Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-02-17
A TOWER OF SKULLS.


A correspondent Of New York paper,
who dates his letter nOf the African
Coast, tells this terrible story of East
ern vengeance: Heading southward
/ along the Tunisian sea-board in one of
the little coasters with which these wa
ters abound, you find in the angle form
ed by the intersection Of the Tunis coast
line and that of Tripoli large, low,
nearly circular island, which at first sight
appears fully as barren and desolate as
the gray unending sands of the African
shore along the southern horizon Your
map will tell you that this uninviting
sandbank is called the Isle Of Jerbeh, a
name which, unless you happen to be
unusually well read in the chivalric
chronicles Of the sixteenth century, will
probably leave you just as wise as you
were before. Apparently, however, your
Arab fellow-passengers are better in
formed, for the first glimpse Of the island
seems to produce an extraordinary COM
motion among them. Hands are eagerly
pointed at the long grayish-yellow band
which lies almost level with the smooth
bright water, and the slumberous black
eyes flash fire under the shadow of the
huge white turban, while the name of
" Burj-erRoos" flies from mouth to
mouth. Even should you happen to
have learned Arabic enough to know
that this mysterious word means tower
Of skulls, I" you are hardly likely to be
very much enlightened thereby. The
captain OF the vessel, should he be an
Englishman, will give You but little
help in your embarrassment, answering
your appeal for information only by
knowing grin and an admonition to
keep your eyes open and you'll see a
pretty queer sight before long" Little
4 by little huge, grayish-white mass be-
gins to define itself upon the fiat, sandy
shore OF the island, standing up gaunt
and grim against the warm, dreamy
blue of the lustrous sky As we ap-
proach, this forlnless heap
gradually shapes itself into frown-
ing ramparts and tu1reted battle
ments and massive towers and all the
barbaric grandeur Of genuine Eastern
fortress At its feet the bright blue sea
breaks in glittering wavelets, while be-
hind it-an oasis of rich foliage amid
the hot, brassy yellow of the sandy
shore-the vast banner-like leaves of the
date palms droop voluptuously upon the
breezeless air. No painter could wish
Q finer study, but the most striking
feature Of the panorama is still to come.
A sudden turn of the coast reveals
projecting headland, surmounted by
tail white tower, at sight of which the
shouts of "Buri- ri-er-Roos Buri-er-
Roosi" burst forth again with re-
doubled energy The strange building
is cone-shaped, and altogether not un-
like the giant ants nests Of Africa or
South America, but many yards in height
and resting upon base as broad as that
of q cathedral tower. Moment
BY moment, as the ship nears
the land, this mysterious structure
stands ont more and more plainly. 1t
is not long before you begin to notice
that the seaward face Of the tower has
crumbled beneath the action Of wind
and weather, revealing through wide
gap the dark hollow of the interior.
i As you gaze, there breaks suddenly
out of its gloomy shadow, just where
the light enters it, yellowish ghostly
| glimmer, like dim lantern-light seen in
Q vault. You have recourse to your
| glass, and perceive with momentary
thrill Of horror, that this strange glinl-
ands 81 b,,,ao,, sl,,,lIs NIL, Ell -
the whole -;nta,;o, ~ tba hr;id;nIp IL ~
This Is the lannon's q Rn,.;-ar-Rooss Pos :;
or Tower a. SknIls which fo,. 'go, thrso
centuries mast has g;;van ~ tb;s ,o,,,ato ,..lt
nook stranga ana +ar,.;l,1a I4 ,a,,orv, r.,,ur1
The vengeance of Timour has left upon
the banks of the Oxus more than one
nnay,actad abonea of Al,-e ~
tbe Kb;va avnad;t;o,, Of 1870 Is5
Eurone. however there ;s b,,t tone one SIM, M
liar m monument ub;cb os ,n;.yht az o '.,,.
pected belonos "a Turkey tba o',1r nv
Frronean country n. wl,;cb sncl,
| relic of Tttar harbar;s,n wo,.ld NJ IL
ont of ,,Iaca II tba 7,;e4aa,,tI, oa,et,,. -
The traveller who rides olono +bo er,.os
southern h;ohroad from, Raie,oda s1. - tle Has
Sofa Pass over the Ra1kan secs s.ssS h., tb tI,e
wavside nvramidal bn;lding IN Which, ;ed1
are inbedded 10000 human ssnils
Nor does this obn11l-lilra ,na,na,,t, do+o cIo'
back to any remote aoe a hall.
human ferocifv. r. Il no oldar thar tI,o
wear 18f6 when serv;a,s [ dac1arat;a,, 1lr ~ -
independence was answered bv sT,1.I Trrkav. y
with the massacre which have left these
&c. 900 Christian heads 3 LASTING memo
rial of what the sunspeakable Turk "
has always been and always viii be.
But among all these trophies of death
there is not one which can claim Ia he
either as well-preserved Or as hideously