320 A PLAGUE OF THOENS. ch. xii. 



wards a hollow in the face of the hill, for the most part 

 thickly clothed with bushes, but showing here and there 

 outcropping escarpments of rock that promised a more 

 varied vegetation than the otherwise uniform stony slopes. 

 We at once found that, in comparison with the outer slopes 

 of the Atlas, we had entered into a region botanically 

 new to us. The evergreen oak had disappeared, and the 

 Arbtitus, though seen near Ain el Hadjar, was evidently 

 rare. The Callitris, which is abundant near the base of 

 the hill, does not ascend on its flanks, and Juniperus 

 jphoenicea was either altogether absent or very rare. In 

 the place of all these there was an extraordinary abun- 

 dance and variety of spiny bushes, such as made the day's 

 excursion severely remembered by the destruction of our 

 garments and the multitude of pricks and scratches with 

 which our bodies were covered. Rhus oxyacantha and 

 R. peniaphylla, Celastrus senegalensis and the wild 

 olive, with Genista ferox and G. tridens, were our chief 

 tormentors, all, except the olive, characteristic North 

 African species, though two or three of them have been de- 

 tected in Southern Spain or in Sicily. Leaviog our horses to 

 be led up the slope, we had hot work in climbing the hill 

 under a sun only a few degrees from the zenith, contending 

 the while with the various thorns and hooks and prickles 

 that molested us on every side. Every forward movement 

 would be resisted by a dozen spines running deep into our 

 legs or arms, and each attempt to draw back by the strong 

 hooks with which some part of our dress was sure to be 

 held fast. When we reached the top of the acclivity we 

 found ourselves on the verge of a very extensive plateau, 

 in some parts nearly dead level, in others undulating, and 

 rising into knolls of tolerably uniform height. Before 

 long we reached a point commanding a wide view over the 

 country on the north side of the range of hills. The 

 slopes below us appeared to be under cultivation, and 

 suggested the presence of a numerous population ; but the 

 distant plain of Akermout, lying somewhat east of due 



