The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-02-28

representatives of other Soudan tribes, be
sides few Turks and other Levantlnes.
All these people cling to their own cos
tunes, so that the variety in dress is as
great as that of nationality. But most of
the natives go nearly naked both men
and women taking no care to cover any
part of the body but the loins.
Massowah has long been the most i'm
portant point on the African coast of the
Red Sea. The harbor is quite deep and
almost completely land-locked. 1t has a
capacity sufficient to accommodate from
forty to fifty vessels. Many more smaller
craft could find safe anchorage in the khors
or inlets branching from the main harbor
The usual products of the interior are
brought to Massowah in large quantities
by caravans from Abyssinia. These cara
vans are quite different in their makeup
from those which cross the desert The
pack-animals are mostly bulls of peculiar
breed, having large bump, like camel's,
over the fore shoulders, and such deeply
followed backs that their loads can neither
slide to the front nor rear. This eminently
fits them for transporting saddle-bag shaped
packages over the mountain passes between
Massowah and the towns of Abyssinia.
Horses of a small, tough breed and mules
are also used by the Abyssinian traders,
and the trader himself is most excellent
pack-animal He will walk with an elastic
tread and body as straight as lance, from
forty to fifty miles day, with a huge
bundle balanced on his head.
The Abyssinians are strict monometal-
lists, and their one metal is silver, and their
chief coin is the Austrian Maria Theresa
dollar, which they believe to be stamped
with the image of the Virgin Mary.
THE WEAK POINT OF DEFENSE.
To facilitate communication between
Massowah and the mainland dyke was
made from the principal island to l. Tau
el-Houd, and another from that island to
the main. The first dyke is about 700
yards long, the second nearly mile. Dur
ing the day they are both constantly occu-
pied by people and animals passing to and
fro. They are guarded at night, and no
passing is allowed after 8 o'clock. Along
the dyke which reaches the mainland a
water-pipe is laid, leading from large well
about two miles inland to cistern, or res
ervoir, on Tau-el-Houd island The water
obtained is evidently that of the adjacent
sea. A line of levels run by the water
demonstrates this fact by establishing an
other-namely, that the water in the well
stood at the same level as that of the sea.
This water is slightly brackish, but one
soon becomes accustomed to it, and finds it
quite potable 1t does not seem to be at
all unwholesome Previous to the con-
struction of the dykes and the water works
all the water used in Massowah was brought
from the mainland in boats, excepting the
insufficient supply caught in the cisterns in
the cemetery already mentioned Water
was then high priced luxury in Massowah.
That the town has only this single line of
pipe as its source of supply is its weakest
point. An enemy could easily poison the
well, destroy the pump or pipe, and thus
reduce the town to submission in a few
days. But for this Massowah is practically
unassailable from the mainlandif garrisoned
by troops of any courage and vigilance
1t is well fortified by good, substantial
field-works, located on prominent stragetic
points, and with good artillery could make
a strong resistance to an attack from the
seaward.