412 
TRAVELS 1ST AFRICA. 
Chap. L. 
were sitting on either side of a door which led into 
an inner apartment, the opening or doorway of which 
was covered by a " kasar " or, as it is called here, 
" parpara," made of a fine species of reed, as I have 
mentioned in my description of the capital of Logon. 
In front of the door, between the two lines of the 
courtiers, I was desired to sit down, together with 
my companions. 
Being rather puzzled to whom to address myself, as 
no one was to be seen who was in any way distin- 
guished from the rest of the people, all the courtiers 
being simply dressed in the most uniform style, in 
black, or rather blue tobes, and all being bare-headed, 
I asked aloud, before beginning my address, whether 
the sultan 'Abd el Kader was present ; and an audible 
voice answered from behind the screen, that he was 
present. Being then sure that it was the sultan 
whom I addressed, although I should have liked better 
to have seen him face to face, I paid him my respects 
and presented the compliments of Her Britannic 
Majesty's government, which, being one of the chief 
European powers, was very desirous of making ac- 
quaintance with all the princes of the earth, and of 
Negroland also, in order that their subjects, being the 
first traders in the world, might extend their com- 
merce in every direction. I told him that we had 
friendship and treaties with almost all the nations of 
the earth, and that I myself was come in order to 
make friendship with them ; for although they did 
not possess many articles of trade to offer, espe- 
