The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-27
TROGLoDYTEs OF AFRICA.
Stil1 BurrOw In the Earth as DID
Their Fathers Before Christ's Com

ing.
From the New York Herald.
Paris, Oct. S-If you want to be intro
duced to the slowest people in the world
you must visit North Africa, and make
your way across the scorching desert that
separates from the rest OF the Inhabitants
Of Africa the race known to the ancients
as the Troglodytes, from the Greek frog
lois" a hole. They were given this name
on account of the habit of living in holes
in the ground. habit that probably owes
its origin to the fact that Old Sol in that
quarter is a very merciless old tyrant,
and life above ground Is scarcely bearable
except when the sun has retired for the
night.
The Troglodytes are in the line of cara
van travel and are visited by these freight
trains of the African desert. No outside
influence has been able, however, to ween
them from their ancient habits, their an
tque garb, and their peculiar manner of
living. So far as is known the manners
and customs Of the Troglodytes have not
changed since Bible times, and any one
coming upon a group Of these people in
the present day and comparing their APP
pearance with descriptions extant that
some historians have regarded as fabu-
ious, will see that they are precisely the
same now as they were many centuries
ago.
A Troglodyte city is the most curious
dwelling place in the world. From the
exterior it presents the aspect of a Roman
circus The habitations are built in lay
ers, one above the other, and form a cir
cular wall with single door of the houses
open on the interior of the circular city
Each habitation has door and a window
To get to them you climb fight Of steps
IL.
lower layer of houses. IL you wish to
go higher, you climb another flight Of
steps to the houses above, and from here
to the third row, IL you are visiting some
one living on the top of the pile. The
doors are all fastened with a most print
tive lock that is turned by means of a
wooden key.
Besides provding protection from their
enemy, the sun, the circular habitauons
with the dead walls outside form a strong
fortress to guard the inhabitants from
the attacks of neighboring tribes. In these
more peaceful days, however, they have
no such fear before them, ana so they
use the walled city mostly for the stor-
ing of crops, while they live in holes dug
in the ground within the walls, ana Gre
quently change their position an search
of pasture for the animals.
The age Of the cities is immense. The
exact date when they were built Is I'M
known, but 1t Is believed that they ante
date the birth of Christ. The people are
peaceably disposed, in which phase Of
character they are the superior to most
other natives Of Northern Africa They
are intelligent and hard working tending
their hocks ana farming their lands with
patient energy The approach to their
country is so difficult and dangerous on &C.
count Of the frightful gorges il Is neces-
sary to traverse and the risk Of being
overcome by the deadly sirocco, that these
interesting people have been disturbed but
little by Europeans. Now chat arch
aeologists are turning their attention to
the ancient people something more is be-
ing learned OF them than was known here
tofore.