Towards the foot of the first and most conspicuous of the hills above mentioned, which bears the inappropriate name Hank el Gemmel (Camel’s back), the plain rises gently rather more than one hundred feet in all; above this the slope of the hill becomes steep, and finally exhibits an almost vertical face at the top. At the foot of the steeper slope, about four hours’ ride from Aïn Oumast, our track passed by an ancient well, now almost dry, and often completely so; and here, under the imperfect shade of a lotus tree, we made a short halt. The direct rays of the sun being very powerful, we were somewhat surprised to find the temperature of the air to be only 77° Fahr. Leaving our escort, we ascended the low but steep hill above the well. The scarped face exhibited a section of the yellowish-white limestone that appears to underlie nearly the whole of the low country between the coast and the base of the Atlas. No fossils were found; and in the present state of our knowledge, or rather ignorance, of the whole region, it seems impossible to fix its position in the geological series. The level summit is capped by a thin layer of coarse chalcedony, in which we recognised the origin of the siliceous fragments scattered over the plain below. This layer would offer resistance to superficial denudation, and account for the tabular forms of the hills, but where these were attacked from below by marine or river action the covering would necessarily be broken up and the fragments scattered over the plain below. With reference to the opinion expressed by Maw in his paper in the Proceedings of the Geological Society, and in the Appendix to this volume, as to the origin of the tufaceous coating of the plain between Aïn Oumast and Marocco, the only difficulty that presents itself arises from the presence of these siliceous fragments on the surface along with the disintegrated tufa. If, as he and other geologists believe, such a superficial coating is due to evaporation from the underlying mass of water charged with carbonate of lime, it seems hard to account for the diffusion of the chalcedony fragments, unless we suppose a submergence of the plain subsequent to the formation of the tufa layer, and a renewed supply of such fragments by further erosion of the hills that formed the sea or river coast line. To confirm this conjecture, we may note the fact that the fragments of chalcedony became progressively rarer as we advanced from the lower portion of the plain over which we this day travelled to the upper level surrounding the city of Marocco.
The summit of the hill was found to be 1,648 feet (502·4 m.) above the sea and 303 feet above the well at its base. It was barren, yet supplied a few additional plants to our collection. Frankenia revoluta was abundant, as was also a lavender somewhat intermediate in appearance between Lavandula multifida of the Southern Mediterranean shores and L. abrotanoides of the Canary Islands. We also found a form of Cotyledon hispanica of Linnæus (Pistorinia hispanica of Decandolle), with pale yellow flowers, intermediate in some respects between the common plant of Southern Spain and P. Salzmanniana of Boissier and Reuter.
Resuming our journey, we bore somewhat south of east over a country similar in character to that traversed in the forenoon, but not showing such a complete dead level surface. On the way we noticed for the first time Cucumis Colocynthis, one of the characteristic plants of the desert region, extending from Arabia and Southern Palestine across the entire of Northern Africa, but rarely approaching the littoral zone. Here, as near Suez and elsewhere, so far as we have observed, this plant is curiously infrequent. Growing as it does in a region where it has few rivals to contend with, and the surface is remarkably uniform, one yet finds but one or two individuals scattered at comparatively wide intervals over the stony plain. The fruits are used in Marocco to preserve woollen clothing from moths, but their purgative qualities do not seem to be known to the native doctors.
Here and there in this part of our route we encountered small blocks of volcanic rock—trap or basalt—as to the origin of which we have no information. We have no grounds for supposing eruptive action to have occurred in this region within a period so recent as that subsequent to the formation of the tufa which covers the whole surface of the lower country, and it is not easy to account for the transport of these blocks from a distance after its formation.
The direct heat of the sun was great in the afternoon, and the way barren and monotonous, so that it was with thorough satisfaction that, on reaching the summit of a slight swelling rise on the plain, at near 5 P.M., we saw before us a green shallow basin, at the farther end of which our eyes rested gladly on the abundant foliage of gardens and orchards. A stream from the Great Atlas, diverted into numerous slender irrigation channels, is the source of this apparent fertility, but so much of the water is taken up in this way that only a trifling surplus remains; and, save after heavy rains, it seems that a mere streamlet flows northward to join the Oued Tensift, the chief river of South-western Marocco. The green that gladdened our eyes seemed to have given but deceptive promise, for we at first entered on a scrub formed exclusively of Chenopodicaeous bushes, including Arthrocnemum fruticosum, Caroxylon articulatum, Suæda fruticosa, and Atriplex Halimus.
