the French does; the Fas gold thread wears
also much better, and is more durable; the change of colour may
possibly originate from the great proportion of alloy in the gold
of the French manufacture, whereas that of Fas, according to an
imperial edict, must be of a certain fineness, approaching to pure
gold; the gold wire of which it is made being first assayed by the
(_M'tasseb_) supervisor of manufactures. Great quantities of gold
thread are used in the elegant shawls and sashes of silk and gold
made at Fas, the better kind of which are reserved for princes and
bashaws, in which they use, as before observed, the Fas thread
only. They manufacture also at Fas, a very correct imitation of
amber-beads, impossible to be discriminated by the best judges, but
by rubbing the artificial amber, and then applying it to a bit of
cotton; the latter does not adhere, but the natural amber attracts
the cotton as a magnet does iron; and this is the discriminating
criterion whereby to distinguish them.
127
But, to return to our journey, we found the ambassador had passed
the preceding day, we therefore crossed the river, and travelled on
till nine o'clock at night, when, after being a-horseback
thirty-four hours, refreshed only by two hours' sleep, we came up
with the ambassadors, Cafila, and guard, in a fine open campaign
country, half-way between Tangier and Arzilla; and soon after I
received a courier from Sir Pieter Wyk, Swedish consul-general to
the empire residing at Tangier, with a very friendly invitation to
his house and table, which being the first offer and from a sincere
and worthy friend, I with pleasure accepted it, and returned the
express immediately. On the morning of the 22d June, I breakfasted
at five o'clock with the ambassador, and, discussing with him my
business, I learned that he had terminated it to my satisfaction.
We started together at seven o'clock, and moved slowly on towards
Tangier, it having been ordered by the emperor, that the English
ambassador's entry into that town should be marked with every
possible honour and attention. An hour before we reached Tangier,
the governor, with the whole garrison, came out to salute and greet
the ambassador, the cavalry running full gallop, and firing their
muskets, as is the custom with them in