The herald., 1894-04-30
THE GREAT DESERT.
THE AREA OF SAHARA NEARLY EQUAL
TO THAT OF EUROPE.

which Engineering Skill Is Trying to
ovsrooms-The IFnpsrtaRt Peint In the
Solution of the African Pssblem.
re hayo bEt to lcok upon tho map to
Ses how lsrgS a space upon the worlds
surface this mighty desert takes to it.
self. 1t covers mere square miles than
Ihc whc!" ct tine Mediterranean. If it
were transported across that sea, it
would extl1Cuish Europe for it has
been computed that if you leave out
Scandinavia it would nearly cover the
whole Of it. Ifit were only sunk in the
sea, the waves would roll over it, and
IL would be remembered no moro for
ever.
But it insists on keeping it's head
above wster and above ground, crowd
ing out fertile portions OF the earth,
while its barrenness renders 1t unfit for
human habitation. There 1t lies on the
face Of Africa, hugo black spot, de-
serted by man, as it seems to be accursed
by God. No man passes by it or will
ingly puts his foot thereon. Even the
lonely caravan That skins it like bird
leaves notraGk behind it any more than
the bird in the air or the ship on the
sea. 1t passas; and'is gene, leaving not
trace Of life in man or beast or bird or
any living thing. So far as we can see,
the desert Is an utterly worthless por-
ton of tho globe.
With such an incubus covering full
half Of northern Africa there would
seem to be little hope Of making any
thing out of it, since the cause which
renders its condition so hopeless cannot
be removed. You cannot abolish the
desert any moro then you can abolish
the sea. There it is, and there it will
remain forever. Yes, but you can get
over the sea in ships or under it by tele-
graphs, so that it is no longer bar to
the intercourse of nations. Is there any
way of tanning the desert or subduing it
SO that it shall no longer be barrier to
the progress Of civilization? This is the
most important qGestion to be settled as
bearing upon tho future of Africa.
OF course if it were left to the native
inhabitants all things would continue
as they were from the beginning of crea-
tion. Nor has Europe at large any in
terest in It, But there is one European
power that has an interest in it. France
has large possessions on this side of the
Mediterranean. Algeria and Tunis to.
gether make'a country as large as one
of the kingdoms Of Europe, which
France has the ambition to enlarge still
further, so as to have a great African
empire, as England has her Indian en-
AC "a 4f,o 81.
Ihe has another great dependency in
Senegambi ON the western coast, a
country'coyering 400, 900 square miles.
If tbs could In any way be united to
Algeria, ifthe twocoutd be consolidated,
the new empire" would at once as
sumo vast proportions. But the desert
blocks the way. 1t splits the proposed
empire like wedge. It cannot be re-
moved, but is there not some way in
which it can be converted into key
stone for the mighty archthat is to span
the continent from the Mediterranean
to the Atlantic? That is the problem
which has long exercised the minds of
French statesmen, and which they in
turn have referred to their engineers,
who are among the best in the world,
with what result may be briefly indi-
Gated.
First Of all, they have shown that it
is possible to convert portions Of the
desert into GASES by the sinking of ar
tesian wells. A hundred and forty
miles south of Biskra is the oasis of
Tuggurt, which has long supported
thousands of Arabs, with their flocks
and herds, but which was nearly de-
stroyed some years since by the wells
becoming so choixed up as to, no longer
furnish a supply Of water. Vegetation
withered until the wretohed people,
stripped Of what was't to them the very
water of life andtoo ignorant to be able
to renew the supply, were in despair
and began to leave the country.
Then the French engineers took the
matter in hand and instead of trying to
clear out the old wells commenced bor-
ing the solid earth and in five weeks
struck water to such a good purpose
that river rushed forth that yielded
double the quantity furnished by the
great we'll of 4Ienelie at Paris. 70 the
Arabs it seemed miracle, and they be-
boA ~ SAilS anu OdAiLD III INC W110cSI
manner to express their joy. The mir
acle is one that can be wrought wher-
ever men are willing to take the labor
or to bear the expense. OF course to &C.
complish large result in the way of
pasturage or agriculture il would have
to be repeated on tremendous scale.
But for the purpose of uniting the two
vast territories Of Algeria and Senegam-
bia the first necessity is that Of direct
communication, which can only be by a
railroad across the desert Of Sahara. Is
this within the bounds OF possibiliky7
Nobody's opinion is Of any value except
that Of an engineer, and that have
tried to obtain. In Algiers the Amer
ican consul took me to see Mr.. Brous-
sails, who has made special study of
the subject and'takaniong Journeys into
the desert to survey the haId of battle.
He did not conceal from hisneef the
enormous difficulties Of tSaveling 1.500
miles with the Nart Of vpater, the want
OF wOeffor rafhsaa sias, the waut Of
everything. 80 fsU&sdSzn tlae face the
p0ssibilSties Cs, tESsss SASH ss6sffas wfauh
might Husy a sfiatusd sraan, as they
have BURIED tilp1saHa cega$@ns. All |
this be had taken into confederation,
onI uAk 54ue,ks&&t. iii ~ |