58 



SAIL TO ALGECIEAS. 



CHAPTER III. 



Sail to Algeciras— Vegetation of the neighbouring hills— Comparison 

 between the opposite sides of the Strait of Gibraltar— Return to 

 Tangier — Troubles of a botanist— Fez pottery — Voyage in French 

 steamer — Eabat and Sallee— Land at Casa Blanca — Vegetation of 

 the neighbourhood— Humidity of the coast climate— Mazagan— 

 View of Saffi. 



With the previous permission of the Commandant, we 

 sailed from Ceuta in the Grovemment felucca on the morn- 

 ing of the 15th, and had a pleasant run before a south- 

 west breeze, which took us before noon to Algeciras. Our 

 intention had been to return the same day to Tangier, but 

 we found that the ordinary steamer had been taken up to 

 carry sight-seers to a bull-fight at Seville. Resigning 

 ourselves to the delay, we found fair accommodation in an 

 inn upon the quay, and started for a walk over the wooded 

 hills behind the town, not sorry to have an opportunity of 

 comparing the vegetation of the opposite shores at this 

 point where Europe and Africa so nearly meet. 



The general aspect of the floras is nearly identical, 

 but there is enough of difference to show that for a long 

 period a barrier has existed sufBcient to limit the diffusion 

 of many characteristic species. Of these we found three 

 on the hill near Algeciras — Rhododend/ron ponticum, 

 Sibthorpia europcea, and Reiianthemum lasianthum, a 

 fine species with large yellow flowers, approaching a Cistus 

 in stature and habit. A much longer list of European 

 plants that have not passed into Africa might be made 

 if all the known species found between Gribraltar and Tra- 

 falgar were taken into account ; but it might with some 

 reason be objected, that our knowledge of the African side 



