SIDI-MOULA-SITEC. 
195 
upon a mat^ near a Moor of the town^ who seeing I was in 
no hurry to withdraw, and no doubt fearing the necessity of 
dividing his supper with me, advised me to rejoin my com- 
panions, and take my share of the provision which the town 
would provide for them. Thus repulsed on all sides I lay 
down beside the baggage : my illustrious muleteer angrily 
asked, why I did not remain at the mosque ; to which 1 re- 
plied that he might go thither himself to seek his supper ; 
this answer silenced him. Finding him so desirous to get 
rid of me, I thought that the Moors of the caravan intended 
to club together to purchase food, and determined to learn 
how this might be. 
The sherif Sidi-Moula-Sitec, a man of high nobility 
and who enjoyed the imperial favour, travelled along with 
our caravan ; he carried his wife with him, concealed under 
a scarlet pavilion, as well to preserve her from the intense 
heat as to screen her from our observation : at the halting- 
places, four persons assisted her to alight, and one of her 
women, who also appeared veiled in our presence, lifted up a 
corner of the curtain to admit the air. 
Sidi-Moula-Sitec, whose provisions for himself and his 
suite were separately dressed, sent in the evening a copious 
supply of tea to his travelling companions ; they took it 
while waiting the approach of supper time ; and soon after- 
wards an enormous dish of couscous was sent to them, 
which was speedily divided among twelve or fourteen Moors, 
who disputed the possession of it. When my muleteer had 
satisfied his hunger, he put the two or three mouthfuls of 
couscous that remained, in a small basket, generally used 
for feeding his asses with barley, and brought it to me, 1 
eagerly accepted this food, as I had eaten nothing all day 
but a few dates. After this slender repast, finding that I 
should not be permitted to remain beside the baggage, I 
went in search of a place where I might sleep in quiet, 
and lay down at the door of the mosque, near some travel- 
o 2 
