ABSTRACT
GoLDandSilverMinesarefoundinseveralpartsoftheEmpireofMarocco;butmoreparticularlyaboutMessainthe provinceofSuse.BeingonceonavisittotheVicegerentof thisprovince,AlkaidMohammedbenDelemy,atShtuka,and desiroustoexaminethecountryinthevicinityofMessa,togetherwithitsmines,IrequestedanescortfromtheVicegerent,toaccompanymethither,whichhereadilygranted. OnmyarrivalatMessa,Iproceededtothesouthernbanksof theriver,whereIwasshewnagoldmiue,which,Iwasinformed,hadbeenworkedbythePortuguese,whentheywere inpossessionofthisdistrict,andwho,previoustotheirdeparture,hadthrownstonesintotheaperture,whichtheShelluhs hadfrequentlyattemptedinvaintoremove.Thesestoneswere ofanimmensesize,anditwouldhaverequiredconsiderable mechanicalpowerstoeffecttheirremoval.Iwasnextconductedthroughthebedoftheriver,whenIdiscovered,ona bluishsoil,twoseparatestrataofbluesandintermixedwith silverdust;ofthisIcollectedasmallquantity,andsentitto Englandtobeanalyzed;butsuchisthedispositionofthe people,thattheywillnotallowthesandtobetakenawayin anyquantityforthepurposeofextractingthemetal;though
GoldandSilverMines.JQ7
L2SSall-pelre.
