“Thank you,” I replied, “it will be a pleasure to dine at your hospitable table and a luxury to eat fish from the sea.” “They do not come from the sea,” he replied. “They are fish from the river at Taguine, forty kilometers from here.” “Freshwater fish,” I exclaimed. “I have lived in this country long, but I did not know such things existed in Algeria!” He smiled. “Come and see,” he went on, and, patting my arm, continued his stately promenade down the road. I went and found a party of Arab chiefs I knew. More solemn greetings. At the beginning of the long meal the fish was served. There was no doubt about it, they were good-sized river-fish, a kind of carp or perch or gudgeon with little taste. The _bash agha_ smiled at my surprise. “Would you care to fish them yourself?” he enquired. “Most certainly,” I replied, “but I have no rod or line with me.” “I am going to Taguine to-morrow,” he went on, “and if you come here at eight I will give you a lift, and you can lunch there with me. I’ll see that you are supplied with rods and lines.” I thanked him warmly, wondering in myself what the fishing could be like. The next morning a _cavalier_ or Arab retainer came round and, entering my room, roused me from my slumbers by telling me that the _bash agha_ awaited me. I bounded from my bed and looked out of the window at the clock on the Administrateur’s office, but it said only seven. I pointed this out to the _cavalier_ and explained that I had been warned for eight. He did not seem in the least impressed, and only repeated the information that the _bash agha_ awaited me. I gathered that he expected me to run down in my pajamas. Arabs rarely undress, and wash only at the Turkish bath and at meals, and they can not understand that a European can’t walk straight out of his bed to his daily duties. I failed to convey any of this to the _cavalier_, and he left me, repeating that the _bash agha_ awaited me. At seven-thirty the Caïd Madani came into my room and, after passing through the ritual of early morning salutations, informed me that the _bash agha_ awaited me. I said, “But he warned me for eight, and it is only seven-thirty.” He said, “But the _bash agha_ is ready.” I said, “Well, he ought to have told me to come earlier.” The _caïd_ did not seem to understand my point of view, and only replied, “Well, perhaps you will hurry; I will wait down-stairs.” I hurried, and eventually dashed out, followed by my companion, to where the car waited. The _bash agha_ sat in a chair and smoked a meerschaum pipe. He was surrounded by a group of Arab chiefs. “What respect,” I said to myself. “The old man goes out for the day and all the chiefs come to see him off.” The _bash agha_ saluted me and made no reference to the hour of our departure. I felt relieved.