The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-03-05

that the Sahara contains no green thing;
but this is now known to be mistake,
for in most parts tropical plants and
grasses find a feeble nourishment here
and there, while in many districts, after
rama rare phenomenon, by the way
grass springs up as luXuriantly as ON
some of our Western plains.
The extent of the Sahara can hardly
be realized by one who has not had his
attention expressly called to it's geo.
graphical limits From east to west its
length is about 5000 miles; from north
to south over 1000. comprising terri
tory estimated at 2, 100000 square miles,
thus equaling in size nearly the
whole of Europe and exceeding the area
of the United States. Nor is it destitute
of population, for though no census has
ever been made of its wandering tribes,
estimates place the population of the
Sahara at ?, 500, 000 consisting of MOOrs,
Arabs and negroes, wandering to and
fro among its sandy hills. The great
desert presents no more picturesque
spectacle than one of these wild horse
men, in gorgeous though dirty trappings,
and accoutered with his savage and inef-
fective arms. FerociOus as they look,
these bands of homeless wanderers are
dangerous only when they are the
stronger party. Then they do not hest
tate moment to plumber and Stay; but
whenever they are in the minority they
display humility which is beautifully
touching; they will kiss the hem of the
travellers garments, tell him they are his
slaves and beg his commands.
A very common mistake concerning
the Sahara is with regard to the GASES.
1t is supposed shat these are few and far
I,,A 80 10 tots 10 for bar
are several hundreds; so many, in fact,
that one third the surface of this mighty
desert is supposed to consist of more or
less fertile land. But it is not fertile by
nature, though rendered SO by cultiva-
ton. for wherever there is spring vege-
tation appears, and by care on the part
of the inhabitants to prevent encroach-
mentS of the sand the limits of the arabic
land are greatly extended. Suppose, for
Instance, a garden should be wanted
The Arab scoops out the sand from a
space, necessarily limited, to depth five
to fifteen feet below the surrounding
surface There he comes to moist
ground, and in it plants his vegetables,
setting out palms on the wall surround
ing the cellar garden. 1t is a slow and
costly way of cultivating the ground, but
it is successful, and any tropical plants
ana vegetables may De raised IN the
neighborhood of spring. The cases
extend across the Sahara in lines, proba-
bly, following the courses of subterranean
rivers and along these lines are the car
AVIAN routes, though it is probable that
hundreds of the green spots in the desert
are known to the natives but not to Eu-
ropeans. for the latter fellow only the
source of the caravan roads, and no
thorough exploration has ever been
made.
Several caravan routes traverse the
Sahara in various directions. The one
from Tangiers to Timbuctoo has already
been mentioned, SO has also the great
caravan route from Tripoli to Borneo, by
way Of the central line of GASES through
the desert; among others, there is one from
Cairo to Lake Tchad, and another from
Cairo to Fezzan. The caravans general