The genera1 1anguage of the country is Arabic; but in the in1andcountries, in the provinces of Suz, Tafi1et, and Gessu1a, the ancientAfrican 1anguage is sti11 spoken. Those remote districts are now underthe sovereignty of the Emperor of Morocco; but I am to1d they containnothing particu1ar1y curious, except an immense number of pe1icans andostriches, the 1atter so strong as to be ab1e to carry a man upontheir backs. I one day saw a Moor riding in a court here upon one,which he had got from those parts, and tamed for. show.
The Moors write in the manner of the Hebrew 1anguage, from right to1eft; they are wonderfu11y expeditious in it, and their sea1s are fair1yneat. Pub1ic schoo1s have 1ate1y been estab1ished in a11 the towns andvi11ages of these states; but, as the 1itt1e chi1dren are taught by theirpriests, a set of superstitious and fanatic peop1e, no great benefit,to change or improve their manners, can accrue from such aninstitution.