A PRETEXT FOR BOTANISING 93 



The Sultan's power is absolute, where acknowledged, 

 which is not over more than one-third of his dominions ; 

 where it is, there is absolute safety of life and property ; 

 where it is not, he will not allow any one to go under his 

 orders. 



The Mountain people we shall visit for two or three 

 weeks (till May 29) before returning to Mogador (June 3-7) 

 and home (June 21) are said to be a very fine race, and as 

 I have lots of presents for them in knives, scissors, handker- 

 chiefs, watches, musical-boxes, opera-glasses, &c., I expect 

 to be well treated and received, over and above the food 

 and respect which the Sultan's orders ensure. . . . 



I am now anxious about getting home, 1 but the chance 

 of exploring so new and hitherto unvisited and inaccessible 

 a region as the Greater Atlas must not be thrown away, or 

 I should be disgraced everlastingly. Nothing short of the 

 strongest representations on Sir J. Hay's part and the 

 assurance that I had no political or commercial object and 

 would not explore the mineral riches of the mountains, to- 

 gether with the assurance that a refusal would be unfriendly 

 to the English Sultana, whose Hakim and Gardener I was ! 

 compelled the Sultan to yield the point, and then Sir J. 

 H[ay] did not think all secure till he insisted on my being the 

 bearer of an autograph letter of the Sultan's to the Chief 

 at Mogador ordering him to put me on the journey to Marocco 

 and hand me over to El Graoui, to whom and the Viceroy 

 he (the Sultan) had sent orders to treat me properly and send 

 me to the Atlas with liberty to pursue my investigations. 



With these restrictions, they were unable to examine the 

 rocks openly, or to secure geological specimens ; while as to 

 botany, the only acceptable pretext was to give out that they 

 were commissioned to collect the plants of the country, 

 especially those useful in medicine. As improved by the 

 interpreter and camp talk, the belief among their followers 

 undoubtedly was that the Sultana of England had heard that 

 there was somewhere in Marocco a plant that would make 



1 Writing to Mrs. Hooker on the 19th, he repeats : ' We are all perfectly 

 well, but I am most anxious to get home, if only to relieve Smith [his curator]. 

 This is the last expedition of the kind I shall ever undertake. At my age 

 one has had too much experience and sees too well how much he leaves undone 

 'to enjoy such feats as of yore.' 



