194 
SIDI-ABDOUL-RAHMAN. 
From the garden we returned to the mosque^ where 
Sidi-Abdoul-Rahman, (this was the name of the young 
sherif) ordered one of his people to carry me some bread 
and honey ; and desired me to remain till supper time, as he 
intended to provide me with that meal. 
This good young man, about twenty-two years of age, 
favoured me with a very obhging invitation to spend some 
days with him at Marca, in order to recover from my fati- 
gues, promising afterwards to forward me to Fez at his own 
expense. I thanked him heartily, but urged as an objec- 
tion my impatience to reach home. The Berber brought 
me a handsome dish of mutton couscous ; and a moment 
afterwards the sherif sent me a portion of his supper, and 
had the further kindness to order one of his household to 
accompany me with a lantern to our encampment. 
On the 4th, at half after five in the morning, we de- 
parted, journeying N. N. W., amongst mountains and along 
the banks of a beautiful rivulet which fertilizes the neigh- 
bouring soil : the resident proprietors understand how to 
avail themselves of this resource ; they form canals from it, 
by which they water their small possessions ; by this me- 
thod they are enabled to cultivate corn and maize in seasons 
of the greatest drought, and to produce abundance of fine 
melons. Some palms and fig-trees grow on the margin of 
this pretty rivulet; and I remarked throughout the route 
small habitations scattered at very small distances. We 
advanced more than two miles an hour notwithstanding the 
stony nature of the soiL At half past two p. m. we halted 
at M-Dayara, a town defended by a high wall and encom- 
passed by a moat seven or eight feet in depth and of equal 
breadth. We entered by a large gate and passed the night 
here. When the cattle were unladen and the baggage ar- 
ranged, my guide, the sherif, noble scion of the prophet, 
recommended me to repair to the mosque to seek my sup- 
per : without answering him, I remained some time seated 
