Snow on the Atlas today. Evidently it fell last night.
Camels vary greatly in size, also in colour, some almost being black. Ditto donkeys, which range from reddish fawn to almost black, the latter the commonest colour. Saw yesterday a donkey, evidently full grown, less than 3’ high. The man riding it had one foot on the ground.
The Atlas said to go up to 3200 metres (about 10, 000 feet.) (Actually about 13, 500.)¹
¹ Copy within second set of parentheses is later addition. Peter Davison
Orwell Diaries 1938-1942 
Hmmm. I never had occasion to refer to the Atlas, but I didn’t know the word was construed as plural. The things you can learn reading this diary.
The mountains, if this isn’t irony.
Beautiful and genuine image… I loved the contrast between the white peaks of the Atlas Mountains and the citrus orchards at their feet… The Atlas are quite similar to our Pyrénées, on the French-Spanish border, a bit higher, though…
George~~
I keep telling you: Ski Season is still several months away.
On a lighter note: 1.988 miles high, eh?
I knew he meant the Atlas Mountains, but he uses the word as though it were plural, like Appalachians or Himalayas or Alps. Like Mélanie does.
You can’t very well say ‘Atlases’, can you? Or can you? Actually, that sounds even more Greek than the singular.
Hi guys! In French, we say “L’Atlas marocain”, you may know its Greek origin: Atlas was the giant supposed to carry the sky on his shoulders…”Atlases” sounds bizarre, right?!… Good night in North America and have a great Thursday!
DONKEYNEWS!
In Spanish, our “Pirineos”, on the spanish-french border, are plural, but Atlas is singular -Los Pirinéos, El Atlas-.
I´m so worry about Red Hibiscus, Was it O.K. this day?
Hola, que tal, José! you’re right… me gusta mucho espanol… hasta luego, amigo!:-)
I guess Atli – like octopi is out of the question. ; )
Très bien, merci. Bonjour mon ami (Google traslater speaks French very well).
Why did Atlas Shrug?
@ José, it’s NOT google, it’s me… and I’m “une amie”=amiga, not “un ami”=amigo…:-)
Ey, ey!!. I was not speaking about your Spanish, just about my French (Google´s French), of course. I don´t Know a word in french, as you have already demonstrate. That´s all I wanted to say last day.
Buenos días, amiga
:-)
José, amigo, take it easy, por favor, I was just kiddin’… Life is already hard and complicated, I wonder what Orwell would think about the world’s present situation… All the best, amigo!:-)
I’ve just discovered this blog, Orwell, letters.
What a great idea, it nicely compliments the Penguin 4 volume set of collected essays which I’ve just purchased; brilliant!
I love the way he writes.