The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-02-14
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,
hat instead of water 1t is all sands and
rlcks. Like the ocean, il Is visited with
storms; dreadful gales, when the wind
Scoops MP thousands OF tons Of sand and
drives them forward, burying and crush
ing all they meet. And it has islands,
tSo-sman green patches, where springs
bubble through the ground. and ferns
aud Aeacias and palm-trees grow. When
a traveller sees one Of these fertile spots
Afar of, he feels as q tempest-tossed
sulor does At sight Of land. Ii is de-
lightful 10 quit the hot, baking sun, sit
in the shadow under the trees, and rest
the eyes, long gearied with dazzling
slnds, on the sweet green and the clear
spring. Gases. these islands are called.
Long distances divide them. Ii Is often
race for life TO get across from one TO
the other. Sometimes people do not
get across In 1895, carvan of 1900
persons died miserably of heat and thirst
in the great desert, and the sand covered
them up. Do Won wonder at my saying
that the desert eats men?
Now. YOU viii be puzzled to guess
what sort Of shio il is which swims this
dry ocean. II is the camel-an animal
made hy God to endure these dreadful
re1ioos. in which no other beast of bur
hen can live and travel. | dare say
many Of Won have seen camels in mena-
geries. They are ugly animals, but
very strong. swift and untinng. With
a load of 500 pounds on his back,
ecamel will travel for days at the rate of
eight miles an hour, which is as fast as
~ ordinary ship can sail. More won
derful 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 stsre of drink, and
with hump on mis- back, made Of Jelly
like fat, which. in time OF need, is alb
sorbed into the system and appropriated
"a food. is it not strange 30 think OF a
creature with a 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
plaint until the oasis is reached; then
lie chaAps his 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 il
j. thst am going 10 tell you about. 1t
was camel, named SpLmin. He was
of rare and valuable breed, known as
"herie," or coursers, because they are
so much swifter than ordinary camels.
S0limin's master, Ahmed, was a 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
n 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 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 burdens,
TO turn this way and that at a signal.
The girls hung 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
htroked 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 herie.
Once and again, Ahmed was offered a
large nrice for him, but he rejected it
with disdain.
"Nould 1 sell my SON the son of my
heart % he said. Neither will I part
,vith Solimin. By the prophet, l swear
it."
OF all the dwellers in the brown tent
Solimin loved best Ahmed himself, and
his eldest son, Mustapha. With them
he was docile as lamb; but if strangers
drew near, or persons he did not like, he
became restive and fierce, screamed, laid
hack his ears, and kicked with his strong
hind legs. A kick from a camel is no
Joke. 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 mp the
Nile bank, which event served the tribe
as a boast for months afterward.
1t was the year after this journey to
Cairo that Ahmed met with a terrible
adventure. He and Mustapha, making
their way home after long journey,
had lain down 10 sleep away the noontide
hours, according 10 the custom OF desert