If
the festival of the Mussulmans coincides with the Sabbath of the Jews, the
latter pay to each of the chiefs one ounce for a Jew or a Jewess, boy or
girl, little or big. The following are the details of the population of
Massat. It includes 1,700 men. As to the women, little boys or girls, only
the Lord knows their number. There are 1,250 houses. The horses amount to
180. They ride them and make them work like oxen and mules. They also fight
on horseback. The country has trees, vines, figs, cacti, dates, oranges,
lemons, apples, apricots, melons, and olives. There is a river which flows
from there to the sea. The commerce is considerable. There are Jews and
Mussulmans. The number of books in the mosque is unknown, unless it be by
God. The teachers are numerous as well as the pilgrims, the descendants of
Mahomet, and the saints. May God aid us with his blessing!
We will now speak of the tribute which the people of Massat pay yearly to
Prince Mouley-Abd-Er-Rahman. Up to our days they had, for fifty-one years,
given him 5,000 livres of silver. The prince said to them, "You must pay
1,000 livres more.
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