276 A MID-DAY HALT. ch. xi. 



our course across the plain, with occasional halts, in order 

 more closely to examine the vegetation, which was here 

 less varied and interesting than usual. Most of the 

 surface was under grain crops— chiefly wheat and barley 

 — now ripe, and in great part cut and carried away. In 

 the drier waste tracts we once more came upon the cha- 

 racteristic vegetation of the plains, Acacia, Zizyphus 

 Lotus, Rhus pentaphylla, and Withania frutescens being 

 the prevailing shrubs. Of herbaceous plants Mceoselinum, 

 meoides, and other large Umbelliferce, with OompositcB of 

 the thistle tribe, were most conspicuous. 



In Beaudouin's map the chief branch of the Oued Nfys 

 is shown as flowing parallel to the Atlas range from the 

 south-west of Amsmiz, and receiving as tributaries the 

 Amsmiz torrent and the broad stream that we had crossed 

 near G-urgouri. On this day we satisfied ourselves that 

 this representation is erroneous. The unanimous state- 

 ments of the natives, confirmed by our own observations, 

 proved that all the waters flowing northward from the 

 mountains between Amsmiz and the borders of Mtouga are 

 united in the stream that we had traversed at Sheshaoua 

 on its way to the main river Tensift. The practice of 

 intercepting the streams from the Atlas, and carrying 

 them across the plain through irrigation channels below 

 the surface, makes it extremely difficult to unravel the 

 hydrography of this region. 



About noon we reached the boundary that separates the 

 districts of Amsmiz and Mzouda, and agreed to the sug- 

 gestion of a mid-day halt under trees near a large village, 

 of which, as we learned, many of the inhabitants are Jews. 

 From early morning the clouds had been gathering along 

 the mountain range, and by this time had quite covered 

 the sky. The temperature was unusually low, not rising 

 above 62° F. in the shade, and our hard work during most 

 (if the preceding night supplies the only excuse for the 

 fact that, after a light luncheon, we both fell fast asleep, 

 imtil aroused by the information that it was two o'clock. 



