Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-01-09
Mr.. Michel Gives an Interesting
Account of their Wanderirgs
in the Desert.
The Frghtful Solitude OF this Barren
Land has Singular Attrac-
ton for Them.
The Nomads Participated Largely in
the Destruction of the Old
Roman Empire.

lied and strongly attached By the ties of
consangulnity to the tribes from which
they have issued. They live in the true
nomadlC way IN tents, woven by the wo-
men from sheep wool and camel hair, and
dyed black in order TO absorb more heat
during the winter This frail shelter is
sustained by three, four or FIVE poles from
s feet to feet high, disposed according
to the length of the tent. The interior is
divided by two or three partitions At
night the chlldreA and Old women sleep IN
one division, while the chief Of the family
with his wives sleep in the other. His gun
and scimitar are by his side, ready for use
against wild animals or thieves. He
sleeps little until morning, as be has to
watch over his cattle lying in the open air
around the tent, and is 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 a goat skin, which is remarka-
bly, well adaptedto that purpose, as Its con
tents are in perfect freshness.
The sacks containing the provisions,
barley, dates, etc, are hoaDed 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
generally have carpets in place of the mats
or spread over them.
1t Is contrary TO their custom for men,
even friends, 10 enter the tent or house of
an Arab, for be is extremely jealous of his
wives. An infringement Of this rule
would endanoer the life of the intruder
When they wish TO speak to one another
they cali 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 within, but previous to their
entrance the wives withdraw into the gym.
ecium division of the tent reserved especi
ally for them and the hu3blnd.
The education of the children is almost
entirely neglected, and the scenes 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 vice
Marriage is entered into at very early
age.
The tender familiarity that in our land
brings the paternal and tilial hearts so
close 10 each other is not observed tht. =
Like their mothers, the children are often
savagely tyrannizel over by the father,
whom they do not call papa, but Sidi
Clord)
Though the Arabian mothers display
much more natural love for their progeny
than do their fathers, their love is often
mute; the avishiDg of caresses and affec,
tionate words are rarely observed. The
strict respect of the whole family towards
the father is we'll 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
"Beesm Allah in the name Of Cod
begins eating alone. while the hungry
wives and children, standing a few steps
by, look at him as he punges his fingers
into the dish. Neither spoons nor forks
are in use there. When he is seated the
wives bring him drink. The Koran pre-
scribes that drink may be taken but once
while eating. At last he delQns to tell
them to eat, and the rest of the
food is eaten by the whole family to-
gether.
The women are overwhelmed with spin
ming, weaving, milking, making cheese,
preparing food brdidlng cords With alta,
even saddiug the mehari (dromedauesl,
besides all the family work. The sons are
the shepherds, while the chief OF the
family carries the grain, does the buying
and selling at the markets, hunts, fights,
steals, joins a maurading band, &c.
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 l2O00 head.
They are the traditional shepherds of the
desert. who draw from it The only i'm
porfaut thing wEioh il can afford, the
immense herds of cattle which they raise
there are during the winter, and with
which they supply all the markets OF
Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, and Iripoi,
besides macy of Europe.
During the summer they find no means
for subsistence IN the arid plains of the
desert, as Gourara, Ta6.als, and Insala,
where the land Is mC infamous, cut by
ravines, or aboupd' IN LAKES dlled the
greater part of the year, Bat these
regions were appropriated long ago by
wsrlike tribes; so that all Others are obiig
ed 10 draw northward.
However barren be the desert during
the hottest season so rich Is Its soil that
the day following rainfall wild grass Is
observed growing in spots uncovered by
sand, but the grass that springs up Ia the
sunshine Of to day is sc)Iched by the sun
shine tomorrow. Except soue tough
species, all plants or grasses not having
the shade cf the palm tree and daily irri
/ CATION cannot exist under that memorable
sur. But the arid palm, so dry in sum
mer, takes a new aspect after the fret
autumul rainfall Immense spaces--a J
{ parts, in fact which are uncovered by sand
grow green. taus atf)rding food for the
| innumerabIe cattle OF the Nomads.
This first rainfall is the signal for them
/ TO leave the north and re-enter the Sab
ara, their dead mother.land, where no
4 boundary restraints them, and where th6y
move about three, four. or FIVE times a
I week according 10 the richness OF the
pasture they find. Thus hey travel all the
winter until the MIDDLE of May. when the
sun. drying up the food fer their cattle.
/ drives them 70 the mountainous regions Of
/ of the north, where they sell part Of their
oatrle and fnd pasture for the rest.
! Bot were it not to avoid famine, tie
faa,,tsF,4 4