55 
off so soon, and that I must remain some days longer at 
Tangier. He asked me how much time I required, 
and I requested ten days. He went to the sultan, who 
immediately acquiesced in the delay. 
That very evening, accompanied by my good kadi, I 
paid a visit to the first minister, Sidi Mohamed Salaoui> 
who, when he received us, was squatting down in a cor- 
ner of the small wooden house where I had seen the sul- 
tan; he had not even a mat on the ground under him. 
The room was lighted by nothing but a miserable tin 
lantern, with four small sides of glass, and placed on 
the earth close to his side. In this manner he had re- 
ceived the consul general of France, who left him as I 
entered. We sat down on the ground near him, and the 
quarter of an hour's interview passed in reciprocal com- 
pliments. 
After this I went with the kadi to wait on Muley Ab» 
delmelek, cousin-german to the sultan, a man much re- 
spected, and who was the general of the royal guard. 
He was in a tent, lying on a mattrass with one of his 
young children, and with his fakih at his side. As we 
entered, the fakih rose; Muley Abdelmelek sat up, and 
made us sit near him on another mattrass; our conversa- 
tion, which was kind and good humoured, lasted about 
an hour. 
In these visits the kadi went on his mule, and myself 
on horseback, with my people on foot, carrying lan- 
tern. I made a present to each of the persons I visited, 
and distributed gratifications to the door-keepers and 
servants; I made also the proper civilities of this sort to 
the high officers and favourites of the sultan. 
On Wednesday, 12th October, the sultan began 
very early in the morning his journey to Mequinez; 
thus ended my introduction to the court of Morocco* 
