The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-08-13


meat. The mess is highly seasoned
with red pepper and would be good II
1t were not so hot. Dates ana barley
bread form the other staple articles or
food. While there are probably 3'oVo,-
geo or 100000 date palms in Algeria,
each tree producing from 100 to 800
pounds of dates, nine-tenths OF the
product is consumed at home.
OF course the dates are only grown
in the GASES which form about the
wells in the desert. Wherever there Is
enough water to supply irrigation there
will be a little cluster of palms,some fig
trees barley, vegetables growing I'M
der the palms; a bunch of sheep or
goats and few camels for each Arab $
establishment He lives simply ana
frugally and in the heat OF summer
hopes to send his stock and his family
into the mountain country to weather
the heat.
Since the French occupied the coun-
try they have sunk artesian wells,
about which new oas2s and great plan
tations of dates have sprung up, much
to the surprise Of the aged nomads who
have lived to see the desert blossom like
the rose. Several hundred thousand
new date trees have grown up in these
plantations. Near the plantations Is
the holy city of Sidi Okba, which con-
tains the tomb Of a saint. The people
are very pious and very poor. This Is
the oldest Mohammedan city In the
Sahara and contains population of
about 5000.
When Mr.. Swingle and his party
reached this part of the country they
were introduced to some severe climatic
conditions and made close acquaintance
with a Sahara sirocco. In the desert
one never seems to perspire, no matter
how high the temperature. The moss-
ture evaporates so rapidly that it leaves
no trace, and one can wear high col
lar without fear Of It's whiting. Tho
| temperature in the Sahara sometimes
gees as high as 1872 degrees Fahrenheit
| in the shade granted that shade can be
found. This occurs during the prev
alence of the sirocco. The highest tenn
psrature felt by Mr.. swinglc was ITO
degrees.
The sirocco is hot wind that blows
over the desert, filling the air with fine
particles Of sand and dust, which pene-
trate everywhere. The Thermometer
goes w and with every window and
aperture closed, life becomes almost
unbearable. Every one becomes de-
pressed to an unusual degree, the
nerves seeming to be affected in some
way. The wind sometimes blows stead
lily for two or three days and during
that time no one ventures about and all
business is at stardstil.
Some beautiful mirage effects were
witnessed by Mr.. Swingle, although, he
says, he has seen better ones in Ari-
ora. In the Sahara the mirage always
brings visions of water, lakes and bill
lows with reedy shores and the over
hanging bushes reflected in the stream
In Arizona the mirage is usually re
Election of mountains.
The nights in the desert are not De-
soribed as wonderful Thnr are al
ways cool, the temp erature falling from |
ITO degrees to 60 degrees and lower, and |
Blanket and wraps are acceptable. A
great 6eal of travelling is done by night |
and the long caravans go swinging by, |
silently and mysteriousy, in the shad- |
ows of the sand dunes. Owing to the |
clcarness of the atmosphere the stars
and the heavens can be studied closely. |
and one ceases to marvel that the |
Arabs have always been students of |
astronomy A sunrise in the desert Is
described by Mr.. Swingle as the most |
magnificent scene he ever witnessed |
and one which the beholder is likely |
never to forget.
There is a great deal of malaria |
among the resident Arabs and blind
ness prevails to an alarming degree.
Visual affections are due 70 the action
of the sand and the white glare of the |
sun. The malaria comes from the ir-
bitches and pools which
abound in the neighborhood of all |
cases. The water is often stagnant and
of disease
Many herds of magnificent horses
were seen on the way, the Weather
Arabs still clinging to the raising Of the
noble animals which have made Arabia
famous. Less valuable breeds Of horses
are being used for transportation in
stead of camels and the industry is
The Arabian takes good care