In compliance with your instructions, I presented the interrogatories to the
Moorish minister of foreign affairs, who made about the same remarks thereto
as those contained in my inclosure accompanying this dispatch.
[Inclosure in No. 329.]
Interrogatories to dispatch No. 146 and answers thereto for the information of the
Secretary of the Treasury.
1. What is the amount of gold coin and bullion in the treasury, in the
banks, and in circulation in the country to which you are
accredited?
Answer. I am unable to reply to this query, for the Moorish Government
has hitherto declined to impart to any person the state of their
finance, or to give any information respecting the expenditure and
receipts of the government. There are no banks in Morocco. The Moorish
gold coin has disappeared of late years, having been exported to Europe,
as the gold was of a high standard. Spanish and French gold coin are
current, but it would be difficult, and indeed almost impossible, to
state the amount in circulation.
2. What is the amount of silver coin and bullion in the treasury, in the
banks, and in circulation?
Answer. Same remarks as above.
3. What is the amount of outstanding paper currency?
Answer. None.
4. What is the amount of gold produced annually from the mines?
Answer. None; but gold is brought in dust and in trinkets, made at
Timbuctoo, by caravans from the interior across the Desert of
Sahara.
5. What is the amount of silver produced annually?
Answer. None.
6. What is the amount of gold annually coined, imported, exported, and
consumed in the arts and manufactures?
Answer. According to the statement of the Moorish minister for foreign
affairs, and as far as I am aware, gold coins have ceased to be struck
during the last twenty years. I can form no estimate of the amount of
gold employed in the arts and manufactures. The average of gold dust
exported from 1871 to 1875 was $8,900.
7. What is the amount of silver annually coined, imported, exported, and
consumed in the arts and manufactures?
Answer. Same remarks as above. The average during the last five years of
silver coin annually exported is $12,500.
The coins which are current in the Empire of Morocco are Moorish,
Spanish, and French. The coins of the Emperor are the gold bontkee,
equal in value to the 10-franc gold piece, 19c. 3 per franc value in
United States money; the silver ounce, equal in value to the twentieth
and tenth part of a French 5-franc piece or Spanish dollar; and the
copper floos, 24 to the copper ounce or 6 to a blankil, 4 blankils
making a copper ounce. The value of the French and Spanish silver is not
fixed, but subject to variations according to the amount of copper floos
in market. In January last the Spanish dollar circulated for 51 copper
ounces of 4 blankils, and the 5-franc piece for 50. During last month
the accumulation of floos increased the exchange of the silver dollar to
60 ounces, and brought the Spanish and French dollar to an equal value.
The exchange of these coins now are 55 ounces.
But few Moorish gold coins are in circulation in the interior; none to be
seen at Tangier. The Moorish silver coins are also exceedingly scarce,
and therefore little in circulation; none of them to be seen at
Tangier.
The custom-house rates of exchange are as follows, namely: 34½ ounces
(silver) to the Spanish dollar: 32½ ounces (silver) to the 5-franc
piece.
