PRESENTATION AT COURT. 87 govern. The bashaw of each province communicates with the emperor, and determines which ofthe alkaids* shall have the honour of presenting themselves. On these occasions, that is, when the emperor comes to Marocco, it is customary for the merchants of Mogodor to perform the journey to the metropolis of the south, and to present his imperial majesty with a present ; indeed, it is not the etiquette of this court for any one to demand an audience (which the lowest subject in the realm may claim) without being prepared to present something; so that the poor may have an audience by presenting half a dozen eggs, or any similar trifle, such as some fruit or flowers ; but no one enters the imperial presence {khawie, as they term it, L e,) empty-handed. The routine is this : The European merchants, together with the house of Guedalla and Co., who are native Jews, are called el commercio ; the commercio, therefore, solicit the honour of presenting themselves to the emperor, to offer their congratulations on his arrival ; this is acceded to, and the minister, who is denominated the talb cadus, a term designating a man who disperses orders and communications to every one, writes a letter to the commercio, * In each province, or bashawick, there are several alkaids or governors of districts.

The city of Fas is the metropolis of the north, as Marocco is of the south. Mequinas is the court town of the north, and resembles the Hague, where few reside but such as are employed in the service of tlie crown.

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