Visit to the Chamberlain—Our Host’s sons—French officers at
dinner—Reception of Mission by Sultan—Kilts and equestrianism—Palace
enclosure—Homage of soldiers—Dialogue between Sultan and
Envoy—Delivery of the Queen’s letter—Presentation of Mission.
_Sunday, 18th April 1880._
Our round of dissipations in Fez commenced this morning by a breakfast
at the house of the Kaïd el Meshwa, the portly Chamberlain whose figure
impressed us all in yesterday’s procession. Fortified by an early cup of
coffee, we proceeded to his house in state, the military members of the
Mission in uniform, and the others in diplomatic garb. The distance was
said to be a quarter of a mile, and we were recommended to walk, but
turning, fortunately, a deaf ear to the evil counsels of, I regret to
say, His Excellency, we mounted our horses and rode for a mile through
as dirty roads as can well be conceived, their narrowness necessitating
our riding in single file most of the way, with mounted guards in front,
and soldiers on foot bringing up the rear. Arrived at our destination,
we dismounted under an archway, and traversing a dark and winding
passage, came to a doorway where we were met and welcomed by our host.
He led us into a spacious patio, prettily decorated after the Moorish
style, having a fountain in the centre, and three comfortably-sized
rooms opening into the court; these rooms were carpeted with handsome
rugs from Rabât, stupidly covered in part by pieces of Brussels carpet.
In each room were one or two French bedsteads, which, with the usual
cushions round the walls, were the only articles of furniture. The
inevitable three cups of green tea, without which prefix no business or
pleasure can be undertaken, were served to us in one room, after which
we were led across the patio to another, where a table, groaning with
sweetmeats of all sorts, was laid out, a course of cold fish being first
handed round as a kind of foundation.
The kaïd has a pleasant grave face, albeit a black one, and talked
continually with His Excellency all the time we were jeopardising our
constitutions with his light refection, which we were warned was not to
count in our favour, but was only to serve as a preliminary to something
more solid on another occasion. The square patio was all open at the
top, and round the edge of it, peeping over the parapet, were a lot of
white veiled faces (at which we occasionally stole furtive glances),
looking eagerly on at the unusual scene below. A jolly little boy about
three years old trotted in and out of the room, and I utilised him
occasionally by making him eat some unctuous confection which was put on
my plate, and which I was wholly unable to tackle. Another son of our
host’s, a man about twenty-four years old, sat outside; his looks were
not prepossessing, but it seems he has been suffering for over a month
from a bullet wound in the leg, just above the ankle, which has almost
crippled him. The manner of his receiving it is typical of Moorish
customs, and of the ready and frank way they have of expressing the
feeling of the moment. It seems that the youth is a good hand at lab el
barôd; and a friend of his who was engaged with him at this pastime,
annoyed at the superior dexterity he evinced, loaded his own gun with
ball and fired, intending, so he said, “only to kill the horse,” instead
of which the ball entered his rival’s leg, and is apparently there
still. The doctor to-day, at the kaïd’s request, made a superficial
examination of the wound, and is to search with a probe for the foreign
body on another occasion.
The kaïd was interested in our various uniforms, and the differences
between them were explained to him by Sir John. As the Highland dress is
unsuited for equestrianism, I had indulged myself to-day in mounted
officer’s attire, long boots, &c., but had been obliged to promise to
appear in full dress in the presence of Majesty to-morrow, the Sultan
having intimated his intention of receiving the Mission at 9 A.M. His
Excellency, in describing the dress to the Kaïd el Meshwa at breakfast,
alluded with delicacy to the nature of the inconvenience which would be
experienced by the wearer in the saddle, upon which the Chamberlain
promptly suggested the use of a pair of large Moorish continuations into
which kilt and all could be tucked, and the cuticle of the rider be
thereby secured from injury; he also offered for my use a small room in
the palace to-morrow, in which I might disencumber myself of the extra
garment before His Majesty’s arrival on the scene. This ingenious
proposal so commended itself to Sir John that he at once accepted on my
behalf, and this evening a huge pair of white linen drawers from the
wardrobe of Síd Búbakr have made their appearance in my tent.
