The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-02-01
soiimin. A ship OF the Desert

but one shouted out, "rice pudding and
oranges T. having in their minds the
dinner which we had just eaten. That
one, who was older than the rest, said.
rather shyly, "A big piece of land,
aunty, isn't it p but even he didn't know
how big-or that there is difference in
spelling between the dessert which peO-
pie eat and the desert which sometimes
eats people, closing it's jaws of sand, and
swallowing them up as easily as boy
swallows cherry.
The biggest desert in the word IS In
Africa, and is called the Sahara. 1t is
almost as large as the Atlantic ocean,
but instead of water it is all sand and
rocks. Like the ocean, it is visited with
storms; dreadful gales, when the wind
scoops up thousands of tons of sand and
drives them forward, burying and crush
ing all they meet. And it has islands,
too-small green patches, where springs
bubble through the ground, and ferns
and acacias and palm trees grow. When
traveller sees one of these fertile
spots afar off he feels as a tempest
tossed sailor does at sight of land. 1t is
delightful to quit the hot, baking sun,
sit in shadow under the trees, and rest
the eyes, long wearied with dazzling
sands, on the sweet green and the clear
spring Gases these islands are called.
Long distances divide them. 1t is often
a race for life to get across from one to
the other Sometimes people do not
get across In 1905 caravan Of 1000
persons died miserably of heat and thirst
in the great desert, and the sand covered
them up. Do you wonder at my saying
That the desert eats men?
Now, you will be puzzled to guess
what sort of ship it is which swims this
dry ocean. 1t is the camel-an ami
NAL made by God to endure these dread
full regions, in which no other beast of
burden can live and travel. / dare say
many of you have seen camels in menag-
cries. They are ugly animals, but very
strong, swift and untiring. With load
of 800 pounds on his back, camel will
travel for days at the rate of eight miles
an hour, which is as fast as an ordinary
ship can SAIL More wonderful still, he
will do this without stopping for food or
water. Nature has provided him with
an extra stomach, in which he keeps a
store of drink, and with a hump
on his back, made of jelly-like
fat, which, in time of need, is absorbed
into the system and appropriated as
food. Is it not strange to think of
creature with cistern and a meat-safe
inside him? A horse would be useless
in the desert, where no oats or grass can
be had; but the brave, patient camel
goes steadily on without complaint till
the oasis is reached; then he champs his
thorn bushes, fills himself from the
spring; allows the heavy pack to be fast
ened on his back again, and is ready for
further travel.
Now you know what sort of ship it
is that am going to tell you about. 1t
was q camel, named Solimin. He was
of rare and valuable breed, known
as "herie," or coursers, because they
are so much swifter than ordinary
camels. Solimin's master, Ahmed, was
q poor man. He never could have
afforded to buy full-grown camel OF
this rare breed; and Solimin had become
his through piece of good fortune.
When little foal Solimin was found in
a lonely place in the desert, standing
over the dead body of his mother, who
had fallen and persisted by the way.
Led to the brown tent which was
Ahmed's home, the orphan baby grew
up AS child of the family, lay among the
little ones at night, and was their pet
and plaything all the day. The boys
taught him to kneel, to rise, to carry bur
dens, TO turn this way and that at sig
nal The girls hung necklace OF
blessed shells around his neck, saved fol
him the best of the food, sang him songs
(which he was supposed to enjoy, and
daily kissed and stroked his gentle nose
and eyes. AS he grew big and strong
the pride of his owners grew with him
Not another family of the tribe possessed
a herie. Once and again, Ahmed wal
offered large price for him, but he re
iected it with disdain.
"Would sell my son-the son of my
heart ?" he said "Neither will par
with Solimin. BY the Prophet,
swear it.
OF all the jewellers in the brown ten
Solimin ] we'd best Ahmed himself, an,
his eldest SOD, Mustapha. Will. them h,
was docile as lamb; but if stranger
drew near, or persons he did not like
he became FESTIVE and fierce, screamed
laid back his ears, and kicked with hi
strong hind legs. A kick from came
is no joke, can tell you. All the deser
guides knew Solimin, and, for his sake
Ahmed was often hired to accompan,
caravans. Nay, once, at Cairo, Solimii
was chosen to carry the sacred person o
the Khedive on days excursion up th,
Nile bank, which event served the trib,
az a boast for months afterward.
1t was the year after this journey t.
Cairo that Ahmed met with terribl,
adventure. He and Mustapha, making
their way home after long journey
had lain down to sleep away the noon
tide hours, according to the custom o
desert travellers. Their camels wer,
tethered beside them, all seemed secur'
and peaceful, when, sudden as the low
ering OF q cloud, party of Arabs, be
longing to a wild tribe at enmity with al
men, pounced upon them. Ahmed ant
his son defended themselves manfully
but what could two men, surprised il
sleep, do against dozen? In five min
utes all was over. The assailants van
ished in cloud of dust, and Ahmed