Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-10-26
TREASURE OF THE DESERT.
la ths sshara An Properly 's tN-
e,,ssaa l., eswsls

iYlmiiNe alpr Nh' have ho mon
w w,AsV,e an values by that poHHeH
sion MhhN 10 moat desired Nnd most
easiN ,NNsterwi Thus among woH'
AT the mNNhtthn,H or the Nhnm the
VA,oN Ia the moaaurc of al valuoa'
r,oner,,. rivhcp aud cnmcls ARE ny
non, Woua terma among most OF tue
Awellorp IN the Sahara nr Golds'em
cf GERMANY wrote awhile ago that II
n 1uarcg were set down In the streets
or nrslin 'he business blocks ana resi-
1,nccs would convey 10 him no idea Oh
nropcrty lie would simply ask the
greatest real estate landlord in the
CITY how many camcls he owned.
when Richardson met the luaregs
and was entertained by one OF theii
chiefs the traveller was told by MS
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 meharl'
which is camel trained to heetness
and the most costly Of the Saharan
camels.
While Barth was sojourning in I'm
buktu there was danger for rev
DAVIS that the street mob would attack
bis house. One of the women serV'
ants advised him to remove his MAJ
van TO a pace of safety. This woru
means live stock, such as cattle OF
comels and Rarth told the woman tha'
he had only his horse with him' IL
was some time before he learned lha'
the servant did not mean to reier par
tcnlorlv TO his horse, but to all HIS
possessions.
Whom the Frenchman Hourst sue
coded in navigating the Niger IRON
its month TO Timbuktu some years
400 desert dweler desiring TO learl
If no came of a family of substance
p asked him how many camels MS /"
thor owned and when Foureau crossed
the desert with the largest eXpiorlh'
marty that ever entered the Sahara III
received from q wealthy native OF AS
cor q nrcsent of white camel an'
was told that it was the most eApen
> eive nrescnt that the residents OF Una
region could give to any one.
As q rule. however. the number o
= camels in the possession Of one lhd
viduoI is not large. The average ma
considers himself well to do II he OWL
, two or three animals. the importal
> chief is really wealthy if he possesse
herd of fifty or sixty. and the rlcheS
chief whom Nachtigal met In his Sc
. en- years wanderings was saiu 10 ."
,, about 100 camels. No one VIII pa
u with his camels excepting at an exc
It Infant price. Foureau found 1t impo
sible TO buy them in the heart OF u
- desert for less than about 700 franc
~ which was double their value In y
geria.
The grazing grounds are common
70 all and there is no property in ian
~ Tho richest man lives in a tent al
- why should he sell camels TO acqui
~ the means to build Il more commodlo
~ and substantial dwelling when he e
II meets TO move to some other place In
few weeks or months? He simply
" ouires all the camels he can get
fine mere fun of having them.
- TO be sure he buys wives with
~ camels. Just ms the negro does win
~ cattle. and wives come very high
~ the Sahara the daughter Of the OF
-, nary man being worth as much
~ four camels. while the price OF chie
- daughter can be commanded only
w the wealthy. Some explorers Dehe
80 that very fat young women are III
10 popular in the desert simply beca'
~ cainers milk is fattening. and II
IN is Aeshy it shows that her father
~ given her all the camels milk she
drink. Such a father must have
number Of camels, is therefore
wealthy man. and 1t Will be g
thing to marry into his family.-Na
ington Post.