Our track descended slightly from the top of the ridge above Amsmiz, and then continued nearly at a level for a considerable distance, the torrent, which ran at a great depth below us on the right, being usually concealed from view by the convexity of the slope. We soon observed that several villages lying on the upper slopes were mere piles of ruin. Some, as we learned, had been destroyed by hostile tribes, and others had been abandoned by their inhabitants who had migrated elsewhere. Perhaps owing to the scantiness of the present population, timber was more abundant here than usual in the Great Atlas. Besides larger trees at intervals, the slopes along which we rode were to a great extent covered with oak scrub to such an extent as to leave little space for herbaceous plants. The prevailing form of oak in this part of the valley tends to confirm the opinion of those botanists who, with Visiani, consider the common evergreen oak (_Quercus Ilex_), and the cork oak (_Quercus suber_), to be forms of the same plant. In general appearance, the oak here quite resembled _Q. suber_, and in the older trees the tendency to form a corky outer bark was apparent; but the anthers all showed traces of the sharp points which are supposed to distinguish those of the common species. At a point where a slender rivulet from the dry flanks of the hills on our left enters the valley, we passed close to a small village, with a belt of cultivation surrounding it, and soon after began to descend steeply to the bed of the torrent, no longer so distant from us as it had been in the lower part of the valley. Here we found several fine plants not before seen, and then, somewhat to our surprise, began to ascend, by a narrow and difficult path, the steep rocky slope above the left bank of the torrent. Our object was to pass the night at the uppermost end of the valley, as near as possible to the foot of Djebel Tezah, and the sheik had undertaken to conduct us to the highest village. We were now informed that this stands on the west side, and some 600 or 700 feet above the level of the torrent. This was evidently inconvenient, as our route on the following day must clearly keep to the eastern bank; but there seemed to be no help for it, and, as the rocks on this side were different in appearance, we perceived a fair prospect of adding some novelties to our collections.