Vol. 55.] SOITTHERII^ MOEOCCO AND THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS. 193 



especially when near at hand. It is too uniform in height, toa 

 little broken in outline, and it rises to its culminating crest by too 

 many steps, to produce that effect on the observer's mind which one 

 naturally associates with mountain-masses rising to an altitude of 

 13,000 feet. Only in early spring, when partially covered with 

 snow, and when seen at a distance of 50 or 60 miles, does it 

 present a really picturesque and imposing appearance, for then the 

 lower steps are blended into the one great range and it looks the 

 magnificent mass that it really is ; while the snow brings into relief 

 such prominences as there are, and shows up the glens and depres- 

 sions with picturesque effect. 



With mountains of such height and extent one naturally expects 

 to find numerous rivers draining their rain and snowfall to the 

 plains : these, of course, are not wanting. From near Demnat to 

 Mtuga, at the Avestern end of the range, the northern slopes are 

 drained by the various tributaries of the Wads Tensift and Um-er- 

 Eebia. Of the latter, the most important affluents in the district 

 of which I speak are the Demnat and the Tessaout, neither of which 

 penetrates quite into the heart of the range, though draining right 

 up to the base of the central crest. 



It is different with the chief tributaries of the Tensift. Taking 

 them in their order from east to west, the first is the Wad Gadat,. 

 which not only penetrates all the lower range but nearly cuts across 

 the centre of the chain, thus forming the Tizi-n-Teluet or Pass to 

 Telnet, and the basin of the Wad Draa. 



A few miles west of the Gadat flows the Wad Misfiwa, which 

 cuts less deeply into the central mass. A little farther west again 

 comes the Wad Urika, which after penetrating right into the heart 

 of the main chain splits into two : one branch gathering its waters 

 from the Jebel Asif Sig, and forming a pass to the southern slopes, 

 while the other branch, turning westward, has carved for itself a deep 

 impassable glen along the central crest, which it thus cuts in two 

 for a distance of nearly 30 miles. The next important stream that 

 one meets is the Wad Eeraya, which, after cutting through the 

 lowest of the outer Atlas steps, separates into two branches, both 

 of which reach the central crest without cutting much into it. 

 Most important of all, however, is the Wad IS'ytis, which, after 

 penetrating into the very heart of the range, divides into two, the 

 larger branch (as in the case of the Urika) turning westward and 

 draining a great glen called Gindafy, which it has excavated for 

 itself right up to Jebel Ogdimt, thus slicing longitudinally the back- 

 bone of the chain. The other branch, the Wad Agandice, has cut 

 for itself a veritable canon through the southern section of the 

 divided crest, and practically gathers its waters from the southern 

 slopes. Still going westward, the Asif el Mel is the only stream of 

 any size which penetrates to the base of the main range, and then 

 divides. The Wad Imintanut, though but a small stream, is of 

 importance as the excavator of a glen through the outer slopes, 

 along which runs the chief road from Morocco proper to Sus. This 

 glen, with the Wad Ida Uziki and the Asif Ig, serves to mark off 

 the western extension of the Atlas range. With the single exception 

 Q. J. G. S. No. 218. 



