The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-11-21
IN A SANDSTONE. III
A Graphic Description of . Tempest
In tho Desert.

A Graphic Description of . Tempest
In tho Desert.
Our camp consists Of nine tents, scat
tered among dry and stunted aoacias. on
which the 0amels feed with evident relish,
writes our war correspondent from the
scene of the British operations on tho
Nile. Beating down upon this arid plain
is tho fierce sun, which gives tempera-
ture Of 100 degrees in the shade. The
heat and glare are intolerable. At mid
day one lies sweltering and gasping under
locating of sweat and sand, eyes, ears
and nose are ohoked with dust, while files,
gnnts and ants seek out tPe tenderest
parts. There Ia no escape from these con-
ditions.
At first one signs for a breath of wind
to cool the burning air. When II comes,
the effect In disastrous. A binding, sui.
locating cloud Of dust springs from the
earth, sweeps over the camp and searches
out every nook and Granny in hut and
tent. It penetrates the most secret recesses
of trunks and boIes, minglss with food
and drink, and makes sticky compound
Of sweat and mud under which the skin
smarts and stings. Evening and morning
are numbered among the delights Of the
desert. Under normal conditions they arc
pleasant enough, but, unhappily, they are
too often attended In these parts with vio-
lent storms Of wind and sand devils.
These "devils" are whirlwinds Of dust
that gather volume and force o. they
tweep along cutting fresh particles from
the matrix of sandstone rock and driving
sheir myriads Of atoms to swell the dust
Of the desert. During the last few days
We have had several opportunities Of OBJ
serving this process Of nature. Last night
my blankets wero spread under the veran-
da of the tent. 1t was beautiful night.
Tho air was calm, the sky was clear and
the moon cast dark shadows Of palm and
mimosa on the white plain. Under these
softening influences Of light and sound
the desert lost Its terrors, and one looked
dreamily on the picture until a solemn 81
lenoe fell upon the camp and sleep sealed
the eyelids.
A moment later and the scene was
changed. A breath Of hot wind, as from a
furnace, brought every tented sleeper to
his feet with gasp. Instantly the camp
was alive with sound and motion. The
rush Of the storm mingled with the neigh
ing of horses, the groaning Of camels, the
bleating OF goats and the Tapping of can
vas. The moon was hidden behind cloud
of sand Sand filled the ARA whirling,
rushing hail Of atoms. As it swirled
around and above the tents straining ropes
dashing against canvas, tearing tent pegs
out of the ground, one began to realize
how fragile was the roof overhead and to
be even thankful that 1t was not more SUBJ
stantial.
The sand devil ragged for half an hour
without damage, save to tent pegs, which
few about rather dangerously. Every mo-
ment expected the tent to collapse and
go scudding before the storm; but 1t held
fast, and, covering my head with blan-
ket, lay down, smothered in dust, while
the struggle between canvas and sand
went on with growing feroeness. The
servants, who lay on the sand, slept I'M
disturbed until aroused by their masters.
Then active operations began, and the
sharp click of lnallets falling on tent pegs
was heard through the storm. The tent
or, rather, glided, to the ground, and
presently there emerged from the wreck
age three figures Finding the position
untenable, made virtue Of necessity
and struck my tent before further damage
could be done. Having made fast the can
vas over my baggage and furniture,
drew my bed into the open, and, wrapping
myself in a blanket, lay sweltering and
choking until the storm abated. At dawn
we were able to remove the traces of this
experience. The tents were soon pitched,
furniture, clothes and boxes were dug out
Of the sand, and presently Abdul Hassan,
Mahomed and the other servants were
making kitchen" and lighting fires un-
der cover Of some dead bushes.-London
Standard