New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-12-03


The country became broken rs We advanced, the
sdatlines Of the mountains and bills running into
earleuslY fantastic circles. Old ruined castles, and
faae retilains of palaces, with coioBuades and
stnpefdous porfeos were NIL visiened out to us BY
these rocks among which wiard will-o' o'the-wisps
forever flftted, supposed by the Arabs to be the
souls OF she ancient Sahaans va passed At the foot
of 4 mountain called, III the language Of the coun-
trv. Kas,. e7 C7teiup--the Devils Castle-for in
formation respecting the origin of which applied
10 Ahu Bekr elsDoani.
sSesk not ID know Y replied he, 'sthe devil il the
enemy of mankind; let try to protect ourselves
from his Inalice and be content n ignorance Of his
mysteries II
But tall me- ii least. said i swhat that noun
fsin has 10 do with him.
Nothins that know or answered the reis,
except that Il Id hiding place of the enemy Of
man; d place haunted. from base to summit, by
emissaries Of he'll. Allah protect us Listen to
this frghtfu staFy ef TIVE rash men VINO went tnefe
ana never Tsturned
One evening ii the month OF Moharrem of the
vear 1916 tie silence that reigned over these
Alnnntains was suddenly broken BY the steps OF
dromeaaaies soon after which could be distinguish
Cd the forms of two cavaliers, who were heard
saying I'd each other
II This. then, il the place, Yusuf--the Kazar-el
Eheitan ~
Yes, o Mohammed,f 2 replied the other, :. this
is lt.,'
And, as liz spoke, they reached the foot Of the
m0untain and began to ascend II, when some wan
dersng Arabs, who happened to be passing, en-
treated them to desist telling them that no one
evar went up that mountain, which is the abode Of
Satan.
sWhat matter for that y retorted the cavaliers;
ssw0 hare vowed to bring our sweathearts some
wonderfal things that n0b0dy else could obtain for
tiaem; that vow we go TO keep And they went
on their way up the mountain.
Them the Arabs. who again entreated them to re-
sarn seeing that their efforts were useless went
their way reciting the FdtliG;* but they had not
gone far when they saw strange light glimmering
at THE tap Of the mountain, accompanied by fear
o,Jf toJI srac
silent Is before.
Merit slay they recouHted everywhere how two
cavaliers lad gone up to Kasr-el Cheltan from
which they had not been seen to return; nor did
fhejr families ever hear any news of them again,
except indeed, that the devil and his lmps had
ronstcd chem alive.
Wien Tic reis had concluded. burst into fit Of
loud laughter, at which he turned pale and said
= Hare NOT snIrows enough to bear up against
shat you must bring more upon me BY the leyity
with which you look upon such horrible event Y
s Be not troubled, Sid" answered |, with as
much gravity as could command. Be Of good
cheer; ID my country. too, people tel foolish sto-
fies with which they frghten weak minded persons
and saail children, but such fear is unw orthy Of
man like VOC, as will prove to you. How long
ji III the caravan 10 file past this mountain y?
(. Half an hour or less.n
Good. viii use the time in making my way
to aIa top dc iii
e Whas2v exclaimed the reis, g IN spite OF what
j have told yous
~Because Of what you have told me- replied
asad leaving him to recover from his CONSERVATION
u turned to my companions of the caravan, asking
whether any Of them Eould accompany me on q
visit to the hosts Of Kasr 81 Cheitan-an invitation
which they declined with horror one and all, some
sof them even running array from me when made
q show ef approaching them. A few, however,
eaxdearorad 10 dissuademe from my undertaking
sbut after the course haa taken, did not choose
10 withdraw, lest might have been set down as
an empty braggart; though, on the other hand.
bv CARRYING ont my design, should subject myself
N n
spirits
Dashing my dromsdary, then, across the rocks
ard bushes All the foot of Kasr -el Cheitan, COM
mAaced ascending the spiral path that leads to the
summit, on arriving near which thought heard
murEnufing sound as of human voices.
rode towards the spot from whence the soInd
appeared to proceed, whore found a large open
In the rock slightly eonceaied by the tall lherb.
age, into which entered on foot. and had made
bsit VI few steps into the cavern when found my
self hi utter darkness listened the murmus d
voices appeared to come from the depths of the
scave, but soon all became still; and as had no
means ef lighting myself on the way, returned,
fanfiHg lest might fall over some preeipice If |
seataEed farther IN the dark thought, besides,
sI,nt Iuust haVe been deceived with regard to
voices issniug from the cave, and that the sounds
heard b7 me must have come from the caravan be-
low. Continuing my ascent, therefore, reached
Tho tap Of the iiasntan where found myself upon
1 I,latsa In tlse center of which there Was deep
pit, which at once recognized as the crater Of an
oxtInct volcano. ieaped off my dromedary, and
rolling lsFge stone down into the gaping abyss,
heard It splash into the water below; for the as
eendiH9 waters (as ia other instances observed by
zne) had evidently exfingnished the fire and the
lava 0f the crater aud converted itinto q lake.
The splash of the stone was Immediately followed
by 3 Iumbling sound, which reminded me of the
Panshean az Paris
ysnsountGl IN iiromedary ana commenced to
dEseeaa tho path, when suddenly a brilliant light
shot across If. some distance in advance, the
source ef which, owing TO the spiral nature of the
could flnE perceive till had taken another