The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-27


a nom ad, hcrdsman existence. As neither grain
nor the date palm will grow here, the natives
live on milk during the season OF pasturlRe,
never tasting flesh unless a camel should chance
to die, custom compels the sacrifice OF
goat. Reduced by these privatons to the verge
Of starvation, they migrate In a body at the time
Of the date harvest to the more fertile districts
OF their own country, to Fezzan, or to
Kauar, the great 1ibbu oasis. The dent
zeus OF the northern slope. on the other
hand, never leave their homes, but live concen-
tretcd In the broad, well irrigated valley OF
Bardai, where their neat huts Of palm leaves are
encirlod by date plantations and modest fields
| of wheat and corn. Scarcely one OF them ever
| saw white face The Tibbu are all Mohammo-
| dams. although the Arabs are fond OF denying
| this. Doubtless they possess but vague ac-
| auaintance with their nominal religion, but
they repeat the formulas Of the creed, prac-
tice circumcision, keep the rdsdddn, or Moslem
Lieut.. and Say their daily prayers with scrupulous
regularity.
with the valley Of suar the object Of Nachti
gals native guide was attained, which was to
| smuggle his charge safely through the country
| to the residence Of the chief. Tue latter. how
| ever. with most Of his mobiles, had gone to Bar
| dai In order to share the date crop. but enough
| were left to make grievous inrOads upon the
travellers smull store OF gifts. The most impor
| tunate of these was one Arami, who. however,
with his retainers, formed Nachti9al's body
guard, and subsequently his preserver, when
| the latter, ovcrpowered by hunger, was con-
strained to follow the king across the noun
| tains.
| A very unpleasant reception awaited the stran-
ger IL Birdai. The inhabitants had protested
vehemen,ly against the visit, being persuaded
| that 10y sorcery he would speedily compass the
destruction of their country, and that pestilenre
ora cattle Hague would inevitably result from
he Christians presence. On tho other hand
the chief WIS loath to forego the plundering Of
the tr .veller's goods. II WAS agreed. Therefore,
by wav OF compromise, that NachtiRal might
enter the valley, but that he and his Italian ser
want should straiehtway thereafter be put to
death. Our German explorer Is nkevto remem-
Der the night Of his entrance into Bardai. The
whole population, for the most part drunk with
date Juice, swarmed about their victim, the men
nourlshing spears and knives. the women armed
with clubs aud stones. while Aramt nd his Few
followers stood aloof and debated the pro
| prety OF defending the Christian. At last
disgust that the sedentary inhabitants o.
towns should venture to assail the protepe Of u
nomad chief provoked Arami to resistance. aud
he succeeded after some desperate lighting In
conveying Nachtgal to his own tent, in an ada
cent mountain village.
Il
barely saved from starvation by meaere ration-
Of dates, while every day the chief men Of Bar
dai assembled before the tent and demanded
his surrender. He was substantially prisoner.
and, on one occasion, having sought under
some palm trees the shelter which his tent very
impcrlectly Afforded. he was well nigh stoned to
death by women and children who had lain In
wait for him. Nevertheless, the efforts Of ArAnii
TO reconcile the King and people to the Chris
| ,.. ha .fat
caly as It was known those members Of the tribe
whohappened to be in Fezzan would be treated
a. hostages, when suddenly all the later ar
, rived in Barda bringing with them their small
possessions and the news that Nachtigals trav
eiling companion. the well-known Dutch ex
plorer Mad'lle Alexine Time van der Kappel-
. In. had been murdered by the nomad
dwellers OF the Western Sahara. Nachti.
gals stock now sank very low, as he could well
, discern from the altered demeanor OF the mex
council which assembled before his tent, and II
was obvious that the desperate expedient OF
flight was done open to him. By playing ON the
ayaflce and ambition Of his host-bestowins on
him all that remained 81 the goods brought
from Muf-uk. and engaging to recommend hiu
to the authorities throughout F,zza he pre-
v. He'd on Arami to second his attempt. The
, | nomad cnief lent his guest two swift camels
furnished him with little food, conveyed uin
| four Gays mdrCnes from llDestl, anu tntn leI
him to his fate
, We will not dwell on the surernRs which
, Nachtigal underwent before reaching the south
crn outskirts. hut merely note thar at this time
he had no guide, and that during the las
four DAYS OF the journey tut ten date
could be allotted daily TO each man
Safe al last In Mursuk. he required tn
= whole winter for the restora tun Of MS he lth
the Trotracted fortunes Of famine having ain o.
, DESTROYED the dises,iye powers. IL YVES for,u
nate, therefore. that no van la been read
- to start for Bornu until the following spring
p 1t was in May that NachtiGa got together hi
; luggage, hired new servants and camels, an
prepared to discharge his mission.
D The liornu route is the best caravan track tina
( camels could demand. Only the first section
I from the southern frontier Of Fezzan for som
70 days march beyond the mountain ridge
; War, where the desert forms a tahle lsnd som
- two thousand feet hign-is entirely bare
herbage. Then come fountains with sma
v GASES, every other day. After fouriee
i days journey from Fezzan you reac
Il X uar, the second great nexus Of the Sahur
/. with its numerous villages and plantations &
Il date palms, ITS gardens aud camel pastures, an
/. the inexhaustible salt mines Of Iiilma. III
4 tract, about three days march long and tw
d hours broad, was settled by the 1ibes
e people. Hundreds Of years ago the Kings ,
n Bornu founded colonies here, and to this do
e. the neat and clearly Teda race are seen dwell
/. ing In their huts Of stone or plated palr
N houghs, clustered about the stone cliad'
n while some cities with gates, avenues, and ad oh
" houses likewise attest the Bor-u tlgin OF thei
II Inhabitants In spite OF lts comparative u
IN huence, Kau : - iuckless land. On ts we-
Is ern Ham, II Is subject TO the exacions of the Il
oi roeious Tulrc, 10 whom they must surrende
ir the larger irt OF their salt crop for nomin
is return IN slaves and grain. The precious ore
er duct is partly distributed throughout the Tuar'
p, | region for the use Of the numerous herds
,h | camels. for whose heath the periodical col
at sumption Of salt IL Indispensable, and part
OF trans ported by colossal car vans To the cou
d. tries lying between the Niger aud l. ke Isa
On | From the east on the other h ana, kauar Is e
posed to continual assiuts from the Arab 70
yo | Der race Of the Tied Soliman, by which IL h
Or. more than once been wel-nlgh depopulate
lis or the natives in general II may be said tn
us they are less reserved, less discourteous al
n quarrelsome than their knfolk Of ribesti {