Of course, we felt a natural reluctance to use the Queen’s name in an unauthorised way; but, without entering into subtle discussion as to the extent to which the acts of ministers are to be regarded as those of the sovereign, the fact that the Foreign Secretary had, through the Queen’s representative, applied for the Sultan’s permission for Hooker’s journey, undoubtedly justified him in assuming a position different from that of an ordinary traveller. It is true that the knowledge and personal interest which Her Majesty has always shown in matters relating to Art have never been publicly displayed in reference to natural history; but it would certainly not be straining the truth to let it be understood that such a unique institution as the Royal Gardens at Kew is regarded by her with sympathy and favour. The most natural way of conveying this to the Moorish mind seemed to be to say that the Sultana of England had great gardens, in which were plants from all the countries in the world, excepting the Great Atlas, and that she had sent Hooker and his assistants to collect and send home whatever new plants they could find there. To this suggestion, a serious objection was made. It would appear unworthy of a great ruler, we were told, to trouble herself about anything so frivolous as a garden: ‘Her thoughts must be engaged in the government of her vast dominions, and above all in the management of her armies and fleets, and not on mere matters of amusement.’ ‘But,’ as it was urged, ‘there is one use of plants that every one can understand. Cannot you say that you are seeking for herbs useful to cure diseases, and are charged to bring these home to the Queen of England?’ Of course it was true that if by any chance such new plants as we might find possessed medicinal qualities, they would thereby acquire additional interest, and, therefore, in our numerous subsequent communications with the authorities, Hooker stated that his commission was to collect and bring home the plants of the country, and especially those useful in medicine. It is pretty certain, however, that the imagination of our interpreter enlarged upon this text, to what extent we could not of course say. How much that we afterwards heard was serious, and how much more play of fancy, it is hard to guess; but there is no doubt that the current belief among our own followers was that the Sultana of England had heard that there was somewhere in Marocco a plant that would make her live for ever, and that she had sent her own _hakim_ to find it for her. When, in the course of our journey, it was seen that our botanical pursuits entailed rather severe labour, the commentary was: ‘The Sultana of England is a severe woman, and she has threatened to give them stick (the bastinado) if they do not find the herb she wants!’