CH. XI. PEEPAEING POE THE EVIL DAY. 279 



our observations showed that in our yesterday's ride of 

 rather more than 20 miles we had descended fully 1,000 

 feet, the height of the kasbah above the sea being calcu- 

 lated at 2,367 feet. The night had not been altogether 

 pleasant, for, in spite of insect powder, the bugs had made 

 a vigorous and successful attack, and we should have pre- 

 ferred to start at an earlier hour. But as usual Kaid el 

 Hasbi stood in the way. He was quite determined not to 

 let the unbelieving strangers put him to the slightest in- 

 convenience that could be avoided. 



Before we started the Governor sent Hooker a present 

 of 20 dollars, which was of course immediately returned. 

 The poor man doubtless thought it well to lose no chance 

 of propitiating any influence that could possibly be of 

 avail in the hour of future need. With the same object, 

 he took the opportunity of sending through Abraham a 

 dog to Mr. Carstensen at Mogador, and doubtless made 

 presents to the officers of our escort. 



After leaving the kasbah we rode through a narrow 

 belt of tilled land, and soon reached the verge of a tract of 

 open country remaining in a state of nature, with but few 

 and scattered traces of population or cultivation. In some 

 parts the soil was stony, and the presence of Arthro- 

 cnemum and other Salsolaceous bushes indicated the 

 presence of soluble salts, but in others the absence of 

 cultivation was probably due only to the want of irriga- 

 tion. There can be little doubt that hj a more skilful 

 distribution of the drainage from the northern slopes of 

 the G-reat Atlas, the area of land producing human food 

 might be largely increased. 



Our course lay between WSW. and SW., and we 

 observed as we advanced that in that direction the outer 

 ranges of hills did not rise so nearly parallel to the axis of 

 the main chain as they do in the districts lying between 

 Tasseremout and Amsmiz. A very considerable mass, ex- 

 tending northward as a promontory from the main range, 

 became gradually more conspicuous as we advanced 



