CH. II. VIEW FROM THE UPPER RIDGE. 45 



Various indications, such as the disappearance of several 

 species that are abundant lower down, and the much more 

 backward state of the vegetation, went to prove that the 

 climate of the upper plateau is sensibly different from that 

 of its middle region ; but there was little to show that we 

 had reached the limit of a true mountain, much less that of 

 a subalpine flora. We had, indeed, already found a variety 

 of the large-flowered Senecio Doronicum, which in the 

 Alps and Pyrenees ascends even to the Alpine region ; and 

 near our highest point Ball found a form of Erodium pet- 

 rcBwm, which in the Pyrenees and Northern Spain usually 

 attains the subalpine zone. The season was still too little 

 advanced ; and the naturalist who will follow our footsteps 

 about the beginning of June may expect a much richer 

 harvest. 



Having taken observations for altitude, which give 

 height of about 3,040 feet above the sea for our station, 

 we halted a few minutes to enjoy the noble panorama 

 that was spread out below us. On the western side suc- 

 cessive undulations of the ground — range beyond range 

 of low hills — melted away into the horizon, but as the 

 eye turned northward it rested on a more varied picture. 

 To the right of the Angera Mountains and Ape's Hill a 

 small dark islet seemed to stand out from the Spanish 

 coast. In this we scarcely recognised Gibraltar, for the 

 shadow of a cloud happened to rest on its grey lime- 

 stone cliffs. To the right extended a long reach of coast 

 line, foreshortened from the promontory of Ceuta to the 

 mouth of the river below Tetuan, with the much more 

 distant outline of the Serrania de Eonda in the back- 

 ground. Then as we tm-ned eastward, though the view was 

 partly interrupted by projecting spurs of the mountain, 

 we followed the long outline of the coast range of North 

 Marocco, the secure refuge of the unconquered Eiff tribes, 

 whose fastnesses have never been profaned by the presence 

 of an alien master. Some patches of dark shade evidently 

 indicated forests, and these may probably consist wholly or 



