News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-07-01
THE DENIZENS OF TUNIS.
LIFE AMONG THE MIGRATORY
ARABS AND BEDOUINS.
People who Do Not Know What a
Home Is-An Exhibition by Snake

Home Is-An Exhibition by Snake
Cbarmers.
In Tunls, North Africa, there are tens
of thousands Of poor Arabs and Bed
ouins, who have no homes or abiding
places, says writer in the Boston Her.
aH. They are migratory in their habits,
and are constantly changing about from
place to place, like the sparrows or black
birds. They do not know what the word
home signifies. They come and go; they
are here to-day a~d somwhere else to-
morrow. The climate is warLl and de-
igltful, and they seek 20 shelter to pro
teCt them from the night dews. In the
late bours of the night, wherever sleep
overtakes them, they lie down in the
market places, or by the sides of streets
or highways, and in deep slumber await
the rising of the morrow's sun. How
the poorer of them live-and nineteen
twentieths of them belong to this class
is mystery. They apparently have
no avocatlon, and do not worry them
selves as to what they shall eat or wear.
[ see groups of them from 300 to 800 in
all parts of the city, squatted down by
the sides of the narrow streets, huddlcd
together in the market places or in the
shadows of high walls, all appearing
happy and contented, and chattering to-
gether in their Arabic tongue like so
many magpies. In the bazaars, and oc-
casionally in the streets, | noticed let
ter class of Arabs, richly dressed in gay
color, d silk costumes of their own
manufacture, who are as handsome and
fine specimens of men, physically and
intellectually, as have ever seen. Tho
higher classes have their ari ,tocracy and
their ranks of nobility, and are as proud
of their titles as any of the European
kings or noblemen.
In the surrounding country outside Of
Iunis are numerous tribes and bands Of
| rowing Bedouins, whose n1madic habits
| from time immemorial have stamped
them a race distinct from all Others in
| North Africa. They build no houses, and
have no permanent homes, but camp out
for longer or shorter periods in the for
ests or open plains, living in brushwood
huts, or under low, black, wretched-
looking tents, that beasts of the field
would shun for a shelter They are the
gypsies of Africa, and, like the gypsies
of Spain and other countries, their nat
ural element is filth, and their proclvi-
ties are for trading horses, thieving, lazi-
ness and vagabond life generally.
~
wealthy, have large flocks of goats, sheep
and herds of cattle which they feed upon
the plains, while many are the owners of
a large number of camels and fine horses
which are priced for their feetness and
pure blood. In their habits, modes of
living, dress, and features they are dis
tinct from the Arabs. Their fdces are
dark, swarthy, ugly, and tt, acherous,
,f h. l.
a much lighter shade, with a more pleas
ant, intellectual expression, signifying
that they belong to a higher type of
civilization. The Bedouins are splendid
horsemen, and / have never witnessed
such feats of horsemanship as have seen
displayed by them on the plains outside Of
the city on their half-wild Arabian
steeds. Nearly every day III the week
cavalcades of them come to the market
places in the city, or to large open places
outside of the city walls, where they ex-
hibit their wonderful featS of horseman.
ship in running, leaping, dancing per
forming tricks and exploits of so mar
velous a nature as to astonish the be-
holder, especially if he is forei gner
While walking in the suburbs of the
city with the interpreter of the English
Il
Arabs and Bedouins who were witness.
ing some kind of performance or show
that evidently was of intense interest
Pushing our way through the crowd as
best we could to see what the attraction
was, we found another seance of snake
charming in progress, this time presided
over by two wild, wierd looking Bed
ouins, who the interpreter informed mo
+ho tod oh
in the regency of Tunis. The ground in
front of them was literally covered with
snakes. Several of them, the interpreter
one of the Bedouins, in a wild, inco-
herent speech, was endeavoring to i'm
press the fact upon his audience, and
also that their pOisOnC us fangs had
not been extracted. Picking up
one of the largest and most
avage-looking, he would hold it arms
length and tantalze it until it would
spring back and fasten its fangs into his
face or some part of his body. Drop.
ping it, he would then draw out from
under his bernouse a small box of ont
ment, and apply it to the wound. which,
he claimed, removed all the poisonous
effects. BY the time he had finished this
part of the entertainment, the crowd of
Arabs had largely increased, and had 50
far encroached upon the open space or
ring where the show was being held that
there was scarcely room for the snake.
charmers to move about. To make the
crowd fall back, one of the Bedouins
adopted a quick and most effective
remedy. Grasping the ugly fel 'ow
from the ground that had just
been exhibiting its savage nature
and venemous tangs, and which
must have measured eight feet in
length, he commenced running around
the ring and thrusting its angry head
into the frightened faces of the specta
tors. The snake was standing out in
horizontal line, and the Bedouin was hold
inc it about two-thirds of the distance
from the head. As it came near the
Arabs, it would spring at them with its
mouth, and its eyes flashing
fire in a most diabOlical manner. There
was no hesitation in Obeying the Bed
ouin's command to fall back. | never
saw a crowd gathered around a street
show expand so suddenly as this. One
tall Arab, who was on his knees leaning
forw ard, intently watching the perform
lnce, not getting out of the way in time,
was seized by the savage reptile,
which fastened its fangs into the
hood of his bernouse in close proX.
unity to his nose The poor chap;
he had received his death
wound, commenced bowling and yelling
in manner that must have frightened
the tigers in the distant iungles. During
the excitement that followed, and while -'
TWO Bedouins were endeavoring to un.
fasten the fangs of the serpent from the
Arabs hood, to which it was clinging
with death-like grip, the other serpents
On the ground commenced gliding
quickly away in different directions, close
at the heels of the panic-stricken Arabs,
who were running different ways, as if
the poisonous serpents were in full chase,
ready to fasten on to their bare feet.
About the same time the interpreter and
myself were walking hastily away in the
direction of our hotel, fearing we should
be late to dinner.
Diving for Treasure.
The English divers and Captain R. F.
Stevens, Lloyd's surveyor, have just re-
turned from the island of Grand Ca.
nary after raising a sum of no less than
500. 600. This amount was lying sub
1913 feet deep about a mile from
the southernmost limit of the island
Grand Canary. The treasure went down
about two years ago in a brand-new
snap;Sb stanmpr called the AlnhOnsO Mi