The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-23
BICYCLING IN EUROPE.
Continued from Fourth Page.)

grape vineyards ana the roads DOrdefed
with eucalyptus trees, But the Arabs,
driving flocks Of sheep and goats, and an
occasional Bedouin tent, reminded us
that it was not America. For one hun
bred and twenty-five miles we wheeled
in as smooth, broad, hard, well-kept
road as the heart of bicyclist could de-
sire. That, too, alas! reminded US that
We were not in America. Our route lay
straight on over rich, rolling country,
passing every ten or twelve miles a
small village. From time to time we
passed Arabs mounted on mules driving
herds of sheep or cattle to the market
of Guelma, forty miles away. They al
ways saluted US politely and smiled APP
proval at the woman bicyclist, but gen
orally left us to thread our way through
the mass of wool and horns which is
often a difficult matter, as the Algerian
animals have not yet learned to respect
the bicycle bell. Our first town was
Guelma, built on the ruins of a Roman
one, and where there is an arena and
remains of baths that delight the heart
of archaeologists. Algeria full of Ro-
man remains. At Batnu, where We
stopped few nights later, are the ru-
ms of Timegad that next to Pompeii,
are the best ruins of a Roman town in
existence. On our route was also Con-
stantine, that wonderful city built on a
rocky plateau surrounded by ravine
whose walls are one thousand feet in
height and as precipitous as the facade
of East Rock. A bridge connects this
city, built on a rock with the surround
ing country In old times superfuous
Inhabitants We're taken to the edge of
the town and dropped over the preci-
pice. The lame, halt and the blind were
thus disposed of. That was in the days
before organized charities. From Con-
stantine to Batnu we We're delayed with
rain, although having chosen the
month of May for our journey we had
been told that we should die of heat
and dust. The Algerians believe or
pretend to believe that it rerely rains
in their country, which the fertility of
the soil and general greenery prove is a
mere delusion. And so when drenched
with rain and shivering with cold, we
reproached them for this seeming lack
of truthfulness, they only looked at US
pityingly and said it was an unusual
season." That made us feel at home at
once for we had heard that expression
so often in California. From Batna
onward the country becomes more bar
rem and fiat, and reminded us of the
plains of our west, only instead of cow
boys and Indians, we met Arabs and
camels. They are always pleasant to
meet for the Arabs next to the French
and Italians. are the most agreeable
people to travel among, always good
natured and polite. As one nears the
desert the country becomes more bar
rem and the colors more vivid. Before
one reaches FL Kantarn the road de-
sends in a series of loops range OF
| barren yellow hills, and 1t was at this
point that we met Bedouin caravan
coming from the desert The camels
stopped at our approach and shifted the
air as if the presence of bicycles was
not to their liking, and the caravan
came to halt, the women clamberne
down from their coops on the camels
backs to join the men in their inspec-
ton of the bicycles. These Bedouin
women were charmed with our wheels
They wanted to ride them at once and
their tattoed faces expressed the great
est eagerness to mount the bike. We
were therefore just about to give then
a first lesson in bicycle riding when my
brother, charmed with the picturesque
ness of these Bedowins in their gaily
coloreda garments and barbarous jewel
ry, thought it an opportune moment fol
his camera. Alas at the sight of this
instrument, much feared by the Arabs
the whole caravan took flight. The
gorge of Ell Kantora is the entrance Of
the desert. 1t is a magnificent canor
whose walls of gorgeous colored rocl
recall Colorado. Once through thi.
gorge, the Sahara spreads out before
one like sea with here and there {
dark spot, which are the GASES. At the
exit of this gorge at the very gateway
of the desert, Is the oasis FL Kantara
with it's ninety thousand palm trees ant
three little Arab villages nestled unde1
the thick foliage of this tangle of palms
and the inhabitants were much startled
by the arrival of three strangers wht
rode through the crooked lanes Of thei
mud villages on donkeys of steel. A
FL Kantara the national road ends, ant
1 had the weakness to take the trair
that connects Biskara with the rest o
the world, but my brothers, scornins
such mode of travelling on the desert
continued on their wheels. A sort o
path exists, but Is so full of holes ant
stones that they punctured their wheel
until they had exhausted their suppl,
of repairing materials and within sew
enteen miles of the goal were forced t.
take the despised train. At Bishrt
there was only one man who had
wheel, and he must have kept his t.
look at for he had no repairing materi
al. So in sheer desperation we com
bined the good tires of three wheels ant
made one solid machine, on which eacl
of us in turn could make the tour of tn
oasis and have his share of fun in as
tonishing the natives. OF Bishra, wit
it's delicious air and sunshine, its pain
groves and picturesque Arab life, I vii
say nothing, because many alread
know it, and those who do not Shout
see it for themselves for it is wort
going long way to see.
The roads are fine, the people pleas
ant the hotels good and not more ex
pensive than elsewhere. In short, on
has in Algeria the picturesque life Q
the Orient without it's inconvenience:
so, If you are a cyclist, just take you
bike and wheel from Bone to Bishra.
. MARY F. CAREW.