As I afterwards found, commercial jealousy had been aroused, and repre-
sentations made to the emperor that under the pretence of travelling for
amusement, I in reality concealed some deep political designs. The sus-
picion of the most suspicious, ignorant, and bigoted court in the world
once excited, there was an end to my visions of a gilt-edged, Morocco,
bound volume, entitled, " Itineratings in the Atlas," or some other fanci-



PREFACE. vii

ful and taking title. Tiie recollection of the Spanish impostor, who, about
forty years since, under the name of Ali Bey, and disguised (Christian dog
that he was) in the garb of the faithful, made his way to the capital, and
afterwards perpetrated a book of travels, is still fresh in the minds of the
Moors ; and next to a spy of the French government, the last person
they would like to see perambulating the country would be a gentleman
suspected of paper-spoiling propensities, in search of the novel and the
picturesque. At an audience with the governor of the town, I found
that my return was equally impossible — not that I was positively prohib-
ited from going back, but it was respectfully intimated that could I per,
suade my guards and muleteers to accompany me, they would have every
particle of skin cut from their backs with thongs of bull's hide. There
was no resource but to send a courier to the court and quietly await an
answer, which I did with somewhat of the feeling of the worthy nephew
of Gil Perez, when he found himself caught in the cave, like a rat in
a trap.
