When it was clear that nothing was here to be effected in the way of mountain exploration, and it was seen that the day was too far gone to reach Mtouga, we decided on proceeding to Milhaïn, a place, as we were told, standing close to the foot of the mountains. Only a slender stream which we crossed, issues from the valley above Imintanout, and conflicting statements were made as to the course of this, as well as of the other stream which we saw somewhat later at Milhaïn. In ordinary weather both are probably absorbed into irrigation channels before they traverse the plain; but it is most likely that their natural course, which they must follow in rainy weather, joins that of the Oued Usbi flowing from Seksaoua, and reaches the Oued Tensift by the way of Sheshaoua.
An easy ride of two hours took us to Milhaïn. The outer skirts of the Atlas here had an unexpectedly bare and sterile aspect. We had supposed that in the portion of the range approaching the Atlantic coast a more copious rainfall would produce more luxuriant vegetation. We were now within about 70 miles of the ocean, but, as compared with the valleys south of Marocco, the change had been in the opposite sense. It may well be that owing to the diminished height of the mountains the cooling of the aërial currents from the W. and SW. is here insufficient to cause much rain, except in winter, or possibly this part of the range is more exposed to hot and dry winds from the desert. It may also be true that the difference in the vegetation is largely due to the mineral structure of the rocks in this district. They chiefly consist of hard brittle semi-crystalline limestone, with softer beds intercalated, and the rainfall must be very rapidly absorbed in crevices and fissures. No trees were to be seen, except olives planted near the villages, and a few white poplars near the banks of the stream beside which we pitched our camp.
We were fully prepared for the assurance of the village sheik that the condition of the country made it impossible for him to conduct us into the valley which here issues from the Great Atlas, and sends down a stream rather more considerable than that of Imintanout; and, as it was clearly useless to press the point, we contented ourselves by expressing a wish to take a short walk into a recess of the mountain enclosed between steep rocky declivities that opened within sight of our camp. A jocund young Shelluh was appointed as a guide, though none in reality was required; and he somewhat interested us by singing lustily at the top of his voice songs of a lively character. Hitherto all the mountaineers we had met were marked by a serious and somewhat saddened demeanour, as of people on whom the burden of life pressed heavily, the only exceptions being among the men we had brought from Mogador, of whom Ambak was especially noticeable for his cheerful and lively humour.
The outer slopes of the hills about Milhaïn were scantily clad with a meagre vegetation, in which a woolly variety of Ononis Natrix, Helianthemum virgatum, some variety of the ubiquitous Teucrium Polium and Macrochloa tenacissima were the prevailing species; and the attempts at tillage seemed to produce only miserable crops of barley. We expected to find more variety on the rocks which were before us, and were not altogether disappointed; but the season was already far advanced, and the spring vegetation partially dried up. Along the dry bed of the streamlet, that is probably filled only after heavy rain, we gathered Euphorbia pinea, not before seen in Marocco. On the dry rocks we found a curious form of Coronilla viminalis, reduced to a stunted bush, scarcely two feet high, with its curious jointed pods, four or five inches in length. A range of quite vertical crags was almost covered with two peculiar plants of this region—Euphorbia rimarum, of Cosson, and Andrachne maroccana, of Ball. The latter, though abundantly different in structure, has much the habit of A. telephioides, the wide-spread Mediterranean species. In a crevice of these rocks a single small specimen of the rare fern, Asplenium Petrarchæ, was also found.
The hill opposite that which we ascended was crowned by a fort, similar in character to those which we had seen elsewhere on the skirts of the Atlas, to which our Shelluh guide gave the name Taganagurt. Our involuntary change of route prevented us from ascertaining whether these extend westward along the northern base of the mountains in the direction of Agadir, but this is probable. Future travellers may be able to ascertain more about them than we were able to do. To whatever date their construction be referred, it is clear that they were erected either by the people inhabiting the low country to restrain the incursions of mountain tribes, or by the latter to repel attacks on their independence, the former being, in our opinion, the more probable opinion.
We returned to camp between 5 and 6 P.M., and found that a courier from Mogador had arrived with letters from Mr. Carstensen. The whole province of Haha was, he assured us, in a most disturbed state; and besides, the war with Mtouga was complicated by the insurrection of some of the tribes in Haha against the authority of their own Governor. He strongly urged that we should abandon the intention of travelling along the skirts of the Atlas through Haha, and make up our minds to return from Mtouga by way of Shedma, telling us that he proposed to meet us at the kasbah of the Governor of that province on the last day of May. We were very loth to forego the promise of seeing a district new to travellers, and far more interesting than any lying on the direct way from Mtouga to Mogador; but we felt it impossible to persevere in the face of Mr. Carstensen’s strong opposition. It was, indeed, open to question whether, under the ægis of the Sultan’s protection, we might not without serious risk have carried out our original intention. Whatever might be the intestine troubles of the country, it could not suit any of the contending parties to provoke encounter with the paramount authority of the Sultan; but we felt that we had no right to take a course directly opposed to the advice of the official representative of our Government, and especially of one to whom we felt under so many obligations.
FOOTNOTES:
[1]Mr. Lempriere, an army surgeon, who went in 1791 by the invitation of the reigning Sultan to treat his son Mouley Absolon, Governor of Sous, probably travelled this way on his road from Tarudant to Marocco; but his narrative is too imperfect to establish the conclusion. See [Appendix C.]