Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-02-01
SoIimin: A Ship of the Desert.

The biggest desert in the world is in
Africa, and is called the Sahara. 1t is
almost as large as the Atlantic ocean,
but instead of water it is all sands 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. Aud it has islands,
too small green patches, where springs
bubble through the ground, and ferns
and acacias and palm-trees grow. When
q traveller sees one of these fertile spots
afar off, he feels as q tempest-tossed
sailor does at sight of land. It is de-
lightful to quit the hot, baking sun, sit
in the 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. It is often
q race for life to get across from one to
the other. Sometimes people do not
get across In 1905, carvan 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. It is the camel-an animal
made by God to endure these dreadful
regions, in which no other beast of bur-
ben can live and travel. [ dare say
many of you have seen camels in mena-
geries. They are ugly animals, but
very strong, swift and untiring. With
a 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 won
derHll still, he will do this without stop
ing for food or water. Nature has pro-
vided him with an extra stomach, in
which he keeps O store of drink, and
with hump on his back, made of Jelly
like fat, which. in time of need, is ab-
sorbed into the system and appropriated
MS food. Is it not strange to think of
creature with cistern and meat-safe
inside him? A horse would be useless
In the desert, where no oats or grass
could be had, but the brave, patient
camel goes steadily on without COM
plant until the oasis is reached; then
he champs bis thorn bushes, fills him
self from the spring, allows the heavy
package to be fastened on his back
again, and is ready for further travel
Now you know what sort of ship it
is that I am going to tell yoa about. 1t
was a camel, named Solimin. He was
of rare and valuable breed, known as
g herie," or coursers, because they are
SO much swifter than ordinary camels.
Solimin's master, Ahmed, was a poor
man. He never could have afforded to
buy a full-grown camel of this rare
breed and Solimin had become his
through piece of good fortune. When
a little foal, Solimin was found in a
lonely place in the desert, standing over
the dead body of his mother, who had
fallen and perished by the way. Led to
the brown tent which was Ahmeds
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 burdens,
to turn this way and that at a signal.
The girls hung a necklace of blessed
shells, saved for him the best of the
food, sang him songs (Which he was sup
posed 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 was offered o
large price for him, but he rejected it
with disdain.
"Would / sell my SON the son of my
heart? ?" he said. Neither will 1 part
with Solimin, BY the prophet, 1 swear
it,"
OF all the dwellers in the brown tent