Hooker, author of the Himalayan Journals, and an important botanist and supporter of Darwin, and Ball, botanist, mountaineer and first president of the Alpine Club, together with George Maw, who wrote the appendix on geology, traveled extensively in Morocco and describe nature, botany, geography and the people. Neate 381: 'Comprehensive account of the vegetation and geology, and of climbs in the Atlas.' We have not had a copy for fifteen years! Spine faded, bookplate, small corner stain on first few pages, exterior appearance is Bright and Near Fine.

 
'In 1871, Joseph Dalton Hooker (Director at Kew), George Maw (as geologist), and John Ball (a botanist and mountaineer) set out on what was to be Hooker’s last expedition-- this time to the region of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, Hooker’s earlier expeditions having been to the Antarctic and to India. The Journal is an account based on expedition notes of their search in the spring of the year for new plants in the region of the Great Atlas.

 

But ‘Hooker never really attained the heights’ and the expedition did not succeed in penetrating the mountain passes-- indeed, there are comic elements to the enterprise. According to Coats, ‘..they reluctantly assumed Arab dress, and endeavoured to turn their solar topees into turbans by swathing them with muslin; but..refused to abandon their practical European boots,’ and ‘..the local Sheik objected to the green-painted tin cases intended for the transport of plants; he said the villagers would think they contained treasure, and kill the foreigners and himself in order to possess them.’ In the event, the book did not appear until 1878 ‘compiled by Ball from the journals of all three.. [but] by this time interest had lapsed and it was published at a loss’ (Plant Hunters, 33-36).'