The first course was open to the objection that, under any circumstances, it would involve a considerable amount of travelling through a comparatively uninteresting country—at least four days, and probably six, for the route to and fro between Marocco and Demenet, and four days at least for returning to Mogador; and further, that if difficulties should arise to prevent us from reaching the head of the Tessout valley, we might possibly miss altogether the main object of our journey by failing to reach the higher region of the Great Atlas. On the other hand, by coasting along the northern skirts of the chain, and penetrating as many valleys as might be found practicable, we should avoid altogether the need for retracing any part of our course, and might reasonably expect to reach a part of the chain whence a couple of days’ ride would carry us back to Mogador. The strongest argument was, however, the consideration that by choosing the latter route we should have numerous chances of accomplishing our desire to reach the upper part of the mountain range, and that if we should find impassable obstacles in one or another valley, we should yet have an unimpaired chance of succeeding elsewhere. Hooker’s strong impression that our future course would not be unopposed gave especial weight to the latter view, and the sequel will show that we were well advised. It was therefore decided to apply to El Graoui for letters to all the Kaïds of the valleys subject to his authority in the range extending from Tasseremout to the borders of Haha, while, with a view to a possible change in our course, he was also requested to write to the Governor of Demenet. In one way or other the days passed in Marocco were so fully occupied as to leave no leisure, and Maw alone was able to afford time for an excursion to one of the low hills on the south side of the Oued Tensift, seen on the left of the track by which we had approached the city. The nearest of these—a rough mass of metamorphic rock, rising nearly 800 feet above the level of the plain—is only about three miles distant from the walls. Our regret at not having been able to accompany Maw on this excursion was much increased when towards evening he returned with a number of interesting plants, several of which proved to be additions to the Marocco flora. The most notable of these was an undescribed species of the tropical and subtropical genus _Boerhavia_, and a curious _Reseda_, seemingly distinct from any described species. Besides these, he had gathered a variety of _Forskåhlea tenacissima_ described by the late Mr. Webb as _F. Cossoniana_, _Andropogon laniger_, a fine grass whose leaves have the scent of Verbena, _Echinops strigosus_, and one or two more species characteristic of the flora of Southern Algeria.