76 THE SULTAN'S LETTER. ch. iv. 



middle age, in a small plain room, whose only furniture 

 consisted in cushions laid round the walls. After shaking 

 hands in European fashion, we proceeded to seat ourselves, 

 cross-legged — no doubt looking very uncomfortable during 

 the experiment — while the Sultan's letter was produced. 

 This was written on a small sheet of inferior paper, folded 

 to the size of a note, and sealed with coarse sealing-wax. 

 It was received by the Grovemor, the seal reverently applied 

 to his forehead, and then broken. After reading aloud the 

 few lines of writing, the Grovemor handed the letter to Mr. 

 Carstensen, who proceeded to translate literally for our 

 benefit. It ran thus : ' On receiving this, you will send 

 the English hakeem and his companions to the care of my 

 slave. El Grraoui, to whom I have sent orders what he is to 

 do.' It should be explained that El G-raoui, spoken of as 

 the Sultan's slave, was the Grovemor of the portion of the 

 Grreat Atlas that is practically subject to the Imperial 

 authority, and precisely the person whose favour and 

 assistance it was essential for our objects to secure. 



To strangers unused to the style of the Marocco Court, 

 the Imperial letter did not seem a very promising docu- 

 ment ; but it was evident that, so far as the G-overnor of 

 Mogador was concerned, it conveyed the impression that 

 we were to be treated with respect and attention ; and this 

 was doubtless confirmed by the arrival of a courier from 

 Marocco, bearing a letter from the Sultan's eldest son, then 

 acting as viceroy in the southern provinces of the empire, 

 with orders to take every care for our safety and comfort 

 dm:ing the journey to the capital. 



We soon had a specimen of the shape in which official 

 protection displays itself in this country. On a represent- 

 ation from Mr. Carstensen that we should require nume- 

 rous baggage animals, besides horses and mules to ride, 

 the order had gone forth a week before our arrival that no 

 horses or mules should be sold or hired in the town of 

 Mogador until we had selected such as we required. This 

 accordingly was one of our first cares, and the embargo 



