The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-02-26

than now, md in ancies, .days 1,rt-
duced considera Bile gold and other met
ais. but now II ships little but dates,
Woo rSda11S and ta,fit c1fffee and even these are
produced at the extreme end of the
Arabian peninsula, In q province. called
Yemen, and derives its Name from the
little port 1t rs shipped from. But the
orchards have been injured BY Insects
and blight, and the trees have not betns
renewed. This Is accounted sfor by baf,
government AS everywhere else In
the dominions of the sultan of Turkey,
for Arabia is nominaily a part OF the
Ottoman. empire. the officials receive
no salaries, and live, on -bIackitIaiis
Hence. whenever a citizen gets aSlittie3
ahead. when he shows signs OF pros-
perity. he Immediately becomes an
object of plunder and prosecutions by
the tax gatherer and by every other
representative of the government.
There is no incentive for the cone,
growers to extend their orchards or
to increase their product. .i
one does not realize, until he comes
face to face with the fact, that Arabia
is nearly 5alf 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 AIissIs-
sippi river. The population is tifi-
known, because there has never been
census. but it 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 1t varies from 500 to 800 Yet
In all this enormous territory there Ia
no centralized authority The Interior
rs soverened by petty shellss. each
pelhg absolute over the members OF
MS own tribe. Along coast line Of
nearly $500 miles are only six ports
where the sultak Of Turkey maintains
pasha governors and gurrisons to pro-
sect tne coiiectors OF customs who are
required to pay him q certain amount
! OF tribute every year. and they wiring
III out OF the people any way they can.
The relationship between the gov
grnincnt at Constantinople and the
/ Bedouins of Arabia is very slender
and is due solely to the cohesive power
OF the Mohnmmedan religion There ia
no law in Arabia but the Koran: there
are no courts but the priests; there are
no mails, no postoflices, no postage
stamps. and q person who wants to
communicate with n distant fried must
SEND MS letter by n messenger, which
IS expensive. or by a caravan, which is
! the common way There Is no teie-
6IdPh llne' no newspaper, no railroad,
ana, strange TO say, not river in ali
that vast area except n few shallow.
rocky beds. which during the spring
bring down water from the melting
snow on the mountain tops to the sen.
but for nine months in the year are
as dry MS a crematory
The captain tells me that they pro-
duce curious phenomenon. The coast
OF the Red sea is lined with coral
banks. built by those mysterious ana
Wonderful little masons who, like some
men that ] know of, hate fresh water,
and Wherever the spring floods fall into
the sea there is always q 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 GOO feet deep. 1t is the
prevailing impression that Arabia Is q
vast expanse of desert, but that is q
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.
ana. lying at an altitude of 5000 feet
above the sea, might produce cotton.
sugar and other semi-tropical staples
in unlimited quantities. Although
there are no streams plenty OF water
can be had for irriEati ton PURPOSES by
digging 20 or 80 feet. and the introduce
tion Of windmils would simplify the
piaiping problem. On the coast 1t is