Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-07-12
THE SAHARAN CARA
VAN TRADE DEAD
THE SENTRY.

lowed for ages across the larger part
of the Sahara controlled by France
are now open TO the traveller, who
may go on his way with a feeling of
security, for he knows he will not be
molested by bandits. The paths from
well to well are absolutely secure.
Within the last two years two French
professors, Gautier and Chudeau,
each without weapons and each ac-
companled only by guide and a SER
want, have crossed the desert along
different routes from Algeria TO the
Soudan without an accident or q
menace. On all the routes pushing
northward through the wastes to AL
gerla and Tunis millions OF dollars
worth OF commodities have passed
to and fro. But the trade is dead.
Not caravan is now using these
routes. There are two good reasons
for the remarkable transformation.
M. Gautier met a large number
OF the nomad Ifora-Tuaregs, but he
did not see caravan on his way.
A while ago Captain Fly Sainte-
Marie led a party across the wide
Erg Igidi. west OF the Taut oases
Several OF the caravan routes from
the Mediterranean TO the Soudan are |
traced through that belt OF desert. !
On his map he shows six OF them |
through the Erg, all OF which were |
once largely used and all converged
on Toadeni, formerly the great salt J.
and slave market in the heart OF the
Western Soudan.
Here are the oases, unlnhabited,
but rich in water and grass. where
the caravans used to feed and rest
their pack animals. There are FIVE
OF these green places In the desert.
and Fly Sainte-Marie visited them
all.
He found old traces OF the camps
where thousands OF camels had been
pastured. He found one new trace.
about two weeks old. the track OF
two camels and only one man travel a.,
Ing northward. This was the only
evidence OF human activity he saw.
In seventy one days OF travel, dur !
Ing which he covered 1900 kilo-
meters. he saw no other sign OF hui !
nan life. !,
. Tlnduf, a little farther west, has
almost completely disappeared. Lenz
'ound II In the eighties the most p
town he saw In the Sa- n
lara. the great collecting place OF m
he trade between Morocco and the u
ioudan, the largest slave mart in the p
lesert.
Here the negroes OF the Soudan
we're herded part OF them 10 go on I,
o Morocco and the remainder 10 be n
ent farther east TO be traded for 8
alt at Taoden and then scattered b
ar and wide among the GASES. Both n
hese places are now mostly In n
ulns and have no commercial /
Ignlhcance. The transsaharan traf- d
C has been wiped out, and Il has n
cen done by the French while they 8
'ore making it's routes secure.
There will still be an active and
growing trade between the oases n,
nd the fertile regions north and =,
outh OF the desert, but the French %,
ay themselves that there Is no pros n,
ect OF the revival OF the through n
routes across the sa-
ara.
Two agencies that have brought W
bout this great change are the COM al
lete suppression OF the slave trade ca
nd the multiplication OF steam Ia
)utes ot communication in tho a
oudan, There is no further use for M
smel caravans between the western lC,
oudan and the western Medi,erran- "a
an states. ",
The transportation OF slaves was a WI
rge and very profitable feature OF So
10 trade, but this commerce has
zen wholly wiped out. The legitl- :
ate trade Is following the line OF W
ast resistance opened by the pro-
ess OF material civilization.
The upper Niger now floats Light m'
'aught steamers that carry freight EG
'st Timbuktu hundreds OF miles 10 an
e railroad that passes Il on 10 the leI
'negal, where other steamers carry Az
10 the Atlantic, Il Is the longer
Az 20 the Mediterranean and 10 !
lrope. but q Is far cheaper than SN
mel caravans across the Sahara.
Some day, doubtless. the Sahara
II be spanned by railways. but un-
that time the western half OF the
sert will have practically no mart