Morin's second duty was to prepare, in the utmost secrecy, a new headquarters outside the dangerous cauldron of Algiers, at Rocher-Noir, a few miles along the coast. The purpose was to avoid a possible repeat of the embarrassing predicament of January, where the representative of France might find himself confronted with the choice of either beating an undignified retreat, or being made a prisoner of an "ultra" mob. The principle was a wise one; only its execution would be too late.

Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Alge…, loc. 1290