164 A LOST PLANT EEFOUND. ch. vii. 



When nearly ready to start on the morning of May 9, 

 we were informed that the Kai'd meant to accompany us 

 on the way to Tasseremout.' This caused a slight delay, 

 which was not unpleasantly occupied in looking around us. 

 The morning air was delightfully cool (58° Fahr. at 6 a.m.), 

 although the day before had been hot, and at 11 p.m. the 

 thermometer had fallen only to 73°. The position of the 

 Kaid's dwelling was in itself very beautiful, in the midst 

 of a fertile country encircled by hills, and these backed by 

 a majestic range of lofty mountains. The line of escarp- 

 ment skirting the base of the Atlas, already distinctly seen 

 in the view from Marocco, was conspicuous on the eastern 

 side, but towards the south was partly concealed by fine 

 olive gTOves. The mean of two nearly concordant ob- 

 servations gives for the height of this place 2,399 feet 

 (731*1 m.) above the sea. 



At about 7 A.M. we moved, and, crossing the dry river- 

 bed, very soon began to ascend among low hills, apparently 

 formed by erosion from an upper plateau that surrounds 

 the base of the mountains. We often rode along hollow 

 ways between high banks or lofty hedges formed of tangled 

 shrubs and climbing plants, in which were mingled some 

 familiar forms with several altogether new to us. A dog- 

 rose, scarcely distinguishable from the common British 

 Rosa canina, was common in some places, along with 

 profuse masses of Ephedra altissima and other south- 

 ern forms. Climbing high over all these was a beautiful 

 Coronilla, with very large white and lilac-blue flowers. 

 We knew that a fine species of this genus, first brought 

 from Marocco by Broussonnet, had been formerly culti- 

 vated in England, though long since lost from our gardens ; 

 but the Coronilla vimvnalis figured by Salisbury shows 

 yellow flowers, and is placed amongst the shrubby species 

 of the genus. It was clear that in the plant before us the 



' As constantly happened, it was very difficult to fix the sound of this 

 name. The accent sometimes fell on the last syllable, sometimes on 

 the penultimate. 



