Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-02-18
THE ARABS AS LIARS.
They Are Evidently Built That Way-An
Account of the Noted Tippu lib.

They Are Evidently Built That way-An
Account of the Noted Tippu lib.
Those who have followed Stanley in
his last journey through Africa, and es-
pecially the readers of his books, are
well aware of the trouble that the ex-
plorer had with Hamid bin Mohammed,
better known as ''Tippu lib" That
uncrowned King of Central Africa had
accepted the appointment of Governor
of Stanley Falls, and free transporta-
ton for himself and his followers from
Zanzibar to the falls, on the express
condition that he would supply 600
native carriers for the service of STAN
ley's rear guard and to be afterwards
used for the transportation of the ivory
known to be in the possession of Emin
Pasha. Tippu lib failed to keep his
promise in this respect but from time to
time, and all the time, he was lavish in
his promise that the men would be
forthcoming shortly.
Tippu Tib is an Arab trader, his prin-
cipal traffic being in slaves and ivory.
Lying came to him as naturally as
breathing; it is a part of the Arab
nature, and it is doubtful if there are
any more accomplished liars in the
world than Arabs. If you ask ques-
ton of an Arab he may possibly give
you the correct answer if he happens to
know it; if he does not know it, he will
give you the first that comes to his
thoughts, no matter how far it may be
from the truth.
l was once talking with an Arab
sheil1, through the aid of my interpreter,
and asking him about Arabia. He told
me that the Prince of Muscat had a body
guard of 10000 men, all mounted on
horses, whose backs were twice as high
as my head, and capable of running a
hundred miles an hour.
The Prince lived in palace, so large
that it took a good horseman whole
day to ride around it, and it was so high
that only man with good eyesight
could see to the top. He told me other
things Of the same sort, and then
paused, and asked about America.
despaired of being able to exaggerate
sufficiently, and referred the matter to
my interpreter. ''Oh!'' said the man,
81 have been in America and will az
oNO1 IO1 lucSCCI. LIZ t1VtS Ill ANCW
York, which is city of 10000, 900 in
habitants, and there are houses in New
York mile high. When my master
travels he has a machine that flies
through the air like bird, far above
the mountain tops, and is large enough
for him and his 1900 wives. The
trees in America are so large that
it takes a whole day to walk around
one of them, and they have cataract,
which they call Niagara Falls, where it
takes the water half an hour to tumble
from the top to the bottom He went
on with other statements of the same
kind, to which the sheik listened with
an appearance of the most child-like
credulity, though he probably believed
about as much of them as I had be-
neved of his stories concerning the
Prince of Muscat
The Arabs explain their inability to
tell the truth by saying that once the
Father of All Evil came on earth with
nine bags full of lies. He distributed
one bag full in Asia, and in the evening
came to Arabia, intending to go the
next day into Africa and Europe
When he walked in the morning he
found that during the night the Arabs
had stolen and divided among them
selves the contents of the other eight
bagS.-Boston Traveller.