Here the interesting discovery was made that Abd-elKerim's 'treaties' were, to put it mildly, worthless. A quarrel ensued, and the Austrian went back to London vowing all sorts of vengeance against the Major, while the latter remained behind in Mogador with Sabbah, a Syrian Jew, as his interpreter. He soon made the acquaintance of one Pepe Ratto, a merchant of Mogador, with an extensive knowledge of languages and people. By this gentleman Spilsbury was brought into contact with two men, Embarak o-Hamed and Mohammed el Tamanari, who posed, or were represented, as delegates of the principal chiefs of Sus. The terms of a new treaty were discussed, and, to quote Spilsbury's own words: The draft treaty, as settled between us, was then sent by courier to Sidi Hussein ben Hashem, the paramount chief of Sus; and when returned with his approval, was signed at the British Vice-Consulate and duly certified.'

By this time the Sultan had got a hint of what was going on, and took prompt measures to checkmate the enterprise. Emissaries were sent down to Sus to bribe the chiefs into allegiance, and complaints were made to the British Minister at Tangier, who reported the matter to the Foreign Office in London. Spilsbury was communicated with, and an undertaking was given by him 'that he would not cross the Atlas.' But the situation was becoming very awkward for the Susi chiefs, who were spied upon and dogged wherever they went. Had they attempted to return overland, they would never have reached their own country alive. Spilsbury thereupon hit upon the idea of taking steamer to Las Palmas, and smuggling the natives on board. In this he was successful. On arrival at Las

Palmas, the British Consul informed the Major that he had received, cable instructions from Lord Salisbury to persuade him not to go to Sus, as it was unsafe, and that if he went there it would be at his own risk. In reply, the Major pointed to the treaties between England and Morocco, which provide that British subjects 'shall have a free and undoubted right to travel, and to reside in the territories and dominions of his Sherifian Majesty, subject to the same precautions of police which are practised towards the subjects or citizens of the most favoured nations,' and determined that coûte que coûte he would see this curious country, which both the Sultan of Morocco and the British Government seemed so desperately anxious to keep from the prying gaze of all Christians.

If there is one inducement to explore an unknown region which is stronger than all others, it is the fact that someone has said, 'Thou shalt not go.' The toy the child wants most is the one its nurse says it must not have. And so it is with children of a larger growth. The hoary monarch of the frozen pole entrenches himself behind his icy ramparts, and silently forbids the foot of man to invade his snow-robed solitude; and straightway the hardy and rebellious children of men take up the defiant challenge at the risk and peril of their lives, yet with scarce a hope of greater reward than that men shall praise them for their courage and daring. Colonel Fred Burnaby, in his Ride to Khiva,' tells us that his resolution to undertake the perilous journey was born of a newspaper paragraph, stating that the Russian Government had forbidden all other Europeans to go there. In the pure spirit of defiance and contradiction he determined on the instant to go there, and he went. And

so it was with Sus.

The British Government forbade

Major Spilsbury to go there, and straightway there was no place on earth that had so strong an attraction for him.

Chartering a thirty-six ton schooner, he embarked with Sabbah and the two Susi, and, after beating about for many days in a heavy sea, ultimately succeeded in making a sheltered cove called Arksis, which was pointed out by the natives as the most favourable landing - place. There the two chiefs were put ashore. What followed only Spilsbury and his interpreter can tell, and I therefore quote the former's own account, though subsequent observation showed that the Major had somewhat exaggerated the actual state of things.

'Our arrival being anticipated' (doubtless notified by courier from Ratto), 'the following day some 4,000 of the tribes, with their long guns, came down to the coast to welcome us, anxious to commence trading. So you see I was very glad to have run the risk, for, notwithstanding all the warnings, and although I was the first European in modern times to land there as a European, and without disguise, I was received with open arms. The horse, a magnificent barb, which was brought for me to ride, was bedecked with trappings of green velvet and gold such as might have been seen at the Court of the Mogul Emperors of India. I mention this by the way, simply to show that the people we have to deal with are wealthy, have a taste for luxury, and enjoy a certain degree of civilization— a state of affairs entirely different, and far superior, to what obtains in the territory of the British South Africa Company, or that of the Royal Niger Company. Of course I had to explain that this

visit was merely preliminary, and that I must return home and come out again with a steamer and a proper cargo; and so, after many farewells and protestations of friendship, I sailed back to Las Palmas and thence by steamer to England.'

On his return home he seems to have had no difficulty in convincing the syndicate that he had secured a 'splendid trading monopoly' which was going to bring in huge profits to the shareholders. Kerim Bey had done his little best to discredit his late companion to their employers in the meantime, but the syndicate directors had come to the conclusion that Codlin was the friend, not Short, and went on busily with preparations for the despatch of a fully equipped expedition with the first cargo. The attitude of the British Government, however, somewhat interfered with their plans. Official notice was given by the Foreign Office that her Majesty's Government regarded any attempt to open up trade with the Sus tribes contrary to the Sultan's wishes as illegal, and anyone going to Sus for the purpose would not be supported or protected. Now, it so happened that Sir Edward Thornton, G.C.B., was chairman of the Globe Venture Syndicate, and as an ex-Ambassador, Privy Councillor, etc., it was not his policy to run counter to the wishes of the Foreign Office. As the first consignment of goods to Sus was intended to consist chiefly of rifles and ammunition--goods absolutely forbidden entry through the ports of his Majesty of Morocco-it behoved the Foreign Office pensionnaires in the Globe Venture Syndicate to be extra cautious. A way out of the difficulty was found by the formation. of the Mauritania Syndicate, which was to furnish the funds for the expedition, the Globe participating in the

profits in certain eventualities, but being able to pose as innocent parties in the event of things going wrong. To this syndicate the present writer subscribed. Spilsbury was not a member, but he showed the confidence he had in his own scheme by investing his money in a steam-yacht which was to take out the cargo and the members of his expedition to Sus.

The steam-yacht Tourmaline was a neat little craft of 100 tons net register, capable of steaming thirteen knots an hour in a quiet sea. By November, 1897, all was ready for the start. Under the command of Captain George Graham, an ex-P. and O. officer, she left Cowes for the Thames, there to be fitted up with a three-pounder quick-firing Maxim-Nordenfeldt, and take in the stores for the voyage. On arrival in London, the crew-'a crowd of Cowes bummers and river Itchen lurchers,' as the skipper described them -left in a body, having no fancy for African exploration. A fresh crew was signed on, Sabbah the interpreter signing as purser, and in addition to the Major there were Mr. Arthur Watling, a director of the Globe Venture Syndicate and member of the Mauritania ; Mr. A. C. Beyerle, an ex-Lieutenant in the German cavalry; and the present chronicler. We numbered nineteen all told, but of that number there were probably not more than three that knew that, while we were embarking on what would probably turn out to be a perilous enterprise, we were engaged in a venture that was illegal from its inception. The crew signed ordinary ship's articles, ignorant even of their destination beyond the Canary Islands and a port in Africa,' but that did not save two of them from being subsequently sentenced to three weeks' imprisonment for