or MIQUINEZ, the northern capital of the Morocco empire, stands at the extremity of the province of Beni Hassen, 80 leagues north from the city of Morocco (which is the southern imperial city), and 20 to the east of Salles and the ocean. Maknassa, its founder, built it first at the bottom of a valley; but Muley Imael extended it considerably over the plain that 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. Accordingly, fruits and kitchen stuffs thrive here exceedingly, and even the superior urbanity of the inhabitants announces the temperature of the climate. The winter indeed is very inconvenient, on account of the dirtiness of the town, the streets not being paved, and the soil being flinty.

Mequinez is surrounded with walls; the palace itself is fortified with two battions, on which formerly some small guns were mounted. Muley Imael, and Muley Abdallah, often in this city resisted the efforts of the Brebes, the sworn enemies of their tyranny. To the west are seen some walls of circumvallation, six feet in Mequinez height, which were probably mere intrenchments for the infantry; the attacks of the Brebes being only sudden and momentary inroads, which did not require a long defence. There is at Mequinez, as well as at Morocco, a walled and guarded suburb for the Jews. The houses are neater here than at Morocco. The Jews here are more numerous; and they can turn their industry to greater account, because the Moors in this city are more polished, and (being nearer to Europe) more visited, than those in the southern parts. Near the Jewry, there is another enclosed and separate quarter, called the Negro town. It was built by Muley Imael, for the accommodation of those black families which composed his soldiery. This town is now uninhabited, as are all those destined for the same use through the rest of the empire.

At the fourth-east extremity of the city stands the palace of the emperor, which was built by Muley Imael. 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 a jet d'eau, and the water falls 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 Mahometans have exceedingly multiplied. The palaces of the Moorish kings are large, because they are composed of only one range of apartments; these are long and narrow, from 18 to 20 feet high; 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 in this part of the empire are beautiful; they have a fair complexion, with fine black eyes, and white teeth. I have sometimes seen them taking the air on the terraces; they do not hide themselves from Europeans, but retire very quickly on the appearance of a Moor.