The Russellville Democrat., 1880-03-04
THE GREAT SAHARA.
Explorations in Furthcrancc of Railway
 Project
London Timea.


 Last week the French expedition commissioned to explore the Sahara Tn connection with the proposed railway left Paris for Marseilles, whence it will sail for Algeria. The expedition will devote it's attention mainly to the coun- try south of Wargla, which is too imper- fectly known at present to enable de- cision 10 be come to as to the precise route which the railway ought to take, The expedition is under the command of Lieutenant-C Colonel Flatters, who is accompanied by an efficient staff of en- gineers and others. They will be ac- companled by an escort of trustworthy frontier Arabs. At the last meeting of the Paris Society of Commercial Geog- raphy, M. Masqueray, the Saharan explor- CT, gave some interesting information concerning the land of Adrar, in the Western Sahara. This he derived from three pilgrims on their way to Mecca, who had been plundered in the desert, and supplied with funds by the French Government in Algiers to continue their pilgrimage. On their return they have promised to conduct the French expIor- CT to their country. Adrar or Aderer, presents two or three of the chief aspects of the Sahara, which is by no means the desert at one time supposed. In the southwest are long bands of sand, not exceeding eight days march in width. Adrar Temar, the country of the trav- elers, is placed like long and narrow island, between two of these bands of sand It is an almost level region. slightly elevated above the sands. which tend to encroach upon it's borders. h. termittent streams are found in the country, and there are numerous towns or large villages, containing considera- ble population. The three pilgrims rep resent their country as covered with gum aeacias, and ostriches greatly abound The most important commercial fact in connection with Adrar is the existence at Ijil of an immense deposit of rock salt, which, as we advance toward the country of the negroes, becomes the most valuable article of trade. Tichu (? Tishit), some days journey to the southeast of Ijil, is the principal market for the trade in salt, for which slaves are the principal exchange. There blocks or slabs of salt, two metres long by one broad, represent the value of man. At Timbuctoo, piece of this salt, the size of a sandal carried, will purchase a man. We have little to offer Europeans" said the three Adrarians, ''but we have many wants, and for long time we have obtained European manufactured goods with great difficulty" Trade, in fact in the Western Sahara is carried on in the following way: In Morocco, especially in the south, are numerous markets sup piled by England and conducted by Englishman or natives in their service. The goods which are sought after in these parts are cottons, various kinds of textures, powder, arms, and even burn ouses. Tic religious tribes of Adrar, and those who live between that country and the sea go to Morocco for stock of these articles,a and slowly return to T1shit, selling as much as possible CD route In Adrar they get rid of the remainder of their mercandise. Some return to the depots, others obtain camels and salt. and proceed southward to the country of the negroes, where they exchange cameis and salt for slaves This trade is very profitable. For two pieces of cotton. 42 metres long, and value about l6s.. complete male ostrich skin can be obtained, worth in Paris from e640 to eS00. For, three pieces, a fine camel or ven or eight fat sheep, can be bought. The three Adrarians proposed that French factory should be estab- lished somewhere on the coast between Cape Blanco and Cape Barbas, thus turn ing some of the profitable commerce toward France and enabling the Adra. rians to avoid the difiicult journey to Morocco.