Returning from the Chamberlain’s house, some of us paid a visit to Kaïd
Maclean, who did the honours of his establishment, and took us to the
roof of his house, from whence there is a capital view of the town. He
has got a large and very good garden, in which, among other edibles, he
grows potatoes. This vegetable is unknown here, but although he has
given them to several Moors to try, they, curiously enough, have not
accepted his offer of seed for themselves. After luncheon he went with
us for a ride outside the town. While galloping along, the horse of one
of our escort, of whom we had six, put his foot into a hole, and coming
down gave his rider a heavy fall upon the stony ground; the man picked
himself up, bleeding profusely from the head, and said he was “La
bás”—Anglicè, all right,—but he had to be taken home, and to-night we
hear he is very ill.
The two French officers dined with us. M. Erckmann is a nephew of the
author of “Le Conscrit,” &c.; he does not seem to care about the Moors,
nor does he very much rely upon their professions of friendship for us.
They have been here about two years, their services having been forced
upon the Sultan by the French Government, whose jealousy was roused by
Kaïd Maclean’s appointment to command His Majesty’s infantry. M.
Erckmann is well educated and rather amusing; the other, we found upon
enquiry, holds the rank of _sous officier_. He said little, devoting
himself chiefly to the pleasures of the table, and laughing hoarsely at
the jokes of his superior.
_Monday, 19th April 1880._
I think it will be long before the spectacle we saw to-day is forgotten
by any of us, gorgeous as it was in its barbaric magnificence, and
important in the political bearing it had upon the relations between
Marocco and England. The Sultan had signified his intention of receiving
His Excellency and suite at 9 A.M. So, shortly after 8 o’clock, we left
our quarters, and rode towards the palace of His Sharífian Majesty.
[Illustration: TOMB OF SULTAN, NEAR FEZ]
Disdaining the pantaloons which the Kaïd el Meshwa had, through Síd
Búbakr, so kindly provided me with, and turning a deaf ear to the vulgar
suggestions of sidesaddles and riding habits, made by members of the
Mission, I mounted my gray, and, as we went at a foot’s pace all the
way, experienced at all events a minimum of inconvenience. We rode out
at the gate of the town by which we entered on Saturday, and were taken
through another doorway, a little distance on, into a large rectangular
enclosure, with high walls on every side, the gate being immediately
closed behind us to prevent the ingress of the mob who followed. At the
farther corner from where we came in is the entrance to the palace, and
opposite this, at about 400 yards’ distance, we dismounted, and, being
marshalled in two ranks, with Sir John in front, awaited the arrival of
His Majesty. A slight discussion at this moment arose as to whether the
four military members of the Mission should remove their hats or not in
the Royal Presence. Fortunately, as the African sun was beating down on
us in all its glory, it was settled we were to remain covered, and, at
the moment the Envoy advanced to make his obeisance, and again, of
course, when we were separately presented, to salute in the ordinary
fashion. We heard afterwards that the Sultan enquired why the hats of
those in diplomatic uniforms were removed and ours kept on, but that he
was quite satisfied at hearing (from Kaïd Maclean) that officers on duty
never uncovered their heads.
Between us and the gateway by which the Sultan was to approach was a
broad lane, formed by troops; and though in some of the regiments there
was not much uniformity of dress and colour, the various tints seemed
all to blend into one harmonious whole, which was quite indescribable,
but upon which the eye never grew wearied of gazing. Half-way up the
line of soldiers, on our left hand, stood a row of musicians, about
thirty in number, each dressed in a long robe of uniform colour, but no
two alike, every conceivable tint being represented, from the brightest
orange to the darkest blue, the entire line shining like a rainbow in
the bright morning sun. Opposite this painted group were assembled, clad
in folds of snow-white muslin, about a hundred Court officials, who, in
virtue of office or position, had a right to take part in the
ceremonial. The infantry were under Kaïd Maclean, and near the gate were
posted the artillery, commanded by our guest of last night. Of mounted
men, or even officers, there were none, for on State occasions like this
all must appear on foot before a Sultan of Marocco, “whose throne is his
saddle, whose pavilion is the sky.” Other bodies of troops were drawn up
in different parts of the enclosure; and round the whole, shutting out
the scene from the gaze of the crowd, rose the high white walls, the
glaring sameness of which formed a striking contrast to the
gaudily-painted assembly they enclosed.
