After remaining some time with his wife at the Sheikh’s house, where they received a warm welcome, João informed his father-in-law that he must return to his work. Leaving early one morning with his wife and child, he proceeded to Tangier, a distance of about fifteen miles. On arrival at the Portuguese outposts, he was challenged by a sentry. The soldier proved to be an old comrade who had heard that João had assumed the disguise of a Moslem, and, recognising him, allowed him to enter the town, where he was conducted before the Portuguese Governor, to relate his adventures and present his wife and child.
The Governor took great interest in João, who had always borne an excellent character. Rahma, by her husband’s desire, wore the European dress, and as a Christian no longer veiled her face. The Governor was much struck by her beauty and gentle manners, and on learning from her, for she had acquired the Portuguese language, that she was already converted to the Christian faith and desired to be baptized by a priest, together with her little girl, he took her to his wife and daughters, by whom Rahma was made much of. They were lodged in the Governor’s house, and the baptism was carried out, with great ceremony, at the Cathedral[45] of Tangier; the child was christened Miriam.
After a sojourn of some weeks, João and his family were given a passage in a Government vessel bound to Lisbon, with letters of recommendation to the King and Queen, to whom their history was related. The Royal family patronised João, and took especial interest in pretty Rahma and her daughter as being converts from the Mohammedan faith.
Being a clever mechanic, João obtained a lucrative employment, and lived in ease and comfort with his wife, who bore him a large family.
Rahma wrote to her father and described how happy she and her husband were, and that they had escaped to the land of the Nazarenes, as they had feared the jealous and revengeful feelings of the smiths at the capital; for João, since the betrayal of his secret, had no longer been shown favour by the Sultan. However, for fear of causing sorrow to her father, she did not inform him of her conversion to the Christian faith.
João sent the old Sheikh a beautiful gun, with his own name and that of Sheikh Shashon engraved on the barrel in letters of gold.
CHAPTER XIX.
FOURTH MISSION TO MARÁKESH. 1872.
In 1872 Sir John was made Minister Plenipotentiary. This mark of confidence on the part of Her Majesty’s Government was the more acceptable as he had recently been attacked in the English press. The most important of these attacks appeared in the Spectator, which however afterwards withdrew its charges unreservedly. Unjust accusations of this nature affected him only for the moment, when his quick and passionate spirit would fire up under misrepresentation, for, as he writes: ‘I was lugged out of my little corner and set on a pedestal to be pelted with dirt—now replaced by bouquets. I am getting callous to abuse. “Fais ce que dois, advienne que pourra.”’
In a letter dated September 27, 1872, to Sir Joseph Hooker, he says:—