CH. Yi. PALACE OF BEN DEEIS. 137 



a mere comedy ; but it is characteristic of the country, 

 that it should not be considered improbable. Hooker 

 decided that it was not expedient to overlook the affronts 

 of which Ben Daoud was either the author or the instru- 

 ment, and his message was met by a curt refusal. 



The house or palace of Ben Dreis, which we were to 

 inhabit, originally belonged to a powerful minister, 

 whose property, after the custom of the country, had been 

 confiscated by the sovereign. In 1864 it was occupied by 

 Sir Moses Montefiore ; and a correct sketch of it is given 

 in Dr. Hodgkin's narrative of that gentleman's mission of 

 benevolence to Marocco. 



We were told that a short time would be required to 

 prepare the house for our reception, and it turned out 

 that the first requisite step was to knock down the wall 

 that stood where the entrance had formerly been. A house 

 in which Jews or Christians had lived was regarded as 

 unclean and unfit for the dwelling of a true believer, and 

 accordingly after the departure of Sir M. Montefiore, the 

 entrance had been walled up, and the house had so 

 remained ever since. When the way had been cleared, an 

 escort of soldiers, despatched by the Viceroy, accompanied 

 us to our new dwelling, which stands inside its walled 

 garden very near to the Bab Eoub — the gate by which we 

 yesterday entered the city. We were agreeably surprised 

 when we approached by far the finest house which we any- 

 where saw in this country, a massive square building, 

 entered by a Moorish arch. As usual, the ground-floor 

 rooms, with the central court, roofed in, contrary to the 

 usual practice, were fit only for servants, or for stabling 

 animals and storing goods, and the best apartments 

 were on the upper floor. These were, of course, destined 

 for us. But the first glance showed that in a country 

 where animal, and especially insect, life is so active, 

 the rooms in their present state would be no pleasant 

 habitations. This, however, was foreseen and provided 

 for, and, before many minutes were over, a crowd of 



