The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-06-02

over money even if the Sultan cannot.
Allah be praised! The tourist cannot
proceed on his, way without the per-
NIT of the Kaimaham, who will see to
it that he does not start too easily.
Next in importance( to the Turkish
Governor, and in many ways even
more influential, is the skeikh of the
local Bedouins. He owns all the comels
in the district, and as camels are the
sole means of transport, he can make
his own terms. He is the ally of the
Governor in making the traveller pay
out literally, though these two worthless
are evidently suspicious of each other
as to dividing the spoil. Lastly, there
are the villagers who have eggs,
scraggy chicken and goatlike lambs
to sell, and who are anxious that the
stranger should not depart from their
coasts too soon. Judging from the RAJ
pacity of all these people, you conclude
that some of the sharks, Of which the
Red Sea is so full, finding the water
come to an end Of Akabah, must have
got out here on to the shore.
| The traveller who rashly intrudes in
to this home of harpies does not do so
without fair warning of what he may
expect. The admonitions Of guide books
and the records of previous Journeys
warn him that every care should be
taken by inquiry at Cairo and Suez to
ascertain whether the route to Petra
| is open or whether the lawlessness of
| the Bedouins makes the journey on
| from Akabah in that direction impos-
sibe, that letters of Communication
should be carried to the military auth
critics at Akabah, and that, as q final
precaution, a messenger should be sent
on about week ahead from Sinai to
| Akabaho on a swift camel to bring
back an assurance that the traveller
acn be sent on to Petra.
What avail all these precautions?
Your messenger, of course, brings back
glowing promises from the Akabah
authorities, who naturally want you to
walk into their clutches, your letters
I Of commentator are received with
every mark of consideration, but when
you are a weeks journey from any
where, and there is no telegraph such
things avail but little. The main point
is, Behold, this traveller cometh,
come let us bleed him!" The traveller
is presumably accompanied by an
honest dragoman, who has contracted
to carry out the journey at so much a
day, inclusive, and who naturally does
not care to submit to eXactIons, though
otherwise he has no objection to the
journey being heightened by few
days delay.
The process of traveller bleeding as
practiced by Turkish officials is simple
and efficacious. First comes great
overhauling of all your baggage and
stores for contraband or suspicious
articles, and as the customs laws in
the remoter parts of the Ottoman do
minions are, to say the least of 1t, va
que there is much back heesh necess-
airy before the matter is settled. Then
the examination Of passports however
carefully procured, always discloses
some mysterious and alarming irregu-
larity, which, however, is capable Of
equally mysterious removal by dint Of
a cash payment.
Next you are Informed that the kali
makam, out OF sollcitude for your
safety has sent ten soldiers to guard
your tents. This guard is quite unne-
neccary, but it is provided 10 order
that you may have to pay the soldiers,
who also expected to be provided with
cigarettes and coffee, and anything
that may happen to be going In the
way of food. As these poor creatures
very seldom get any pay or any little
luxuries one does not grudge them a
few simple little treats If one has spare
stores; but you would have preferred,
say, only one sentry instead Of ten, as
then you would not be kept awake at
night as they sit around a campfire dis
cussing you and your coffee.
The arrival Of message hotfoot
from the castle to say that two of the
officers are suddenly and dangerously
Ill, and could you spare a bottle of
brandy, need cause no alarm, but the
request had better be complied with, if
possible.
| While your dragoman Is conducting
| - ----- -.