The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1878-02-14
soIimin. A Ship of the Desert


solimin: A Ship of the Desert
7 asked party of children once the
meaning of the word " desert," and all
but one shouted out, "rice pudding and
oranges p having in their minds the
dinner which we had just eaten. That
one, who was older than the rest, said.
rather shyly, ga big piece of land,
aunty, isn't it ?" but even he didn't know
how big-or that there is a difference in
spelling between the dessert which peo-
pie eat and the desert which sometimes
eats people, closing its jaws of sand, and
swallowing them up as easily as a boy
swallows cherry.
The biggest desert in the word is IN
Africa, and is called the Sahara. 1t is
almost rs 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-smaQ green patches, where springs
bubble through the ground, and ferns
and acacias and palm-trees grow. When
a 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
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 It is the canel-an ami
NAL made by God to endure these dread
full regions, in which no other beast of
burden can live and travel. I dare say
many of you have seen caInels in nenag-
cries. They are ugly animals, but very
strong, swift and untiring. With load
of 500 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-ike
fat, which, in time of need, is absorbed
into the system and appropriated as
food Is it not strange to think OF a
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 q ship it
is that / am going to tell You about. It
was q camel, named Solinin. He was
of n rare and valuable breed, known
as "herie," or coursers, because they
are SO much swifter than ordinary
cameis. Solimin's master, Ahmed, was
n poor man. He never could have
afforded to buy fuIlgrown camel of
this rare breed; and Solimin had become
his through a piece of good fortune.
When little foal Solimin was found in
G 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 a necklace of
blessed shells around his neck, saved for
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 was
offered large price for him, but he re-
iected it witt, disdain.
Would L sell my son-the son of my
heart" he said ''Neither will [ parI
with Solimin. By the Prophet, ]
swear it.
Of all the jewellers in the brown tent
Solimin / we'd best Ahmed himself, and
his eldest son, Mustapha Witt. them he
was docle as lamb; but if strangers
drew near, or persons he did not like
he became FESTIVE and fierce, screamed
land back his ears, ana kicked with his
strong hind legs. A kick from cameI
is no joke, L can tell you. All the desert
guides knew Solimin, and, for his sake
Ahmed was often hired to accompany
caravans. Nay, once, at Cairo, Solimin
was chosen to carry the sacred person Of
the Khedive on days excursion up the
Nile bank, which event served the tribe
as boast for months afterward.
1t was the year after this journey to
Cairo that Ahmed met with terrible
adventure. He and Mustapha, making
their way home after a long journey,
had lain down to sleep away the noon
tide hours, according to. the custom of
desert travellers. Their camels were
tethered beside them, all seemed secure
and peaceful, when. sudden rs the low
erlng of e cloud. party of Arabs, be-
longing to wild tribe at enmity with all
men, pounced upon them. Ahmed and
his son defended themselves manfulIy.
but what could two men, surprised in
sleep, do against dozen? In five min
utes all was over. The assailants van
ished in a cloud of dust, and Ahmed,
who had been struck down in the rush,
recovered his senses, to find camels.
baggage, belt, money, everything gone,
and Mustapha wounded and motionless
on the earth beside him.
Ahmed thought him dead They
were alone IL the desert, hundred
miles from home, without food or water.
and with grcan of despair he sat down
beside his sons body, bowed his head,
and waited until death should come to
him also. An Arab believes in fate, and
gives up once for all when misfortune
occurs.
But Mustapha stirred, and Ahmed at
once sprung up. There was nothing he
could do for the poor boy, except to
ehafe and rub his hands; but this was
something, for presently Mustapha re-
vived enough to speak.
''Are they gomez he asked.