Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-03-09
BY CARAVAN.
TRAVELLING ON THE DESERT
PLATEAUS OF PERSIA.
An Early breakfast. Followed by a
Dong Rido Over tho Desert
The Halt for the Night
on n Plowed Field.
yYHIS caravan life has subtle
charm of it's own vhan ono ia

charm of it's own when one is
in perfect health and things
g go smoothly; and even when
they do not, the minor dlscomforts of
nomad existence do not weigh heavily
on nerves blunted by tho open air and
certain amount of healthy fatigue.
When ono journeys by vestibule train
or Wagner sleeping-car the short
space of timo between two cities is
like nm interim, an entr'actc, during
which ono's daily routine is suspend
ed, to DO resumed again only when he
leaves tho train at his destination. But
here, where the distances IRE SO vast,
the real existence is on tho road, and
the brief stay IN each city, full of few
erish, agitRted movement and unrest,
becomes the interim, and tho traveller
looks forward to the calm and pure mir
of the desert plateau beyond and tho
comfort of his tent. Tho routine of
daily life is little trying ut first, but
easily learned. Each twenty-four
hours is divided into four parts-the
period of hurry and activity in the
early morning, longer ono of com
parativo tranquility on the march, tho
brief hour of hustle OH arriving ut our
destination, and then "nirvana," the
drenmless sleep of the night. AT
half-past 3 or Mt n. IN. it is
time to get up and dress by candle
light, to call for the samovar" and hot
tea, to see that the men in tho kitchon
tent arc nstir, and that tho chavadars
arc feeding their horses Then the
small articles nro packed, Abdullah
brings in breakfast, and while wo are
eating tho chavadnrs como in to take
out tho baggage, tho first red light
from the rising sun shines through the
transparent walls, and then tho tent
itself is pulled down, and wo arc shiv-
ering i'll tho frosty and brncing morn
ing air. Sometimes. breakfnsti liz finished
on ono of the amp-chests whilo the
table is packed away. Whom the last
load hns been secured, and the ground,
now strewn with egg shells and loose
straw, has been searched for lost mr.
ticles, We mount our horses or walk
on ahead. Then comes tho long day
of comparative rest, and when the
brief morning chill has passed away,
made drowsy by the growing heat of
the sun, we nod and sway in our sad
dies, lulled by the monotony of tho
slow march and tho ceaselcss tinkling
OF tho bells. Over desserts of white
salt, like now-fallcn snow or frozen
sleet, where tho horizon swims md
quivcrs in tho mirage, and over plains
toored with black volcanic deposit, wo
ride OH and on, over passes, across
rivers and marshy plains, until it is
time to hurry on ahead of the caravan
and despatch hasty lunch on some
shclterlcss hillside, or deep in
gully if the wind blows,
and where there is u brook in
which to cool n bottle of wine. This
caravan, unlike tho former one, never
halts Mt noon, but keeps nat the snme
unvarying pace until its allotted task
is done. AT last the lcngthening shnd-
ows and the sight of the distant mud
walls of the village where wo arc to
halt warn Ills that it is time to spur on
with tho chavador to select our camp
ing ground before the baggage animals
come up. 1t was usually our fntc to
encamp on plowed field, and it was
no small piece of work to clear tho
ground of stones and briers; often in
high wind it required the combined
strength of NIL of us to hold the flap
ping canvas while the pegs wcro being
driven in, and VIC were fortunate in
deed if there wero no wet sketches
lying about when tho dust drove in
clouds under the tent. When tho cords
nre well secured the baggage liz
brought in, carpets are spread out,
beds arc unfoldod, and the cbonito fiji
tiers are put in working order, so that
ten or tho refreshing "peg" may be
forthcoming, There is often n leisure
hour Ill which TO jot down Impressions
of color before Abdullnh comes in to
set the table, and after dinner we sit
under the canvas awning which pro-
jccts above the tent door, and smoke.
III tho crimson aftcr-glow, grand and
solemn, in this land of vast horizons.
-Harper's Magazine.