CH. VI. INTEEIOE OF THE CITY. 129 



main streets. Hitherto we had met very few passers-by ; 

 but we now found ourselves in a rather crowded thorough- 

 fare, encountering a good many men on horseback, and a 

 large number of foot passengers, many of them veiled 

 women. The street displayed nothing but mud walls, 

 about twenty feet in height, without a single window, but 

 with openings at frequent intervals leading into short and 

 narrow passages or lanes. The behaviour of the people 

 as we passed was singular. Some of them east scowling 

 looks at us and muttered words, certainly not of welcome, 

 which may very likely have included some unflattering 

 references to our grandmothers ; but the great majority 

 went by without seeming to heed us in the least, as though 

 European costume, which had probably not been seen 

 within the walla since M. Beaumier's visit in February, 

 1868, were a familiar sight calling for no remark. 



At length the head of our escort turned suddenly into 

 one of the narrow lanes, barely wide enough to let a laden 

 camel pass ; we followed and, after passing the entrances 

 of iive or six other houses, reached a low door at the end 

 of the lane. Stooping through the mean entrance and a 

 short passage, we found a small open court, about fifteen 

 feet square, on each side of which was a narrow room, 

 receiving no light except from the court. A very brief 

 inspection showed that the whole place was swarming with 

 insects of every kind ; and as Hooker turned round to 

 express his opinion and his intentions, it was found that 

 the officer with his rabble escort had decamped the 

 moment he saw us safe into the house, thinking no doubt 

 that we had thus no option but to remain there. When 

 Hooker announced in very decisive terms his resolution 

 not to sleep in such a house, Mr. Hunot and our new 

 Moorish friends, foreseeing a row between us and the 

 Governor, urged that we should put up with the house for 

 that night, and on the following morning negotiate for a 

 more suitable dwelling. As we were holding council 

 together as to what should be done, a number of men 



K 



