ce was built by the
sultan Muley Ismael: it is very neat, and consists for the most
part of moresque architecture; the marble columns and other
decorations were brought from (_Kasser Farawan_) the ruins of
Pharaoh, about a day's journey to the eastward. There is a superior
garden of choice fruit within the wall which surrounds the palace,
and in the latter are many elegant apartments, ornamented
_A-la-mauresque_. The ladies of Mequinas are so extremely handsome,
118 that I cannot say I saw one plain young woman, although I visited
several families; nay, I can say, without offense to truth, that I
did not see one that was not comely and handsome. I was most
hospitably entertained wherever I went. On the 18th June, at eight
o'clock A.M. we started for Fas; when we had approached the latter
city, we met a messenger, with the prince Muley Abdsalam's
secretary, from the emperor to his excellency J.M. Matra, the
British ambassador to the court of Marocco, who informed me that
his excellency had just terminated his embassy, had waited for my
arrival two days, and was on his return to Tangier. Presuming,
therefore, that the ambassador had negociated my business for me, I
turned to the north-east, travelled all day without halting, till
eight o'clock in the evening, when we arrived at the renowned
sanctuary[114] of Muley Dris Zerone, on the declivity of North
Atlas; a most magnificent, beautiful, and picturesque country,
abounding in all the necessaries and luxuries of life. This
sanctuary was never before, nor since, visited by any Christian. It
was here that the standard of Muhamed was first planted in
North-western Africa, by the fakeer and prince Muley Dris, the
founder. A favourable combination of circumstances, of which I
availed myself, enabled me to procure not only an asylum, but a
119 most hospitable and kind reception and entertainment in this
renowned sanctuary; and I actually slept in the _Horem_ or Adytum
itself, which honour I obtained by a present, appropriated to the
circumstance, and sent to the chief fakeer of the sanctuary,
accompanied with some observations expressed in a manner which was
agreeable to the holy fraternity. When I entered the _Horem_ of
this renowned sanctuary, where I slept alone, its silence reminded
me of the silence of de