The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-12
60MADS OF SAHARA.
DOmestic Life of the Dwellers
in the Desert.
EDUCATION AT A MINIMUM,
nard work for the Misunderstanding of
Cattle and Providing for Their sus-
tenance-Methods of Travel.

AtsrERs. June 22-TSpecial Correspond
rnee. l-Far from being wild rovers by
nature. the nomads of the Sahara are well
orranized and strongly attached by the
IT, of consanguinity to the tribes from
vhich they have issued. They hive in the
tine uomadic way in tents, woven by the
vomen from sheep wool and camel hair,
md dyed black in order to absorb more
heat during the winter. This frail shelter
Z sustained by three, four or five poles,
from six to eight feet high, disposed
according to the length of the tent. The
interior IS divided by two or three parti-
ions. At night the children and old
women sleep in one division, while the
ehief OF the family with his wives sleep
II the other. His gun and cimeter are by
/ his side, ready for use against wild animals
or thieves He sleeps little until morn
ing as he has TO watch over his cattle
hing in the open air around the tent, and
4 often attracted outside by the barking
Of his dogs.
No furniture of any kind is in use.
Scarcely have they the most ordinary and
indispensable kitchen utensils The water
& Is kept in goat-skin, which is remarkably
well adapted to that purpose. as its con-
tents are in perfect freshness.
The sacks containing the provisions.
barley, dates. etc, are heaped up around
the poles supporting the tent in order to
offer more resistance to the force of the
Wind The inmates sleep upon mats
braided by the wives of alta tough herb of
the desert). The Weather nomads gener-
ally have carpets in place of the mats or
spread over them.
1t is contrary to their custom for men.
even friends, to enter the tent or house of
an Arab, for he is extremely jealous of his
wives. An Infringement of this rule
would endanger the life of the intruder.
When they wish to speak to one another
they call from the outside. Two persons
only are legally entitled to enter-the kadi
and the marabout. 1t sometimes occurs
that the master of the tent or house calls
his visitors wifhin. but previous to their
entrance the Agives withdraw into the
gynerium, division of the tent reserved es-
pecially for them and the husband.
The education of the children is almost
entirely neglected, and the scenes that
they have TO witness in the recesses of the
tent render them vicious at an early age,
The more so as nothing is done to combat
nee. Marriage is therefore considered
1ecessity as soon as the age of puberty is
reached.
The tender familiarity that in our land
brings the paternal and filial hearts so
close to each other, is not observed there;
like their mothers, the children are often
savagely tyrannized over by the father,
whom they do not call papa, but sidi
Qord).
Though the Arabian mothers display
much more natural love for their progeny
than do their fathers, their love is often
mute; the lavishing of caresses and affec-
tionate words are rarely observed. The
strict respect of the whole family towards
the father is well shown at the meals
When the wives have prepared the food,
they place the dish before the lord of the
family, who, after pronouncing the
"Beesmallah"-in the name of God-be-
gins eating alone, while the hungry wives
and children, standing few steps by,
look at him as he plunges his fingers into
the dish. Neither spoons nor forks are in
use there. When he is seated the wives
bring him the drink The Koran pre-
scribes that drink may be taken but once
while eating. At last he deigns to tell
them to eat, and the rest of the food is
eaten by the whole family together.
ming, weaving, milking, making cheese,
preparing food, braiding cords with alta,
even saddling the mehari (dromedaries),
besides all the family work. The sons are
the shepherds, while the chief of the fam
lily carries the grain, does the buying and
selling at the markets, hunts, fights,
steals, joins marauding band, etc.
The extreme abstemiousness of the Be-
douns is legendary. Their principal food
Is The rakaka and kuskussu, also milk,
dates, figs. meat and barley.
The rakaka is kind Of fiat bread like
IN oat hammock insufficiently cooked.
made with ground barley. They are very
fond of the kuskussu, but the enormous
quantities of red pepper that they mix in
it renders il unpalatahle to the European.
This dish is made of barley flour, which in
some way is transformed into grains The
preparation is then poured into the kas-
kass lfunnel-Ike Intensity. and placed upon
the porndge pot, in which the meat con-
diments and some vegetables are boiling.
The yapor arising from the pot passes
through the kaskass and cooks the flour
grains When sufficiently cooked it is
transferred into another dish called ma
trad, upon which the cook usually pours
the mergs (broth of the porridge) which
Is then strained, and finally the meat is
placed upon it. Their ordinary drink is a
strong and thick coffee; liquors and beer
are unknown. The lagmee (palm wine) is
drunk only in the oasis by the landed pro-
prletors
The means of the nomads are derived
solely from the breeding of cattle. of which
they keep large number; some families
possess as many as 1000 head. They are
the traditional shepherds of the desert
who draw from it the only important
thing which il can afford, the immense
herds of cattle which they raise there
curing the winter. and with which they
supply sll the markets of Morocco. Algeria.
n ruhs and Tripol, besides many of Europe.
panng the summer they find no means for
SUBSISTENCE in the arid plains of the desert,
oept In some regions especially favored
uS nasare, as Gourara, Tatilala and Insala.
NneIe the land is mountainous, cut by ra-
800, OF aoonnds in lakes filled the great
pSe OF the year. But these regions
go - appropriated long ago by warlike
s' so That all others are obliged TO
ura" horthward. However barren be
wy desert during the hottest season. so
iioh - t,s soil that the day following
ralhiah wild grass is observed
Ero"lhs IN spots uncovered hy sand. but
tnis grass that springs IN in the sunshine
OF today Is scorched by the sunshine Of
tomorrow. Except some toucb snsr;es
~ plants or grasses not havins tba hsde
OF the palm tree and dali, a.; .,Ae S"eN'V