ing to _Marrakesh_,
which is the Moorish name for Morocco City, the southern capital of the
empire. In order to see more of the country we marched by a zigzag
route, crossing, but not following, the beaten track; thus we were once
or twice in villages where European women had not been seen: we met no
one, and we camped in odd, out-of-the way corners, objects of huge
interest to the wandering Arabs with whom we fell in.

Mr. Maddon, the British Consul at Mogador, to whom we brought letters of
introduction from Sir Arthur Nicolson, helped us in several ways, and in
his turn provided us with letters to an Arab in Marrakesh. We managed to
buy two mules: one was from the Sus, with a backbone like a sword-fish
and every rib showing, but he was as hard as nails, and would pace along
all day without any trouble; the other was a lazy beast, fat and older;
but they both of them proved useful animals, answering our purpose for
the time being. We meant to sell, when we left the country: hiring is
expensive work. Of course it was "just a dear time to buy": it always is.
The Jew broker, through whom we bought the mules from the Susi to whom
they belonged, asked seven pounds ten for each of them, but came down to
six pounds fifteen. We sold them some weeks later for five guineas each:
hiring would have cost a great deal more. Ordinarily they are to be
bought for five pounds and less in Mogador. No Susi will trade direct
with a European, and every bargain goes through Israel's hands, which
means a big percentage pocketed by the Jew.

[Illustration: WHERE MANCHESTER GOODS ARE SOLD, MOGADOR.

[_To face p. 284._]

Our hotel-keeper, the Scotch lady, provided us with reliable servants,
one of whom turned out to be invaluable. Mulai Omar was, as his name
indicates, a saint by heredity. Algeria was his birthplace. He was
twenty-four years old; and having lived in a French possession, spoke
French, not like S`lam, but perfectly. He was a well-educated little
fellow, enterprising, energetic; interpreted Arabic and Shillah for
us; acted as cook, in which capacity he was first-rate; generally
organized the camp; and was our personal servant. Mulai Omar was quite a
man to know, and a friend to trust. He was unattractive-looking--small,
dark, and dirty; wore a red fez, a short black monkey-jacket, and
immense, full, white cotton drawers. Said, our second servant, intended
to look after the mules, was a lazy Arab, who acted the fine gentleman,
a