368 



NATURE 



\_Feb. 20, 1879 



region to make it the local representative of that plant. 

 Its home is the sub-littoral zone of South-western Marocco, 

 where it is common between the rivers Tensift and Sous. 

 A few scattered trees only are said to be found north of 

 the Tensift ; but it seems to be not infrequent in the hilly- 

 district between the Sous and the river of Oued Noun, 

 making the total length of its area about 200 miles. 

 Extending from near the coast for a distance of thirty 

 or forty miles inland, it is absolutely unknown elsewhere 

 in the world. The trunk always divides at a height of 

 eight or ten feet from the ground, and sends out numerous 

 spreading, nearly horizontal branches. The growth is 

 apparently very slow, and the trees that attain a girth of 

 twelve to fifteen feet are probably of great antiquity. 

 The minor branches and young shoots are beset with stiff 

 thick spines, and the leaves are like those of the olive in 

 shape, but of a fuller green, somewhat paler on the under 

 side. Unlike the olive, the wood is of extreme hardness, 

 and seemingly indestructible by insects, as we saw no 

 example of a hollow trunk. The fruit, much like a large 

 olive in appearance, but varying much in size and shape, 

 is greedily devoured by goats, sheep, camels, and cows, 

 but refused by horses and mules ; its hard kernel furnishes 

 the oil which replaces that of the olive in the cookery of 

 South Marocco, and is so unpleasant to the unaccustomed 

 palate of Europeans. The annexed cut, showing an aver- 

 age Argan, about twenty-five feet in height, and covering 

 a space of sixty or seventy feet in diameter, with another, 

 where goats are seen feeding on the fruit, exhibits a 

 scene which at first much amused us, as we had not been 

 accustomed to consider the goat as an arboreal quadruped. 

 Owing to the spreading habit of the branches, which in 

 the older trees approach very near to the ground, no 

 young seedlings are seen where the trees are near together, 

 and but little vegetation, excepting small annuals ; but 

 in open places, and on the outer skirts of the forest, there 

 grows in abundance a peculiar species of Thyme (7". 

 Brottssonnetii), with broadly ovate leaves and bracts that 

 are coloured red or purple, and the characteristic strong 

 scent of that tribe. It is interesting to the botanist as an 

 endernic species, occupying almost exactly the same geo- 

 graphical area as the Argan. As we afterwards found, 

 it is replaced in the interior of the country by an allied, 

 but quite distinct, species. Its penetrating odour seems 

 to be noxious to moths, as the dried twigs and leaves are 

 much used in Mogador, and found effectual for the pre- 

 servation of woollen stuffs." 



Stopping at Shedma, Am Oumast, Sheshaoua, Misra 

 ben Kara, Marocco was at last in view. From whatever 

 side it be approached, this city presents an imposing 

 appearance. The western side presented an outline 

 about a mile and a half in length. Massive walls some 

 thirty feet in height,^ with square towers at intervals of 

 about 170 yards, completely inclose it, and on two sides 

 at least it is girdled by a wide belt of gardens in which 

 the date palm, the olive, and fig, are conspicuous objects. 

 We must refer the reader to the volume for an account of 

 the sojourn in Marocco. Some difficulties with the 

 Governor were got over by the quiet determination of 

 Sir Joseph Hooker, whose knowledge of the Oriental 

 character acquired in Asia here stood him in good 

 service. 



The outline of the Great Atlas range was quite visible 

 from the terraced roof of the house in Marocco occu- 

 pied by the travellers, though owing to the prevalence 

 of clouds they failed to secure a satisfactory sketch of 

 these. Through the kindness of Sir J. D. Hay, they are, 

 however, enabled to insert a copy of a drawing made in 

 1829 by Mr. William Prinsep, the correctness of which 

 they endorse. On May 8 Marocco was left for the moun- 

 tains. The cavalcade was a large one, consisting of 

 thirty-seven souls and thirty-three horses and mules. 

