10 INTRODUCTION. 
Tarifa, to the north-west, is clearly visible, as are the crags 
of the Sierra de San Bartolome, the sandy cliffs of Cape 
Trafalgar, and the long spit of land on which is the light- 
house ; while all the grey, bare, barren-looking Spanish sierras 
look, with the sun shining on them, as if they lay within a 
stone^s throw. 
Gibraltar was shut out from our view, owing to the plea- 
santry of some Moors, who had rolled large stones down the 
only path leading to the summit of the highest peak, and so 
prevented us from ascending. However the view we did get 
was such as can never be forgotten, and it was long before 
we descended to continue our hunt for birds. 
The tops of these mountains, which are 2600 feet high (the 
highest part of Jebel Moosa is about 2800 feet), were covered 
with thousands of violets then in full bloom. The flowers 
were light-coloured when growing among the stones and 
waterworn rocks exposed to the sun, dark when shaded and 
growing among the stunted bushes which were scattered 
about here and there : their scent was perfect. Very few 
other flowers were growing on the tops ; but most conspicuous 
among them was the Gibraltar candytuft ; and the everlasting 
palmetto was met with at the very highest places. The base 
of all these crags or cliffs is approached by a steep slope of 
small broken rocks, among which grows a very thick jungle 
of stunted cork- and olive-trees about 15 feet high. 
On the north side of the range next to Beut and at the 
western end of it, at the base of the cliff, is a wide cave, 
which, at about some fifty or sixty yards from the entrance, 
branches off into two distinct caves, one going up hill, the 
other down. My companion ascended the upper one till he 
heard in the darkness the growling of some beast, probably a 
lynx or some wild cat; so he returned, and we collected 
together from outside a lot of dead sticks and rubbish, which 
we dragged up in the darkness as near the animal as we 
could judge to be well within range : we then set fire to it, 
and stood ready for a shot ; but it was no use ; the brute, 
whatever it was, only retired further in, growling away more 
than ever. 
