To pass a quiet evening in our own house, free from any immediate cause for trouble, and with the prospect of a good night’s rest, such as we had not known since we left Mogador, was an enjoyment keenly felt; and though our quarters were absolutely devoid of furniture of any kind, the mere sense of quiet and freedom from intrusion made them seem to us perfectly luxurious. The position of our dwelling was indeed admirably chosen. Completely separated from the inhabited quarters of the city, with their noises and their stenches, by large gardens and high walls, the only building within our view was the great tower of the Koutoubia. Some idea of the effect as seen through one of our windows is given in the accompanying woodcut. It is very similar in design and dimensions to the Giralda at Seville and the great tower at Rabat, and like these is said to have been built by Christian captives. Including the lanthorn at the top, the height is about 270 feet. It is a singular proof of the deficiency of the Moors in constructive faculty, that the only stone structures in this, the ancient capital of the country, once the abode of wealth and barbaric luxury, should be this tower, and the great arch forming the entrance to the Sultan’s palace, of which the carved stones were transported piece by piece from Spain. The morning of May 5 presented the unusual appearance of heavy clouds covering the sky and concealing from view the range of the Great Atlas. This did not last long. The sun soon reasserted his dominion over the plain, though the clouds still hung round the higher peaks. The direct heat of the sun was already great at this season, but the air was always relatively cool. In the shade of our rooms the thermometer marked about 80° Fahr. during the warmer hours of the day, and fell to about 70° at night.