The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-15

close Of a hard days journey OF some
sixty-four miles. did we come IN dlsd-
,1eeab,e conflict with them. our hoises
had more than their share In the secohu
Lalf OF the days work; Tor the better
mart of four miles we had been dragged
through deep sand. and finally the coul
oge of the poor animals had spent hseil'
We were stuck fast in the sahara sahuS
AT a point some seventy feet peio" sea
level Coaxing and urging had niue
effect. and il was not until we ourselves
took a long hand In pushing and pulling
maj we succeeded in eXtricatinB our
selves.
LET il not for a moment be assumco
NJ the sahara. even in the parts that
do not belong 10 the region oil the oase9'
g. everywhere destitute of growing Nese-
,.rion Far from this is really the case
Along the entire length OF the journey
a generous supply OF tereplhth puS"o''
ono TO two or three feet IN helshl Wv
- ,r,et of the sand elevations, ana
u-itb them was a form OF sichly green
eaicolaecious plant. the exact nature Oh
which | was unable TO discover Anu
if we can fully believe war hlusua1'o"
49, has recently appeared from the PEN
ell of a staff CORE pondent the same
feature must be a CHARACTERISTIC Of t"e
sahara about Timbuctoo as we'll Ihere
ore indeed a number of spots where the
vegetation is even more luNuriant--l
scattering OF plants can m any sense Oc
called Notwithstanding a nunuet oi
dry herbs. such as the rose Oh Jeiirno'
which hardly rises few inohes auo'c
the surface. and again there are large
areas where the vegetation has been coiu-
pletcly stamped out. OF where IL mas neen
buried deep beneath its canopy OF SAND
a. t.. r4Il o.
pearl OF the desert. No poetic tempefa-
mont il needed 70 prepare one for the
eniovments Of its coming. From miles
of distance the eve fastcns itself upon
the treetops: the dark green Is break
in the landscape, and like the black
shadow Of clouds. n seems TO go ana
come. the gentle unduotions or the aes-
ert throwing IL now and again out OF
sight. We had penetrated but MOI
crate distance into the desert. nut the
coming Of the GASES was a reieI that
can hardly be described-those dense
groves of date palms and the circulating
streams OF water. What must. indeed,
the GASES be 20 those who have YEARLY
Nodded its sands for weeks al time.
When we returned 10 Bskra after our
southerlv tourney the sun had lust set
behtnd the palm forest Illuminating the
skv with that soft African yellow. winch
ms been matched only by the brush o.
EDWARD Frere. The tai tree trunks rose
aoainst this in spectre -.adows Of brown.
silent nonoiiths. rising as II from silent
grave. An Arab group appeared here
and there. the flowing waters and the
mosque asking each TO his special de-
votions.
The heat OF the desert is an unquestion-
able reality: and yet. perhaps. IN the
month of our travel. the hottest OF the
North African months. it was not so
dreadful as might have been assumed.
II is true that the mercury. whether ny
night or by day. felt little disposed 10
leave the region OF the ninety-eights.
unless il was in the direction OF an up
ward Journey During the hours OF md
DAY II stubbornly chung TO the division
line OF ITO degrees. passing even Deyohu
IL slightly although. perhaps not IN the
most perfect shade), at Blskra, during
cur brief absence. II stood al ITO degrees.
In travelling however. we were subjected
10 even much higher temperature as al
rapidly recurring intervals. the heated J
reflections from the burning SANDS were,
as IL seemed. blown bodily into US. II
was then that we remarked: This Is
like an oven" And in truth. II was
very much so.
was surprised to find that there was
n difference OF only 20 degrees between
the heat CT the open sun O32 degrees) and
ttat OF the shade. the temperature OF
the sunny sands was at It's highest
l23 degrees. The excessive dfyness made I,
the heat perhaps on the whole more bear
able than II the atmosphere had been
IN q measure charged with humidity; az