Chap. XXXIV. THE GRANITE HILLS. 
415 
tion, so that I was obliged to set my hopes upon the 
capital, where ' I was more likely to find a man 
versed in the history of his tribe. I then commu- 
nicated to my visitor my wish to ascend the ridge, 
which overlooks the place, and on the top of which, 
according toMohammedu, a spring bubbled up between 
the rocks. The governor advised me to defer the ex- 
cursion till the morrow, but as the weather was fine 
at the time, and as at this season it was very doubtful 
whether it would be so the next morning, I expressed 
a wish to obtain at once a view at least over the op- 
posite mountain-chain. He then told me that I might 
do as I liked, and followed me with his whole suite. 
The ridge, on this side at least, consisted entirely of 
enormous blocks of granite heaped one upon the 
other in wild confusion, and making the ascent ex- 
tremely difficult, nay, impossible, without ropes, so 
that, with the utmost trouble, we reached the height 
of a little more than a hundred feet, which gave me, 
however, an advantageous position for obtaining a 
view over the broad valley and the mountain range 
beyond, of which, on my return journey, I made a 
sketch, which is represented in the following wood- 
cut. 
Some of the governor's people, however, were very 
agile in climbing these blocks, and they need to be so 
if they wish to subject the native inhabitants, who, 
when pursued, retire to these natural strongholds, 
which are scattered over nearly the whole of this 
country. 
