The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-04-21

copyright, eo7, by Frank G. Carpenter.)
IN EN- OUNIF, Algeria.-I have Just
returned from the great oasis of
~ Figuig. on the boundary between AL
geria and Morocco. It lies here in the
heart of the Sahara desert. 400 miles
youth of the Mediterranean and 100 miles
from Timbuktu. in the French Soudan.
If I should go westward through Mo-
rocco about as far as from New York
to Pittsburg, I would strike the port of
Arogador, on the Atlantic ocean, and IL
took camels and Travelled to the east l
should have to go through the Sahara
for a distance as great as from Phil
adelphia to Salt Lake City before l
found anything green and came to the
valley of the Nile.
Figuig has long been a caravan CEN
ter, and today the freight from a large
number oasis is shipped here on camels.
This is so Of Tablet in Morocco, from
where the best dates come, and OF Twat,
q large collection of GASES in the AL
gerian Sahara. now controlled by the
French, three or four hundreds miles to
the south of us. Some of this freight
still goes to Figuig, but a larger part
of 1t has been diverted to Colomb Bechar
and Ben Ounif, to be sent northward by
the new railroad.
This point is about as far north as
camels can come without danger of catch
ing cold. If they go farther they get
sick and die. For this reason the goods
from other GASES were once brought here
and then sent to the Mediterranean on
donkeys or mules The exchanges were
made at Figuig and this caused it to be-
come a commercial center. Its merchants
were noted as some of the shrewdest of
the Sahara, and they sent regular cara
vans to Tlemcen and to Melilla, in Span
ash Africa, on the Mediterranean sea.
About three years ago the French COM
pleted their railroad to this point and
tiguig Is rapidly losing its trade.
Heart of the Desert.
I wish could take you acress the desert
as ] saw 1t today. My surroundings here
are so different from anything we have
in America that L almost despair of MAX
sng my picture a live one. You must
first imagine the bluest OF blue skies, out
of which shines a dazzling white sun,
whose heat Is tempered by the strong
winds which blow over the sea. The air
is so clear that we can see for miles; and
upon all sides there are ragged brown
mountains in view. Here and there among
them there are patches of stony white
sand, some as bare as the seashore and
Others showing little patches of throny
green bushes. We start out from Benz
Ounif, fortified town with many French
soldiers and crowds OF Moors Arabs and
Berbers Camel troops are making their
way through the Streets officers in uni
form dash here and there on Arabian
horses, and companies of soldiers, in
bright reds and blues, are marching this
way and that. This Is one of the widest
parts of the Sahara and its people are
only held In check by the military forces
Father eastward Is the Algerian desert
coalitions are safer, but here, on the edge
of Morocco, no one dares to go about
without arms, and just over those noun
tains the lone traveller would almost sure
ly be killed.
Desert Guarded BY Soldiers.
Indeed, 1t is impossible TO visit the oasis
of Figug without an armed escort. For
eigners have been badly treated there In
the past, and the Christian who ventured
there few years ago took his life In his
hands. The French government will not
permit travellers from here to go alone
into Morocco, and 1t was only upon my
showing Captain Pariel. the chief of the
Arabian bureau, a letter whdch have
from our secretary of war to the governor
general of Algeria that two Arab soldiers
were tailed to accompany us.
These men were armed with repeating
rifles They rode Arabian horses and kept
right in front or close behind US during