ASCENT OF GHARIAN. 
17 
at length to disarm him, and send him back under 
a guard to Tripoli. We here took leave of Mr. 
Reade, who gave me some last explanations about 
letters to the interior. It rained furiously in the 
afternoon. 
We were kept idle a whole day by the rain ; 
but starting on the second, turned off sharp in the 
afternoon towards the mountains, and encamped at 
length in a pretty place fronting the great ascent 
of Gharian. The appearance of the chain here dif- 
fers in no important particular from that of any 
other part of the Tripoline Atlas. The formation is 
calcareous, but the colours vary to the eye by the 
admixture of minerals. Groups of sandstone are 
not uncommon. Rounded, rugged heads, vary the 
outline of the plateau; and here and there are deep, 
abrupt valleys, cut down through the range, with 
groves of fig-trees, almonds, aloes, pomegranates, 
and even grapes, nestling in their laps. Bright 
water-courses, springing up in the depths of these 
ravines, sustain the streaks of half-buried verdure. 
We rose early to commence the ascent. It is 
not difficult unless the camels are very heavily 
laden ; but we did not reach the Castle of Gharian 
until three in the afternoon. Our caravan dotted 
with groups of various outline and colour the slopes 
of the spur, up the side of which the track wound, 
in a very picturesque manner. Sometimes the fore- 
most camels stood still and complained ; and then 
there was a half- halt throughout the whole long 
VOL. I. c 
