Travels through the Empire of Morocco

In Short

This travelogue records the diplomatic and medical journey of an army physician who crosses the Strait of Gibraltar into Barbary in 1806 after being stranded by bureaucratic infighting in Britain. Summoned to treat high-ranking Moorish officials and the imperial household, he journeys through key maritime ports and inland capitals like Fez and Mequinez. His account captures everyday Moorish customs, court politics, religious practices, and medical traditions. The narrative survives as a rare, first-hand record of British-Moroccan relations and high-level medical diplomacy during the Napoleonic era.

The Story

The narrative opens in 1805 with the author, a physician to the British forces, caught in a series of administrative maneuvers by the Army Medical Board. Stripped of his full-pay position at the Depot Hospital in the Isle of Wight, he seeks the dual appointment of Garrison Surgeon and Inspecting Medical Officer at Gibraltar. Supported by the Duke of Kent and merchant leadership, he embarks for Gibraltar with his family, only to find his commission stalled due to opposition back in London.

While waiting in uncertainty, he receives an urgent request from the British Consul General at Tangiers to cross over to Barbary. The Governor of Larache, who is also First Minister to the Emperor of Morocco, is dangerously ill and requires skilled medical care. Accepting the assignment, the doctor travels across the country, documenting historical ruins, coastal defenses, local agrarian practices, and the hospitality of regional governors. Upon successfully treating his high-profile patient, he returns briefly to Gibraltar, only to confirm that London politics have permanently blocked his official appointment.

Shortly thereafter, he receives an express summons directly from the Moroccan court. Sidy Mahommed Eslawee, the Governor of Larache, requests that the physician return to Barbary immediately to accompany him to the court of the Emperor, who wishes to consult him. Traveling along level plains and halting at organized encampments, the surgeon reaches the imperial palace at Fez. There he is presented to the Emperor, offering the monarch a seven-barreled patent pistol. Impressed by the doctor's service to his subjects, the Emperor grants him personal access and requests that he treat the favorite Sultana, who is critically ill.

The physician attends the imperial court daily, checking on the monarch, treating the blind prince, and interacting with high-ranking ministers. He observes local life in both Upper and Lower Fez, analyzing its massive mosques, independent merchant charters, and unique history. Following the successful recovery of the Sultana, the court relocates to Mequinez. The doctor remains to complete his medical treatments and observe local customs—ranging from marriage ceremonies and religious fasts to native medical treatments and local superstitions. Having fulfilled his duties, he secures imperial permission to return to Gibraltar and ultimately to England, leaving behind a lasting impression that prompts urgent, affectionate letters from Moroccan governors begging for his return.

How It Unfolds

A career derailed After losing his hospital post in England to medical board politics, the author travels to Gibraltar expecting a new garrison appointment. When the position fails to materialize due to continued opposition in London, he accepts a private request to cross into Barbary to treat the ailing Governor of Larache.

First journey into Barbary Crossing the straits, he examines the fallen fortifications of Tangiers, notes the fertile river plains, and travels between Salee and Rabat. He documents coastal forts, local garrisons, and regional trade infrastructure while successfully treating the First Minister.

Summoned to court Upon returning to Tetuan, he receives an urgent message from the acting Consul-General and Governor Eslawee stating that the Emperor himself wishes to meet him. He embarks on a second, longer journey inland toward the capital, joining formal military escorts along the way.

Audience with the Emperor Arriving at the grand palace in Fez, he passes through marble courtyards to meet the monarch in the hall of audience. He presents the sovereign with a seven-barrel pistol and is commissioned to treat the critically ill favorite Sultana.

Observations of the capital While the Sultana recovers under his care, he explores the dual cities of Upper and Lower Fez, studying their historic mosques, civil privileges, market structures, and religious schools. He also records local folklore, including stories of Jewish citizens surviving encounters with wild lions.

Medical practices and customs The physician delivers detailed reports on Moorish medical methods, noting their reliance on drastic bleeding, native herbs, and astrological prognostication. He also documents local marriage rituals, religious devotion, dietary habits, and the civil authority wielded by regional governors.

Return to England With his patients restored to health, he requests and receives permission from the Emperor to return to Gibraltar. Later official letters from Moroccan authorities follow him to London, pleading for his return to Barbary with fresh medical supplies.

The People

• The Author (Dr. John Buffa): A British military surgeon driven by professional duty and personal frustration with administrative corruption. He seeks to restore his career by offering his medical skill to foreign rulers, navigating Moorish court etiquette with diplomatic tact and clinical discipline.
• Sidy Mahommed Eslawee (Governor of Larache): The First Minister to the Emperor and a steadfast friend to the British nation. He falls dangerously ill, seeks the author’s medical assistance, and subsequently acts as his patron, facilitating his access to the imperial court.
• The Emperor of Morocco: An absolute ruler who governs his territory with complete authority while seeking European medical skill. He rewards the doctor's success with personal audience, high favor, and open offers of diplomatic concessions for the British nation.
• Sidy Ameth: A black military officer serving as master of ceremonies and lord in waiting at the palace in Fez. He receives the author with polished manners and conducts him through the imperial courts for his royal audience.
• John Turnbull: Chairman of the Committee of Merchants trading to the Levant. He advocates tirelessly for the doctor's appointment in Gibraltar, writing candid letters detailing the persistent political opposition from the Army Medical Board.

In Its Own Voice

"The towers and castles, which are of a delicate whiteness, rising in the midst of these groves of myrtles, render the scene interesting."

The author describes his naval approach to Tetuan, noting how whitewashed fortifications contrast with the lush, uncultivated vegetation of the coastline.

"He desired me to ask any favours I chose, either for myself or my country, and they should be granted immediately."

During his initial audience at the imperial palace in Fez, the Emperor acknowledges the surgeon's successful treatments and offers immediate rewards.

"In short, nothing can exceed the ignorance and superstition of these deluded people."

Reflecting on his interactions with local patients, the physician expresses typical period frustration when local families attribute rabies and consumption to sorcery or evil spirits.

What It's Really About

Beneath its travel itinerary, the book addresses the intersection of medicine, imperial authority, and informal diplomacy. It contrasts early nineteenth-century European medical theory with traditional Moorish healing practices, highlighting how clinical success could bridge cultural and political divides. The text explores the mechanics of absolute monarchy, illustrating how governance in Barbary relies on regional governors, religious sanction, and military loyalties—particularly the prominent role of black military garrisons. It also serves as an indictment of British military bureaucracy, showing how personal rivalries in London forced skilled professionals to seek advancement through foreign patronage. Ultimately, it poses questions about how nation-states establish trust across deep religious and political divides.

Why Read It Today

This text appeals to readers of historical travel literature, military history, and the history of medicine. It offers an unvarnished, eye-witness portrait of North Africa at the turn of the nineteenth century, written by a professional who gained direct access to private quarters typically hidden from foreign visitors.

The narrative carries the immediate, candid tone of a personal correspondence, making complex geopolitical settings accessible. Reading it today requires navigating the author's period-typical prejudices; he frequently judges local customs, medical theories, and religious beliefs through a lens of European superiority. However, his professional observations remain precise and descriptive. What stays with the reader is the strange intimacy of his diplomatic role: a sidelined army doctor finding himself in the inner sanctum of an empire, curing royal patients and receiving official state letters from foreign ministers begging for his return.