The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-06-14
Tho Egyptian Desert.

The moment we leave the banks of
the Nile, we enter world entirely
strange and new-a waterless land,
without rivers, creeks, rlvulets, 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 1873, there had
been no rain for three years; so that
the first thing to be provided in start
ing was supply Of water sufficient to
lasJ from the Nile to the first we'll ,and
then from each we'll to tho next. In
carrying tho water, the natives en-
ploy exclusively goat and OK skins.
When a goat Is killed, they cut off his
head and legs at the hooks and knees !;
and after splitting the skin a short
way down his breast, turn him out of
his jacket by pulling it off like stock
ing. After the hide is cured, the legs
are tightly tied up, leaving only tho
neck open; and thus large bottle is
formed capable of holding from six to
ten gallons according to the size OF the
dtfdnct goat. These water-skihs,
called girbehs, after few days use,
keep the water very sweet. In tho ex-
cessive heat of tho desert, however,
they lose great quantity Of their con-
tents by evaporation. Military trains,
In addition, are supplied with tlattcn-
cd zino barrels, whose shape Is adapted
for hanging to the pack-saddles. These
havo screw shoppers, which prevent
I'll leakage and evaporation. The wa
ter carried in the OF. dehs 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; tion Of water is poured out into
open skins and hung on tripods IN the
shade; then, In tho course of half an
hour 1t becomes drinkable, and by
midnight is as cold as fresh SPRING
water.
AS a consequence, water in tho des-
crt is very precious possession; fol-
should the traveller find that the well
on which he relied has gonc dry, 1t
may mean death to him in one of It's
cruelest forms. In that watcrless
land, therefore, even the pious Arab
abstains from his religious ablutions
before prayer, his law permitting him
in such a case to wash his hands and
feet with sand. AS rule, the water
found In the scattered wells is very bad
The first thing OIL arriving ut a we'll
is to taste Its water, a nd every ono
takes sip, rolling 1t In his mouth and
testing 1t, as epicurcs do rare wines.
Great Is the Joy If it is pronounced
''sweet water;" but when tho guides
say "not good" you know it is a
strong solution Of Epson salts. The
Arabs divide their deserts into two
kinds. What they call Wilderness, ,bc-
Ing diversified by valleys or water
sourses, whore their tlocks can wan
der and find pasture. The second Is
the dtn,our, or desert proper, consist :
Ing OF hard gravel, diversified by zones
of deep sands, rocky belts, and rugged
destitute of al vegetation. Not Il tree,
not a bush, not blade ofgrass reltoyos
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 1t Is
cast by some great rock. These at
mours, generally nine or ten days
journey across, arc like oceans, which
you may traverse on your four footed
ship, but where you may not tarry and
where caravans cross each other like
vessels on the ocean.
Here Is a picture Of a desert Journey
with It's terrible privatious aud ex-
perlences. 1t is now May, 1876. The
sun is inning vertically over our
heads. We are OH the west of the
Nile, on the deSolato atmours which
seperate the river from the hardly less
barron plaina Of Kordofan. A more
parchcd, blasted, and blightcd coun-
try than 1t Is at this period, cannot be
conceived. 1t is tho end of the dry
season, and hal: Of tho rare wolls are
exhausted; and those which are not,
fuIn'sed only scanty supply OF
bracktsh water at temperatures OF
eighty degrees or more. The deeper
tho walls, tho warmer the water. The
marshes arc perfectly terrible, and yet
1t Is worse to halt during tho day than
to keep moving; for under the tents
the heat redOubles as in hothouso,
making 1t impo sible to T., st or sleep.
Thus we march from earliest dawn
often till night; Tor we must make tn,
distance between the wells before oul
water gives out. On the burning sant
the sun beats down with iierccness
which cannot be described. Tho bar
rel Of your gun, the stirrup Of your
sd lie, blister your hand and youl
foot. Tie thermometer rises to a hun
drtd and fifty degrees in the sun; and
In spite of the protection of your white
helmet, heavy silk scarf over 1t, and
INC umbrella you carry, your skin
DGolS off In hljafora onI yps,r Il,