I conceive no necessity for stating
personalities.

_Ali Bey (El Abassi), Author of the Travels under that Name._

This extraordinary character visited Marocco about the year 1805 or
1806. He pretended to be a native of Aleppo, called in Arabic
_Hellebee_, and was known by the name of Seed Hellebee, which
signifies "the gentleman of Aleppo." Europeans, as well as himself,
since his return to Europe, have converted this name into Ali Bey,
of the family of the Abassides. This gentleman possessed abilities
of no ordinary degree, he was supplied with money in abundance by
298 the Spanish government. He had not been long at Mogodor, when his
munificence began to excite the suspicion of the governor, as well
as the admiration and applause of the populace. Adopting the
costume of the country, he professed himself to be a Muselman; and
as a pretext for not speaking the[190] Arabic language, he
pretended that he had gone from Aleppo, the place of his nativity,
to England when very young, and had forgotten it. He had, as he
declared, considerable property in the Bank of England. Being
desirous of collecting all the information possible respecting the
country, he procured two young Spanish renegado musicians, who
played on the guitar, and sung Arabic airs and songs, with which he
affected to be highly delighted, these musicians, however, served
his purpose in another way; for, being apprehensive of creating
suspicion by direct enquiries, he prevailed on these renegadoes to
procure the information he desired, by giving them from time to
time several questions to which they procured direct answers, as
reported by the natives.

[Footnote 190: He afterwards learned the Arabic language, and I
believe spoke it tolerably well when he quitted this country
and proceeded to Mekka.]

One day he gave a _fete champetre_ at (_L'arsa Sultan_), the[191]
299 Sultan's garden, situated near a very picturesque rivulet, and
contiguous to springs of excellent water, which being collected in
a large tank, was conveyed by an aqueduct, which extended the
length of the garden, to immerge or irrigate the various beds of
flowers and plants. On his return home, as he was crossing the
river near the village of Diabet, a Shelluh shot a large fish as it
was passing the sh