 The baggage formed a good load for nine mules. The 

 route lay south-east, but the upward slope became hardly 



perceptible, when before sunset they were compelled to 

 stop for the night at the house of the Kaid of Iklesfioua, 

 at an elevation of about 2,400 feet over the sea. The 

 next morning they were off pretty early, and soon began 

 to ascend, often riding along hollow ways between high 

 banks or lofty hedges formed of tangled shrubs and 

 climbing plants, in which were mingled some familiar 

 forms with several altogether new. 



" The date-palm had disappeared soon after we entered 

 the hills ; here, and elsewhere on our route, it seems to 

 be confined to the lower region, rarely attaining the level 

 of 3,000 feet above the sea. Its place was here supplied 

 by the palmetto [Chamarops hutnilis), which seldom, 

 forms a trunk, perhaps because it is not allowed to attain 

 a sufficient age. As we advanced, the vegetation con- 

 stantly offered a more varied and attractive aspect ; and 

 one of our first prizes was a new species of thynxe 

 {Thynms maroccam^s, Ball), somewhat like the species of 

 the Argan zone, but with oblong leaves and uncoloured 

 bracts. Of comparatively familiar forms there were 

 Ct'sfus monspeliemis and C. polymorphtis, the first species 

 of that genus that we had seen in South Marocco, the 

 pretty little Cleonia lusitanica, with many other Labiatae. 

 Of plants new to our eyes by far the most interesting was 

 the curious Polygala balansce. To those who know only 

 the milkworts of Europe and North America it must seem 

 strange to hear of a large shrubby Polygala, with 

 branches that end in a sharp point, few small leaves, so 

 quickly deciduous that it generally appears quite leafless, 

 and large flowers of a showy purple-red colour. In truth, 

 although there is great variety of form in this large genus, 

 the species which is common throughout the lower valleys 

 of the Great Atlas is very distinct from all its congeners. 

 In Arabia and South Africa there are some species form- 

 ing dwarf bushes with spinescent branches, but in other 

 respects very different. When full grown this is six or 

 eight feet in height ; and the round,'green, almost leafless 

 stems give it, when the flowers are absent, much the 

 appearance of Spartium Juttcetwi, the large broom of 

 Southern Europe. 



" After riding some way up a rather steep stony track,, 

 we reached a grove of very fine olive trees, and our escort 

 came to a halt. We had reached Tasseremout. For 

 some time we had seen a large pile of solid masonry which 

 crowned the hill immediately above the olive grove. This 

 seemed to deserve a visit ; but, on the other hand, the 

 attractions of the surrounding vegetation were irresistible 

 to botanists. The matter was settled by Hooker pro- 

 ceeding to visit the castle with the Kaid, while Ball 

 botanised, and Maw secured living specimens of some of 

 the more interesting plants." 



The castle of Tasseremout is one out of a large number 

 of similar buildings standing on the northern outworks of 

 the Great Atlas chain that will afford interesting matter 

 for inquiry to future travellers when the country becomes 

 more accessible, and the lessened jealousy of the natives 

 will make a thorough examination of them less impossible 

 than it would be at present. The natives vaguely attribute 

 their construction to Christians or Romans, the same word 

 conveying either meaning ; but the Jews often explain 

 this to mean Portuguese. The general character of these 

 buildings, as far as our information goes, is tolerably 

 uniform. The walls are of great thickness and built of 

 rough hewn stone : the arches are always rounded an4 

 the lower chambers vaulted ; and they are evidently 

 places of defence. There is little reason to believe that 

 the Portuguese, who held at one time or other most of the 

 Atlantic coast of Marocco, ever established a firm footing 

 inland, and still less that they had such a hold on South 

 Marocco as would be implied by the erection of a chain 

 of forts along the foot of the Atlas. On the other hand, 

 the history of Mauritania during the long period of the 

 decline of Rome, and preceding the Saracen conquest, is an 

 almost complete blaiJc, save for a few apocryphal stories. 



