The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-17
In the Sahara All Property Is Ex.
 pressed by Camels.

From the Washington Post
 Primitive peoples who have no money
 measure all values by that possession
 which is most desired and most easily
 transferred. Thus among most of the
 Inhabitants of the Sahara the camel
 is the measure of all values. Property,
 riches and camels are synonymous
 terms among most of the dwellers in
 the Sahara. Dr. Goldstein of Germany
 wrote awhile ago that if Tuareg were
 set down in the streets of Berlin the
 business blocks and residences would
 convey to him no idea of property. He
 would simply ask the greatest real es-
 tate landlord in the city how many
 camels he owned.
 When Richardson met the Tuaregs
 and was entertained by one of their
 chiefs the traveller was told by is host
 that he wished to make Queen Victoria
 the finest present that any one could
 give her. and so he asked his guest to
 take back to her mehari, which is
 camel trained to fleetness and the most
 costly of the Saharan camels.
 While Earth was sojourning in Tim buktu there was danger for few days that the street mob would attack
 his house. One of the women servants
 advised him to remove his haivan to a place of safety. This word means 1.-Two
 stock such as cattle or camels. and , Earth told the woman that he had only
 his horse with him. It was some time { before he learned that the servant did not mean to refer particularly to his horse, but to all his possessions. When the Frenchman Hourst sue ceeded in navigating the Niger from it's mouth to Timbuktu some years ago desert dweller desiring to learn if he came of a family of substance asked him how many camels his father own i ed, and when Foureau crossed the desert with the largest exploring party | that ever entered the Sahara he re- | ceived from a wealthy native of Asger present of a white camel and was | told that it was the most expensive | present that the residents of that re- , zion could give to any one.
 AS rule. however, the number of
 camels in the possession of one indi- yidual Is not large. The average man considers himself well to do if he owns
 two or three animals; the important chief Is really wealthy if he possesses a herd of 50 or 60, and the richest chief whom Nachtigal met in his seven years wanderings was said to own about 100 camels. No one will part with his camels excepting at an exor- bitant price. Foureau found 1t impos- | sible to buy them Tn the heart of the 1 desert for less than about 25O francs, which was double their value in AL ! geria.
 The grazing grounds are common to all and there Is no property in land. | The richest man lives In tent ana | why should he sell camels to acquire ] the means to build more commodious 1 and substantial dwelling when he ex- ! poets to move to some oth CT place in a | few weeks or months? He simply ac- . ouires all the camels he can get for l the mere fun of having them.
 1 To be sure, he buys wives with his camels, just as the negro does with his ! cattle, and wives come very high Tn 1 the Sahara, tue daughter of the ordt- nary man being worth as much as four l eamels, while the price of chiefs 1 daughter can be commanded only by ] tbe wealthy. Some explorers believe | that very fat young women are most popular in the desert simply because 1 camePs milk is fattening, and if girl l is fieshy 1t shows that her father has l given her all the camePs II ilk she con l drink. Such father must have Il 1 number of camels Is therefore wealthy man, and 1t will be a good 1 thing to marry into his family.