Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-01-07
also used for transporting the children
and tho s;ck ,uo,,on

also used for transporting the children
and the sick women.
For this purpose a kind of covered litter
called palanqnin, is turned sideways upon
the camel, and thus made to contain
several persons.
Thus organized and equipped. the
Nomad family is always ready to move or
ice with all its possessions, as lis males
are always prepared to mount AMI font
for IL eeurity.
TIE Nomad tribe travels as a whole
body. In the spring, on the occasion of
their annual journey to the north, thew
carry from the oasis immense Quantities
of dates to sell in the northern markets II
three to four times the price at which they
bought them. or to exchange them for
grain. With the proceeds of this venture
and the price Obtained from the sale of
their cattle, wool, henna, musk, and yari-
Gus other articles manufactured by them
selves during the winter, each family buys
enough grain for the whole year Whsn
they re-enter the solitudes of the Sahara
III autumn, this grain is stored in siIos
that they rent In the oasis or ksour 1.-THE
ksour are fortified villages in the desert,
whose inhabitants are the bond keepers or
SthSNAluCutS VI tue NOulduS.f y great
part of the re-victualling of the northern
oasis is also due to the Nomads. but their
traffic Is limited to Central Sahara. The
caravans trading further beyond. as far as
the Soudan, are generally formed by the
Mzabits.
The Nomads Of the Sahara show plainly
the wholesome effects of the open air when
contrasted with their brethren who live in
"gourbi' (houSes) almost closed TO the air
and light. 1t seems incon ceivable that
their poor food can produce In them so
much strength and vigor. but we must
believe that they are better fed by the pure
air than by their scaat nourishment
they are tail, muscular, slender, and
1.-the; their simple garments do not re-
strain their bodies from acquiring round
ness and perfect development. Nowhere
could be seen more life and vigor than in
the unconscious attitudes of the children
or Young people, especially before their
marriage. They are used to every inclem-
ency of the weather; up to the age Of ten
they are allowed to run half-clad Their
skins being exposed to the air all day, be-
come unusually thick, SO that they scarce
ly feel the changes of temperature
Aside from the malady which afflicts
their eyes, and certain diseases of the
blood, tEey are seldom Ill. Among the
women rare cases of enemia, typhus, and
fever are only occasionally observed. The
horrible custom of killing sickly children,
which was so long practiced before and
even after Mahomet, has completely dis.
appeared; here, again, the humane feel
ings of the prophet took the upper hand
and prohibited the custom.
The Nomads are In general very care
less about their physical condition; lazy
and avaricious, most of them do nothing
to restore health until they suffer too
much to feel the danger of death. How
ever, certain medical practitioners, called
'ttubib,'' speculate upon the ignorance Of
the people.
These traditional rovers, inhabiting
that wild expanse of desert which extends
un;nterrupte from the Atlantic Ocean
to the nortl Of China, played most i'm
portant part in ancient history. The No
MAIDS, indeed, participated largely in the
destruction of the Roman Empire. Start
ing from Asia, they entered and conquered
the African provinces, at that time occu-
pied by the Roman, whose empire they
also threatened from the east of Europe.
In 712 they invaded southwestern Europe,
occupying the conquered territory for al
most eight centuries. In 1872 they at
tempted to invade northern Europe, but
were checked and finally driven out of
France by Charles Martel This baffied
horde of Nomadic invaders were then
called Saracens.-H. Michel in Edlnburg
scotsman.