Travels through the Empire of Morocco Part 9

I have the honour to be, with great respect, Your most obedient humble servant, JOHN STEWART, Captain.

No. VII.

Letter from Lord COLLINGWOOD to His Excellency the Governor of Larache.

Ocean, off Cadiz, 8th July 1806.

MOST EXCELLENT GOVERNOR,

I have received the letter which Your Excellency directed to be wrote by Dr. Buffa to one of my officers who sent to Larache for stock; and I beg to express to you the great satisfaction I have in every instance which demonstrates the friendship which is entertained, by His Imperial Majesty, for the King of Great Britain, and his subjects; and to a.s.sure Your Excellency, that, on my part, I shall always be happy in every opportunity of shewing you, that the same sentiment of friendship and kindness is felt by us towards the Moors.

I am much obliged to Your Excellency for the supplies of refreshment, which you are pleased to offer to my ships, which may call at Larache.

And wishing you health,

I am,

Most excellent Governor,

Your friend and servant.

COLLINGWOOD.

To His Excellency

the Governor of Larache.

No. VIII.

Letter to the Right Honourable Lord COLLINGWOOD, &c. &c. &c.

Michanez, July 16th, 1808.

MY LORD,

I am instructed by His Excellency the Governor of Larache, and princ.i.p.al minister of the Emperor of Morocco, to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's letter, directed to him at Larache, of the 8th instant, and feel great satisfaction in being able thus to convey His Excellency's a.s.surance to your Lordship, that nothing shall be wanting on his part to forward (which is verbatim what he directed me to write) the interest of the English, as long as he shall retain any influence with his royal master; that he has always felt great pleasure in promoting the views and wishes of the late English Consul, and shall ever continue the same.

He has represented to His Imperial Majesty the affair of the French privateer, which was driven on sh.o.r.e near Tangiers, by one of your Lordship's small vessels. His Excellency commands me to inform your Lordship, that His Imperial Majesty highly approves of the n.o.ble and generous conduct of the English on that occasion, and deprecates that of the French, lamenting, that when the marauders landed on the Moorish sh.o.r.e, his subjects did not put every Frenchman to death.

His Imperial Majesty greatly laments the undeserved treatment which was offered near Tetuan to one of your Lordship's officers, by an unworthy officer under the command of Governor Ash-Ash. His Imperial Majesty, at His Excellency's representation, solicited by me, has written, some time since, a letter to Ash-Ash, strictly enjoining and commanding him to favour the interest of the English only, and not to take any French part directly or indirectly, on pain of His Majesty's eternal displeasure; the more so, as His Imperial Majesty's solicitude and resolve is now to keep up that friendship and good understanding which has. .h.i.therto been evinced on all occasions on the part of the King of Britain, and His Imperial Majesty, who desires to be made known to your Lordship his decided partiality to the English. His Excellency wishes your Lordship health and prosperity.

I have the honour to be, my Lord,

Your Lordship's

Most obedient humble servant,

J. BUFFA.

To His Excellency Lord Collingwood, &c. &c. &c.

By order of Mahomed Abdalah Eslawee, Governor of Larache, and first Minister to the Emperor.

No. IX.

Translation of a Letter written by His Excellency the Governor of Larache, And first Minister to the Emperor of Morocco, to the Right Honourable Lord COLLINGWOOD.

Larache, July 27th, 1806.

His Imperial Majesty having been pleased to permit Doctor Buffa to return to Gibraltar, and entertaining a great regard for him, on account of the good he has done in Barbary, the Emperor has also been pleased to testify the same in a letter written with his own hand, to the King of Great Britain, strongly pressing His Majesty that the Doctor may be permitted to attend him occasionally, and to reside upon a fixed appointment at Gibraltar. In compliance with His Imperial Majesty's wishes, I have now most earnestly to request that your Lordship will be pleased to order him a sure and commodious conveyance for Gibraltar, and to take in the presents he has received as a reward for his merit, and for his good and steady conduct during his stay with us. The Doctor carries with him the good wishes of all the Moors attached to my Royal and Imperial Master; and I have the honour to a.s.sure your Lordship, that he has daily exerted himself with me, and lately with the Emperor, for the service of His Majesty's navy, and for the garrison of Gibraltar.

On this account alone, I hope your Lordship will, as soon as possible, afford him an opportunity of joining his family in safety.

Health and prosperity.

(Signed) MAHOMED BEN ABDALAH ESLAWEE.

No. X.

Translation of a Letter, in the Arabic Language, from Sultan SOLYMAN BEN MAHOMED, Emperor of Morocco, to His Majesty GEORGE the Third, King of Great Britain, &c, &c, &c. &c.

In the name of G.o.d, the all-merciful and commiserating G.o.d; on whom is our account, and whose support we acknowledge; for there is neither creation, nor power, but that which proceeds from G.o.d, the high and eternal G.o.d.

From the servant of G.o.d, the commander of the faithful in Mahomed, upheld and supported by the grace of G.o.d, Solyman the son of Mahomed, the son of Abd' Allah, the son of Ismael, Prince of Ha.s.senie, ever upheld by the power of G.o.d, Sultan of Fez, of Morocco, of Suze, of Dea'ha, of Tafilet, and of Tuat, together with all the territories of the Garban West.

/-------------- / L .S. / Solyman the Son of Mahommed, &c. &c. G.o.d illumine and support him, / &c. &c. / --------------/

To our cherished, our dearly beloved brother (who is exalted by the power of G.o.d), Sultan George the Third, Sultan of the territories of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Mecklenberg, Prince descended from the line or dynasty of the Emperors of Rome and Palestine.

This premised, we inform you, that we continually make diligent and friendly inquiry concerning you, desiring from our heart, that you may be at all times surrounded by wealth and prosperity. We wish you to increase in friendship with us, that our alliance may be stronger than heretofore, even stronger than it was in the days of our ancestors, whom G.o.d guard and protect. Now therefore we make known to you, that your physician and servant Dr. Buffa has been in our royal presence, which is exalted by the bounty of G.o.d; and we have been pleased with his medical knowledge and diligent attention; and moreover with the relief he hath given to us. We have therefore to entreat or to ask of you, to give him your royal order to return to our neighbourhood, to Gibraltar, well provided with all good and necessary medicines; that he, residing at Gibraltar, may be ready to attend quickly on our royal person, whenever we may stand in need of his medical a.s.sistance: we trust you will therefore return him immediately without delay or procrastination; seeing that he has been of essential service to us.

And we recommend you to exalt Dr. Buffa in your favour, and we will always be your allies and friends. May you be ever surrounded by wealth and prosperity! Peace be with you! The fourth day of the month of Jumad Elute, in the year of the Hagira 1222, answering to the fifth or sixth of July 1807.

Done into the English as literally as the incompatibility of the idioms of the two languages would admit of, by JAMES GRAY JACKSON, professor of African and Arabic languages.

Fenchurch Buildings, July 1807.

No. XI.