CH. VIII. WE BEACH THE SNOW AT LAST. 201 



rest. But the rocky masses of the Tatra tend to form 

 isolated peaks, usually of rugged and very steep conical 

 shape ; while in this part of the Great Atlas the depres- 

 sions that separate the summits are of little depth as 

 compared to the great height of the range. Seen from 

 below, as from the spot where we now stood, many points 

 assume the aspect of sharp peaks ; but it is easy to ascer- 

 tain, by varying the point of view, that these are mere 

 projecting bastions from the wall of the main chain, 

 rising little, or not at all, above the level of the adjoining 

 ridges. 



The day was already far gone — nearly two o'clock in 

 the afternoon — when, leaving our horses at the village, 

 we started on foot, with our sheik as guide, descending 

 slightly to the level of the stream, here easily crossed, and 

 then mounting the slope on the west side of the main 

 brancli of the valley in the direction of one of the nearest 

 of the patches of snow already seen by us. No guide was 

 needed, for the lower slopes on either side were easily 

 accessible in all directions ; but the sheik evidently wished 

 to fulfil in person the promise of ' leading us to the snow.' 

 Difficulty there was none, except that of moving onward 

 over ground where every step brought to view some fresh 

 object of interest. It was clear that we had at last 

 reached the threshold of the terra incognita that we had 

 so long dreamed of — the subalpine region of the Great 

 Atlas. There could be no doubt that in the short space 

 between the lower village and Arround — that is, between 

 the lower end of the ancient moraine and the ground for- 

 merly covered by glacier — the flora had undergone a com- 

 plete change. Nearly all the peculiar species which we 

 had hitherto looked on as characteristic of the Great Atlas 

 had disappeared, and their place was occupied in part by 

 others peculiar to this region, and not known elsewhere ; 

 but more largely by species either identical or nearly 

 allied to well-known mountain plants of the Mediter- 

 ranean region, along with some of the common plants 



