The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1894-03-30
!. SAHARA BORDER VILLAGE.

The Wandering Children of the Desert
Live in Squalor and sIItsfy.
Biskra is a thoroughly oriental spot
The costumes are highly picturesque.
The women whom we saw on the streets
did not veil their faces as in Algiers
though we were told that the better
class of Moorish women here at Biskra
seldom leave the house, and when thew
do so, on rare occasions, they wear the
veil The men are tall with fine ply.
sique, and have certain grace and
dignity OF bearing. Some Are blonde,
with fair complsxieas and hair border
ing on red others, like our stately
guide, are ebony black, their faces pre-
sen.ing most striking contrast with
! the white turbanS
| There is negro quarter here where
the inhabitants are as thick as aeas. A
glimpse down these narrow streets on
a sunny afternoon will reveal lining
on each side of thick-lipped, curly
haired men or women, sitting or crouch
ing on the ground close to the wall,
under their protecting shade, the WON
en- knitting or spinning With hand
loom Their little, dark-skinned prog
eny skip about in the dust of the road,
most scantily draped or clothed not at
all.
These children appear to have an ins
satiable yearning for sous, a craving
which never seems satisfied, no matter
how many one drops into their beseech-
ing hands They will scent a stranger
in the atmosphere long before he APP
pears, and lie in wait for the ,insus-
pecting visitor around the corners of
these dirty novels, darting out upon
hitn suddenly. We saw some Moor
lsh houses which probably belonged
to the richer and more in1luen-
tial Arab families, and were much
more comfortable looking, though all
were made of the same mud bricks A
group of spahis rode past us on their
superb Arab steeds of notified gray
black or white, with all the colored
trappings and fringes, deep-red saddles
and leather harness studded with brass
and gilt.
On returning from our first days
stroll we dismissed our guide, prefer
ring to take short walk by ourselves.
We crossed the narrow stream which
irrigates the oasis. and approaching
the tents of the Bedouins, who, on
arriving from the desert the day be-
fore, had pitched their encampment
within a stones throw of the hotel
What wretched-looking habitations
they were and what miserabl beings
we saw withinl
They live in such dirt and squalor
that the neglected donkey, which was
tied outside the tent and had starved
and beaten look, being covered with
dirt and bruises, seemed better off than
his owners. At the first tent where we
presented ourselves, instead of coming
ont and begging for money as we had
expected, a wild.lookihg man appeared,
brandishipg a stout stick over his head
In a most threatening manner and
trowning upon us in very ugly way.
We quickly left him alone with his
pleasant reflections and tried the next
tent, where one poor girl sat on the
ground plating straw baskets. She
could hardly see her work before her,
as she was suffering from ophtheln,ia,
That dread disease SO terribly prevalent
among those most Wretched people A
cross-l"oking woman came out of the
tent and in very grudging manner
tried to keep fierce dog from flying
at our threats. We We're fain to be
satisfied with throwing some coppers
to her, from a respectful distance, and
concluded it was wiser to give up all
attempts to cultivate a closer acquaint-
anee with these wandering children ,
of the desert. Magazine.