cit. V. NEGRO GOVERNOE. 115 



radicata, Sonchus oleraceus, Lycopus europceus, Plan- 

 tago major, Rumex pulcher, Carex divisa, and Scirpus 

 Holoschcenus. 



The usual mona was sent soon after our arrival ; and 

 the local governor, a deputy of the Governor of Marocco, 

 paid a visit of ceremony in the evening. He was a black 

 of nearly pure Negro type, and in all probability originally 

 a slave. We ^vere not then familiar with the fact that 

 slaves frequently rise in Marocco to the highest posts in 

 the State. The body-guard of the Sultan is exclusively 

 recruited among the black population, either voluntary 

 immigrants, or slaves imported young from Timbuctoo. 

 These form the only troops in the country that can be 

 relied on to repress internal disorder, though in case of 

 war with a European Power there is little doubt that the 

 whole Moorish population would respond to an appeal 

 to their patriotism and fanaticism. Whether the same 

 would hold good as to the Bereber tribes of the Great 

 and Lesser Atlas may be much doubted. With these the 

 sentiment of national, or rather tribal, independence is 

 the predominant feeling, and so long as an invader kept 

 aloof from their native valleys they could not be easily 

 moved to action. It naturally happens that an absolute 

 ruler, too conscious of his slight claim on the affections of 

 his own people, is led to prefer men whose prominent 

 virtue is that of the dog — attachment and fidelity to him 

 who feeds them. When it is considered that, in addition, 

 the Negro often possesses far more energy than the Moor, 

 united to at least equal natural intelligence, it may be 

 believed that the rulers of Marocco have shown no want of 

 policy in favoiuing this section of the population. 



The thermometer about sunset stood at 72° Fahr., 

 while in the water flowing beside our camp it marked but 

 62°, At 1 A.M., when we had concluded our nightly task 

 in laying out our plants, it had fallen to 52°, and rose 

 only to 57° an hour after sunrise, when the barometer was 

 recorded, and gave an estimated altitude of 1,141 feet 



I 2 



