The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-29

Nile valley. now belongs - the EgNp-
tians and i governed by them me
country Is visited b! travellers by
means OF camcls and Berouiu guides
and ii is possible 70 go UP the noun
tains where Moses saw the LORD IN
a burning bush. ana where he received
the Ten Commandments engraved on
blocks OF stone. While the l~sracltteS
were worshiping the golden calf IN
the foothills.
The Peninsula Of Sinai is one Of the
most mountainous deserts or the
world. It has no tillable soil. but II
is said TO be well mineralizcd. and To
lave deposits Of copper which were
worked as far ack as 3100 Il 9 These
deposits are now being again pros
pected. and a concession Tor mining
them has been given 10 one or the ex-
p~loration companies. The Cairo syn
dictate is investigating in the northern
half of the peninsula, ans! their en-
gfneers have reported the discovery Of
coal in small quantities. Petroleum
is believed to exist there, and also tur-
quoises and other vulnable stones
The government, however, Is ind
ing it difficult to administer the couu-
try, and just before Lord Cromer left
he directed tina the whole rcninsult
be put under the war department. \
British officer of the Egyptian army
is to be the governor and command
ant. His headquarters viii be at
Nckhl. the chief town OF the PENN
sula. which is about It's center; and
there Will be other Egyptian officers
stationed at various points The in
tention is to make the country safe
for tourists and travellers, as well a5
for prospectors, and il will soon be
possible to visit all parts Of the penin-
sula.
The Queer Natives of Sinai.
In the past il has been difficult to
control the natives OF Sinai. The
country is so large and 50 rough and
the population 50 sparse that 1T Is al
most impossible to capture criminals
and bring them to Justice A camel
corps has been organized and a tele-
graph line and possibly a road for mo-
tor cars will tie bulls to Eekhl. AL
though this may not be until at some
time in the future.
At present there are about 10000
inhabitants IL the peninsula. They
are all of Arab origin. save one lit
tie tribe. who are believed to be the
descendants of some Roman troops
sent to the peninsula in the sixth cen-
fury.
These Sinai people have their own
systems Of justice and they resent the
laws which the Egyptians are trying
to force upon them They believe in
the vendetta. and In blood money as
payment for murder. If "A man Kills
another in time Of peace the relations
of the dead have the right to revenge
or to pardon If the blood money be
paid. The blood money FOR an ordin-
airy murder is fixed at forty-one cam
els. and 1t may be paid on instal1ments
the payments running for a month
or a year or more. If a man kills an
other secretly and denies the crime.
but is found guilty. he Is fined four
blood moneys and the murdered
mans relations may take revenge b,
killing one of the family Of the muir
derer and still have the right to three
blood moneys.
How the Judges Detect Crime.
Shortly before he left Epypt Lord
Cromer made some Investigations OF
justice in the Sinai peninsula. and in
one or his reports described how a
justice detected whether criminals
were guilty or not. He had three
rnethods-by water. by fire and ~
dream The test by dream was made
~ his honor going 10 sleep and
dreaming whether the accused ,yas
guilty or not. If the dream showed
the man guilty, It was locke. upon
as a judgment Of God and he vas
punlshed. me water test was made
mlth a copper jug filled with that fluid.
ne Judge, the accused and the snec-
tators sat in a circle and the ING ~
some way or other. was made to move
aroung through the group. ana II -
stopped opposite the accused he cas
guilty. """
re IRE test was severe, II vas often
used To convict men II t.annq II
TINS case the judge heated an iron nan
over the Goals until it vas red hot ana
then made the accused touch il tbraa
times with his tongue II the tonq,a
showed marks Of burning he was
Sull's' ana. II not. he was innocent
TWO experts always sat with ~ 49,
10 witness whether the tongues Of The
accused were burnt or not
All such methods are now IN he
gone away with and the British ana
o~fhcials are to see that tus-
laws Of the land. - '"S
FRANK q.