The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1872-02-08

4 OoA OAAIC3 q L4Job oAlAe VI II DAAAN-
ing, with very thick outer walls,
very high ceilings, but the divis
ions into rooms were of a very
coarse straw mating. There we
were introduced to the Postmaster,
a very pleasant English gentleman,
who soon had a carriage at the door
for our drive. We drove about five
miles on a very smooth, hard road,
part of the way along the shore Of
the Gulf, then through two long
tunnels through the rocky hills into
the barracks or "cantOnments," a.
they are called here. A large nun
Der of English soldiers are stationed
here to keep the Arabs from retak-
ing the place. The soldiers are
dressed in white, I mean the En-
glish soldiers the natives don't
dress at all The greatest curiOsities
of the place are some tanks, sup
posed to have been made by the
MOOrs many centuries ago, to catch
and hold water whenever it rains.
It seldom rains more than once a
year-sometimes once in four years.
These "tanks" are situated between
two very high ranges of hills, and
catch all the water that falls on
them and hold millions of gallons
enough to last d whole year. They
are all dry now, and the people use
condensed sea water. There are
two condensers, each of which costs
the English Government SI3, 900
per month.
The principal employment of the
natives is to carry this water about
the tOwu. We met large numbers of
women, with large, strong bottles
fastened on their backs. These
hung in long scarf, which passed
round their heads, and the weight
of the bottles seemed to come upon
their foreheads. The women had
bright, honest faces, looked cheerful
and contented with their lot. They
wear many ornaments on their arms
and necks. We met many donkeys
loaded with leather bottles of water.
One small boy will have charge of
8 or 10 of these animals, each hav-
ing from 4 to 6 bottles Of water on
his back. We saw large droves or
caravans of camels, laden with a
kind of dried grass, which is brought
in from the back country, a male
native perched on each camel.
I can give you no clear concep-
tiOn of this singular town. 1t is
wonderful how human beings, or
beings of any kind, can live here.
We saw a tall white tower on a high
peak of rock, where the MOhamme-
dams expose their bodies to the vul-
lures when they die. There is a
beautiful little English church here.
Our friend being friend of the
clergyman, took US to his hOuse-a
most singular building, very near
the church. The minister received
US very kindly and asked US if we
had been to breakfast. We had
not, so ne ordered US a cup of tea,
some nice broiled ham, bread aud
butter. His wife soon came iu-a
young, pretty-looking woman, who
made us feel perfectly at home.
A very agreeable British officer
was there, vino had been in India
a long time-had been ordered to
this post a short time ago. His
wife had died few weeks since,
leaving him little babe. He ask
ed us to go in and see it, which we
very gladly did. 1t was elegantly
dressed, and everything around it
showed loving cared and refined
taste.
We left there, refreshed in body
and spirit too, realizing what we
had often heard of English hospital
ity. This was such an unexpected
treat in this God-forsaken land.
We hurried back to the Post Office,
as we found it near time for the
steamer to start. We were very
warm and tired. There we were
refreshed and rested again, and had
a long talk with the Alden Postmas-
ter, who had been in America, and
liked the country very much in
deed.
We came back to the steamer,
highly delighted with our visit,
feeling that we had been very high
ly favored. Surely goodness and
mercy have followed US all our
journey. I wish you all knew ev-
cry day, how well am, and how
many kind friends I meet. We
have prayers on ship-bOard every
morning and preaching every Sab
bath. Most of the passengers at
tend. On last Sabbath we had SER
vices in the morning and night too.
We have been on the Arabian Sea
since last Monday morning. 1t is
calm and smooth as glass. The
weather is much cooler than on the
Red Sea. We have a fine cool
breeze most of the time.
J. A. n.
A white. haired old negro preach
Pr in Nav Orleans thus addressed