The advantages of this tent were further proved during the night. When pitched in open ground it depends, like every other tent, on such support as tent pegs can give; but when trees are at hand the supporting rope can be rigged fore and aft in such a way as to defy any storm to upset it. During the night a furious gale arose, as it seemed, quite suddenly, accompanied by torrents of rain; the tent pegs were drawn out of the muddy soil; and twice Hooker’s tent fell bodily to the ground, luckily with no other bad result than to envelop the sleeper in the clammy folds of the wet canvas. The soldiers contrived to keep their tent standing; but those who mounted guard, and the natives sent by the sheik for the same duty, must have passed a miserable night. The excitement caused by the falling of the tent, when the whole camp turned out with loud outcries, must have been welcome as a relief from the dreariness of the time.
The storm of the night marked the end of the bad weather, and the morning of the 18th brought back to us the clear air and blue sky to which we had been hitherto accustomed, and which rarely left us during the remainder of our journey. The morning hours were fully occupied, and the short time we could spare for examining the low ground near our camp enabled us to add several species to our lists. Having packed up our collections in tolerable condition, notwithstanding all the difficulties of the last few days, we made ready to start a little before mid-day, having arranged for a short day’s journey.
The vegetation of this valley offers so many points of interest that it has seemed better to reserve a fuller account of the flora of this and the Amsmiz valley for the Appendix.
FOOTNOTES:
[1]For further particulars as to the mountain flora, see [Appendix E.]
[2]Printed in the Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society, for 1871.
CHAPTER X.
Departure from Hasni — Plateau of Sektana — Grand View of the Great Atlas — Departure of Maw — Village of Gurgouri — Intrigues of Kaïd el Hasbi — Passage of the Oued Nfys — Arrival at Amsmiz — Friendly Governor — Difficulties as to further progress — Position of Amsmiz — Sleeping quarters in the Kasbah — Fanatical sheik — Shelluh market — View of the Amsmiz valley — Village of Iminteli — Friendly Jews — Geological structure and vegetation of the valley — Sheik’s opposition overcome — Ascent of Djebel Tezah — The guide left behind — View from the summit — Anti-Atlas seen at last — Deserted dwellings on the peak — Ancient oak forest — Rapid descent — Night ride to Iminteli.
In departing from our camp at Hasni, on May 18, our cavalcade was escorted by the friendly sheik, Si Hassan, and two other native chiefs. Up to the last moment, sick people had continued to arrive from distant villages, and some of the late-comers were left unattended. As we started, the population of the adjoining hamlet, who were gathered round the camp, gave unequivocal tokens of good will and kindly wishes towards the strange visitors, doubtless due to the good effects of Hooker’s medical advice; and more friendly salutations reached us at the villages as we passed. After descending the main valley for a distance of three or four miles, we turned to the left, and began to ascend in a westerly direction towards a depression in the hills that enclosed us on that side. The opuntia and palmetto here grew to a large size; and among many less familiar forms, the oleander was a conspicuous ornament, growing freely up to about 4,500 feet above the sea.