49 
A moment after the kaid called me; I followed him 
to the platform of the battery, which was a kind of ter- 
race, situated on the north towards the sea, and which 
was defended with nine pieces of cannon of the largest 
size. At the eastern angle was a small house of wood, 
elevated some feet above the parapet, with a small stair- 
case of eight stairs. Into this house the sultan entered, 
and laid himself down on a mattrass on some cushions. 
The kaid, two high officers, and myself, left our slip- 
pers at the door, in order to present ourselves barefoot, 
which the usual ceremony required. The two officers 
placed themselves at my sides, each holding me by one 
of my arms; the kaid staid to the left, as if to form a sort 
of fence round me. W e presented ourselves to the 
sultan bowing, or rather bending half the body pro- 
foundly to him, and placing our right hands on our 
breasts. 
The sultan repeated to me his " welcome," and bid 
me sit on the stairs; the officers withdrew, and the kaid 
kept standing. The sultan told me with some warmth 
and with a tone of kindness, that he was very glad to see 
me; he repeated several expressions of this sort, laying 
his hand on his breast, in order to show me his senti- 
ments both by words and by actions. I found this 
sovereign very favourably disposed towards me, at 
which I was the more surprized, as I had as yet done 
nothing to merit it. 
The sultan asked me in what countries I had travel- 
led, what languages I spoke, and if I could write them; 
what were the sciences which I had studied in the 
Christian schools, and how long I had resided in Eu- 
rope? He praised God for having caused me to leave 
the country of the infidels, C£ regretted that a man like 
me had deferred so Ipng his visit to Morocco; much 
VOL. I. H 
