The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-08-30 00:00:00

THE MOORISH EMBASSY.

We have already briefly noticed the arrival and
departure of an accredited ambassador, accompanied by
a numerous suite, from the Court of Morocco to the
Court of St. James's.

As this illustrious personage has now left our shores,
we think it due to such a visitation—which has not
happened since the days of Charles ll.—to give to our
readers some description of this embassy.
Without further• preface we proceed with our
description.

On the 14th of June two missions from the Court of
Morocco simultaneously:embarked at Tangier, the one
Proceeding to England, the other to France.

On the 20th of the same month the Embassy for
England arrived at Portsmouth in the • screw-frigate
Melpomene, Captain Ewart. The embassy was accom-
panied from Tangier by Mr. James de Visme Drummond
Hay, C. 8., late vice-consul at Tetuan, but now paid
attache to his brother, Mr. John Drummond Hay, C. 8.,
our energetic minister resident at Tangier. It is well
known that the C.B. has been deservedly conferred upon

these brothers for the diplomatic services of one and the
gallant services of the other.' The Moors were. over-
joyed in being placed during the voyage under the
protection of one whom they knew to be their friend,
and who, they were well assured, would protect them
in a strange land. Nothing particular transpired during
the voyage but the difficulty of teaching these good
peoPle the use of a knife and fork. In their first
attempt they held on violently by the knife, while they
divided the meat with their fork. Having accomplished
this, they employed a large table-Toon to perform the
final duty of conveying the morsels. into the mouth.

But we must record the names and titles of the dif-
ferent members of the embassy.
The Ambassador rejoices in the name of Seed Maho-
med Slamee, being about 30 years of age, with a pallid
complexion, and of a rather melancholy cast of counte-
nance. He is a man of wealth and influence in the
Court of Morocco, and Treasurer of the Empire, appar-
ently slothful in mind and body.
Then comes the Plenipotentiary, Abderrahman Agie,
about 60 years of age, Councillor to the Sultan. As the,
Ambassador is the head man, so is the Plenipotentiary
the man with a head, being of the two by far the more
intelligent, and taking the lead in all matters connected
with the Embassy,
Their Excellencies envelop themselves in fine white
and purple drapery, surmounted by a white haik of large
dimensions, which forms a hood closely tied round the
head and neck; while on their feet they wear plain
yellow slippers, well down at the heel.

The next in rank is a fine, tall old man, nearly eighty,
one of the first generals in the Moorish army. His dress
is peculiar--a high-peaked red fez cap, surrounded by a
huge white turban of many folds, with a streak of yellow
in it to denote the rank of general, strongly contrasting
with his fine swarthy features, which are edged with a
scanty supply of white whiskers ; a white hail- is thrown
gracefully over the left shoulder. He is armed with a
short dagger, in an elaborately embossed silver sheath,
and a long sabre in a red scabbard. He belongs to the
Bokhari, or Imperial Guard.

The Bokhari Guard are the desendants of prisoners
taken in war from the interior of Africa by Sultan Mulaf
Ismael about 200 years ago, and were formed by him
into troops, and married to Moorish white women ; they
are called slaves of the Sultan, though they receive pay
as soldiers. Four of these soldiers accompany the general,
and are very good samples of the Black Guard—taken in
the sense of two separate words, and not in one word of
two syllables.

A very intelligent fat little man, with a quick, pene-
trating eye, is the next personage in the suite. He is
priest and secretary to the Embassy ; his dress is similar
to that of the Ambassador and Plenipotentiary. There
are also two Attaches. The distinguishing dress of
these young gentlemen is a turban and n coat of many
colours; one of them is a relative to the Ainbassador.
Three slaves attend the Embassy, one of them as
cook, with slit ears, caused by his ear-rings being
wanted in a hurry. Their thickened lips and depressed
noses betoken them to be denizens of an African clime.
Great is their attachment to their masters, from whom,
throughout Morocco, they receive the kindest. treatment.
There is but one more person to be mentioned, and
he may often have been seen, during the stay of the
Embassy, chattering with the domestics at Claridge's
street-door, in Brook-street, and smoking his cigarette
with much complaisance. His dress is a fez cap, blue
jacket with yellow facings, blue loose breeches, while
his legs and feet are incarcerated in Manchester cotton
stockings and London laced boots. This intelligent
young man has been for many years a servant in the
family of Mr. Hay, at Tangier, where he has learnt a
little English and imbibed many European ideas, such
as having no objection to a glass of wine or beer, accom-
panied by a pipe or cigar. We may here mention that
Moors, as a general rule, indulge neither in the one nor
the other.

