EXPEDITION TO THE COURT OF MOROCCO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 63, 28 January 1862, Page 1 (Supplement)

EXPEDITION TO THE COURT OF MOROCCO.

(From the Scotsman.)

A curious expedition was lately made under the orders of the British Government, of which little notice has bitherto been taken by the public journals.

It consisted of an embassy to the Court of the Emperor of Morocco, at his residence at Meknas, or Mequinez, some 200 miles in the interior of the country—a place which has been very rarely visited by Europeans. The object of the embassy was to endeavour to promote asettlementof the differences between the Spanish Government and the Moors as to the payment ofthe indemnity extorted by the former as a condition of peace. The embassy consisted of Mr. Drummond Hay, the British Minister m Morocco; his attaclie Mr. James Hay ; Captain (now Admiral), the lion. Charles Elliot ; Di. Evans, R.N. ; and Capt Hood, aide-de-camp to the Governor of Malta. The cavalcade left 1 angler on the llth July. An escort was in attendance, varying in number during the day from 200 to 1200 horsemen, besides a body guard of twelve men. Extensive arrangements were necessarily required for the subsistence of so large a cavalcade camping out each night in the open country. Accordingly, the governors of the provinces through which it was to pass had "been warned to furnish the necessary provisions. The supplies which were intended for the ambassador and his retainers alone (independently of the escort but including the servants and muleteers in charge of the baggage), were under the designation of' Mona' daily presented at his tent soon after the halt. The following account of what was provided on one occasion is a fair specimen o the usual "Mona" :—1 bullock, 30 sheep, 00 fowls 1000 eggs, 30 bushels of barley, a dozen large'and excellent dishes of coscosoo—the dishes bein"- three feet in diameter. Coscosoo is a food much used in Morocco, the staple of wliich is semoline. In addition to this, butter, honey, sweetmeats, and sundry other things were ..so supplied. On the eighth day they reached Meknas. Their reception was magnificent. At least 20 000 troops, chiefly cavalry, were turned out upon the heights and roads through which they passed on entering the city. In compliance with etiquette, our distinguished travellers, upon thenarrival at Meknas, became prisoners of state. Four whole days were they confined to the precincts of the house wliich had been allotted to them ; nor were they set at liberty until the ceremony'of presentation to the Emperor had been completed. At seven in the morning, the hour appointed for their presentation, the strangers found themselves riding in company with the high oflicers of the state to the Sultan's palace. After passino- through a handsome Moorish arch at the outer gate, a court was crossed, and another gate, leading to another court, was reached, the whole distance being lined with troops drawn up on each Bide as a guard of honor. Having entered the court, they then dismounted. Round the square, troops were placed, all on foot. Here, standing in front of the chisf officers of state, the Europeans took up their station opposite the gateway through which the Sultan was to approach. Presently he arrived, preceded by some handsome led horses, and by about a dozen men walking two and two, one of them being an executioner, with an axe. The Sultan was the only person mounted. An officer having announced him, he stood still, and the company gave utterance to some expressions of submission and good will, bowing their heads to the very ground, except some 600 regular troops who presented arms. This having been repeated, the Sultan came forward to the centre of the court; the Europeans then saluted him by taking oft' their hats, and being beckoned to advance made their bows to his Majesty He was mounted on a white horse— the' emblem of peace. His Majesty is very dark, his mother having been, it is believed, a pure black. The population of Morocco is, in fact, now very largely intermixed with negro blood, and persons of all shades of color, from the comparatively light complexion of the Arab races to that of the African negro, are to be found throughout the country, Tliere appears to be no prejudice on account of colour between the different races and tribes of men." A large body of black men has long been maintained in the military service of the Sultan of Morocco, of which Meknas is tbe beadquarters. A very extensive forced immigration of tliis .race, with their wives and families, from the South, took place about 200 years ago, and from'this and other causes the population has undergone