was, in fact, a review _en masse_ of the disposable
forces throughout the empire. Eighty thousand men were expected in this
city or the suburbs. The Sultan was reported to be on the march towards
the North with an army of 200,000 men.

The Sultan did not expect to make use of his new levies, but the policy
of the thing was good. His Highness is evidently a pacific ruler, he has
but few regular troops, and he pays them badly. His predecessor had a
large army and paid them well.

Great discontent prevailed among the soldiers, and the Emperor never
feels himself secure on his throne.

This apparent crusade against the Infidels has no doubt tended to make
him popular, and to consolidate his power. True, it excited the tribes
of the interior against the Christians, but it was better to inflame
them against the Christians than to lose his own throne.

The French Consul waited upon the Governor for explanations about the
movements of the troops. His Excellency observed, "I am ordered by my
Sultan to defend this city against all assailants, and I shall do so
till I am buried beneath its ruins. Though all the coast-cities were
captured, Mogador should never be surrendered."

Some of the credulous Moors said, "The Shereefs will come from Tafilet,
led on by our Lord Mahomet, and destroy all the cursed Nazarenes. The
Sheerefs will fire against the French leaden balls, and silver balls."
Another observed to me, "If a fleet should come here, it will be
immediately sunk, because our Sultan has ordered every ball to hit, and
none to miss."

This is not unlike what a Turk of Tripoli once said to me about the
Grand Signor and his late reforms. "The Turks will soon be civilized,
because the Sultan has given an order for all the Turks to be
civilized." The large guns of the forts were practised, and the guns of
the grand battery loaded. The infantry continued to practise on the
beach of the port: their manoeuvres were very uncouth and disorderly,
they merely moved backwards and forwards in lines of two deep. The
French Consul, Monsieur Jorelle, discontinued his usual promenade, to
prevent his being insulted, and so to avoid the the painful necessity of
demanding satisfaction.

Mr. Willshire, being well known to the Mogador population, had not so
much to fear. Here is the advantage of a long residence in a country.
The French Government lose by the frequent changing of their consuls.
Still, M. Jorelle was right in not exposing himse