at that time, did above all this deliver unto him the Keys of the Cassale, never be­fore in the possession of one man, but kept by Eighty Bulga-Bashaws that attended there by turns, Eighty every week going up and exchanging the other Eighty; and so they pro­claimed [Page 84]him by the Name of Dey, making him Superinten­dent over all the Militia by Sea and Land, Director of the Cadees, and Head of the Divan. To his assistance they joined Babba Hassan, The Divan is reduced by this Go­vernour to 24 Yeo-Bashaws, 24 Bul­ga-Bashaws, 24 You-Bashaws; in all 72. one that married his daugh­ter, a stout Turk, and well learned in the Maho­metan Law; to his charge is com­mitted all Receipts and Pay­ments, so that he hath the same Office former Governours had, he is intituled the Dey's Lieutenant, and General of the Army: without the City, he acts in all respects with as ab­solute power as the Dey him­self, [Page 85]and neither of them makes use of the Divan for any thing but trifling affairs.