1920.] uf the Maroccan" Middle- Atlas.'' 26S 



other species, found later to be so abundant in the Middle- 

 Athis forest, seemed to be entirely absent. 



From all accounts, the nature of Mainora here is fairly 

 typical of its greater part ; nevertheless an eight-hour 

 ramble like this, in its edge, cannot be regarded as more 

 than a first impression of so great an expanse of " forest." 



His distinguished guest having departed, (leneral Lyautey 

 received me, and with the greatest kindness invited me to 

 visit any of the "• Postes Militaires " that I wished. 



Comnuindant de Bcaucoudrey, (acting) Head of the 

 " Departement des eaux et forets," generously offered to take 

 me in his motor-car for a trial trip to the forests of Azrou 

 and Ain Leuh : if, as a result, these districts should seem to 

 me worthy of a prolonged staj^ I could return and settle 

 down there. 



Leaving Rabat r.M. the 23rd of A})ril in one of those (to 

 me) amazing Ford cars, which despite its four years' hard 

 work carried us nobly over the up-country obstacles when 

 obliged to leave the main road, we spent the night at 

 Meknez, and the following afternoon bade an revoir to 

 Colonel Colombart and ('ommandant Lefevre, our hospitable 

 hosts, and proceeded southwards to Azrou. 



The })hysical features of the country traversed having 

 been more or less indicated in Plate XII., it is unnecessary 

 to add more here. On the plateau of El Hajel) we were 

 treated to a long cold thunderstorm, but when we passed 

 the cam[) of Ito at its highest point, our discomforts were 

 more than recompensed by the glorious view- that opened 

 out ahead. To the south-westward, as far as eye could 

 stretch, lay a tumble of steep-sloped mountains bathed in 

 distant evening sunlight; thence to the south-eastward, 

 in middle distance, the serrated crest of the great forest, 

 under a lifting canopy of indigo cloud, frowned sombrely 

 down from its two-thousand foot advantage on the oreen 

 expanse of the Tigrigra \ alley. Twenty minutes later we 

 had crossed the valley and were at Azrou, with the Middle- 

 Athis rising, so to speak, from our back door. 



Suffice it to add that duiing the next three days we made 



