The Panola weekly star., 1882-05-27

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fHn M lHfHhlHw n fHafif ffHt
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N Ha iaisfl0f n fgff4 continent M
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mHi inHitufH M HfffN eFri#tHH HNA
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Impoverished pp'a swh L iHt n.
~ N qahHfH W Fmihffn Niflta Whlth
stretches if1m ihH AilsHi.f slmpt r.
he lHdHa Nuosa. And ifum iHe iilfa
NHmialHf Nv ihe ffnlH ffRi0Ha N Ne
NiErf covering 4H HfffHl4f affa Nhloll
Il iiam no. w. mn miles ln HlHih hnd
atmH 1,d0l mile ln lfnafh W heshf AZ
largo as NE United eiNm a dasuh Z
Nv hp meaai niHle up N palnf N iand
in iha eastern pAd N ihn Hahafn there
Hfn numerous frfillr fptf lIlnl na4ra
and ifum nrfih in south about ndNaf
NJ iho continent nina . chain " hiurn
nHHHiilis. #hIfh fIHN hHfU HHH iheff
iuin peaks aufne uf which afr inHn N.Fu
iu iDWO inni in height North n ihr
dcsrfi nnd not iar ium thn Mediierft
moan me iho Allas Mounia.n which
hegin In N1monp. tni rsienilng onst
ward losa ihumsftra IN mniy hlllH not
ftf from ihn drltp n ihr Slln. IN ihr
naffuw stnp north NJ w Atlas mnRn
there is grlni dHai N fertile aud woll'
Nnlcpd territory, especially In Algien
nisl iunig. which hhyr been appropriated
hy the French Tho streams which
fpw from the southern slopes of these
mountains sppn lose themselves IN %
sandy region foumod over by lIad0uns
aud having for its chiefprodlci the date
palm
llisno wonder that the French, whc
first settled IN AlgIers and 1unls, and
then gradually appropriated the tcrrl'
tory, ny they claim IN soli.defunsc,
should become impatient Of the broad
waste south II their rich districts, which
shelters their enemies, separates them
from the Soudnn, whose products they
wish Ia purchase, aud produces nothing
except salt which Is of use 10 COM
mercc. Il is only natural that they
should try 10 render il available fOf
safety aud commerce by every means
that science can suggest Hitherto the
cities Of Morocco, Algicrs, Tunis and
Tripol have maintained communication
with the Niger. Timbuctoo, Lake fchad.
Dartur and the Upper Nile by means OF
caravans. which are compelled to carry
water aud provisions enough 10 supply
them during several weeks Of travel,
aud at the best are able TO lay down on
the shores Of the Mediterranean small
and very expensive supplies of goods
The French have contemplated two
railroads into the Soudan, one Of them
from St. Louis. on the western coast,
which is intended 10 follow up the
Senegal TO point in the interior,
whence 1t will diverge for q few
hundred niles to the nayigablc water.
oi the Niger. and so give access Ia
Iimbuctoo by steamboat. The length
Of this road will scarcely exceed d
thousand miles. A more difficult and
expensive project, which French On
gineers have deemed feasible, ant
which the French Government hai
favored. has been the building Of /
railroad souihwestward 10 the Nigel
near Timbuctoo. an entire distance o
800 miles The murder Of an engi
ncering party on the proposed route by
the Arabs aud the troubles In Tuni
have caused the consideration Of thi
scheme TO be postponed for the present
few years. Slaves, gold dust, ivory
guns, dates and ostrich feathers are n
present the chief products OF the Sou
dan. which might. IL Is thought. b,
greatly increased in quantity aud yari
ETY.. The greatest want in the interio
OF Africa at present Is salt, but the need
of the inhabitants would be infinite
when brought into direct contact will
civilization. Even the Arabs Of III,
desert would be source Of profit to
ailroad. which would supply them will
grain from Algiers and In time will
other articles, the want Of which woul,
come with knowledge Of their use.
While the railroads await their oppor
tunity. the French ara forming oihc
and grander plans, which involve IN,
turning OF the Sahara into series o
vast inland seas. That which they hay,
In immediate view Is. BY means OF
canal. 10 turn the Mediterranean Int.
the marshy region Of Southern Algiers
and Southwestern Tunis. which Is IA
below the level of the ocean. The
have two motives, the one being III
hope Of modifying the dry climate o
Algiers, and the other 20 food th'
haunts Of the barharous Arabs. and 4
separate themselves from Tdpoli. wher'
the influence Of Italy Is paramount an,
there are prospective dangers. Th'
proposed sea would extend southwar,
10 the base OF the Asgard Mountains
which Il the beginning Of the centra
Saharan chain. and westward along thu
southern base of the Atlas, oyerHowinl
all the shotts." or sinks" into which
the rivers from that region flow and dis
appear. Tho sire Of Il Il not stated
and Is probably not yet exactly knowr
by French engineers. but Il Is expectct
10 be several hundred miles In length
and 10 be nayigable for ocean vessels
The cost of the canal Is estimated a
10000. 900 francs. by no means larg,
expenditure, when the great result,
which are to be achieved are taken into
consideration.
The western part of Sahara Is called
Sahel. A caravan route from Morocco
70 Timbuctoo runs through II. A llttl'
grass grows here aud there In II. ant
scattering tribes OF the million and I
half inhabitants which are said TO pco
pie the vast arid waste between Egypl
and the Atlantic roam over Il. II,
basin has general direction southwest
from Algicrs TO the ncighborhood Of thS
Senegal. and Is said To be 1000 mile,
long BY 800 miles wide. and TO be In al
parts entirely below the level Of the sea
In 1873 French engineers conceived the
idea ot cutting through the narrow
dyke Of sand that separates Il from th,
Atlantic, but the project was vast, 4
was uncertain how much territory would
bc oyerhowed. aud the matter WA
temporarily abandoned. There II still
another portion Of the Sahara Ia
which even the oascs are said ;,
be $50 feet below the level Of the
sea- This extends southeastvarl from
the Gulf of Sidra. in Tripoli. TO Middle
Egypt = distance Of Eve or six hundrcs
miles. forming q basin which could b
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