Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-09-28
TREAsuRE on rHE DESERT.
In tie Sahara All Property Is Espresso;
by Camels


Primitive peoples who have no money
measure all values by that possession
which IS most desired and most easily
transferred. Thus among most of the
inhabtants of the Sahara the camel is
the measure Of all values Property,
riches and camels are Synonymous terms
among most If The dweiiers in the 81
hara DIR, Goldstein Of Germany wrote
while ago that if Il Tuareg were SCI
DOWN III the streets of Berlin the bhsi-
ness blocks aud residences would con.
vey 70 linn no idea of property. He
would simply ask the greatest real estate
landlord i'll the city how many cames
he owned
When Richardson met the Tuaregs
and was entertained by one of Their
chiefs the traveller was told by his host
that lie 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 a mehari. which is a
camel trained 10 fieetness ana the most
costly of Saharan camels.
While Barth was sojournng III Tim
buktn there WAS danger for Il few days
that the street mob would attack his
house. Que of his women servants adj
yised him TO remove his "haivan" to
Il place of safety. This word means live
stock. such as cattle or cames. and
his horse with him. 1t was some time
before he learned that the servant did
not refer particularly To his morse, but
to all his possessions
When the Frenchman Hourst succeed,
ed in navigating the Niger from its
mouth to Tiimbuktu. some years ago, a
desert dweller desiring to learn if he
came Of a family of substance asked him
how many eamels his father owned, and
when Foureau crossed the desert with
the largest exploring party that ever en-.
tered the Sahara he received from Il
wealthy native of Asger Il present of a
white camel and was told that it was
the most expensive present that the resi-
dents OF thar region could give to any
one,
As rule. however. the number of
camels in the possession of one ntiivid-
ual is not large. TIE average man con-
siders himself well to do il he owns
two or three animals, the important chief
is really wealthy if he possesses a herd
of fifty or sixty, and the richest chief
whom Nachtigal met in his seven years
wanderings was said to own about 100
camels No one will part with his
camels excepting at an eXorbitant price.
Foureau found if impossible to buy them
in the heatt of the desert for less than
about 2o0 francs. which was double
their value in Algeria.
The grazing grounds are common to
all and there is no property in land.
The richest man lives in tent and
why should he sell camels to acquire
the means to build more commodious
and substantial dwelling when he ex-
poets TO move % some other place in d
few weeks or months? He simply ac.
quires all the camels he can get for the
mere fun Of having them
To he sure he buys wives with his
camels Just rs the negro does with his
cattle, and wives come very high in the
Sahara. the daughter of the ordinary
man being worth as much as four
camels. while the price of Il Chief S
daughter can be commanded only by
the wealthy. Some explorers believe
that very fat young women are most
popular in the desert simply because
camel's milk is fattening and if Il girl
is fieshy. it shows that her father has
given her all the camel's milk she can
drink. Such Il father must have a num-
Der of camels. is therefore wealthy
man. and it will be good thing to mar
ny into his family.