The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-09-19
TREASURE OF THE DESERT.
In the Sahara All Property Is Ex-
pressed by Camels.

pressed by Camels.
Primitive peoples who have no mo-
ney measure all values by that pos
session which is most desired and
most easily transferred. Thus
among most of the inhabitants OF
the Sahara the camel Is the measure
of all values. Property, riches and
camels are synonymous terms among
most of the dwellers In the Sahara.
DR.. Goldstein of Germany wrote a
while ago that II Tuareg we're set
down In the streets of Berlin the
business blocks and residences would
convey to him no idea Of property.
He would simply ask the greatest
real estate landlord in the city how
many camels he owned.
When Richardson met the Tuar-
egs and was entertained by one OF
their chiefs the traveller was told by
his host that he wished to make
Queen Victoria the finest present that
any one could give her, and 30 he
asked his guest to take back to her
a mehari, which is a camel trained
to feetness and the most costly OF
Saharan camels.
While Barth was sojourning in
Timbuktu there was danger for a
few days that the street mob would
attack his house. One of his wo-
men servants advised him to re-
move his "haivan" to a place OF
safety. This word means live stock.
such as cattle or camels, and Barth
told the woman that he had only his
horse with him. 1t was some time
before he learned that the servant
did not refer particularly to his
horse. but to all HIS possessions.
When the Frenchman Hourst suo-
ceeded In navigating the Niger from
It's mouth to Timbuktu, some years
ago, a desert dweller desiring to
learn If he came of q family Of sub
stance asked him how many camels
his father owned and when Foureau
crossed the desert with the largest
exploring party that ever entered the
Sahara he received from a wealthy
native of Asger a present of a white
camel and was told that 1t was the
most expensive present that the resi-
dents of that region could give TO
any one.
AS a rule, however, the number Of
camels In the possession Of one indiv-
idual is not large. The average man
considers himself we'll to do II he
owns two or three animals; the I'M
portant 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 ex-
cepting at an exorbitant price. Four
eau found II impossible to buy them
in the heart of the desert for less
than about 250 francs, which was
double their value in Algiera.
The grazing grounds are common
to all and there is no property in
land. The richest man lives in a
tent and why should he sell camels
to acquire the means to build more
commodious and substantial dwell
Ing when he expects to move to some
other place in a few weeks or mon
tbs? He simply acquires all the
camels he can get for the mere fun
of having them.
To be sure he buys wives with his
camels, just as 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 a
chiefs daughter can be commanded
only by the wealthy. Some explor-
ers believe that very fat young wo-
men are most popular in the desert
simply because camei's milk is fat
tening and If girl is fleshy it shows
that her father has given her all tho
milk she can drink. Such a
father must have a number of carels
is therefore wealthy man, and II
will be good thing to marry into
his family.