'211 
Notwithstanding my representations, Dlaimi declared 
to me that in the present state of things he could not 
consent to my departure until he had received new or- 
ders from the sultan. I was, therefore, obliged to re- 
turn to Ouschda, in order to write to the sultan. After 
having received my letter, he sent me two other officers 
of his court to conduct me to Tangier, where I might 
be able to embark for the east. I therefore left Ousch- 
da, with my people and equipage, on the 3d of August, 
at nine in the evening, and was escorted by two officers 
and thirty oudaias, or life-guards of the sultan, leaving 
behind me at Ouschda the Ka'id Dlaimi, with the re- 
mainder of his troop. The motive of my departing so 
late was, because Dlaimi had been informed that 400 
Arabs, in arms, were watching me on the high road. 
For this reason I left the place clandestinely, and my 
conductors themselves did not know the road I was to 
take till the moment of my departure, when they re- 
ceived the necessary instructions from Dlaimi. We 
quitted the high road, and crossed the fields to the south, 
pushing forth into the desert. The night was very dark, 
and the sky quite covered with clouds. 
Sunday, 4th August. After having advanced very 
fast during the night, climbing up hills, we arrived at 
six in the morning near the ruins of a large alcassaba, 
in whose vicinity there was a spring and a very great 
douar. 
We continued our march* without stopping, through 
several irregular vallies, at the bottom of which was a 
river, which, though small, was very serviceable to the 
inhabitants of several douars, in watering their ground. 
According to an order, of which the two officers were 
the bearers, every douar was to furnish me one or two 
