In the afternoon we went out for a stroll, and were able to form a better idea than we had hitherto done of the character of the scenery. The position of Amsmiz somewhat reminds one of that of villages in Piedmont, that stand at the opening of some of the interior valleys of the Alps, and still more of similar places in the Apennines of Central and Southern Italy. The lofty hills that form the outer extremity of the spurs diverging from the Great Atlas slope rather steeply towards the plain, while the torrent issues from them through a cleft so narrow that no path is carried along it into the valley. Trees, that naturally clothe the outer ranges of the Alps, are here very scarce, and the upper declivity, as commonly in the Apennine, is covered with brushwood and low shrubs; while the lower slopes are partly under tillage, or else planted with olive and fig trees. We descended from the plateau, where our camp stood close to the town of Amsmiz at 3,382 feet (1,030·7 m.) above the sea, by steeply sloping banks to the level of the torrent; and followed this for some distance, collecting plants by the way; and then made a circuit among fields, enclosed by high hedges, in which grew a profusion of climbing plants. The chief prize of our excursion was a curious new species of _Marrubium_, whose spherical heads of flowers are beset with long stiff bristles hooked at the end, formed by the elongated lower teeth of the calyx. It was not without misgivings that we quitted our tents in the evening to repair to the Governor’s _kasbah_. We had hitherto been very successful in escaping the varied noxious insects that prey on the human body, and which the walls of the first house we had seen in Marocco and the concurrent testimony of all who know the country declare to abound throughout the empire; but it now seemed as if we must confront these enemies under circumstances where we could not, without giving offence, resort to energetic measures of precaution. We were, therefore, agreeably surprised, when our host conducted us to a room which, at least to the eye, seemed scrupulously clean. Two beds were arranged, nearly in European fashion, on low bedsteads; of other furniture there was none, excepting a low carpet-covered divan. On the sill of a window we found four or five Arabic books, the only ones which we saw in the possession of a native in this country. Our report the next morning agreed, that we had not been attacked by any enemy more formidable than a few intrusive fleas. Our slumbers during the night were made more agreeable by the satisfactory information that all the requisite arrangements had been made for our excursion in the Amsmiz valley, on the following day. The sheik, as we were told, would provide a house for our occupation in the highest village; and though nothing definite was said as to the precise limits of our expedition, we relied on luck and good guidance to turn our opportunities to account.