AUDIENCE OF THE EMPEROR. 89 four-and-twenty men ; every article (the bulky ones excepted) being enveloped in a Barcelona silk handkerchief. The emperor was in the (mushoir) place of audience, on that side of the city which faces the mountains of Atlas. At our presentation we did not prostrate ourselves, but bowed, in the European manner; the emperor said, bono el commercio, a Spanish phrase which he uses in interviews with Europeans, and which is equivalent to his saying, you are welcome, merchants. To this we replied, Allah iberk dmer seedi, God bless the life of my master. The emperor asked if we were recovered from the fatigue of our journey, and was quite affable ; he then said, communicate with the effendi % and whatever you want shall be granted to you; for I am disposed to encourage and (amel el k'here) to do good to my merchants.

The master of the audience then came to us, and signified that we might depart ; we made our obeisance, and returned to our habitation.

This was the audience of introduction, which is always short ; the second audience is for business ; and the third is the audience of departure. We remained encamped in the imperial garden a fortnight before we had another audience ; in the mean time we amused ourselves in riding about the country, and in visiting some of the most respectable inhabitants, among whom was * This word was used by the seed, or emperor, in the presumption that it is understood by Europeans ; but cadus is the Arabic term.