constant modifications. These men, now numbering many thousands, are entitled the ' Sultan's Black Guard,' and are held to military service, wliich is hereditary amongst them. Complimentary speeches having been interchanged between the parties, the Europeans were free to return home. During the remainder of their residence at Meknas, they were occasionally Invited to tea parties at the houses ofthe chief men an honour to Christians almost unprecedented. -for which they were indebted no doubt, to the orders of the Sultan, whose anxiety was great that every attention should be paid to his guests. The members ofthe mission had an opportunity of witnessing, by tne Sultan's desire, a meeting of one of those extraordinary religious sects whose worship consists in bodily extravagances of the most violent description. These people are in the habit of lashing themselves into a state of intense excitement under the influence of which they suppose themselves to be insensible to pain, and in proof of their insensibility they certainly inflict upon their persons the severest wounds. Eight or ten men of one of these sects entered the court, beat,ing drums of a peculiar construction, and producing the most discordant tones. They were speedily joined by some of the servants and soldiers of the "special escort ofthe mission, who belonged to the same sect, one of whom took a very leading part in the performance. Operations were commenced by one of the party, who, contrary to custom, had at once attained the requisite pitch of excitement, wildly cutting ■himself down with a sword, which he wielded with bo much force as to make the blood spirt out from his face in half a dozen wounds. The whole party then danced, at first calmly and gradually more and more wildly, to the music working themselves up to a frantic state. One of the soldiers—the most frantic ofthe party—jumped up, and seized, one after another, two great earthenware jars, and smashed them over his head, making the blood run, and rushing about as if perfectly mad. An old man of seventy—one of the guard, could not restrain joining. He stripped and went madly to work like the rest. AA'ben in a state in which apparently they might bave committed any crime, tbe quieter ones of the party stopped and soothed the rest by changing the music of a drum to a. milder instrument like a harp, and by making movements not unlike tho passes that are practised to bring persons out of a mesmeric trance. Peace was thus gradually restored, somewhat to the relief of tho audience, amongst whom a Jew, frightened from the court below, bad taken refuge. His alarm was not unreasonable, considering that only a few years ago a member of his race was actually torn to pieces under similar ci-eumstances. It is customary for these people to tear a live sheep to pieces and devour it on the spot. There arc, it seems, three sects of this kind in Morocco. Om of these is milder, tho other even more extravagant than the one which held its religious meetings iv the court yard of the Britishmission ; aud it is not " known for certain which of the three is the true sect, though it appears that on this occasion the moderates enjoyed the patronage of the Sultan. The mission left Mecknas on the 13th of August, and arrived at Tangier on the 18th, after a journey of exhausting heat. AVhat the political results of the expedition may be, in suggesting means for the relief of the Moors from the continued pressure of the Spaniards remain to be seen. The Sultan of Morocco appears to be a man of education and reflection. He is much addicted to the science of mathematics. On one occasion three persons called by appointment at the British mission—a black man and two youths. The black man, a small and not intelligent looking individual, opened tbe conversation on mathematics and astronomy, but he soon got out of li.s depth The younger of the two students, an intelligent • youth, with a fair share of Moorish blood v.: his veins then came forward and asked several questions' on points he did not understand—such as how the logarithmic numbers for signs and tangents were obtained. He had an English 'Button's Tables,' with their preliminary explanations ; and he had also a very neat manuscript in Arabic—a translation of, or notes from Hutton—which turned out to be the Sultan's own doingr He asked questions also regarding the variation ofthe compass, which were explained to him. He understood the use ot the theodolite, and how to carry on a survey, and seemed a really intelligent fellow. He also asked whether the English yard is any particular division of a degree, and approved of the French measures of distance and weights as affording

