The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1904-02-24

duccd considera bic gold and other met
ais, but now it ships little but dates.
wool and coffee. and even these are
gradually falling off. Mocha coffee is
produced ut the extreme end or the
Arabian peninsula. in province called
Yemen, and derives its name from the
little port it is shipped from. But the
people have no enterprise. the coffee
orchards have been injured by insects
and blight. and the trees have not been
renewed This is accounted for by bad
government. AS everywhere else i'll
the doninons Of the sultan OF Turkey,
for Arabia is nominally part Of the
Ottoman empire the officials receive
no salaries. and live of blackmail.
Hence. whenever a citizen gets q little
ahead. when he shows signs or pros
perity. he Immediately becomes an
object of plunder and persecution by
the tax gatherer and by every other
representative Of the government.
There is no incentive for the coffee
growers to extend their orchards OF
to increase their product.
One does not realize. until he comes
face to face with the fact, that ARABIA
is nearly half as large as the United
States It's area is almost as great as
that Of India, and is nearly equal TO
that Of our States east Of the Missis-
sippi river. The population is un-
known, because there has never been
Il census, but 1t is supposed to be be-
tween seven and twelve millions. The
distance from north to south Is more
than a thousand miles, and from east
to west it varies from 500 to 500. Yet
in all this enormous territory there Is
no centralized authority The interior
is goverened by petty sheiks, each
being absolute over the members or
his own tribe. Along Il coast line OF
nearly $500 miles are only six ports.
where the sultan of Turkey maintains
pasha governors and garrisons to pro-
rect the colleC RS Of customs. who are
required to pay him q certain amount
Of tribute every year, and they wiring
it out of the people any way they can.
The relationship between the gov
arnment at Constantinople and the
Bedouins Of Arabia Is very slender.
and is due solely to the cohesive power
Of the MOhammedan religion. There Is
10 law in Arabia but the Koran; there
are no courts but the priests; there are
no mails. no postofices. no postage
stamps, and 4 person who wants TO
communicate with distant fried must
send his letter by messenger, which
is expensive, or by-a caravan, which is
the common way. There is no tele-
graph line. no newspaper, no railroad.
and, strange to say, not q river In all
that vast area except few shallow.
rocky beds, which during the spring
bring down water from the melting
snow on the mountain tops to the sea,
but for yine months In the year are
as dry as Il crematory.
The captain tells me that they pro-
duce curious phenomenon. The coast
Of the Red sea Is lined with coral
,,l-e I,,i1 n,y
wonderful! little masons who like some
men that I know Of hate fresh water.
and wherever the spring floods fall into
the sea there is always wide break
in the coral reef.
! The mountains Of Arabia reach an
altitude of 10000 feet, and in spots
where borings have been made the sand
Is more than 600 feet deep. 1t Is the
prevailing impression that Arabia Is a
vast eXpanse Of desert, but that Is "a
! mistake. There are wide strips of bar
rem sand, which are irreclaimable for
cultivation only because they cannot
be reached by water, but two-thirds OF
the country is capable Of cultivation.
and. lying at an altitude Of 5000 feet
above the sea, might produce cotton.
sugar and oth2.. selni-tropical staples
! in unlimited quantities. Although
there are no streams plenty Of water
can be had for irrigation purposes by
digging 90 or 80 feet, and the introduc-
ton of wndmills would simplify the
pumping problem. On the coast 1t is
Intensely hot, and the humidity Of the
atmosphere during the summer season
makes life almost uncomfortable, but In
the interior, upon the table lands along
the mountain slopes and in the valleys.
! the mercury seldom rises above Sa de-
grees, even in midsummer. While
! the direct rays of the sun are intense.
it is cool in the shade. and at night the
mercury often falls below so.
More than two-thirds Of the popuia-
! ton are Bedouin nomads. without per-
manent places OF abode, who live. In
! tents made of camel's hair, just like
| the patriarchs of Old. They have enor-
NOUS hOcks of sheep and goats, and
herds Of cattle and cancls. The follow
the grass and move from place to place
with all their possessions. There are.
| however, several prosperous cities Of
considerable population and commerce.
| Trade is conducted by camel cararans,
which cross the desert regularly, and
transport enormous quantities Of dates,
I WOO! and other merchandise.
William z. Curtis.