APES' HILL. 9 



bushes, separated from the sea by a wide sandbank covered 

 with brushwood ; this laguna and marshes are by far the best 

 ground to be seen on either side of the Straits. Proceeding 

 from Esmir, towards Ceuta, the road lies either on the shore or 

 along the usual scrub-covered country till, turning to the left by 

 some Roman ruins, a pass leading up to the Sierra Bullones is 

 entered, when the scenery becomes very fine, the track ascending 

 by the side of a bright clear stream, through bushes sometimes 

 so thick as to completely shut out the sky overhead, at other 

 times passing through heather, in places twenty feet high. The 

 path becomes gradually worse, till the climax is reached in the 

 ascent of a steep hill where the brushwood tears the load oif the 

 mules, and with the stones and rocks nearly renders progress 

 impossible. Once, however, at the top, a fair enough road is 

 found leading to the village of Beut, situated in a sort of plateau 

 at an elevation of about 1000 feet, separated from Jebel Musa 

 by a deep valley, a high range of rocks, and another shallow 

 valley. 



About here nothing, ornithologically speaking, is to be seen 

 (excepting a few Choughs) that is not to be met with elsewhere. 

 We found an Eagle nesting on the north face of the range south 

 of Jebel Musa : the nest was in a most difficult position to get 

 at ; and not being able to reach any place near enough from 

 which to shoot the Eagle, we left the eggs as worthless, because 

 unable to identify the bird : however there is little doubt that 

 it was the Golden Eagle. We saw some apes about the rocks ; 

 they were rather wild, and lost no time in making their way to 

 the top. 



The view from this sierra (Apes' Hill of the English, Jebel 

 Musa of the Moors, Sierra Bullones of the Spaniards, Abyla of 

 the ancients) is magnificent, and baffles description, well repay- 

 ing all the trouble and difficulties of the ascent. 



To the south beyond Tetuan lie, half hidden in blue mist, 

 the snow-streaked mountains of the Atlas, stretching far away 



