152 CHOICE OF A EOUTE. ch. vii. 



any circumstances, it would involve a considerable amount 

 of travelling through a comparatively uninteresting coun- 

 try — at least four days, and probably six, for the route to 

 and fro between Marocco and Demenet, and four days at 

 least for returning to Mogador ; and further, that if diffi- 

 culties should arise to prevent us from reaching the head 

 of the Tessout valley, we might possibly miss altogether 

 the main object of our journey by failing to reach the 

 higher region of the Grreat Atlas. On the other hand, 

 by coasting along the northern skirts of the chain, and 

 penetrating as many valleys as might be found practicable, 

 we should avoid altogether the need for retracing any 

 part of our course, and might reasonably expect to reach 

 a part of the chain whence a couple of days' ride would 

 carry us back to Mogador. The strongest argument was, 

 however, the consideration that by choosing the latter 

 route we should have numerous chances of accomplishing 

 our desire to reach the upper part of the mountain range, 

 and that if we should find impassable obstacles in one 

 or another valley, we should yet have an unimpaired 

 chance of succeeding elsewhere. Hooker's strong im- 

 pression that our future course would not be unopposed 

 gave especial weight to the latter view, and the sequel 

 will show that we were well advised. It was therefore 

 decided to apply to El Grraoui for letters to all the Kaids 

 of the valleys subject to his authority in the range ex- 

 tending from Tasseremout to the borders of Haha, while, 

 with a view to a possible change in our course, he was also 

 requested to write to the Grovernor of Demenet. 



In one way or other the days passed in Marocco were 

 so fully occupied as to leave no leisure, and Maw alone 

 was able to afford time for an excursion to one of the 

 low hills on the south side of the Oued Tensift, seen 

 on the left of the track by which we had approached the 

 city. The nearest of these— a rough mass of metamorphic 

 rock, rising' nearly 800 feet above the level of the plain — 

 is only about three miles distant from the walls. 