Upon the arrival of the Embassy at Portsmouth they
at once proceeded by train to London, and were received
at the Waterloo terminus by Captain Lynch, C. 8., an
officer of the Indian navy, distinguished for his services
in Persia and the East, having been employed by the
British Government in many a dangerous diplomatic
mission that required much discretion and endurance.
This officer was selected by her Majesty's Government
to attend upon the Moorish Embassy during its stay in
this country. Every arrangement had been made by
Captain Lynch for the reception of the Embassy at
Claridge's Hotel, whither they were accordingly taken.
Mr. Claridge has throughout their stay at his hotel
been most indefatigable in his exertions to minister to
their comfort and requirements, a kitchen and slaughter-
house being set apart for their use ; for, strict Maho-
medans, they will not touch meat of any kind that has
not been killed after their own fashion.

Very soon after their arrival they were honoured with
an audience by her Majesty, to whom they were pre-
sented by Lord John Russell, and in the evening attended
her Majesty's state ball. They were present at the
volunteer review in Hyde-park, and were touched by
the considerate kindness of her Majesty in causing them
to be rescued from a crowded stand and placed beside
the Royal carriage.
They have been overwhelmed by visits and invitations
from many of the leading members of the fashionable
world, and have attended some few of the parties of the
season. At the Lord Mayor's Ministerial dinner it was
curious to witness their aptitude for imitation in passing
the loving cup. It should here be stated that they
presented the Lord Mayor with £2OO towards the
charities of the city. We also understand that the
Moorish Ambassador to the French Court has given
£4OO for the suffering Christian community in Syria.
They were taken to the opera and theatres, the Crys-
tal Palace, at which an incident occurred significant of
their veneration for anything of a sacred character;
they observed that the tiles with which the Alhambra
Court is paved bore the inscription in Arabic, " There
is no strength but in God," and would not therefore
walk on them. Their presence in the Alhambra
Court was picturesque in the extreme, and they
looked as if they were part and parcel of that
faithful model of the ancient Moorish building in
Grenada. They have visited Woolwich, the Queen's
stables, the Kensington Museum, the Zoological Gardens,
the Houses of Parliament, the Tower, the Thames
Tunnel, the Docks, the Bank, and the private gardens
of Buckingham Palace. They shun publicity and covet
privacy, and are not easily incited to the fatigue of
sight-seeing ; they appear to lack the spirit of curiosity.
That which seemed to be a real pleasure to them was
to drive to Mr. Claridge's private farm at Hendon,
where a tent was pitched for their accommodation, in
which dinner and tea after the Moorish fashion were
provided. The black soldiers were highly amused in
kicking about a football, and sometimes, after a violent
kick, their slippers would accompany the ball. They
shot with bows and arrows at a target (which, by the
by, they never hit) until all the arrows were broken.
Their idea of playing at cricket was that of throwing
the bats at the heads of one another. It was pleasant
to witness the active enjoyment of these black soldiers,
while the Ambassador himself fell fast asleep on a hay-
cock, and on waking exclaimed, "If you want to know
what 1 like, it is this." They more than once repeated
their visit to Hendon.

It is to hoped that the embassy have returned to
Morocco well satisfied with their hospitable reception in
this country.
John Bull is like a rich man ever suspecting a visit
from his poor relations, to have for its object the nego-
tiation of a loan. Same of our readers may entertain
this idea of the visit of the Moorish Embassy, both to
this country and to France,---a supposition very natural
at the present moment, when we know that the evacua-
tion of Tetuan by the Spaniards depends on the payment
of a large sum of money to them by the Moorish Gov-
ermnent.

We have no hesitation, however, in affirming, upon
the highest authority, that such is not the object of
either mission, and that the services of Rothschild will
certainly not be required on the present occasion. We
firmly believe that these missions have no ulterior ob-
ject beyond announcing the elevation of the present
Sultan to the throne of his ancestors, and seeking the
countenance and protection of the two great European
Powers, England and France.

FORGERY.—On Tuesday F. A. Daviss was charged
before the Mayor of London with forging a. bill of
exchange for L 479 6s. The prison.er called at the
Bank of England with in,on,ey to talPe up the bill two
days before it fell due, but the clerk refused to, let him
hare it, and so the forgery was discovered. The case
was remanded.
THE Seth VELYET TRADE. —Meetings have been
held by the silk velvet weavers of Halstead, Coggeshall,
and Sudbury, in consequence of the determination of
some of their employers to reduce wages 3d. per yard.
This step is stated to be necessitated by the competition
arising from the importation of German goods. A
strike has been talked of among the men, but on the
whole they seem disposed to act on friendly terms with
their employers, whom they have earnestly
• reconsider their decision,

BIRKENHEAD STREET RAILWAY

WILL OPEN

THIS DAY (THURSDAY), VIE 3Ont INSTANT.

Cars Commence Runuing at Ten o'clock a.m. for the Public

Holders of Tickets for the Banquet are requested to
assemble at Woodside Ferry, at Half-past One o'clock p.m.
precisely, when the Cars will be in readiness to take them to
Birkenhead Park and back.