following day at his government residence; he also sent instructions to Sidi-Mohammed, the sherif who had accompanied me in the morning, to repair thither with me. On the morning of the 31st, I did not fail to wait with the sherif for the Bacha, on his road to the town. We stood up immediately upon perceiving him. He rode a fine grey horse, and was escorted by two soldiers, each armed with a musket. He halted for a moment before us: the sherif, in accosting him, respectfully kissed his white tunic; the Bacha spoke a few words to him in a low tone, after which, raising his voice a little, he informed me that I must remain at Ghourland till further orders, I readily concluded that I had nothing to hope from his highness; and, returning to my village, Mohammed confirmed me in my opinion. Sidi-Habib-Benani had set out in the morning for Fez; having refused to give me a mule or any other conveyance for three mitkhals of silver, the produce of the sale of my two pagnes: thus I found myself at Boheim, without knowing how to leave it. I had a very good coussabe, which Abdallah-Chebir had given me at Timbuctoo; and I determined, at the risk of going away without clothing, to sell it in the market, and endeavour to hire an ass, so that I might be able to set out the day after the morrow with a caravan going to Fez: the eldest son of Benani, a merchant by profession, sold my coussabe for two mitkhals, which, with the three others, sufficed to hire an ass. At ten at night, I went as usual to present myself at the gate of my host’s son, from whom, during the day, I had received as a present some bread and a bunch of grapes: he also sent me a supper and I went to bed under the sacred roof of the mosque. The court of this structure was locked and the inmates could not open it during the night; a circumstance which had nearly drawn me into grievous trouble. This court enclosed the tomb of a holy sherif, long since deceased: the following morning, my fellow-lodgers were scandalized to perceive that this revered sepulchre had been soiled during the night; a universal cry of indignation arose, and all eyes were turned upon me. Amazed and confounded, I had not courage to assert my innocence; my only excuse was ignorance of the localities, and I protested, with perfect truth, that the profanation was not wilful but purely accidental. This sincere allegation was, however, far from calming the tumult, and I know not how serious the consequences might have been, had not some old men fortunately determined to intercede in my favour. They represented that my situation as a stranger should be taken into consideration; that I was undoubtedly ignorant of the existence of a tomb in this place; but that, supposing me even acquainted with the fact, it was impossible I could have learned amongst christians to respect that which is the object of homage to all good Musulmans; that some indulgence should, therefore, be shewn to my want of knowledge. This plea made an impression