Punctuality is the politeness of princes, and in this respect, at all
events, the Moorish monarch can vie with more civilised sovereigns; for
before five minutes had elapsed a murmur of expectation and a flourish
of trumpets announced His Majesty’s approach.
Mounted on a pure white horse of gigantic size, and preceded by two
spearmen, with the High Chamberlain a little in advance of them, Mulai
Hassan rode slowly in. Four led horses, magnificently caparisoned,
pranced along, two on either side of him; and above his head was borne a
large flat umbrella of some red material on a pole twelve feet high;
while the rear was brought up by a small number of his black, or
Bokhári, bodyguard, in front of whom marched the headsman or
executioner, whose office, however, is almost a sinecure in Marocco. An
air of solemnity and grandeur pervaded them all, from the imposing
figure of the Sultan, towering above every one, to the tall attendants
who, one on either side, slowly and with great regularity shot forth
long white cloths towards His Majesty’s head to keep away the flies. The
view of this singular procession, slowly advancing towards us, was most
impressive; and though there might be in it all a spice of the
theatrical element, any disagreeable effect of this was removed by the
vastness of the scale on which it was conducted. As they came abreast of
the musicians, who were making the place re-echo with their trombones to
the strains of the Moorish National Anthem, the white-robed assembly
opposite to them bowed reverently to the ground, the troops—most of them
falling on their knees!—presented arms, and from every throat there rose
simultaneously the shout of “Our Lord and Master, Our Lord and Master.”
At about six paces from the Envoy, His Majesty stopped, and the Kaïd el
Meshwa, or Chamberlain, advancing to Sir John, led him up to the Sultan,
and in stentorian tones proclaimed his titles to the crowd. His
Excellency then, bowing low, awaited, hat in hand, the pleasure of the
Sultan, who addressed him as follows:—
“We are pleased to see you again at our Court, for you have always been
an elect friend and counsellor. We are glad to learn you have been
promoted to the rank of Envoy. We entertain high feelings of friendship
towards the Queen and the British Nation, for we have never ceased to
receive proofs of their friendship and regard. You are most welcome, as
also are all the persons that accompany you.”
Here His Majesty paused, while the Chamberlain thundered out to the
assemblage the last sentence of his master’s speech.
The Envoy then replied,—
“I thank Your Majesty for the gratifying expression of your friendship
towards my gracious Sovereign and the British nation, and I feel highly
honoured by the sentiments Your Majesty has been pleased to express with
regard to myself.”
His Excellency now handed the Queen’s letter to the Sultan, and
continued,—
“I have the honour to deliver the royal letter which Her Majesty the
Queen has addressed to Your Sharífian Majesty. Her Majesty desires your
welfare and prosperity, and that of your subjects. I shall regard myself
as most fortunate if I continue to enjoy Your Majesty’s confidence, and
should be enabled through Your Majesty’s support and goodwill to draw
closer the ties of friendship by the promotion of the mutual interests
of the nations of England and Marocco. I thank Your Majesty for the
honourable reception granted me the day of my entry into this city, and
for your munificent hospitality. It affords me much pleasure to inform
Your Majesty that the Governors and other officers in the provinces
through which I passed, received me with hospitality and marks of honour
and goodwill.”
To which the Sultan replied,—
“You deserve every mark of honour and goodwill from us and our officers:
present me the members of your Mission.”
