140 MOORISH IDEAS. ch. vi. 



new plants they could find there. To this suggestion, 

 a serious objection was made. It would appear unworthy 

 of a great ruler, we were told, to trouble herself about 

 anything so frivolous as a garden : ' Her thoughts must be 

 engaged in the government of her vast dominions, and 

 above all in the management of her armies and fleets, 

 and not on mere matters of amusement.' ' But,' as it was 

 urged, ' there is one use of plants that every one can 

 understand. Cannot you say that you are seeking for 

 herbs useful to cure diseases, and are charged to bring 

 these home to the Queen of England ? ' Of course it was 

 true that if by any chance such new plants as we might 

 find possessed medicinal qualities, they would thereby 

 acquire additional interest, and, therefore, in our numerous 

 subsequent communications with the authorities, Hooker 

 stated that his commission was to collect and bring home 

 the plants of the country, and especially those useful in 

 medicine. It is pretty certain, however, that the imagina- 

 tion of our interpreter enlarged upon this text, to what 

 extent we could not of course say. How much that we 

 afterwards heard was serious, and how much more play 

 of fancy, it is hard to guess ; but there is no doubt that 

 the current belief among our own followers was that the 

 Sultana of England had heard that there was somewhere 

 in Marocco a plant that would make her live for ever, and 

 that she had sent her own hakitn to find it for her. When, 

 in the course of our journey, it was seen that our botanical 

 pursuits entailed rather severe labour, the commentary 

 was : ' The Sultana of England is a severe woman, and she 

 has threatened to give them stick (the bastinado) if they 

 do not find the herb she wants I ' 



It was impossible to decide on our future route imtil 

 after an interview with El Graoui ; but whatever that 

 might be, it was certain that we should require a number 

 of animals to convey ourselves and our baggage ; and we 

 yielded to the general opinion of the coxmtry in preferring 

 mules for this purpose. Camels are unfit for the rough 



