ATLAS, a chain of mountains in the north-west Africa, called in the Arabic Jibbel Attils, or the Mountains of Snow. This chain of mountains is in habited by the various. tribes of Berebbers, and ex tends from (Jibbel d'Zatute) Ape's Hill on the Mediterranean to Shtuka andAit Bainaran in Lower Suse, passing at the distance of 30 miles to the east of Morocco, where they arc of an immense height, and covered with eternal snow. This part of the range appears in a clear day like a saddle when seen from Mogodor, a distance of 140 miles, and it is visi ble at sea to vessels several leagues off the coast. These mountains, though extremely cold in winter, are sa lubrious and pleasant. The vallies are well cultivated, and the mountains having the advantage of various climates, abound in excellent fruits, and extensive forests. The contrast between their snowy summits and the rich verdure below, gradually decaying as it approaches the limit of congelation, has a very singu lar and picturesque appearance. In the part of the
great chain which passes by Morocco to the east there are excellent unites of copper, and the branches which traverse the district of Suse produce silver, cop per, iron, lead, and sulphur of saltpetre. They have also mines of gold mixed with antimony and lead ore. According to the Moors, there are many quarries of marble granite, and other valuable rocks in this ex tensive range. The Berebbers, ho inhabit the up per regions of Atlas, live from November to February inclusive in excavations in the mountains. See Pliny, lib. v. cap. 1 ; Strabo, lib. xvii ; Shaw's Travels in Barbary, p. 5 ; Lempriere's Journey 10 Morocco, p. 75; Chenier's Present State of Morocco, vol. i. p. 13 ; Pinkerton's Geography, vol. iii. p. 815; but particularly Jackson's, Account of the Empire of Morocco, 1809, p. 10. (a)