130 SHORT STALKS 



bird's-eye view over a plain from a considerable lieiglit. 

 The plains of Lombardy from Monte Rosa, of Spain 

 from the Breche de Roland, liave this human interest, 

 l)ut in both these cases subsidiary, l)ut still lofty ranges 

 serve to Ijreak the contrast. But here we were on 

 the top of a great craggy wall which rose straight from 

 the plain. True, the latter was seamed by three low, 

 rocky ridges which lay parallel to one another between us 

 and Biskra, but they were completely subordinated and 

 looked like small purple islands rising out of a golden sea. 

 Over them one took in the whole plain, every inch of it. 

 to the verv horizon, clear cut and level as the sea itself. 

 To the east, perhaps thirty miles otf, lay a large chott or 

 salt marsh, but whether its shining surface was due to 

 water or half-dried salt I could not determine. The sun- 

 sets and sunrises from this and similar elevated camps 

 were of marvellous interest and beauty, especially wlien a 

 sea of cloud clung to the mountaiiis, as sometimes hap- 

 pened in the earlv mornino-. In the foreg-round raoo-eil- 

 edged peaks, with deep purple shadows, pierced the 

 luminous mist ; beyond, the shadowless, illimitable plain. 

 The nio-hts were not less beautiful. In still weather the 

 air was so clear that the stars shone with scarcely dimin- 

 ished briohtness down to the horizon itself, and one seemed 

 even to look down on them. 



All the southern slopes of the Atlas are singularly 

 waterless, and the Metlili is no exception to the rule. 

 Every drop for our use had to be brought up in barrels on 

 mule-back. I wanted to send the barrels l^ack so as to 

 have a fresh supply the next day ; so I poured the water 

 into two of mv canteen baskets which are lined with 



