They assembled round me and overwhelmed me with questions. I was never taken at first sight by the Moors of Tafilet for an Arab; they always treated me at once as a stranger; redoubled artifice was necessary to deceive them: but when I declared myself to have been taken prisoner while very young by the army of Bonaparte, they appeared satisfied, and congratulated me upon the good resolution I had formed of returning to my country
At the gate of Marca, I met, by a singular accident, a Berber whom I had known at el-Harib: he received me with kindness, and immediately acquainted the assembly with my history. This Berber politely invited me to visit his humble cabin, of a single floor, where he seated me on a very clean mat, and his wife produced some dates which we ate together. She sat unveiled in a corner of a dark and dirty room employed in weaving a woollen wrapper. When we had eaten our dates, the Berber led me to the mosque, and introduced me to two sherifs, natural sons of the emperor: we found them at prayers: but no sooner had they finished than I was persecuted with questions; amongst others whether I had been circumcised either in the Soudan or at Alexandria: I replied that I was circumcised in my infancy previously to leaving my country, and I hastened to change the topic, these interrogatories being always distressing to me since they constrained me to repeated falsehoods. Fortunately my reply appeared satisfactory, and I took advantage of their discourse being directed for a moment to their pupils to leave them; they soon, however, sought me out at the gate of the village, where I was seated, placed themselves on the ground beside me, and displaying a New Testament in Latin and Arabic, asked me if I knew that book; I read a few passages to them, and they amused themselves with ridiculing the supposed credulity of the christians.
As the village was surrounded by pleasant walled gardens, I expressed a wish to see them. The youngest of the party instantly took me by the hand, and, followed by six other Moors, we walked to them. The young sherif when in his garden ordered some figs and grapes to be gathered, which he offered me very gracefully. I was particularly surprized by an almost French politeness in his manners; for example, never serving himself first, offering me the finest and ripest fruits, and even peeling them for me. I ate however but sparingly of fruit, fearing lest it might disagree with me. I saw in this garden melons, gombos, and a great variety of fruit-trees; it also contains a well thirty feet deep.
From the garden we returned to the mosque, where Sidi-Abdoul-Rahman, (this was the name of the young sherif) ordered one of his people to carry me some bread and honey; and desired me to remain till supper time, as he intended to provide me with that meal.
This good young man, about twenty-two years of age, favoured me with a very obliging invitation to spend some days with him at Marca, in order to recover from my fatigues, promising afterwards to forward me to Fez at his own expense. I thanked him heartily, but urged as an objection my impatience to reach home. The Berber brought me a handsome dish of mutton couscous; and a moment afterwards the sherif sent me a portion of his supper, and had the further kindness to order one of his household to accompany me with a lantern to our encampment.
On the 4th, at half after five in the morning, we departed, journeying N. N. W., amongst mountains and along the banks of a beautiful rivulet which fertilizes the neighbouring soil: the resident proprietors understand how to avail themselves of this resource; they form canals from it, by which they water their small possessions; by this method they are enabled to cultivate corn and maize in seasons of the greatest drought, and to produce abundance of fine melons. Some palms and fig-trees grow on the margin of this pretty rivulet; and I remarked throughout the route small habitations scattered at very small distances. We advanced more than two miles an hour notwithstanding the stony nature of the soil. At half past two P. M. we halted at M-Dayara, a town defended by a high wall and encompassed by a moat seven or eight feet in depth and of equal breadth. We entered by a large gate and passed the night here. When the cattle were unladen and the baggage arranged, my guide, the sherif, noble scion of the prophet, recommended me to repair to the mosque to seek my supper: without answering him, I remained some time seated 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 companions, 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 I replied 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 afterwards 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, I 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 travelling Moors, who were so much annoyed by my cough, for I had a severe cold, that in great anger they even struck me, to compel me to withdraw.
At five in the morning, I perceived by the arrangements which were making, that we should not set out before evening, and determined, though with repugnance, to beg in the town for some dates, a fruit so plentiful in this country. I first applied to an old Moor, who affected all the externals of devotion, but he shewed little sensibility for my misery, recommending me to trust in God who would assist me; a second brought me a handful of rotten dates, which I could not eat; and a third, whose mien announced more charity, gave me a considerable quantity, but they were harder and worse than those which I had eaten at el-Harib. Losing my fortitude, and undeceived on the subject of Musulman charity, so much vaunted among us, I returned to our baggage, and, presenting my acquisition of fruit to the asses which refused it, I breakfasted upon a handful of that which had been given me at Boheim. Part of the day was spent in shoeing the animals.
About three P.M, being all ready, we took our departure, and travelled N. W., over level and stony ground; the sun was setting as we reached Rahaba, where we encamped under the palm-trees, without the town. As I happened to be placed near the sherif Sidi-Moula-Sitec, who had shewn me, on the road, the unexampled courtesy of giving me a draught from the cup which he himself in general used, I went to thank him; he gave me a friendly reception, and, offering me his hand with a smile, told me that he had directed one of his suite to supply me with provisions all the way to Fez, and, to leave me under no uneasiness on this head, he renewed his order in my presence; but the profligate servant took little notice, and obeyed his master’s command for one night only.