Morning journal and courier., 1890-11-24

proprietor, water is given to him twice q
day, once day, or even once every other
day, and this re-partition is regulated with
an impartiality and an ingenuity that are
really surprising.
"The ksourian is always in his garden
at the time when his turn for water comes
round. Aided by his slaves, he directs
the watering of the trees and the vegeta-
bles. In miniature it is the ancient sys-
tenn of the Egyptian canals which used to |
regulate the inundations of the Nile. In
q few moments tine little garden is under
water, and when the water official shuts
of the source there remains heavy and en-
riching moisture that is gradually dried by
the sum. When this piece of overseeing Is
done the ksourian has nothing more to
trouble him. He takes seat in some
street of the ksar in the shade of some
house. In this shelter, which is formed
by beams of palm trees supporting roof
of laths, benches are placed, and in each
one of these places little conversations or
debates are carried on.
'sDuring this time the women knit
clothes for the coming winter, and prepare
the couscons in which their husbands dip
their spoons before stretching themselves
about noon on their siesta carpets. The
dreams of the ksourian are happy and his
digestion good. He dreams of an album
dant increase in his flock of goats, which
each Soudanian raises for himself at the
gates of the oasis, and of his harvests of
dates, which ripen without care of any
sort. He awakes in the middle of the day
completely refreshed, and starts off again
to seek companions, with whom he chats
until the hour for prayer arrives. II lie in
open air conversation in the public street
that the day is passed, and these debates
are recontinued until the small hours of the
morning.
"Among the Arbaouats we were present
at one of these evening meetings. We
seated ourselves in the place publique,
where the entire male population had
rendezvous They watched the little boys
| playing coura, a game very much like the
Lacrosse of the English. When they were
tired of that game we proposed grab
| combat for cent. That excellent painter,
Dinet, exhibited this comical scene recent
| ly in the Salon with an astonishing preci-
sion. In a cloud of dust you see lot of
scrambling red rags and red caps, while
the most unearthly yells and screams
i pierce your ears. After this first melee,
which set the public in fits of laughter,
/ we made Taib bring us case of alaouat,
that is to say, little English biscuits done
up in tin boxes. Then there was general
excitement; and, as IL by enchantment,
all the doors of the houses in the neigh
! Opcucl, upon
there appeared a perfect swarm of charm
ing little girls With their arms, legs and
necks uncovered, and their bodies envel-
oped in piece of stuff embroidered with
f1owers-red or yellow andrinoples, Per
slams with large flowers and Louis XIV.
stuffs-and their ankles and wrists orna-
mented with silver bracelets, they looked
like little idols. They We're children in
stature, in agility and in their gay laugh
ter; but, by tho precocious maturity of
their forms, they were already women.
Their unfinished grace and the light mould
of their legs and arms might recall the
delicate little danseuses of Tanagre; but
the moment you approach them their rap
id disappearance with their variegated
robes in the crevices of the houses would
remind you of fight of lizards. We
beckoned to them and encouraged them.
They approached timidly, but not close
enough to take the alaouai from our
hands. 1t was the little son of the caid, a
toddler of three years, clad only in red
and green shirt, who brought them our
presents. He had his favorites in the lit
tie troop, and he pushed away the Others
with the insolence of young emperor.
He only distributed one-half of the cakes
the remainder he stuffed by handfuls into
his own mouth. These tricks of a spoiled
child excited the gayety of the spectators
Then, emboldened by the growing shades
of evening, the women appeared OUTSIDE
, their houses, unveiled like nomads. w
| sent them their share of the alaouat by tn
. same little messenger. They laughed ant
l displayed white teeth and black eyes NOR
brilliant than jewels.
"And thus the old formidable ksour
built like an eagles nest, with its fortified
streets and walls full of loopholes, wa,
I captured in an hour with q case of littl,
biscuits and the completely of children
and young women"