94 KEW, ST. PETEESBUBG, AND MABOCCO 



her live for ever, and that she had sent her own hakim to find 

 it for her. 



When, in the course of our journey, it was seen that our 

 botanical pursuits entailed rather severe labour, the com- 

 mentary was : ' The Sultana of England is a severe woman, 

 and she has threatened to give them stick (the bastinado) 

 if they do not find the herb she wants ! ' 



Though the chief captain of the escort was a surly, extor- 

 tionate fellow, apt at contriving local opposition so as to escape 

 the discomforts of the mountains, Hooker reduced him to order 

 by threatening an appeal to the Viceroy, and the substitution 

 of another officer who would take his place and his perquisites. 

 Thus the Atlas summits were reached from two directions, 

 and an excellent botanical collection made, in spite of frequently 

 unfavourable conditions. The amount of moisture in the air 

 made drying a great difficulty, and the labour of dealing with 

 the rich harvest of the hills was increased by the exigencies 

 of mountain travel. 



Those who have had experience in this line [their book 

 records (' Marocco and the Great Atlas,' p. 273)] know that the 

 labour of a botanical collector is not light, and in truth it 

 would be almost intolerable if it were not for its compensating 

 pleasures. It often happened that the solitary candle was 

 in use throughout the entire night, Ball working till two 

 o'clock or later, when Hooker would rise, more or less refreshed, 

 and keep up work till daylight. 



Save for one day in the low country, early in the journey, 

 Hooker kept an unbroken record of good health during his 

 Marocco trip. Exertion and exposure only increased his 

 physical fitness, and up the mountain passes his stride was 

 indefatigable. 



So on July 4 he writes to Darwin : 



Well, I am back, as usual, like a bad shilling ! after a 

 very pleasant cruise. I must get up a readable account of it 

 in a small volume, and shall publish the Bot. Geog. in Linn. 

 Roc., I hope with Ball. The results are mainly negative, 

 the Atlas being the dying out of the European Flora. 



