The Barbary Treaties 1786-1816 Treaty with Morocco - Ship-Signals Agreement

The Barbary Treaties 1786-1816

Treaty with Morocco - Ship-Signals Agreement

The following Signals are agreed upon between Commodore Rais Farache, on the Part of His Majesty the Emperor of Morocco, and the Honorable Thomas Barclay Esquire Agent for the United States of America on their Part, to the End that the Vessels of both Parties may be known to each other at Sea.

For Vessels of two or of three Masts,

In the Day, a blue Pendant is to be hoisted on the End of the Main Yard, and in the Night a Lantern is to be hoisted on the same Place.

For Vessels of one Mast only,

In the Day, a blue Pendant is to be hoisted at the Mast-Head, and in the Night a Lantern is to be hoisted on the Ensign Staff.

Done at Morocco the Ninth day of the Month of Ramadan in the Year One thousand two hundred.

THOs BARCLAY

COMMENT OF DR. C. SNOUCK HURGRONJE

In the above two lines of Arabic script (very badly written) there are two gross errors: In the first line instead of 'azim, "great," which is evidently meant, there is written 'adim, which means "destitute of." In the second line the word idhn, "authorization," "permission," has a letter too many, by which it becomes adhan, meaning "call to prayer." The two necessary corrections being made, the words run as follows: "From the Great in Position, the High in God [i. e., the Emperor]. By authorization: Rais [i. e., captain] Faraj."