facility for calculation. The other student said but little. It is a curious fact, however, that these youths are pupils of the stuttering Sultan, and that their mathematics and modern teaching are from him.

DISGRACEFUL AFFAIR AT NOTTINGHAM.

The Magistrates at the Nottingham Police-office were, on Friday last (the 25th Oct.), occupied with the hearing of a case which has, for the last few days, excited the greatest interest among a |l classes of society throughout tbe town and neighborhood. There is an elderly man of somewhat venerable appearance, residing in Nottingham, a superannuated excise officer, with a pension, named AVilliam Henry Brooke, commonly known as "Rajah Brooke." He summoned three '•gentlemen'" of Nottingham—Mr. J no. Barton, lace manufacturer ; Mr. AYilliam Blackwell, upholsterer, and Mr. George Burrows, commission agent —for the following outrage : — The complainant stated that last Friday week Mr. Barton invited him to dine with him at his residence, Arboretum-street, but he declined. Soon afterwards Mr: Burrows called on him with a phaeton, and he then accepted the invitation. During dinner lie suspected something was wrong, as they would not at first allow him to drink water. Burrows and Blackwell got np a sham fight, and began sparring round the room till they came opposite to witness, when they tumbled over him. Burrows then went out of the room, and returned with witness's bat in bis hand. Witness sat on tbe chair, and whilst Blackwell held him down, Burrows forced the hat on his head. The witness illustrated the method of procedure by producing a battered old hat, which he placed in a reversed position on his bead with the brim upwards, and the ludicrous appearance ho presented elicited roars of laughter. The crown was not cut out of the hat when com-

plainant went to tbe bouse, but be saw Burrows doing something to it with a knife.- Blackwell and Burrows afterwards pulled witness on to the lawn, when they threw him down and subjected him to the most filthy and indecent treatment. After that they dragged him into the hall, and Blackwell threw him down violently upon the floorcloth. Burton put out the gas before witness was thrown down. AA'itness was in a state of great exasperation at the indignity be had received, and was determined if he could get into the dining room to seize the poker and smash everything in the place, but he was prevented from doing so by the door being locked. AAlien he was scrambling about the hall he knocked down the hat stand, and Burrows cut some of his hair off Blackwell said, "Let's have off his old whiskers." Afterwards Burrows got a large pot of blacking, treacle, dye, aud all manner of stuff, and daubed it all over witness's hair, face, and clothes. Ultimately witness got up and ran into the court yard. Having unlocked the door of the carriage entrance and pulled back the bolts, he saw the groom who took no notice of him. Burrows came back to witness aud dragged him back into

the ante-room, where tea had been ordered, and set out. At that time there was more than a

pound of blacking, treacle, and other stuifspread over witness's head. Burton said, " Come, old buck, never mind -. come and have some tea." Witness said, " You have violated the hospitality ot an Englishman and I shall not stop with yon. In my boyish days I have been in the Andaman Islands, where the King of Delhi was scut to, aud where I have seen savages ; but you two beasts (referring to Burrows and Blackwell) have been guilty of an action of wliich the savages would be ashamed." Blackwell said, " Y rou old methodist parson, let's have none of your 1 reaching here." In his excitcnent witness seized a china cream jug and threw it at Blackwell, but ho was sorry to say, it missed him. Witness did not partake of tea.

He sat looking at Burrows aud Blackwell, who kept throwing glasses of ale at him. Burrows occasionally threw a glass of ale over him, and Blackwell did so several times ; but Burton threw none. Blackwell said, "Look at the old black gorilla ; don't he lock .well ? " AVitness had an impression that they were about to strip him naked. There was a good deal of talk of showing the old black gorilla of the forest. They had got up a bill about witness during the affair, saying that the gorilla was to be seen at Cox's. Witness eventually got into the kitchen, and one of the servants gave him some cold water to wash his face, but the alkali blinded him. He was confused by the pain, and in moving about the china was accidentally thrown down. AVitness afterwards went out into the courtyard, followed by Burrows and Blackwell. Burrows came up and said with an oath, " Y rou have broken the best set of china in the house." He then struck at witness, who snatched his hat and Chesterfield coat, and got to the door. There was a cab outside, and Blackfield aud Burrows reached it before witness got out. , AA ritness knocked the cabman down and effected his escape.

