, 1880-09-10
Life Among the Arabs,

the most charming oaseS Oh Che oahaIa,
With n circumference of 40 miles and
nopulation Of 100000. We are now
near the borders of the Great Desert, as
i is called. This is not such desert
as is pictured by the imagination of the
civilized Ameri ;an-sands, and nothing
hut sand to the end of the chapter.
The desert is, in reality, composed of
immense plains analogous to the steppes
of Russia, the pampas of South America,
or the Great American Desert Of our
Western plains. There is no wood; the
water is confined to few favored spots,
which necessarily become the halting
places of travellers, such as the great
oasis of Tronlatt. Even in tie Sahara
it is only where running water is pres
ent that luxuriant vegetation and pro-
ductive fruit trees spring forth.
Some of the smaller oases are pocket
editions Of Paradise. After travelling
all day over dry and almost barren
country with only palm trees and stunt
ed vegetation, the sight of one of these,
with its bright green foliage and bril-
liant flowers, is refreshing indeed The
Arabs have a legend that. Adam was
once permitted to revisit the earth and
landed, in England, but he
did not know the place. Passing over
into France, Italy and Spain, the coun-
try beganstoi loeksbettery; but when he.
came to the Sahara he recognized his
former home, and Eexcaimed, with en-,
thusiasm, I" All, bete is Eden, where l
was created, and ffstssawsmy beauteous
Eve here [ could live forever. "~tzLil l.s
In our .journeyings -wsPy Travelled
through mo,lntains pass alHerent fro1
ANYTHING that had ever seen before.
1t wasTise PAGES jim width, wlthperpfAi
dicular natural natbls Mqs o. eitA&
side, veined and polished, and glistened
with various colors in the sun. Through
it runs little stream with lovely green
banks and outside entrance, which effer-
vesces in ones mouth like champagne.
Antlmony is also found in the pass, and
gives rise to an oasis called Tesna. "A
carbonic acidsming bubbles up close to
its southern vieinity Sand peculiar va
riety Of skeep withoueweol. Quail are
very plentiful, thepsparrow family are
found IN every house South Of the AT
las. They are Of the ycapsa variety, and
have asweet note, superior to the night.
ingale, ,:sbut cannot bear eNlestH the
north. ., Butterflies ofsunusual size and
most beautiful. colors are found 9ften
measuring from four to six inches acEpss
the wings. Mosquitoes and beetles are
plenty enougE,D the '&ochipsala inject
which feeds on the cactus .cochenil lifera
is gathsred ip rsat &! atantiitiss y III ny a44I&d
to the caravan merchants, to be used IL
making theAfaaalsOdgS "a !as Parifaeiasl fes ISolgao'
commerce.
Dates are very plentiful, and arc useG
for food and for fattening horses ant
camels. A camel load of them, 400 oil
500 pounds, can be bought for metEel
40 cents. Olive oil and a similar oil
called argan, not SO good for eating, but
much used in lamps, are produced ir
great quantities. Monkeys are numer
GUS and sometimes used as food. II have
eaten opossum among the darkies In
Kentucky, and muskrat with the Th
dians on the Calumet, in, Illinois, and
even tasted of rattleshake, hutI confes;
roasted monkey was too Huch for my
delicate stomach; it was too. horribly
like eating young baby, | found lior
meat, however, 20 be more palatable anG
nutritious. 81 through Sahara, but es
pecially in the GASES of Sghronat, south
west of Biscara and Tongourt, in the
Oneo Oasis, wheat, barley. and beans
are largely cultivated Grain is cut JUS
below the ear, and trodden out with
oxen or threshed' with fail. It il
stored in pits of conical shape, dug in tht
grourd, and will keep in good condition
for years. Hawking Icy the use of fal
cons and ostrich hunting are the aristo
cratic amusements of the Sahara. Os
triches are killed by light blow with {
stick on their featherless mead, and whel
closely pressed the run the head into tn,
sand to avoid this death blow, and no
to hide themselves from their enemy
Receiving the blow upon their muscular
bodies, they draw their head fromi'tht
sand, and are off with the speed of thu
wind. Thus vanishes another of TIN
cherished myths os cur childhood, i'm
bibed from the geography and Sunday
school books.
Negroes are plenty in the Draa, an.