FRIENDLINESS OF THE NATIVES. 239 



CHAPTER X. 



Departure from Hasni— Plateau of Sektana— Grand View of the Great 

 Atlas— Departure of Maw— Village of Gurgouri - Intrigues of Kai'd 

 el Hasbi— Passage of the Oued Nfys — Arrival at Amsmiz — Friendly 

 Governor— Difficulties as to further progress — Position of Amsmiz — 

 Sleeping quarters in the Kasbah — Fanatical sheik — Shelluh mar- 

 ket — View of the Amsmiz valley — Village of Iminteli — Friendly 

 Jews — Geological structure and vegetation of the valley — Sheik's 

 opposition overcome — Ascent of Djebel Tezah — The guide left be- 

 hind — View from the summit — Anti-Atlas seen at last — Deserted 

 dwellings on the peak — Ancient oak forest — Eapid descent — Night 

 ride to Iminteli. 



In departing from our camp at Hasni, on May 18, our 

 cavalcade was escorted by the friendly sheik, Si Hassan, 

 and two other native chiefs. Up to the last moment, sick 

 people had continued to arrive from distant villages, and 

 some of the late-comers were left unattended. As we 

 started, the population of the adjoining hamlet, who were 

 gathered round the camp, gave unequivocal tokens of 

 good will and kindly wishes towards the strange visitors, 

 doubtless due to the good effects of Hooker's medical, 

 advice ; and more friendly salutations reached us at the 

 villages as we passed. After descending the main valley 

 for a distance of three or four miles, we turned to the left, 

 and began to ascend in a westerly direction towards a 

 depression in the hills that enclosed us on that side. The 

 opuntia and palmetto here grew to a large size ; and among 

 many less familiar forms, the oleander was a conspicuous 

 ornament, growing freely up to about 4,500 feet above 

 the sea. 



As we gradually wound upwards, and the Ait Mesan 



