Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-05-29

and kitchen APPROPRIATENESS are also
packed up. By this time the riding
dromedaries are saddled and lying
down. We have nothing to do but
mount. Col. Purdy marks the hour,
aud by the compass, the direction of the
first course; also the altitude and the
temperature, and we are off. AS he has
TO stop at each change of direction to
take the new bearings and mark the
hour on his note book, Col. Mason
and / generally go ahead of him with
our orderlies and guide Col. P,
comes next with the Arab staff officers.
their principal guides. shieks, &C.;
and the main body follows on at the
regular walk of the burden camels.
two and a-half miles an hour. As we
go on I stop here and there to notice
the formation of the soil and the
mountains; and my geological hammer
is frequently heard ringing as I de-
tach specimens of work for preserva-
ton. But this occupation is mingled
with sport, for as we ride ahead of all
the rest, Col. Mason and I keep a
sharp look out for game, and generally
secure enough for the mess dinner
About IL o'clock, we halt under tree,
if it is hot, or in the sun if it is cool,
and have lunch, always accompanied
by hot coffee made on the spot. By
this time the caravan generally passes
us, and it is a picturesque sight to see
them filing past. They occupy about
as much space as regiment of cav
airy. If the wady is wide, they make
a number of trails and present front
of one or two hundred yards, which
narrows down in the gorges and de-
files to single file. All the camel
drivers are on foot, walking in front
or alongside of their animals.
Each soldier is mounted on a
camel which carries his arms and ac-
coutrements and in addition, two
small zinc water barrels or some other
light baggage. Then come the bag
gage camels loaded with bags, boxes,
trunks, tents, barrels &C., and with the
most picturesque irregularity, but all
well fastened and nicely balanced.
Mingled with all the rest are the water
camels, carrying two or four zinc bar
rels according to size) others carrying
huge goat skins. The latter are the
only native means for transporting
water-but the government furnishes
military trains with zinc barrels, which
prevents the enormous waste by leak
age and evaporation that takes place
with the gu,rebs, as the goat skins are
called. Last of all, though first in
starting, comes old Gama-a camel
driver about seventy five years old, at
the head of the flock o. sheep and goats
which follow him, grazins. as they go.
The old man is supplied with a camel,
but he generally leads him instead of
riding. 1t is interesting to see the
tameness of all domestic animals on the
desert. The moment sheep or goats
are brought to camp, they remain and
follow the caravan spontaneously, with
f; out ever straying away. We march in
seldom later than 3 o'clock and if we
come to the expected water earlier, or
to some good place with grass and fuel
about half way, or convenient dis
lance between two waters, we halt
there. Places are selected for the
Headquarters and officers tents. AS
soon as the caravan arrives. the sol
diers erect these tents and their own.
The camel drivers unload the baggage,
hobble the camels' forelegs and lei
them go to Craze around the camp
until morning; then they arrange THEN
own dlO III u lew
minutes, what was the unbroken soil
tude of the desert, becomes a popu
lous and animated impromptu village,
fires and all the turmoil of busy life
The evening meal is ready about sun
down-follow4d by coffee and smoke
Then pleasant conversation for a
while, after which each retires to his
fha ronnrl of tho ,1,U
and goes to bed, pretty sure of sound
sleep. Until ten O'Clock or about, es
pecially when it is warm and moon
light, the camp is enlivened with the
laughter and songs Of the soldiers OF
the dances of the Bedwins to the tune
of two-srring species of banjo. About
| shutdown, at ten o'clock and one hour
before daylight, the voice of the Muz-
/ Yin is heard in the camp. The Mo-
hamedans have no bells, and, in fact,
are preiudiced against them. At all
the Masks, one of the attaches attend
ants called a Muaain goes up On the
balcony of the minaret five times in
the twenty-four hours to call on the
faithful to pray. Their voices can be
heard all over Cairo from the
minarets of it's three hundred masks
There, in the solitude of the desert,
the sound is solemn, musical and al
together peculiar in its rhythm. The
Bedwin who acts as muasin for his
people in this caravan, has strong,
clear and silvery voice, with which he
wakes up the echoes of the wadies es-
pecially about five in the morning
when all other noise has ceased. This
is his cry, called adam, or call to
prayer, but regret that l am unable to
give you the notes of the air on which
he chants or intones the words. It IS
on n,inorney ana E high pitch:
Allah acbar,
God is great, twice repeated.
Ash hadon an lab, lila ha lila Allah,
Ash hadou an lah, lila ha lila Allah.
1 testify that there is no other God, but
God.
Ash hadou apna Mohamed rasoul AL
lab,
Ash hadou anna Mohamed rasoul Al
! lah,
1 testify that Mohamed is the prophet
of God,
Haiee Allah essalah,
Haiee Allah essalah,
Let us go pray to God.
/ Hai-ee allah ell Iallah,
Hai-ee Allah ell fallah,
Let us go to God the merciful
| Lal lila ha lila Allah,
Lal illaha lila Allah,
There is no God, but God.
Allah acbar,
Allah acbar,
God is great.
iSee Byrou;s Childe Harold, canto
I'd ST., go
When we come to some points re-
quiring much investigation We halt
from one to six days, according to the
work. Thus, during the month of