The complainant then produced the clothes he had worn at the banquet. The battered hat was first laid on the table ; next followed a black satin stock covered with a mixture of acompound resembling tar, dusted over with flour, and the coat aud waistcoat, which were similarly defiled, and, as each article of dress was exhibited, the spectators were convulsed with laughter. AVitness forgot to say that when he was seated at the table Burrows said, 'I. will powder the old He then threw a large quantity of flour over witness, who said, 'Ob I don't care for that.' lie had not brought tbe Chesterfield coat; not having a very extensive wardrobe, he was obliged to have it cleaned. AVhen he examined it, he found the sleeves stitched up at the hands and stuffed full of treacle and blacking compound, and in the pockets there was a pound or two of flour and the black lead mixture. (Laughter.) AVhen he went to the house the waistcoat was in good condition ; in fact, it was lushest waistcoat, and the hat was a good one. (The witness here again placed the hat fn its reversed condition on his head, amidst roars of laughter, in which the bench could not refrain from heartily joining.) AVhen witness got home he was too much excited to look at bis condition, but when he began to come round be was a mass of black lead, whiting, and other nasty stuff. He washed himself first at two o'clock in the morning, but water produced but little or no effect on it. Afterwards he got some soda, and got some more off! Then he went to Eletcher and bought some ammonia, with which he succeeded in cleaning himself, but his skin was still discoloured and he was bruised all over. Mr. Haxby, of Leicester, appeared for the defendants, and denied the truth of much of complanaut's statement. The bench discharged Burton, and ordered the others to pay each a fine of £o, also £5 each damages and the costs. The money was paid.

Tiir Private Inquiry System.—The public are aware that there has existed in the metropolis for a considerable period an establishment known by the name of the Private Inquiry Office, under the direction of Mr. Field, formerly au Inspector of the metropolitan police. Mr. Field was for many years an inspector of the L division of police, but was superannuated upon completing the usual period of service, and a pension was granted to him of £120 a year, and shortly afterwards ho established the office in question. Tho avowed object of the institution is to make inquiries for private parties upon any subject upon which they may require information, and also with reference to robberies and other offences. It appears that in consequence of certain facts that have come to the knowledge of the Home Secretary, ho determined to stop the payment of Mr. Field's pension, and a notice has been sent to him to that effect. The "round for this step appears to be that some of the a»ents of the " Inquiry Office " have in their communication with the authorities of foreign countries, assumed functions which they wore not warranted in doing, and that the letters sent from the office to parties abroad were headed " Bureau lie Surete," thus leading the authorities to believe that the establishment of Mr. Field was a portion of the established police system. Repeated com■ilaints aud remonstrances, it would seem, were made upon the subject, but they had no effect m causing an alteration of the system ; and at length the Home Secretary has adopted the step of stopping Mr. Field's pension as a mark of his disapprobation of the manner iv wliich the business was conducted. It is said that Mr. Field intends to adopt legal proceedings to try the question whether the Government can deprive him of his pension. If this should be done, it is very probable some curious disclosures will be made. — London

Paper. Curious Cross.—Mr. Baram, of Sandy Creek, has succeeded in a curious experiment of crossing in vegetables, having procured a cross between the common pea and the broad bean. Tho pod is exactly the same as that of the pea ; the vegetable round, but has the black spot of the bean, and m taste is almost the same, but somewhat sweeter.— Trtrrennnwer^FimijS^ i^^^^^mtfaSSj^i

