CH. X. VISIT TO THE GOVERNOE. 247 



He was almost quite black, and of nearly pure Negro type, 

 with the sensual, but apparently good-humoured expres- 

 sion that is common among that race. It was too late to 

 discuss business on this evening ; and the less necessary to 

 do so, as we knew that our large and precious collections 

 made in the Ait .Mesan valley, and put up in indifferent 

 condition, would require a full day's work, before we 

 could undertake a new excursion of any importance. An 

 abundant mona was provided ; and general satisfaction 

 appeared to prevail in the camp at having reached this 

 Capua of the Great Atlas. 



The 20th of May was a day of rest for the men and 

 animals of our party ; but of rather hard work for the two 

 botanists, who were for eight or nine hours busily engaged 

 in putting their collections into order, and transferring 

 the specimens from damp to dry paper. The system of 

 ventilating gratings which we adopted, works admirably 

 in a dry climate, and especially when it is possible to ex- 

 pose the parcels to sunshine ; and in such conditions most 

 plants may be dried without a single change of paper. 

 The case is different when, owing to rain, or the dampness 

 of the climate, the paper cannot be well dried, and the 

 plants have to be laid in in a more or less moist condition. 

 Artificial heat may sometimes be applied ; but this is rarely 

 available for travellers in such a country as Marocco. 



It was necessary to interrupt the work during the fore- 

 noon, in order to pay a visit to the Governor. This was 

 no matter of mere ceremony, as it was essential to obtain 

 his consent and assistance towards carrying out the design — 

 on which we had fixed our hearts — of penetrating to the 

 head of the Amsmiz valley, and climbing some one of the 

 higher adjoining peaks. We knew, indeed, that in this 

 part of the range, the Great Atlas does not attain so high 

 a level as it does farther east ; but as the summits must 

 reach a height of fully 11,000 feet, they could not fail to 

 exhibit the characteristic vegetation of the higher zone, 

 and at the same time, unless we were again pursued by 



