Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-07-05
SID oksAR's TOMB.
Description of Twenty Mile II
Through the Desert.

through the Dcserts
On leaving for Batna, one of the
French military outposts. l take the
train on the railroad. As happened
to be the FIRST frst-class passenger,
was accorded much attention from the |
native officials. Onward we went at |
snaiPs pace. the steep grade OF the
mountain preventing quicker travel,
the air becoming keener every mile of
our progress. At Batna there is mill
tary every where, and nothing but
the bugle and the drum is heard.
Engaging seat in crazy old dill
gence, / start for two days journey
to the last military outpost of any
Importance.
We pass nothing but clumps of poor
tents and miserable droves OF goats.
which suggested to me the reason for
the barrenness of the country, for not
tree or bush is to be met with, as
these animals eat up every thing, and
do not give the hardest shrub or sap
ling chance to survive. Arriving at
the mouth of the gorge El-Kantara,
halfway to my Destinations grand
spot, steep range of mountains and
upheaved rocks based with miles
of cactus-we pass an old Roman
bridge of few colossal stones
with inscriptions and then on
once more, the atmosphere becoming
gradually uncomfortably warmer as
we begin TO descend into the valley.
We pass plains entirely whitened with
alkali and salts, the water partaking
so strongly of their qualities that the
bread made about here is unpalatable.
Still warmer, still dustier, we grow as
we enter the edge of the desert, the
plains studded with green GASES and
date-palms, while the horizon seemed
more like the sea than the land. After
presenting letter from the Minister
of War at Paris, | was most cordially
welcomed by "le vieux Colonel" and
officers of the garrison. They took me
to pay my respects to 81 Mohammed
ben Cana, the caid or chief magistrate
of Biskra, who was Governor of the
entire province of Constantine before
the French conquered it. He was a
very handsome man. with a harem of
seven wives His four sons were all
remarkarkably handsome, over six feet
in height, and with their fine features
and magnificent eyes would make a
sensation even in our ungraceful
modern dress. After stopping some
davs at the Hotel de Sahara
rightly named, for it was a
desert where nothing could be
had was provided with an escort
of Arab cavalry, or spahis, and every
facility for transportation. With this
escort, in company with a party OF
French officers and a lady, l visited
the tomb of Sidi Okbar, about twenty
miles distant, there and back. We
went at hand-gallop, and were re-
ceived by the Sheik of this oasis, and
by him escorted to the tomb of this
ancient warrior, who well-nigh over.
ran and conquered Northern Africa
with comparatively but handful OF
followers We enter the building, in
the center of which is small room,
which the priest unlocked with an ali
of mystery; in the interior was the
tomb, covered with a fine Arab rug,
but on the ground were one or two o
the commonest European manufact
, ure, on which the natives seemed tt
, put high value. While the attend
ant turned to call our attention t.
something in the mosque, the lady o
/ our party, with the curiosity of Eve
daughter, stepped in and lifted tn
cover, only to see structure of Gem
, mon masonry. In traversing the vii
lage the women and children hurriet
after her, and kissed the hem of he
t garments. After being RECALLED in
garden of palms on some milk ant
| dates, we remounted our horses. E
! p Sanguinetti, IN Harper's Maqaziae.