Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1879-04-26
A Visit to a Dead City.

Yesterday we visited Carthage, leav-
ing the hotel about 10 in the morning.
The drive occupied two hours and then
we were on the ground where, 1000
years ago, stood city larger than New
York and more prosperous. Now all
that remains Is a mass of stones, almost
entirely covered with wheat, sown by
the shepherds for their focks. Only
four excavations have been made-the
Amphitheater, the wells of the city, and
Dido's baths and little of the city
walls. You remember the Bible speaks
of the people going "down into the
well" and " "coming up out of the well. "
| have just seen such an old well. 1t
was 80 feet deep and about 80 feet in
diameter. Beginning at the top and 60
ing down to the bottom were steps wind
ing around inside, where the women
went with pals or jugs on their heads
to draw water.
We wander ed over the site OF Carthage
for an hour or two. Then we began to
think of lunch. The dragomen knew
the old monks who kept the chapel,
erected to the memory of Lorfis of
France over the place where he did not
die. So we went there and they offered
US their dining-roorii: The sun was
scorching hot, and there was not so
much as palm tree under which to
spread our lunch. So we rid ourselves
of the romantic idea of eating on sacred
ground; where Queen Dido had stood,
and spread OUR repast in q comfortable
corner on a table like " Christian dogs, ~
as the Arabs call us.
We started for home at 5 o'clock and
fbrnr1nh nj
country just at sunset. l saw there
what never expect to see again, a per.
feet African landscape at sunset. Twill
give you the prime pal objtcss in the
picture and you gan arrange it to suit
yourself. The sky was one mass of red
and gold, and against tbat background
were two lead colofed mountains,
sparkling like diamonds in the sdnlight.
In front of these was a succe ssion OF
low, green mountains, and at the foot
of one of these Bedouin tribe had just
pitched their tents. They formed a
picture by themselves--th the camels feed
ing arour d the tents, a fire in front of
each, and all the tribe Deking on or
helping to cook their supper. The
teiits and pc 6ple were black with dirt,
I suppose-but distance lent enchant-
ment to the scene and made it beauti-
full. As we stopped to look at it a mist
began to form at the top of the nioun-
tafns, and gradually covered it all as if
cur1ain had been dropped from the
heavens. The mist rem aimed until
after the sun had set; then it rose, and
the stars cartte out bright and
clear. The Arabs and Turks ae
the most hospitable people 1 have
seen. We spent an afternoon around
Tunis, visiting the Arabic and Jewish
prisons, a Jewish house, an Arabic dane
ing coffee house, and any number of cof.
fee houses. In every place they received
us very kindly. At the private houses
they brought us coffee and drank with
us, and said salama," which is word
expressing the good will of the people.
As mark of great respect they place
the right hand on the breast as you
leave the houses, and instead of shaking
hands, say Salama, keeping the same
position until you are out of sight. The
COFFEE hdtises are small, square rooms
with benches on three sides, where the
Turks sit on cane mats. On the re.
naming side is long table where tbs
coffee-cooking utensils are. We went
in and sat on the seats cross-legged, just
like the Turks. Then they. brought u:
coffee in little cups-equal parts Of eof
fee and sugar-and let it boil up, to bt
drank grounds and all.
We have been 10 the harem and tc
the Bey's palace, where we saw rea
harem; and women who had never beer
out of their own houses and had seer
no men except their own husbands anC
sons. They we're surrounded by ever.
thing money could buy; their palaces
were perfectly magnificent as well a
their wardrobes, but they did not seen
happy. The husband of one woman
after living with her so years, has pu
her aside to marry a young girl that sh'
brought up to wait on him. He ba
t,ken his new wife away and left the OF
one alone in her beautiful palace, so sh,
says sc prays to die.
This same man gave a grand ball no
long ago and invited all the European
in Tunis. He thought he was exceed
ingly kind to his wives and children il
cutting a small hole through the wall b.
which, in turns, they were able to Sc,
the visitors. The harems of the lowe
classes are rooms with but little furni
ture and only rugs to sit on. But thos
of the wealthy have European furniture
pictures and works of art. The womel
sat on divans around the sides IF tn
rooms, but we were given chairs ant
sofas. With all their splendor, howev
er, they looked miserable and unhappy
They can not read or write, and l be
lieve they hardly dare think. All tn
women do from morning till night is t,
rig themselves up in their finery, keep
on an hour or two and then change TO
something else. The house we visite'
was much the same as the others, onl
there we saw the deares st little baby,
month old, dressed in blue and whit
silks, with little turban on its head
Over the bed they burned incense, an
hung up little silver globe with an eg
in it to keep off the evil eye. The fam
lily treated us very kindly, but l do nc
doubt they fumigated the entire hous
after we left.-Tunis Letter to Detro
Free Press.