The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-02-23

ais. but now it ships little but dates.
wool and coffee, and even these are
gradually falling off. Mocha coffee Is
produced at the extreme end OF 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 co1ee
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 in
the dominions Of the sultan OF turkey
for Arabia is nominaliy part Of the
Ottoman empire, the officials receive
no salaries and live off black1aall.
Hence. whenever 4 citizen gets little
ahead. when he shows signs OF pros
perity. he Immediately becomes an
object Of plunder and persecution by
the tax gatherer and by every other
represen tative Of the government.
There is no incentive for the coffee
growers to extend their orchards or
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 ur-
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 4 thousand miles, and from east
to west it varies from 500 to S0G. Yet
ir all this enormous territory there Is
no centralized authority. The interior
is soverened by petty sheiks, eacn
being absolute over the members OF
mis- own tribe. Along a coast line Of
nearly $500 miles are only six ports.
where the sultan Of Turkey maintains
paShu governors and garriSonS to pro-
| tcct the collectors of customs, who are
required to pay him certain amount
of tribute every year. aid they wiring
| it out Of the people any way they can.
. The relationship between the gov
ernment at Constantinople and the
Ecdouins OF Arabia is very slender.
and is due solely to the cohesive power
! OF the Mohammedan religion. There Is
no law in Arabia but the Koran; there
are no courts but the priests; there are
no mails. no postofices. no postage
stamps. and a person who wants 10
communicate with a distant fried must
send his letter by messenger, which
! is expensive or by a caravan. which is
/ the common way. There Is no tele-
graph line. no newspaper. no raliroad.
and. strange to say, not river IN all
| that vast area except a few shallow,
rocky beds, which during the spring
bring down: water from the melting
snow on the mountain tops to the sea.
! but for nine months in the year are
as dry as crematory.
! The captain tells me that they pro-
duce curious phenomenon. The coast
re- the Red sea is lined with coral
", !ks. built by those mysterious and
wonderful little masons who, like some
men that I know Of, hate fresh water,
ard wherever the spring floods fall Into
the sea- there is always wide break
in the coral reef. .... -,
The mountainSof Arabia reach an
altitude Of 10000 feet, and in spots
where borings have been made the sand
is more than 500 feet deep. It ia;the
prevailing impression that Arabias;afra
vast expanse oS desert,* but that is
mistake There are wide strips fs6ar-
rem sand. which: are irreclatna bis.s$or
cultivation only Because they eannat
be reached by water, but two -thlrdscf
the country is capable of cultivation.
and. lying at an altitude Of aO9g feet
above the sea, might produce cotton.
sugar and other; mi-tropical staples
in unlimited quantities. Although
j there are no streams plenty OF water
can De QdQ 1OI lII1SdGofl poi R0nSS' W
digging 20 or 80 feet. and the introdue-
ton of windmills would, simplify the
pumping problem. On the coast IT. is
intensely hot, and the humidity OF the
atmosphere during the summer season
makes life almost unendurable but in
the interior, upon the table lane , along
the mountain slopes; and in the valleys.
the mercury seldom rises above s.. de
grees. even in. midsummer. While
the direct rays of the sun are intense.
it is cool ir the shade. and at night the
mercury often falls below SO. 80.
More than two-thirds of the popula-
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 epor-
nous flocks of sheep and goats. and
herds of cattle and canlels. 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 caravans.
which cross the desert regularly, and
transport enormous quantities of dates,
wool and other merchandise.
William E. Curtis.