Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-10-25
TREASURE OF THE DESERT.
In the Sahara All Property 10 Ex-
pressed by Camels.


Primitive peoples who have no mon
ey measure all values by that posses
sion 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 sy-
nonymous terms among most OF the
jewellers In the Sahara. DR.. Goldstein
OF Germany wrote awhile ago that II
Tuareg were set down in the streets
OF Berlin the business blocks and resi-
dences would convey to him no idea of
property. BE would simply ask the
greatest real estate 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 his
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 q mehari,
which Is q camel trained to neetness
and the most costly OF the Saharan
camels.
While Barth was sojourning In Tim
buktu there was danger for a few
days that the street mob would attack
his house. One OF the women sery-
ants advised him 70 remove his hal
van to a place Of safety. This word
means live stock, such as cattle or
camels. and Barth told the woman that
he had only his horse with him. II
was some time before he learned that
the servant did not mean to refer par
ticularly to his horse, but to all his
possessions.
When the Frenchman Hourst sue
ceeded in navigating the Niger from
its mouth to Timbuktu some years
ago a desert dweller. desiring to learn
If he came Of a family Of substance,
asked him how many camels his ia
Their owned, and when Foureau crossed
the desert with the largest exploring
party that ever entered the Sahara he
received from wealthy native OF AS
ger present OF a white camel and
was told that 1t was the most expen-
sive present that the residents of that
region could give TO any one.
AS rule. however. the number of
camels In the possession OF one indi-
vidual is not large. The average man
considers himself well to do IL he owns
two or three animals, the Important
chief is really wealthy If he possesses
herd OF fifty or sixty, and the richest
chief whom Nachtigal met IN his sew
en- years wanderings WAS said to own
about 100 camels. No one will part
with his camels excepting at an exor-
bitant price. Foureau found It impos-
sible to buy them In the heart OF the
desert for less than about $50 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 a tent, and
why should he sell camels to acquire
the means to build a more commodious
and substantial dwelling when he ex-
poets to move to some other place in a
few weeks or months? He simply ac-
quires all the camels he can get for
the mere fun OF having them.
To be sure. he buys wives with his
camels. just as the negro does with his
cattle. and wives come very high In
the Sahara. the daughter of the ordi-
nary man being worth as much as
four camels. while the price Of a chiefs
daughter can be commanded only by
the wealthy. Some explorers believe
that very fat young women are most