Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1881-06-16
The Egyptian Desert.

strange and new--a waterless land,
without rivers, creeks, rivulets, or
springs; nothing but scanty and more
or less brackish wells. at long inter-
walls; and in the mountainous regions,
some natural rocky reservoirs, where
the rare rain water collects in the
brief and uncertain rainy season.
When the writer crossed the Eastern
Desert In the fall of 1878, there had
been no rain for three years; so that
the first thing to be provided in start
ing was a supply of water sufficient to
last from the Nile TO the first well ,and
carrying the water, the natives en-
ploy exclusively goat and OK skins.
When goat is killed, they cut off his
lead and legs at the hooks and knees;
aud after splitting the skin short
way down his breast, turn HIM out of
his jacket by pulling IL off like stock
ing. After the hide is cured, the legs
are tightly tied up, leaving only the
neck open; and thus large bottle Is
formed capable of holding from six TO
ten gallons according TO the size of the
dtfInct goat. These water-skils,
called girbehs, after few days use,
keep the water very sweet. In the ex-
cessive heat OF the desert, however,
they lose great quantity of their con-
tents by evaporation. Military trains,
In addition, are supplied with flatten-
cd zinc barrels, whose shape Is adapted
for hanging to the pack-saddles. These
have screw shoppers, which prevent
fll leakage and evaporation. The wa
ter carried in the gt. behS in the sun,
gets quite warm, and that in the zinc
barrels almost boils. AS soon, there
fore, as the traveller gets to camp, a
po ton of water is poured out into
open skins and hung on tripods in the
shade; then, In the course of half an
hsur it becomes drinkable, and by
midnight is as cold as fresh SPRING
water.
AS q consequence, water in the deS-
ert is very precious possession; for
should the traveller find that the well
on which he relied has gone dry, 1t
may mean death TO him in one of its
cruelest forms. In that waterless
land, therefore, even the pious Arab
abstains from his religious ablutions
before prayer, his law permitting him
in such case to wash his hands and
feet with sand. AS rule, the water
found in the scattered wells is very bad.
The first thing on arriving at we'll
Is to taste its water, nd every one
takes sip, rolling it in his mouth and
testing it, as epicures do rare wines.
Great is the joy if it is pronounced
''sweet waters" but when the guides
say mot good" you know it Is a
strong solution of Epson salts. The
Arabs divide their deserts into two
kinds. What they call wilderness, be
ing diversified by valleys or water
courses, where their flocks can wan
der and find pasture. The second is
the atRaoNr, or desert proper, consist :
ing of hard gravel, diversified by zones
OF deep sands, rocky belts, and rugged
defiles. 1t is absolutely and entirely
destitute of all vegetation. Not tree,
not bush, not blade Ofgrass relieves
the eyes, which are painfully affected
by the fierce reflection of the sunlight
upon the yellow sand. No shade
whatever is to be found, unless it is
cast by some great rock. These at
m0urs, generally nine or ter days
journey across, are like oceans, which
you may traverse on your four-footed
ship, but where you may not tarrysand
where caravans cross each other like
vessels on the ocean.
Here is picture of desert journey
with its terrible prIvatiOus and ex-
periences. 1t is now May, 1875. The
sun is shining vertically over our
heads. We are on the west Of the
Nile, on the desolate otmourS which
seperate the river from the hardly less
barren plains of Kordofan. A more
parched, blasted, and blighted coun-
try than 1t is at this period, cannot be
conceived. 1t is the end Of the dry
season, and hals of the rare wells are
exhausted; and those which are not,
ful nised only scanty supply of
brackish water at temperatures OF
eighty degrees or more. The deeper
the walls, the warmer the water. The
marshes are perfectly terrible, and yet
it is worse to halt during the day than
to keep moving; for under the tents
the heat redoubles as IN a hOthouse,
making it impO .sible to rest or sleep.
Thus we march from earliest dawn
often till night; Tor we must make the
distance between the wells before our
water gives out. On the burning sand
the sun beats down with a ferceness
which cannot be described. The bar
rel of your gun, the stirrup of your
s-dJle, blister your hand and your
foot. The thermometer rises to hun
dred and fifty degrees in the sun; and
In spite of the protection ofyour white
helmet, heavy silk scarf over it, and
The umbrella you carry, your skin
peels OF in blisters, and yOnr brain
almost boils in your skull.
Things Worth Knowing.
"
That boiling water will remove tea