Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-11-24
MISCELLANY. Z.
Snow Storm I'm Sahara.


Snow Storm I'm Sahara.
NOTES FROM THE JOURNAL OF MILITIA
RY SURGEON.
When it was determined by the French
government, in the spring of 1S47, to un-
dertake several military expeditions stimuli
taneouslv into the deserts to the south OF
Algeria, it was my lot to accompany the
column of General Cavignac, both in med
ical and scientific capacity. The western
route being the most difficult and danger
Gus, was that assigned to him. He was to
penetrate the hitherto unexplored regions
traversed by the Hamian-g -garabas-a pow
erful tribe who could bring 1000 horsemen
into the field, and among whom the vari-
Gus tribes that had at different times sworn
allegiance to the French government always
found willing allies whenever they chose
to break their treaties and throw otf the
woke. He was TO destroy every village
throughout this region that refused submis-
sion; and thus it was hoped that the retreats
of Abd-el.Kader might be cut off, and that,
by speedy termination Of the war; the
,untry might become settled, and its COM
merce be restored.
We were motley and grotesque-enough-
looking caravan; for our six bat!aions OF
infantry and four squadrons of cavalry were
accompanied by three thousand camels la
dened with provision and attended by Arab
drivers, beside FIVE hundred mules carry
ing water barrels, and cacolets-jointed
arm-chalrs-for the sick. 1t was not deem
ed desirable to observe the strictest militia
nv regularity in our march; SO that French
uniforms and Arao burnooses, military
chargers, camels of the desert, and pack
saddled mules tsveled side by side, pretty
much as fancy dictated.
1t was nearly three weeks before we
reached the enemy's country. We had
meanwhile met with the usual adventures
incident 20 these regions. We had set
fire to the forests of the Little Atlas Mount
aims, and been obliged to raise our camp,
and fly in terror from the conAagration.-
We had crossed the dreary solitudes Of Goor
had been enivened by songs. or beguiled
by listening to the wild legends of our Arab
guides; and night after night we had en-
camped like the vagabond tribes Of Saba
ra, either round the mouths of wells, or
without water in the open plains, each man
receiving scanty supply from the, barrels,
while the beasts were left to bear their
thirst as they could. .Rut now, after pass
ING the basins of the Shott, and gaining the
slight elevation beyond, we entered on a
tract of desert as yet untrodden by Euro
pean feet, and met with trials of nature
the least of all expected.
The wide waste which lay before US ap-
peared uniform and level as far as the eye
could reach. but somewhat diversified by
verdant patches Of halfa Coarse grass of
the desert) and by deceitful appearances
of sheets of water, produced by the reAec-
ton OF the light in the undulating vapors
rising from the burning sand. In the dis
tance. something like blue waves appeared;
it was part of the great Atlas chain; but
close at hand to our right, was long line
of dunes. These eminences, smooth and
sterile as marble domes, were apparently
as solid too; but we knew that, if the des-
ert wind should blow they would be shaken
into moving clouds of sand, overwhelming
all before them
Our column proceeded in silence. The
soft sand yielded no echo to the tread. E.
very one appeared thoughtful s. abstracted.
This place has terrors even for the Arabs
thew tell thousand stories of the Pass of
Sidi- -Mohammed-el .Aoorl; it was there, in
times remote, that great armies were over
powered and slain by hostile bands, or des-
troyed by the scarcely less merciless ele-
ments there many travellers have disap-
peared in the storm or fallen under the hand
Of the murderer. II is the "gate" of the
desert; and the tutelar genli have placed
the terrific dunes as hieroglyphic warn
Ing to those who rashly approach. They
seem to say, "here begins the empire OF
Sterlity and Death enter if thou darest! y
Doubtless the Arab tales had some influence
on our minds, increasing the well-ground-
ed fears inspired by the natural features Of
those arid wastes. Several of us mentally
repeated that melancholy line from Dan
te-
Lasciate ogni speranza voci che entrato;
and few pictured TO themselves body of
troops visiting these sands half century
later, and finding the bones Of Cavignacs
army scattered here and there oyer the
plains.
Hitherto The atmosphere had always been
perfectly clear, but nov it was thick and
cold, the horizon wearing that glay, heavy
aspect which in Europe precedes fall of
snow. No one, however, yeptured to pro-
nounce this word it appeared an occur
renee so unlikely in the plain, at such
season and under such o latitude.-
What then was our surprise, on a.
waking on the morning of the 18th of April,
to tnd the tents covered with thick sheet
OF snow, and to see the vast expanse of the
desert white 10 the very verge of the hori-
zon, like the frozen steppes of Siberia =
The general ordered the camp to be raised