Model of the Key Bismol-:.—The model of Mr Woore's " key bridge" in the exhibition has attracted a considerable amount of attention, and numerous inqiuries as to its principle and construction have been made of the machinists, Messrs Jones and Davis, who are in attendance for the purpose of giving explanations to visitors. The peculiarity of the bridge was recently described by its inventor in a paper read at a meeting ofthe Philosophical Society, and which appears in our columns. AYe subjoin a few particulars respecting the principle of the bridge, premising that its construction can only be understood by an"inspection of the model. Tbe distinguishing feature of the key bridge is stated lobe "a Wiw disposition of timber struts arranged in a series of triangles to form a trussed beam in such a niiinner that the strain rests solely on the longitudinal libra ofthe timber, and that the whole is incapable of longitudinal expansion." The main design ofthe inventor was to construct a strong timber bridge adapted fur crossing the creeks and ravines of this colony, and capable of being carried over a considerable span without any intermediate supports. The piers of tbe proposed bridge are of stone, and upon either of these rest the ends of three diagonal struts, the lower end of which meets at about a right angle the coitcl.pomling strut from the other pier ; tho other two extend at different angles, and are joined at their opposite ends to smaller struts, so as to form triangles, the upper angles of which are righ: -.ngles and fit into grooves 'prepared for their reception in the girders. These press consequently against the fibre of the struts, and the whole weight ofthe bridge falls perpendicularly on the piers. The struts and the girders arc secured to each other by duplex vertical braces, fastened at their ends with iron straps. The planking for the roadway rests upon the girders as in ordinary bridges ; and in addition to the piers for the struts, there are to be upper piers, or some other kind of support for the ends of the superstructure. The model is made of rosewood, very cleverly executed ; it represents a bridge of a hundred feet span, the scale being- three-quarters of an inch to the foot. Tbe thickness of- the seantlingfor a bridge of that si/.e would be six inches ; in the model, the thickness is only three-eighths of au inch. In order to test the strength of the bridge weights amounting to five-and-a-half hundred weight were placed upon it, which were occasionally increased, with scarcely any perceptible deflection. The weight of the model is less than nineteen pounds ; it consequently sustains more than thirty times its own weight, and, by comparing the condition of ihe ends of the strut's before and after the weights are put on, it is evident there is no lateral thurst. The experiment has not yet been put to the test on a large scale, but the construction of a bridge near Camden, to be of eighty feet span, is contemplated, the cost of which is estimated by Mr Woore nt £350. An application has been made to the Government by Mr AVooro for a patent for bis invention, and it'is now under consideration. The difficulties which have been experienced in internal communication in this colony in consequence of the number of creeks and ravines, render it desirable that Mr Woore's structure, which appears to combine lightness of material with extreme strength, as well to be adapted to any locality, and to be economical in cost, should be fairly tested. — Sydney Morning Herald.

