The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-09-24
HOW BEDouiNs CONQUER THIRST.

In an article on The Rescue of Chinese
Gordon" to be found in 'sopen Letters"
Of the Century, Genee r. L. Celston, late
of'the Egyptian General staff. SAYS "In
the Waterloss Land, water is the para
mount question. If it be asked how large
body of Bedouins like the ten thousand who
nearly destroyed the British squares nj
Tamai manage TO subsst the reason is pain
In the first place, they do not need the
enormous trains required for European
army. They are the most abstemious of
men. Each man carries skin of water
and small bag of grain, procured by pur-
chase or barter from caravans Their
camels and goats move with them, supply
ing them with milk and meat, and subsist-
Ing upon the scanty heritage and the foliage
Of the thorny mimosa, growing in secluded
wadies. These people could live upon the
Increase of their i1ocks alone, which they
exchange readily for other commodities
but being the exclusive carriers and guides
for all the travel and commerce that cross
their deserts, they realize yearly large
amounts of money. As TO water, they know
every nook and hollow in the mountains,
away from the trails, where few barrels of
water collect in some shady rnvine, and they
can scatter, every man for himself TO fill
their water-skins. On my first expedition
near the close of the three years drought,
| reached some wells ON which l was de-
pending and found them entirely dry. 1t
was several days to the next wells. But
my Bedonin guides knew some natural
reservoirs in the bills about six miles off,
So they took the water camel n. night-fall,
md came back before daylight with the
water-skns filled. An invading army would
and it hard to obtain guides, and even if
they did, they must keep together, and
could not leave the line of march to look
for water. Besides, the Bedouins, accus-
toned from infancy to regard water as most
precious and rare, use it with wonderful
economy Neither men nor animals drink
more than once in forty eight hours. As to
washing, they never indulge in such waste
full nonsense. When Bodouins came to my
camp water was alway offered them. Their
answer would frequently be No, thanks
drank yesterday They know too well
the importance of keeping up tho habit of
abstemousness. No wonder they can sub
sist where invaders would quickly perish
~.aNn.>
THE CUSTOMS OF THE COUNTRY.
Some of the customs Of Mexico amused
me vastly. They always raise the price when
you want anything in large quantities. The
Mexican Central Road wanted quantity of
ties, and the contractors went to Mexican
and ordered 10000 from him on trial The
they ordered 100, 900. Then the man doubled
the price. They tried to argue the matter
with him, but he said if they wanted so
much more work of him they must pay
more. Another funny incident, which was
related to me by one Of the parties concern
ed in it, was about judge. His signature
was wanted on certain paper. In the
ordinary course Of law six months would
have elapsed before he signed the paper.
great deal of money was involved in the
matter, so the interested persons went TO the
Judge and made him proposition.
If you will sign this paper at once,
said they, "we'll give You SIS, 900 and moi
living soul shall ever know it,"
:" Not living soul p he asked
No, not one"
WE'LL" answered the Judge, make it
$4,000 and / shall not care blank who
knows it."--CWrespondence NeO Pork
Times