E03IAN EliJEAINS. 



487 



little after 10 a.m. The site of the riiin is some fifteen miles 

 north-west of Mekinez, at no great distance from Mouley Edris 

 el Kebir ; both are on the southern slopes of one of the ranges 

 that constitute the Lesser Atlas. There was little of interest 

 by the way. Part of the road was on the horizon of a bed of 

 whit/O, friable, microzoic, tertiary limestone, which forms a con- 

 spicuous feature in the mountain strata of this district. This 

 is traceable for a great distance, and its exposure at one or two 

 points in the heights to the far east, we hail at first mistaken 



Koiiiau ruins of Vulubilis. 



for snow. After about four hom's' riding we had to diverge 

 from the main road; and here we learned that it would be 

 necessary to encamp at some distance to the south-west, in the 

 last douar within the government of Mekinez. The hill- 

 country, it was said, was so infested by a lawless set of Bere- 

 bers that we should not be safe out of the jurisdiction of the 

 Bashaw. Before the evening was out we had reason to know 

 that these fears were not entirely groundless. Leaving our ser- 

 vants with the luggage, therefore, we took two soldiers and rode 

 across country to the object of our journey. 



