PEOJECT OF A S£CO?^D EXCUESION. 207 



CHAPTER IX. 



The Shelluh sheik bribed — Arrangements for stopping at Arround — 

 Medical praoticfi among the Shelluhs — Arabic correspondence — Un- 

 expected difficulty — Strange fancies of the natives — Threatening 

 weather — Our house at Arround — Gloomy morning — Saint's tomb — 

 Escape from our guides — Strange encounter — Snow-storm — Tagh- 

 erot pass — Descent to Arround — Continuance of bad weather — 

 Sacrifice of a. sheep — Shelluh mountaineers — Fauna of the Great 

 Atlas — Return to Hasni — Deplorable condition of our camp. 



We had at last succeeded in breaking the charm that 

 seemed to have hitherto kept us from the inner recesses of 

 the Great Atlas ; but we had done little more, and what we 

 had as yet seen and handled of the vegetation of the 

 higher region merely served to whet the appetite, and 

 increase our natural voracity. Our talk on that night of 

 our return to Hasni, and our first thoughts on tlie follow- 

 ing morning, turned on the possibility of making the 

 wretched village of Arround our base of operations for two 

 or three days, as it was clear that only by starting from 

 that point would it be possible to make a fruitful ascent of 

 the higher ridges. During the day's excursion. Hooker 

 had ascertained a point of great practical importance. 

 While mounting the slopes on the west flank of the valley, 

 he noticed a path leading upwards towards a narrow ravine 

 at its head, and learned in answer to his inquiries that 

 this led to Sous — the great valley on the farther side of 

 the main range. It was clear then, that, with Arround as a 

 starting point, we should have the advantage of a beaten 

 track as far as the crest of the ridge ; and, even if this 

 should not be very high, we might, from that point, 

 ascend one of the adjoining summits. 



