CH. vn. SINGULAEITIES OF NATIVE DISPOSITION. 173 



bed of the stream, nearly quite dry, afforded the most 

 convenient situation for our camp, which, by the mean 

 of two observations, stood at 2,889 feet (880'6 m.) above 

 the sea. 



Though the more we afterwards knew of him the less 

 we liked him, we observed, on this and some other occa- 

 sions, that our disagreeable Marocco leader, Kaid el Hasbi, 

 shared in a quality that is common enough among un- 

 civilised people, and especially noticeable among the 

 Moors, of which due account should be taken by travellers. 

 It is not the desire to please, still less real benevolence ; 

 but a certain impressionableness, an involuntary sympathy, 

 that makes these people thoroughly uncomfortable when 

 they see a stranger annoyed or disappointed. In common 

 phrase, ' they can't bear to see you put out.' An English- 

 man, a German, or a Swiss may travel with you the 

 whole day, when yoa are suffering from annoyance, per- 

 haps at something in his own behaviour, but will either 

 not notice, or, if he do notice, will not heed, your humour. 

 In this country a man who would see you killed or tor- 

 tured with perfect composure, can be made more uneasy 

 than you are by seeing yon vexed or out of spirits. The 

 disappointment we felt at our first failure to penetrate 

 the inner recesses of the Atlas from Tasseremout, had been 

 very perceptible during the afternoon ; and though our 

 Kaid was quite resolved to let us go no farther than he 

 could possibly help, he wished to do what he could to 

 keep us in good humour. Accordingly, we were scarcely 

 housed in our tents when El Hasbi appeared with a supply 

 of fruit, oranges, dates, and walnuts, that he wished us to 

 regard as a present from himself, but were doubtless part 

 of the ample mona that was obtained from the village 

 authorities. Later on, the Kaid of the valley made his 

 appearance, civil, but no way cordial, and the result of 

 the interview was not very favourable to the prospect of 

 penetrating to the head of the vaUey. 



We were led at the time to suppose that the more 



