The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-08-27
= Land Where People Drink Only
Once a Day.

Gen. Raleigh T.. Colston. 20 vel
SHOWN in this State. commanded tho
expeditions into the Soudau. OF Bedouln
land and has graphically portrayed
the perils in the path 81 the army which
: about 70 start tor tie relief OF Chi
nee-c Gordon At khartoum. Tie di.-
lance 10 he travelled b. land (eitI,cl
route viii exceed so miles, through
such -or Of country
immediately after leaving the >ca-
coast or the Nile. one enters tie Wa
~terlcss Land where there i DOT a
stream, Il creek. "A %riyulct. or even 4
ilvln3 spring, nothing but deep and
.canty wells at long intervals viii. here
IA there a lew natural. rocky reservoirs
tI narrow r~avines. away IRON the Inc
Oh march aid .uowu only 10 the natives.
IL six thousand miles Of travel. | saw
not more th4n five living springs. and
thelr waters disappeared in the sand
within SLY yards OF the observable
source. Therefore, in addition to ali is
supplies, ammunition. etc. au army
"ould he compelled to carry water
enough To- last it on the Journey from
well 20 we'll. sometimes a distance oil
I'VE days Tor a caravan moving without
opposition. When | Travelled over these
desert routes II had not rained Tor three
years. Many Of the wells were dry. and
muItIiudCs OF camels and cattle had
pyrlshed. Water must be carried in
Suat-okIns and oX-hides or camel's
back. Hicks Pasha's army OF ten thou
sand Egyptians had SIX thousands cam
els. a large proportion BEN" water cam
els set | believe he had transportation
Jhiy Tor u days supply. The >uakinl
uraIl tIOr there are no roads between
~uar,ra and i5erber) j. better supplied
witt walter than most desert routes vet
The wells are seldom less than two or
three days apart. and there is not Il
group Of wells on the whole line sutli.
Gent to water more than six hundred
men ana their animals. travelling with
five hundred camelo and two hundred
men, ! frequently found on arriving at
the wells tllaL another caravan had lust
exhausted them for them time ana /
had to wait one or two DAYS for the wa
ter To ooZc in sufficiently 10 water NV
party and TIL my water-skinS. How,
then, would il be possible to march an
army OF five or SIX thousand men and
their immense train of animals where
not over sly hundred could ret water at
. time at any one place. The only way
. 'ulG b- 10 march in attachments OF
Ave hundred, two days apart but in
,..Gr of war surh a course would insure
their easy destruction by the enemy
In the "Watcflcss Land" water Is
The paramount question. II il be asked
now a large body of Bedouins like the
ten thousand who nearly DESTROYED the
British squares at Tamai manage to
sUasist. the reason is plain. In the first
place they 10 not need the enormous
ra.ns required for a European army
They are the most abstemious of men.
Each man carries a skin of water and Il
small bag OF grain, procured by pur-
chase OF barter from caravans. Their
CamCls and coats move with them, sup
plying them with milk and meat, and
>ubsisting upon the scanty heritage and
''a foliage of the thorny mimosa, grow
mo in secluded wadies. These people
could live upon the increase OF their
locks alunc. which they exchange read
lily for Other commo Titles but being
the exclusive carriers and guides for all
the travel and that cross
their deserts, they realize yearly large
amount OF money. AS to water. they
know every nook and hollow in the
mountains, away from the trails, where
Il few barrels OF water collect in some
shaded %ravine, and they can scatter.
every man Tor himself, To ill their wa
tor-sAins. On my first expedition, mean
,ic close OF the three years drought. |
reached some wells on which | was de-
pending. and found them e~ntiIcly dry.
= was Sc cral days to the next wells.
But my Rcaouin guides knew some ma
,-.al reservoirs in the hills about six
miles OFF. 30 they took the water
l~a:rels at nirht-fall, and came back
"ef0re daylight with the watcr-Skins
tiled. Al invading army would find it
bad To obtain guides. and even if they
dld, they must keep together. and could
not cave the line Of march to look for
water. Besides. the Bedouins. aecus-
toned from infancy to regard water rs
most precious and rare, use il with won
dcriul economy. Neither men nor ami
mails drink more than once III forty
eight hours. As to washing, they Herer
indulge III such wastctul nonsense.
Wn,n Braouius came to my camp, wa
tcr was a."ays offered them. Their
answer would frequently be: NO.
hanks | drank yesterday" They
know too seil the importance of keep
IN" ~ She Gajito of DISTINGUISHES. No
wonGcr tncy can subsist where invaders
wou.! quicE'y perish.
mo lie CONTINUED.