The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-11-07

If the reader examine the map of
Africa, he will find in the northwestern
part large region designated Sahara
or the Great Desert. 1t is an immense
district of arid soil, chiefly consisting
of the desert sand. The kings or chiefs
seem to have absolute power over the
mass of people, even to the taking
away of life, though this is rarely done,
In times of peace the Moors engage in
agriculture, but their delight is in plum
dering their weaker neighbors. This
is more easily effected by their superb
GRITTY in horsemanship. Their horses
are generally very valuable, of ex-
cellent breed and surprising swift
ness. They are exceedingly skillful in
the management of their steeds, being
able to stop them at full gallop and to
fire with accuracy while riding at ut
most speed. The Moorish tribes rove
about, seeking pasturage for their herds
and tiocks, and when the scanty herb
age of one place is eaten up they move
to another, receding from the desert as
the drouth prevails.
The tribes of Moors to whom the
gum forests belong are the Farhez, the
Bracknez and Darmanks. These &C.
cupy several GASES in that part of the
desert which is bounded on the south
by the river Senegal, and ON the west
by the Atlantic Ocean. The principal
forests of gum trees are those called
Sahel, FL Fatack and Ell Hiebar. The
first produces the yereck or white gum,
which is held in highest estimation;
the others yield nebuel, the red gum of
commerce. The acacia which grows
in the desert is of more stunted form
and rugged appearance than that
which flourishes by the river side, for
the banks of the Senegal are partially
covered with stratum of vegetable
earth, where foliage abounds, but the
gum trees of these places are not nu-
merous. In the desert the acacia sell
dom exceeds twenty feet in height and
three in circumference, and it has that
rugged and crooked form which is
common to the heritage of this arid re.
gion, where the great drouth and parch-
ing winds give blighted and stunted
appearance to. all vegetable pradue-
tions. The branches of the gum tree
are thorny and the projections of the
leaves, which are of a dirty green hue
The blossoms are short and of white
color. In Western Africa there are
only two seasons in the year-the DIR,
and the rainy. The duration of thu
rains slightly varies according to tn,
latitude, being of longest continuance
near the Equator. In Senegambia they
last about two months, which are pre-
ceded and followed by month of tor
nadoes. During eight month of tn
year the sun shines brilliantly in ;
cloudless atmosphere October ma,
be termed the dry month, a periot
fruitful in productions of the soil ant
prolific of fevers and other dangerou
diseases, since the atmosphere is thel
filled with miasma from decomposet
vegetable matter. At this time tn
gum trees swell with moisture and pre-
pare for their harvest season. In No
vember the bark, which had beef
smooth and of dark green color, be
gins to crack in numberless places AM
give out the gum. No help of man
required to make missions in the stem
for nature performs the whole work
The hot wind of the desert begins t
blow, drying up everything with sue
severity that no vegetable matter ca
resist its influence. The tall grass c
the plains now withers and become
like straw, trees on the high ground
put on wintry appearance, and woul
soon burn like fire-wood, and househol
furniture warps and cracks, so tina
.drawers will not shut nor boxes locf
Even hard and well seasoned WOO
can not wholly resist the scorehing il
fiuences of the Manhattan. These e
feots are increased by clouds of fin
sand, which are carried in the hot blasi
and terrific whirlwinds which swee
over the country. The gum issues frol
the cracks of the tree in different form