ay from the AEgean, the Ambassador
and his suite sailed from Tangier to Saffi, where His Excellency was
received on landing by a Royal salute from the crumbling batteries.
The local governor and the Greek vice-consul awaited him on leaving
the surf boat, with an escort which sadly upset the operations of
women washing wool by the water-port. Outside the land-gate, beside
the ancient palace, was pitched a Moorish camp awaiting his arrival,
and European additions were soon erected beside it. At daybreak next
morning a luncheon-party rode forward, whose duty it was to prepare
the midday meal for the embassy, and to pitch the awning under which
they should partake of it.

Arrived at the spot selected, Drees, the "native agent," found the
village sheikh awaiting him with ample supplies, enough for every one
for a couple of days. This he carefully packed on his mules, and by
the time the embassy came up, having started some time later than he,
after a good breakfast, he was ready to go on again with the remainder
of the muleteers and the camel-drivers to prepare the evening meal and
pitch for the night a camp over which waved the flag of Greece.

Here the offerings of provisions or money were made with equal
profusion. There were bushels of kesk'soo; there were several live
sheep, which were speedily despatched and put into pots to cook; there
were jars of honey, of oil, and of butter; there were camel-loads of
barley for the beasts of burden, and trusses of hay for their dessert;
there were packets of candles by the dozen, and loaves of sugar and
pounds of tea; not to speak of fowls, of charcoal, of sweet herbs, of
fruits, and of minor odds and ends.

By the time the Europeans arrived, their French _chef_ had prepared an
excellent dinner, the native escort and servants squatting in groups
round steaming dishes provided ready cooked by half-starved villagers.
When the feasting was over, and all seemed quiet, a busy scene was in
reality being enacted in the background. At a little distance from
the camp, Haj Marti, the right-hand man of the agent, was holding a
veritable market with the surplus mona of the day, re-selling to
the miserable country folk what had been wrung from them by the
authorities. The Moorish Government declared that what they paid thus
in kind would be deducted from their taxes, and this was what the
Minister assured his questioning wife, for though he knew better, he
found it best to wink at the procee