ewhere the rights of the matter would
have been sifted, and submitted at least to the law-courts, if not to
arbitration.

While the infliction of this indignity was stirring up northern
Morocco, the south was greatly exercised by the presence on the
coast of a French vessel, _L'Aigle_, officers from which proceeded
ostentatiously to survey the fortifications of Mogador and its island,
and then effected a landing on the latter by night. Naturally the
coastguards fired at them, fortunately without causing damage, but
had any been killed, Europe would have rung with the "outrage." From
Mogador the vessel proceeded after a stay of a month to Agadir, the
first port of Sus, closed to Europeans.

Here its landing-party was met on the beach by some hundreds of armed
men, whose commander resolutely forbade them to land, so they had to
retire. Had they not done so, who would answer for the consequences?
As it was, the natives, eager to attack the "invaders," were with
difficulty kept in hand, and one false step would undoubtedly have
led to serious bloodshed. Of course this was a dreadful rebuff for
"pacific penetration," but the matter was kept quiet as a little
premature, since in Europe the coast is not quite clear enough yet for
retributory measures. The effect, however, on the Moors, among whom
the affair grew more grave each time it was recited, was out of all
proportion to the real importance of the incident, which otherwise
might have passed unnoticed.

III

BEHIND THE SCENES

"He knows of every vice an ounce."

_Moorish Proverb._

Though most eastern lands may be described as slip-shod, with
reference both to the feet of their inhabitants and to the way in
which things are done, there can be no country in the world more aptly
described by that epithet than Morocco. One of the first things which
strikes the visitor to this country is the universality of the slipper
as foot-gear, at least, so far as the Moors are concerned. In the
majority of cases the men wear the heels of their slippers folded down
under the feet, only putting them up when necessity compels them to
run, which they take care shall not be too often, as they much prefer
a sort of ambling gait, best compared to that of their mules, or to
that of an English tramp.

Nothing delights them better as a means of agreeably spending an
hour or two, than squatting on their heels in the streets or on some
door-stoop, gazing at the passers-by, e