The Sultan spoke at first in a low and very tremulous voice, and was so
nervous I was afraid he would break down. He soon recovered himself,
however, and the dignity of his manner was enhanced by the silence and
reverential awe of the thousands of soldiers and courtiers who hung upon
his words and actions. The conversation, too, was disturbed occasionally
by the restlessness of His Majesty’s charger, which equine
eccentricities will—so it is whispered—bring dire vengeance on the
Master of the Horse; but this opinion, I hope, is a calumny, as there is
a lurking expression of kindness in the Sultan’s grave and handsome
face; and the way in which he manœuvred his steed, to bring under the
shade of the huge red umbrella His Excellency’s wholly unprotected head,
earned at once our admiration and the gratitude of that statesman.
Sir John now beckoned to each of us in turn to come and be presented,
briefly mentioning to His Majesty what were our professions and
designations. The Sultan, at the conclusion of each presentation, said a
few words of welcome, which were translated to us by His Excellency, and
shouted out _pro bono publico_ at the top of the Chamberlain’s voice.
His Majesty asked several questions relating to my uniform, and was
interested in hearing from the Envoy that it is a dress worn by the
Jebelis, or mountaineers, who live to the north of England—a tribe which
never retreats in battle, and from which the Queen gets her best
soldiers. “I also, your Majesty,” somewhat pertinently added His
Excellency, “am a native of those parts.” The ceremony being now
concluded, the Sultan retired under a salute from his artillery, the
noise of which caused the great white horse to caper about, much to the
discomfiture of the umbrella-bearer and other attendants.
This ancient custom, above described, for the ruler of Marocco, himself
mounted on horseback, to receive foreign ambassadors on foot, has given
considerable offence to some of the representatives of our Continental
neighbours, who have remonstrated, fortunately without success, on the
smallness of the figure they have had to cut on these occasions. It may
be that, with the march of civilisation, this usage will cease, and that
Sultans, in common with their peers, will admit ambassadors into the
more sacred precincts of the palace, in which case those who have
witnessed the rude splendour of these out-of-door receptions may
consider themselves fortunate. What is more probable is that, unless the
reforms so urgently needed, and which the Sultan himself is anxious to
inaugurate, be not speedily undertaken, the state of Marocco will go
from bad to worse, until, having bid farewell to even the residue of its
ancient grandeur, European powers will no longer deem it necessary to
send officers of rank and distinction to represent them at the Moorish
Court.
There seemed to be no hitch whatever in the conduct and arrangements of
to-day’s ceremonial, though it can seldom have fallen to the lot of the
present Sultan to receive a visitor of such importance as the English
Envoy Extraordinary; neither can the Chamberlain, whose voice is still
ringing in my ears, have often to perform his duties on such a scale and
in so august a presence. One incident that rather tried our gravity
occurred just before the conclusion of the scene, and was this: On our
left during the ceremony stood the old Arab scribe and the two
interpreters, and His Majesty’s attention having been drawn to the fact
of their presence, he condescendingly muttered a few words, which were
repeated by the Chamberlain—“The servants, too, are welcomed by our
Lord.” This they acknowledged by bowing to the ground, and then retired
to their original places in rear, except old Haïm, whom we irreverently
call Tweedledum. This worthy Israelite, overcome by the novelty of the
situation and the Sultan’s condescension, stood rooted to the ground,
and in a voice that emulated the Chamberlain’s poured forth a loud and
incessant stream of blessings on His Majesty’s head. As his lungs are
powerful, and there seemed no symptoms of cessation, he was gently
removed by the attendants, still calling upon the God of Abraham to
maintain the line of Mulai Hassan on the throne of their fathers.
As soon as the Sultan and his attendants had passed through the gateway
into the palace, the Vizier and other officials came up to welcome Sir
John, and to enquire into the nature of the presents contained in the
two large boxes bound up in white cloth which had been brought along
with us on the backs of mules. As it was not a convenient moment for the
delivery of a lecture on the principle of the telephone or heliograph,
His Excellency replied that it would be necessary to open and see the
instruments before explaining their use, and this, of course, must not
be done till the Sultan’s pleasure respecting them was known. In the
meantime he exacted a promise from His Majesty’s “Eyebrow,” or head of
the household, that the boxes should be put in a safe place, and not
opened or tampered with in any way.