Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-09-18

are deScenQed from King AleAndefi
and the daughter Of King Darius, who
was lord Of the vast empire of Persia.
And all these kings call themselves I'M
the Saracen tongue Zulcarniain, which,
is Us much as to say "Alexander;;" and.
this out Of regard for Alexander the
Great.
1t is in this province that those fine
and valuable gems, the Palas rubies,
are found. They are got in certain
rocks among the mountains, and in the
search for them the people dig great
caves underground, just rs is done by
miners for silver There is but one spe-
cial mountain that produces them, and
It is called Syghinan. The stones are
dug ON the Kings account, and no one
else dares dig in that mountain on pain
Of forfeiture of life as we'll as goods;
ror nay any one carry the stones out
of the kingdom. But the King amasses
them all, aud sends them to other kings
when he has tribute to render, or
when he desires to offer friendly
present; and such only as lie pleases he
causes to be sold. Thus he acts in order
to keep the Balas at high value; for IL
he were to allow everybody to dig, they
would extract SO many that the world
would be glutted with them, and they.
would cease to bear any value. Hence
1T is that he allows SO few to be taken
out, and Is so strict in the matter.
There Is also in the same country an,
other mountain, in which azure is
found; tits the finest in the world, and is
got in a vein like silver. There are also
other mountains which contain great
amount of silver ore, so that the coun-
try is very rich one; but it is also Ut
must be said) very cold one. 1t pro-
duces numbers of excellent horses re-
:narkable for their speed. They are
not shod at all, although constantly
used in mountainous country, and on
very bad roads. They go at great
pace even down steep descents, where
other horses neither would nor could do
the like. And Messer Marco was told
that not long ago they possessed in that
province breed of horses descended
from AleXander's horse Bucephalus, all
of which had from their birth partic.
ular mark on the forehead. This breed
was entirely in the hands of an uncle
OF the Kings; and in consequence of
his refusing to let the King have any Of
them, the latter put him to death. The
widow then, in despite. destroyed the
whole breed, and it is now extinct.
In the mountains there are vast nun.
bers Of sheep-O0, 500 or 600 in single
hock, and all of them wild; and though
many of them are taken, they never
seem to get aught the scarcer.
Those mountains are so lofty that 'tls
hard days work, from morning till
evening, to get to the top of them. On
getting up, you find an extensive plain,
with great abundance OF grass and
trees. and copious springs of pure
water running down through rocks and
ravines. In those brooks are found
trout and many other fish of dainty
kinds; and the air in those regions is so
pure. and residence there so healthful,
that when the men who dwell in the
towns, and in the valleys and plains.
find themselves attacked by any kind
of fever or other ailment that may hap,
they lose no time in going to the hills;
and after abiding there two or three
days. they quite recover their health
through the excellence of that air. And
Messer Marco said he had proved this
by experience; for when in those parts
lie had been i'll for about year, but as
soon as he was advised to visit that
mountain lie did SO and got we'll at
once.
In this kingdom there are many strait
and perilous passes, so difficult to force
that the people have no fear of invasion.
Their towns and villages also are on
lofty hills, and in very strong positions.
They are excellent arcllers. and much
given to the chase; indeed, most of
them are dependent for clothing on the
skins Of beasts, for stuffs are very dear
among them. The great ladies', how
ever, are arrayed in stuffs. and 1 will
tell you the style of their dress. They
all wear trousers made of cotton cloth,
and into the making of these some will
put sixty, eighty or even 100 ellis of
stuff.-St. Nicholas.