308 APPEOACHING THE COAST. ch. xii. 



carrot, grew to a height of four or five feet, and the 

 flowering umbels were often more than a foot in diameter. 

 More ornamental was a splendid Gentaurea, three or four 

 feet high, with very large heads of deep orange flowers, 

 often tinged with purple, which we took to be altogether 

 new. Subsequent examination made it doubtful whether 

 it should be separated from a very variable North African 

 species, C. incana of Desfontaines, though much larger 

 in all its parts, and differing in the colour of the flowers. 



We halted for luncheon near a village called Hazarar 

 Assa, standing, as we were assured, at the frontier, between 

 the provinces of Mtouga and Shedma. In Beaudouin's 

 map those provinces are separated by an intervening strip 

 of territory, apparently belonging to the Ouled Bou Sba 

 tribe. As political divisions in this country are subject 

 to frequent alteration, the map may have been correct at 

 the time it was made. 



Maize was grown near the village, although no means 

 for irrigation were apparent. As the growth of this plant is 

 in general absolutely dependent on a frequent supply of 

 water to the soil, we could only infer that we had come 

 within the limits of the coast climate, and that as a 

 general rule rain cannot there be very unfrequent during 

 the months of April, May, and June. 



During the halt the villagers reported that fighting 

 was still going on in the neighbourhood, and a few gunshots 

 were heard in the distance ; but, as our course led us away 

 from the scene of action, the result, if any, was never 

 known to us. 



In the afternoon our track bore more westward than 

 before, keeping about due NW. in general direction. We 

 soon left the fertile ground behind us, and for many miles 

 rode over slightly undulating stony downs, where the 

 prevailing slope is always to the N". or NW. The vege- 

 tation in these barren tracts is mostly of the social kind, 

 two or three species, or sometimes one only, prevailing 

 over a wide area, and then being suddenly supplanted by 