The same thing happens here that may be noticed in the neighbourhood of the freshwater canal in the Isthmus of Suez. Where the soil contains a quantity of soluble salts, the first effect of admitting moisture by irrigation is to form a salt marsh, which becomes covered with its own characteristic vegetation; but if the surface is so disposed as to allow the percolation of fresh water, the salts are gradually carried off, the salt marsh is converted into fertile land, and the ugly Chenopodiaceæ disappear. Accordingly, after traversing a broad belt of scrub, we soon found ourselves amidst luxuriant vegetation, and saw our tents, which had preceded us, pitched under the shade of tall fig-trees, in one of the orchards belonging to the village of Sheshaoua. This place is a true oasis, and an abundant growth of fig, olive, pomegranate, apple, plum, and apricot, with an undergrowth of grasses and herbaceous plants, affords a striking contrast to the desert tracts surrounding it.
The vegetation of the irrigated land, excepting a few tall palms, was almost exclusively European; and not without pleasure we gathered many common English species, such as our common bramble, dandelion, charlock, Sisymbrium Irio, Geranium dissectum, Hypochæris radicata, Sonchus oleraceus, Lycopus europæus, Plantago major, Rumex pulcher, Carex divisa, and Scirpus Holoschænus.
The usual mona was sent soon after our arrival; and the local governor, a deputy of the Governor of Marocco, paid a visit of ceremony in the evening. He was a black of nearly pure Negro type, and in all probability originally a slave. We were not then familiar with the fact that slaves frequently rise in Marocco to the highest posts in the State. The body-guard of the Sultan is exclusively recruited among the black population, either voluntary immigrants, or slaves imported young from Timbuctoo. These form the only troops in the country that can be relied on to repress internal disorder, though in case of war with a European Power there is little doubt that the whole Moorish population would respond to an appeal to their patriotism and fanaticism. Whether the same would hold good as to the Bereber tribes of the Great and Lesser Atlas may be much doubted. With these the sentiment of national, or rather tribal, independence is the predominant feeling, and so long as an invader kept aloof from their native valleys they could not be easily moved to action. It naturally happens that an absolute ruler, too conscious of his slight claim on the affections of his own people, is led to prefer men whose prominent virtue is that of the dog—attachment and fidelity to him who feeds them. When it is considered that, in addition, the Negro often possesses far more energy than the Moor, united to at least equal natural intelligence, it may be believed that the rulers of Marocco have shown no want of policy in favouring this section of the population.
The thermometer about sunset stood at 72° Fahr., while in the water flowing beside our camp it marked but 62°. At 1 A.M., when we had concluded our nightly task in laying out our plants, it had fallen to 52°, and rose only to 57° an hour after sunrise, when the barometer was recorded, and gave an estimated altitude of 1,141 feet (347·8 m.), or almost exactly the same as that of Aïn Oumast. The coolness of night temperature throughout this region of Northern Africa doubtless contributes to make the climate not only healthy but favourable to human activity; and it was impossible for us not to speculate at times on a possible, though remote, future, when this may become the home of a prosperous and progressive community.
Early rising does not always mean an early start, and many delays occurred on the morning of May 2, before our caravan was fairly under way at about 9 o’clock. On leaving our encampment, we perceived, on rising ground close at hand, the remains of an ancient town, with stone houses, for the most part in ruins, but some of them still inhabited, and a kasbah or castle of somewhat imposing appearance. We failed to obtain any information as to these buildings, which may probably be of considerable antiquity. It must be remembered that throughout the portion of Marocco inhabited by an Arab population permanent houses are unknown, excepting in the coast towns and the royal cities of Marocco, Fez, and Mekines. The country people live in douars, which are merely groups of rude dwellings, half hovel half tent, usually formed of branches, over which a piece of camel’s hair cloth is stretched, and leaving no wreck behind when choice or necessity leads their inhabitants to remove from one spot to another. Even the Governor’s kasbah, though often a pile of large dimensions, rarely survives a single generation. The great wall and massive towers surrounding it, as well as the building itself, are constructed of unbaked bricks or of blocks of mud half dried in the sun; and save in cases where a son succeeds his father in power, the custom of the country is to level the whole structure to the ground on the death or removal of the occupant. A few seasons complete the work, and nothing remains but a few mounds of clay to mark the site. Thus it happens that in a country of which the greater part is naturally fertile, the stranger may travel long distances without perceiving a trace of human habitations, or any other buildings than the zaouias and koubbas, which are scattered over the country at unequal intervals. By these names are designated the tombs of persons, who, when alive, attained a reputation for sanctity, differing only in the rank which they hold in local estimation. The person over whose remains a zaouia is constructed may be regarded as the patron saint of the tribe or province, while the koubba marks the resting-place of a saint of less renown.