Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-07-06

upon Africa, and l doubt II thev a..
known outside this part OF Titniyi.u
Nevertheless they are OF enortu,,,e ~.
tent and of historic Interest M
lie q milo or so outside tho ,.ai
with olive trees and other crops gro,.
ing above Them. They are reached n,.
stone steps, which take one far h,tagg
the SURFACE. and they extend o,,c,. sn,.
eral square miles. 1t was by ,ns,n,
of my letter from the rerenf an ~
nisia that | was able to 20 tbr,,,,S,
them. We walked along gallery Me-.
gallery. cut out of the solid lint,.ston,'
lighting our way with candles. Nm,
and then we had to stoop over md
was warned TO keep close To IA
guide, as thore are so many cross-pas.
SO ges that one might become lost AMI
wander long before getting out. Tha
galleries are walled with tombs. thag
contain the remains of tens OF thn,,-
So ds Of human beings, all lying 4,
boxes cut out of the wallis nue.
down there under the ground. mo
tonbs are. In fact, n series OF pigeon
holes, each hole containing a skeleton
or bones and bone dust.
After the body was put In Tho fr,r,
OF the tomb was walled up. and an ia
scription was carved upon IT mention
Ing the name and sometimes the stor,,
of the man. In many of the tolnhs
gold and silver and precious stones
have been found, and In others ar
ticles which illustrate the life Of tho
times Some of the toIubs wero
those OF littleschildren. In ono saw
the bones of woman. the imprcSstop
OF whose buxom bust still showed ln
the plaster cast made by the sort
limestone and clay. Upon a shelf oyer
this ! saw the bones OF baby Of
perhaps years OF age. and in the
pigeon hole just below the skull and
foot of man. the rest of his skele-
ton having passed away.
SFAx.
1 am writing these notes in Sfsx
the capital of southern Tunisia and
one OF the rapidly growing cities of
northern Africa. The town lies on a
harbor, which can be entered by the
largest of ocean steamers, and il has
considerable trade 1t ships phos-
pilates and olive oil, and millions of
sponges. caught In the waters nearby
The population of Szax is about $4,000
natives and 5000 Europeans. the most
of whom are Italians and Spaniards
The European town lies between the
Arab town and the sea. II contains a
theater. a postoffice, several hotels
and some few business houses.
The native city, like all those Of
uIllSid, rs Sutfobuutn w an tflOr-
nous wall and entered by gates. The
houses inside the walls are all of Ara
bian architecture, and the streets
wind this way and that. and are too
narrow for wheeled vehicles.
The natives are MohammedanS OF
the Mohammedans. They do not like
Christians; and 1t was not until 1882
that Europeans We're allowed 10 come
inside the walls. Were 1t not that the
French govern the country, II would
hardly be possible to go inside today,
and, in fact one sees few Europeans
inside the town. They are not allow
ed to enter the principal mosque and
1t IL not safe to go into any Of the
other places of worship.
The people OF SfaX dress in oriental
costumes. the women wrapping them.
selves up in white blankets. which
they hold so tightly over their faces
that only a three cornered eye hole
can be seen. They do not wear black,
as in Sousse and Kairouan. The men
are clad like their kind in all parts
of Tunisia.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.