ly^l CAMP AT HASNI. 



CH. Tin. 



surplus produce of the mountain country to Moorish 

 traders, and the purchase of the grain, which must be 

 brought from the low country for the subsistence of the 

 people. 



Some more fine plants were collected by the way. 

 Among these were three species of Astragalus, one of 

 them new, but nearly allied to A. narbonensis ; and 

 Atradylis macrophylla, of Desfontaines, a noble plant of 

 the thistle tribe, much the most ornamental of the genus, 

 reaching a height of three feet ; but, as it flowers late, we 

 saw only the withered heads of the previous year. 



About 6 P.M. we reached the spot which was destined 

 to be our head-quarters for several days. The site chosen 

 was an olive grove, on a shelf of level ground about one 

 hundred feet above the stream. The soil in the openings 

 between the trees must have been lying fallow for some 

 time, and was not so uncomfortably rough as the ploughed 

 land on which we often had to pitch our tents. The two 

 nearest villages are named Hasni and Tassghirt ; but the 

 former was taken by us as the name of the place that 

 became to us a sort of temporary home. By the mean 

 of four nearly concordant observations, compared with 

 those at Mogador, the height of our camp was 4,205 feet 

 (1,281-8 m.) above the sea. 



By the time we were installed in our tents it was 

 nearly dark, but a much longer delay occurred before the 

 mona arrived from the neighbouring village. The in- 

 terval was well employed in a negotiation with Si Hassan, 

 th'3 sheik of the valley, ending by an engagement on his 

 part to conduct us on the following day ' to the snow.' 



With eager anticipation, we rose early on the morning 

 of May 13, and soon made our arrangements for the day's 

 excursion. Abraham, with most of the escort, remained in 

 charge of the camp, while three or four of the soldiers 

 went with us, and Si Hassan with two or three wild- 

 looking followers took charge of the expedition. During 

 the past fortnight, our Mogador attendants, and especially 



