The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1891-09-22
WARRIOR MONKS.
A New Order of Christians Estab-
lished in the Sahara.
The Project of Cardinal Lavigerie for
Preparing That Desert Ground for
the Seeds of Civilian
tfon.

ton.
Cardinal Lavigerie has lived in Africa
long enough to learn that the sword is
indispensable to the Gospel, says
| Harper's Weekly-at any rate, among
the turbulent and warlike races who
inhabit the northern half of the dark
continent. He has witnessed the mar
velous success of the Moslem proselyt-
ism, which, although attended by vio-
lence and bloodshed, has impaired
certain amount of civilization and en-
lightenment to nations STEPPED in the
very lowest depths of pagan barbarism
After comparing the many millions
of converts to Mohammedanism to the
relatively few thousands of converts to
Christianity in Africa, and after care
full and profound study of the problem
"a study for which his breadth of mind
and liberality of view particularly fitted
him-he has come to the conclusion
that the system of sending out unarmed
missionaries to preach the Gospel and
nothing but the Gospel among the saw
ages was all wrong; that both the hero
ism and the martyrdom of these pio-
nesrs of Christianity were entirely
wasted, and that if any material good
were to be achieved, it could only be
done by means of a radical change.
With this purpose in view he has
founded the order of the Warrior Monks
of the Sahara, Instead of meekly bow
ing their heads to receive the martyrs
crown, they will fight for their lives.
They will seek to attract sympathy and
good will by developing the productive
ness of the GASES, and by the creation of
new ones, where they will form sta
lions for the relief of the sick, for the
offer of hospitality to all corners, and
for the refuge and protection of fugi-
tive slaves.
Their aim will be to afford practical
demonstration of the benefits and ad-
vantages of civilization, to preach by
example the elements thereof and to
thus prepare the ground for conversion
to Christianity. The latter, although
the principal object, is the last in order
For Cardinal Lavigerie proposes that,
instead of proselytism preparing the
ground for the seeds of civilization, it
is the elements of civilization which
are to prepare the ground for the seeds |
of Christianity. Civilization will act as
forerunuer instead of following in the |
wake of the Gospel.
The headquarters of the order are at
Biskra, on the Algerian borders of the
great Sahara desert, and were solemn
ly consecrated by Cardinal Lavigerie in
the early part of last month. The name
of the spot is M'salla, which is the Ara
bic designation for place of prayer" |
The estate contains planta- |
ton of palms in full bearing, and is
traversed in part by small irrigating
canal, which is the share of the pre-
cious fluid it is entitled to from the
town. Great stretches of
ground are, however, uncultivated for
want of water, and measures have
already been taken for its reclamation
by the creation of an artificial supply.
A well was sunk to depth of fifty
three meters, the water of which, de-
clared to be practically ineXhaustible,
rises naturally to within thirty me-
ters of the mouth of the well, and is
thence raised by pumps to the surface.
A second well has also been dug in or
der to provide auxiliary resources.
The monks will, therefore, be trained
in the methods of Saharian culture as
well as the use of arms, while the
of the illimitable tracks
of the desert will enable them to ac-
1uire the more savage accomplishments
Of camel-riding and hunting by prac-
tice.
The house, occupying an area of sew
enty meters by ten, with the kitchens
and offices in outbuildings, has the
ground floor solidly built of stone,
instead of the sun-dried mud bricks
generally used by the Arabs, The
,hoice of Bisl1ra for the headquarters )
If the order is fortunate one, for t
,he town, which is situated in an oasis,
commands one of the principal routes
If the Soudan. The town proper is r
of one large street full of Eu-
opean houses, and intersected by a
lumber of smaller streets. The oasis,
which is five lilometers long and a half
kilometer broad, forms forest of one
hundred and fifty thousand palm trees
md five thousand olive and fruit trees. b
The population is cosmopolitan, and in y
ludes Fr.--ch, Tunisians, Arabs, Moors ,
nd Israelites. f
A Queer Pet.
The BiddlefOrd (Me) Journal has i