Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-13
PWvr1EKy RppLzE
OF TR{RoL1

more like stable than anything else, and
indeed 1t is often stable and mill combined.
In the center of the stable are two huge
stones, as big around cart wheel, and
about two feet in thickness. There is
hopper above the top stone, and from this
the wheat pours down into a hole in that
stone. and is ground as the stones move
about on the other. The power which
makes the mill go is ungainly camel,
hitched to a long bar which moves the top
stone. The camel has two cups OF closely
woven basket work as big around as a
saucer over his eyes. and he goes about
blindfolded. In addition to such grinding
great deal of flour is made with hand stones
moved by women. This is the custom in
most of the GASES, the grain being ground
from day to day as ii Is needed.
Public Bakers.
Another Tripoi institution, through
which many families combine together to
cheaper their food is the town baker.
This man is to be found in most of the
streets of the city. His shop looks like a
cellar: it consists of a great Cven with
well In front of 1t in which the baker
stands as he works. The we'll is about
four feet deep and so made that the breast
Of the baker Is on level with the mouth
of the oven. The dough Is put in and the
baked bread taken out a long wooden
paddle The baker not only bakes, but he
also does roasting, and one can have
sheep cooked, a pan Of chestnuts popped
Or coffee Drowned, according to order.
These public bakers have their regular
customers, who pay them so much per
month, and some Of them work on the
same plan as our country millers, taking
toll out of each baking sent in. For in
stance, If a dozen lOaves cooked, the
baker gets one as his share, and II
smaller amount Is sent in little loaf Is put
| in for the toll
Fuel is scarce in all the cities of north
Africa. and especially in such as Tripoli.
where the only wood nearby is that of the
palln the olive tree. great part OF
the fuel used is charcoal, and this costs so
much that it is cheaper to send ones
roasts and loaves out to be cooked than to
! do them at home. The only stoves used
are made of clay or of BRICKS, built up as
| a ledge in the kitchen walls. There are no
chimney and the smoke gets out as it can.
In the Meat Markets.
| Speaking of the baker makes one think
o. the butcher and the candlestick maker.
They are all to be found in Tripoli. The
chief light of the city comes from candles
| and there is regular business Of making
candles for the trade. They are usually
sold by the perfumers.
The butchers are even more interesting.
l spent some time the other day in big
meat market just inside the city walls. The
chief meats sold are mutton and camel
flesh, each of which has It's own depart
ment and its own butchers. The market is
ing done the same spot. l saw men
slaughtering sheep and skinning them.
while their customers waited for the still
smoking flesh and beside them their fel
!. io,, were IT en- IN other carcasses and
weighing them, preparatory to sei....ss.
The Tripoli mutton is fine. 1t is tender
and fat and the carcasses have great flaps
of fat at the tails. The Barbary sheep have.
tails which are made of nothing uut fat;
they hang down like great aprons over their
rumps. single tail sometimes weighing
fifteen pounds. Many of the sheep sold In
the market are decorated with gold paper to
catch the eyes of customers, and some are
sprinkled with white and blacl, seeds. ]
asked the price at which mutton was sell.
ing, and was told that good cuts brought
10 cents and upward per pound.
A little farther on was the camel market
Here the meat was also decorated with
, gilt paper. but it came from old and
broken down camels 1t was tough and Jaw
breaking and brought much less than the
mutton
Leaving the meat market, l visited a place
where men were selling perfumcry In little
bottles about as big around as ones thumb
They sat on the ground, with their ables
before them, and weighed out the scents at
80 much per ounce. A little further on |
saw several Arabs peddling second hand
weapons. Most of the guns We're of the
old fiintlock variety, and some were beauti-
fully inlaid with gold, silver and ivory. ]
find the fiintlock gun still in common use
here and also the flints. In : of the
Tripoli shops boxes of fiints are exposed for
sale side by side with cast bullets and cast
shot. FRANK G. CARPENTER