OCR RELATION'S TOWARDS TIIE REST OP TIIE AVokld. — (Daily News.)— Our trade, our influence, are enhanced, our peace is secured, directly or indirectly, immediately or remotely, by whatever sacrifices'we make for the goad of our fellow creatures. But here once again the very form of the phrase _ involves the limits of our rights. \\ Te may not sacrifice the good of our own countrymen for the good of other nations, nor may we simply enforce by superior power our notions of what would be for the advantage of others, for this would be not sacrifice but tyranny. We may not interpose iii foreign wars, unless we see very clearly that tiie advantage to all humanity _ will far surpas-i the misery inflicted on our fellow-subjects. We have no right to compel a nation, unwilling to trade with us, to open its ports to our commerce, because that commerce will enrich ourselves and it. But if anywhere, whether in Europe or Africa, in tiie old world or the new, we see our fellow creatures oppressed by superior force, undergoing sufferings which it is in our power to prevent, and if that prevention can be effected at a less cost of suffering, it is then impossible to deny that we not only have the highest ofall conceivable rights, but that we are bound _by the most solemn duty to interfere for their relief. With colonies linking our power till it girdles the whole world, brought into relation by trade with every nation upon the globe, occupying a position which makes us tlio arbiter of sovereignty alike amid the best polished and tha most barbarous states, it is well for us to ponder sometimes on the rule which oiiKlit to guide our relations towards them and to regulate our influence over them. It is well for us that it is a rule which in itself is so simple, so uniform —a_ rule for whosa validity we can appeal to the holiest of books, in whose application we can so seldom have difficulty. It is a'rule which forbids all ambition, all aggrandisement, all aoU-secking; it calls upon us only for sacrifices, it bids us only be sure, ere we make the sacrifice, that the object is worthy of it. It allies us with great nations only when they, like us, luive the true interests of all mankind at heart; but it joins us in fellowship with the humble, the oppressed, the suffering, whereever they are found. Forbidding us to seek our own advancement at the cost of others, it forbids us to force others to their own advancement against the freedom oftheir own will. Bii t wherever the down-stricken cry to us for help, it bids us yield our sympathies wherever our help can. truly avail, it bids us grant it. Only it bids us pause to be sure that, in struggling to help some one, we bring not greater misery upon .others, and these chiefly of our own flesh. It is in this last respect that we must pause ere doing more than we have done for the repression of Dahomian atrocities. Fortified by the climate more effectually than by his body-guard' of Amazons, the king of that realm ' may bid defiance to our remonstrances. Doubtless "wo could overthrow his throne, but it would be at a cost of life beyond what he proposes to sacrifice. Nor unless we resolved lo hold the conntry in permanence is there any ground for supposing that the removal of one sovereign would change the habits ofthe people on which their bloody ceremonies are graftal. Thus forbidden to act, we must hope that the influences of ane»vly-opened trade in the products ofthe country will in time operate to prove that human life is too precious to be wasted in coronation solemnities, or in the celebration of the yam season. The country is rich in palm oil, wliich has only lately come iuto European demand ; it is said to be also rich in cotton of good quality. Here, as in many other parts of the world, tho American contest may be I nutfid of good. But in this, as in so many other things that are even now passing before our eyes, we must be content to leave the issue in the bauds of a higher wisdom than ours, lt is enough for us to know that by the principle taught us for the regulation of our private as well as our public conduct, we are prohibited haru from a costly and unavailing effort to prevent by force the contemplated-massacre. Danuehous Accident to Sir P. Goonriokk and vis Family.—lt will bo heard with deep regret that Sir F. Goodrieke and his family have, owing, as it is supposed, to some want of care or knowledge on the part of their domestics, been placed in imminent peril oftheir lives. It would .seem that, to provide for the increasing severity of the weather, the servants had commenced beating the apartments of Studloy Castle, the residence of the honourable baronet, liy the hot air fines provided for the purpose. Whether from negligence in removing and not, replacing the covers of the apertures, a huge quantity of carbonate gas was emitted into tho several rooms. The first tb feel the perilous effects of this supercharged atmosphere was a lady visiting at the castle. Finding that sho was rapidly becoming insensible, Sir Francis instantly set. out for Mr. Morris, surgeon,wbo came at once, 'and on his arrival found that Lady Goodrieke was also in an apparently dying state. Mr Morris soon divined the cause, and took bis remedies accordingly, but whilst be was attending to Lady Goodricke'and the lady first seized, Sir Francis himself and Mi;s Goodrick'e also swooned. Every attention possible was given to the sufferers, but they remained unconscious for hours. Happily they were all ultimately restored, and are now become convalescent.

A Walk Over. —A sardonic old trainer at Newmarket, when his wife disputed with him, never vouchsafed her a reply, not from any amiable motive of concession, but with the persuasion that such a course of treatment was the greatest punishment lie could inflict. "Women,"said the ancient misogynist, with a grin, "women hate a walk over."

An Old Sayino Exemplified.—" I'm towld they won't take this letter through the post, bekase it weighs over half-an-ounee. AVhat am Ito do, honey 1

"Why," "says Pat," put another head on it ye omadhaun." Bedacl! replies Mike, delighted at his friend's sagacity, "I niver thought of that. Sure two heads are better than one anyhow."

Knowing the Time of Day!—" Holloa!" ejaculated a guardian to his pretty niece, as he entered the parlour, and saw her in the arms of a swain, who had just popped the question, and sealed it with a kj SS) —"AYhat's the time of day now 1"—-"I should think it was about half-past twelve," was the cool reply of the blushing damsel I "you sco we are almost one." The ' New York Dispatch' gives the real ex planatlon ofthe disaster at Bull's Run : —" Ona of our exchanges has discovered the cause of the, I retrea-. of our army. It says,' AVhen the battle was at its hottest point, aud near!;,' won to our

side, there came word tbat there were two vacancies iv the New York custom-house. Hence the stampede of the leading officers. The met^oL