Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-19
A sAED.SToRE AT DoYGoLA.
TIE rsf'n'ts'lsn ~ carried 20 tho rsa' Of
Nswsp.psf teuesrsadsaL
London Ners1


rhe ref'srssnsn ~ rsrriss 20 tho rsa, 81 q
sswsp.ssF terrs.peadsnG
London Nsvsi
ncngola was visited yesterday by
sAnd-storm--to my idea the most dread.
fnl OF storms. Was there ever such q
one before Millions, I suppose, bu,
! never experienced one 80 bad.
mus, really use the penny a.liner's very
convenient expression, " II battles all
description" and for that rcsson
shall describe II. Our respected
mend the penny-a-liner, | observe.
after stating that = thing bailled
description, invariably tries 10 de.
scribe Il. Why, then, should no, II
Midday. everything sweltcfing and
scething In the sun that happens 10 be
exposed to Il everybody bubbing
positively bubbling-with pcrspirAtion
that happens TO be IN the shade Their
mometer looks a. II il would burst--I
am afraid 10 say how high the mercury
has riscn--in fact, the pcrspirAtion
pours 20 into my eyes that cannot see
the small figures. Rock and sand pain
the eye by their glare. A black.
dense, mud-ooiored cloud suddenly
appears on the horizon at the south
Al first speck. then growing
larger and larger, rolling rapidly toward
us, now IN the distance, now nearer aud
nearer. Down 20 tents, and up in the
air go straw huts aud sheds. while the
palm branches wave and nod like the
plumes Of hearse caught in a gale. or
Of the helmet Of knight at mad gal
lop. On. on, Il rolls-that grimy. fast
riding cloud. Now ! cannot see twenty
yards ahead Of me. The landscape is
suddenly enyelcped in black shroud.
II bursts upon my howell. Away, away.
away go my halfanswerei home letters.
Who shall catch them "Go; run sc
ter them quickly, quickly, boy" I
am enveloped in sand. over goes my
only globe-lsmp--crash Ny bottle
Of seven days allowance Of lime Juice
il tottsrs and capsircs. Down come
the spiders and away bolt the rats.
whom ] encourage to run about and
est the scorpions, centipedes. and white
snts. In comes q flock Of little Grim
son.hesdei bats, and tumble exhaust
ed. have no doors or windows 10
be blown in, and there is no fear Of
shower Of broken glass, such ~ | have
seen during q sirOcco on the shores OF
the Levant. Books, sketches, writing
paper, manuscript, linen, lie scattered on
the floor | was going 10 say--no, the
esrth--wc have no floors here In Ethio-
pia-buricd IN a moment in black dust /;
aud over goes my only bottle Of cognao,
kept for medical purposes. Luckily tho
cork was in. hut the only bottle Of
whiskey an Irish friend had been At (;
he had left the cork out It was light,
not much balance Jeff. and over Il went.
An aroma Of mountain due pervades
the room. BisallAh II was 90 have
accompanied me across the desert 10
wady llalfa. where, some say, Cam
byses lost his army, though others near
| hsroc.
put my head ont of my window,
was going to write II mean = square
hole IN one II the four mud walls form
ing what was called by courtesy a
house. was blinded A. quickly A. any
inhsbitant Of the cities Of the plain was
by the hand Of the angel. My eyes
were instantly filled with sand, every
molecule ofwhich was burning spark
every particle scintillation. II
wearled me 10 find my way Go my
washing. stand I mean my pile Of old
wooden cases, on which was care
fully balanced my basin an old
biscuit-tin. with a clAssically shaped
red amphora IN 4. Finding Il
~ length, ! cleanse my eyes, smartinf
with the fiery dust, and put on a pair
Of huge green gogRlos-all glass these
are the only Kind that keep out the
sand. Thus armed, | looked forth into
the moving mountain II sand. A burn
ing blast, like unto tho breath ola fiery
furnace, scofches my face, dries up my
kin, stopping every pore. look unto
the heavens. The sun was q hlood-rci
bsll Of fire, floating all ~ = bot and
copper sky " While along the horizon
hung q lurid light, such as one sees on
the ocean before storm. In the d..
lance trees. huts. and tents we're BOO.
visible; but near one could just
make out the winding. lead-co.
lored Nile dashed into pillows.
A dense cloud. which envcloped an.
,c,med raining fire. Tho atmosphere
~ II seething. boiling, sputierng And
nov wsll1ing, whirling along The bank b
come the " devils " ishaytamsl. ~ the
Arabs call them, the sand-spouts
aerial giants each indulging IN a paf
fssi. their huge. fantastic figures rear
inr their hcsds from earth % heaven.
one b. reminded of the i'a of tho
" Arabian Nights lee ont Of the ca,kel
IN which King solomon hal sealed bin
up. and rang a. tall column ~ smoke.
How gflm sud gfussome are they VI
doubt the hncihil ghouls, cfrccis, and
gsnn Of Arab folklore drew their ufl.
rin nom such A. these.
And destructive element sfo these
rolling, spiral sand tablespoonful
SCENTS Of disintegfstiou, having grind
ing. roughinF seton ON rocks and
stonef--as they ride the whirlwini. &C.
celebrating destruction in country re
plels with dscayiug pedigrees " dccay-
a country where I'll changes are not o
lie, but Of destfuction--Whefc th'
ehAractoriatics Of the scenery afounl
srs heaps Of rocks breaking into lrag
msnts And these gusts Of sand pens
trate ssstywhcfe, inte clens aud hs.
sufrs q stones, eating into and
sapring their foundations, and
acting with immense mechaniea
strength, lining snd rolling focA
over rock. There b. weird ane
ehastly dance ell around, IN q duli an
lufid glare. Now I sm enyeloped in
hoating mountain ~ sand che ar q
sitting. NY mouth b. pafched. speeol
f. impossible without wottinF the Ups
the tongue IL swollen. never bsior'
properly understood " the darkness %
he Egyptian p,.gus vhioh "eoul,
BE- fsll. Half IN heur--ihs sand ioF
nado has ssspt By ! can hssr chs
fush II scared horses. mules, douksys
and cattle, So they rush mAdly by
having broken loose the ifemendou
II "