The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-08-15
A DESERT SANDSTONE.
EXPERIENCE or A PARTY OF TRAv-
ELERS IN SAHARA.

bination That Few Animals Besides the
Cameis Can Withstand A Terrible
Night In q Strange Place.
On our joarneying from Wargala to Go
lea we were struck by one OF the storms
| We left that luxuriant group OF GASES, OF
| which Wargala is the chief town, and re-
sumed our way along the wild desert,
! following the dry bed of the Wad Mia
Though it was October, no rain had yet
fallen, so that the earth still lacked her
winter mantle of green The conforma-
ton Of the land during the first five days
| was variety of firm, pebbly and sandy
ground, while mountain range leads di-
rectly to FL Golea.
In all parts the firm soil appeared to be
excellent for culture If it could only be
I watered. Tracts of sand of the color OF
iron rust were to be noticed along the
| Wad Mia, deuoting the existence of some
ferruginous spring. The spot where we
encamped in our sixth stage was sea Of
sand, interspersed with dunes rising from
thirty to forty feet. One mount, seventy
feet high, probably formed by a whirl-
wind, was noticeable above all at certain
distance from us. Several long and straight
eminences, four or five feet high, with a
striking similarity to waves. were TO be
seen.
Flamingoes gazing at Us from the tops Of
the dunes were the only signs of life the
region presented. This bird, the vulture
and raven are the only winged creatures
seen in the Sahara outside of the oasis.
They fly in hocks in the wake of the cara
vans in expectation of prey, and are often
RECALLED by the death of camels or slaves, as
the caravan owners never take the trouble
OF burying them
TIE STORM BREAKS.
During the preceding nights the sirocco
had been blowing hard, without, however,
causing much disturbance. But now an
stmospherical revolution broke upon the
camp. A fearful buster aroused us from
sleep and terrified the horses. Blast fol-
/ lowed blast; our tents were terribly shaken,
while the wind grew rapidly TO the force
of a cyclone. The horses were neighing
and the camels groauing. Everybody WAS
awakened, and all were obliged to take 8
| frantic hold of the tents from the interior
Some tried to get out to pitch the tents
more securely, but could not stand the
whirl of sand, Showers of sand were beat
ing upon our tents like heavy rain. The
more courageous men were swearing
against the lmpertinent clement which had
interrupted their sleep and was blowing
down their fimsy shelter. Others were
terror stricken, fearing imminent destruc-
ton. All were clinging desperately to their
tents to prevent them from being carried
away, but in spite of their efforts all the
tents, one after another, were blown down
Each man underneath grasped franticallv
at one side of his canvas house and rolled
it around his face for protection against
the sand. The camels, despite their groan-
ing, were little injured by the gritty whirl-
wind, and seemed to be quite accustomed
to it.
Their Incompatible vital strength en-
ables them TO stand the sorest privations
and the severest weather. They live. in
deed, day and night in the open air, and
are fed and watered only every three days.
thus becoming Injured to every hardship
and stress OF weather.
FRANTIC HORSES
The horses felt the violent pelting Of the
sand quite differently As they are stand
ing up they offer more hold 10 the fierce
wind, and can resist less than the camels,
which always lie when at rest. They be-
came distracted and flung frautjcally
against their invisible provoker. The Of
ficers shouted to the horsemeu TO mind
their horses, but poone dared move. Final
ly several horses broke loose, and blinded
by the sand ran among the tents, tumbliug
against the men and falling upon them.
Screams and struggles ensued, iucreas-
ing the disorder and confusion in the camp.
Those who knew not the cause of these
cries were prompted to 20 out and see
what was happening. Finally the horses
got up unaided and were captured by some
Of the Arabs, who. better accustomed TO
this hurricane, were cropping and crawling
along with their faces covered " 10 "a dra-
perry. The cadi commanding the Arabs
seeing that we could not be qualified as
warriors of the DESERT" as we were una
bic TO brave that unexpected enemy, or /
dered his men TO look to the horses until 1
the tempest ceased
After two hours of struggle calm sue
ceeded in the atmosphere and peace in our /
camp. / went out TO see the effect Of the 4
storm The dawn which family appeared 1
through the dust clouded space threw 4
gloomy light upon the camp, revealing the /
overturned tents with the human forms /
like white shrouds covering 4
corpses. The sand was heaped up against /
their bodies, and had filed all the inter
spaces between the men lying under the .
same tent, almost leveiIng a surface smooth 7
as table at the height Of their shoulders.
ARAB sTOICIs3L
/ went up to the animals and found the
horses shifting and sneezinE while the
camels little farther on were lying partly
covered with sand IN perfect quiet They
seemed 70 have bravely borne the bruut d
the storm developed IN their dTapery the
Arabs were sitting on the ground with
legs drawn up and their bodies leaning
upon the backs Of their camels as upon a
pillow. One Of them hearing me raised his
head and unroiling his drapery gave me 8
long look Have you not been fright
eued?" said to him. AT whaty" he an
swered, as if astonished at my question.
AT what" / repeated, amazed. AT
what has just happened, Of course"
The roar Of the gha6ilib (sirocco) and
the groan q the camel are two sounds
familiar 20 IT'S since birth" lie answered.
Dumfoanded a. such EtO.cism ! 70
turned 70 my tent, wondering what such
people would not he able 70 endure ] hey
are truly hardened aud tougheDed in every
respect; deaf 70 tae suGeriDgs Of otEers,
dumb 70 their own, Injured . fatigue aud
.nsensible 70 hardship.
When / syose ~ daylight and looked
around l could scarcely realize that / was
awake The plain wore quite a different
Is pect- These large waves Of sand that l
lad noticed the previous day had d.ssp~
3ea-sd 4 dune, fifteen feet high. had also /
1een removed and several Of the en- pencss
had been reformed 3 few E1lles farther Ca
Many tents Tad been toTn. and the sand 1
had penetrated through every hSsurs and /
-Cla IN the Euauzark ard even into the Z