Salt in Africa as in Europe is a domestic superstition. A Jewess, one
morning, in bidding adieu to her friends, put her fingers into a
salt-cellar, and took from it a large pinch of salt, which her friend
told me afterwards was to preserve her from the evil one. Salt is also
used for a similar important purpose, when, during the night, a person
is obliged to pass from one room into another in the dark. It would be
an entertaining task to collect the manifold superstitions in different
parts of the world, respecting this essential ingredient of human food.

The habit of drinking white brandy, stimulates the immorality of this
Maroquine society. The Jews are the great factors of this _acqua
ardiente_, its Spanish and general name. Government frequently severely
punishes them for making it; but they still persevere in producing this
incentive to intoxication and crime. In all parts of the world, the most
degraded classes are the factors of the means of vice for the higher
orders of society. Moors drink it under protest, that it is not the
juice of the grape. On the Sabbath, the Jewish families are all flushed,
excited, and tormented by this evil spirit; but when the highest
enjoyments of intellect are denied to men, they must and will seek the
lower and beastly gratifications.

Friend Cohen came in one afternoon, and related several anecdotes of the
Maroquine Court. When Dr. Brown was attending the Sultan, the Vizier
managed to get hold of his cocked hat, and placing it upon his head,
strutted about in the royal gardens. Whilst performing this feat before
several attendants, the Sultan suddenly made his appearance in the midst
of them. The minister seeing him, fell down in a fright and a fit. His
Imperial Highness beckoned to the minister in such woful plight, to
pacify himself, and put his cloak before his mouth to prevent any one
from seeing him laugh at the minister, which he did most immoderately.