Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-11-09

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ert well. the inn offers few COZ
veniences, for in Arabia every one
carries with him his bed and cooking
utensils. There is no charge f0c
passing a night in the desert hotel.
The wandering Arabs of every en-
campment possess a great tent
where stranger is always welcome.
II is called the multi and is like all
other tens excepting In size. inc
traveller on arriving makes his way To
it. Stopping before the tent he gives
his horse to an attendant, sticks MS
long spear into the ground at the tent
entrance and leaving his sandals out
side he enters, salutes and squats
down on the ground to wait until some
of the bitter Arab coffee is served to
him. BY tasting the coffee he has ac-
copied the hospitality of the sheik ana
becomes a temporary member OF the
tribe. There he can remain for a GER
tain time, eating the food which the
sheik provides and wandering about
their territory in perfect safety pro
tected by the Arabs. In whatever part
of the inhabited desert one may trav-
ell, one will always find shelter and al
most always food.
There are many bands OF rowing
thieves in the desert. Only If one has
nothing worthy of stealing can he be
safe in travelling in the desert. Long
journeys of month or more, as FROM
Damascus to Bagdad, are sometimes
made by donkey, beast that is de
spised in Arabia and hardly consid
cred worth stealing If one travels
by horse or camel he is generally in
company with large well-armed par
ty able to contend with any wander
ing band.
Animals Used in Travelling.
The horse is used mostly wherever
water can be found with sufficient
frequency. 1t has been trained To
continue SO hours without drinking.
but the camel is the only animal shat
may penetrate the driest regions. The
dromedary goes about ten miles an
hour For 16 hours day.
There is a camel post over the
great desert highway from Damascus
to Bagdad For ten days, with but
one single well on the way. the
dromedary carries the Turkish mail
The postman riding 1S hours day.
is able to sleep on his animal by sit
ting behind the hump, which he uses
as pillow, letting his feet hang
down behind
The Arabs are divided into hun
dreds of different tribes. Each is In
dependent and governed by a shefk
who has absolute power over his peo-
pie. He settles their disputes. selects
the location of their camp, collects
from them his tribute money and In
return provides them with food when
ever necessity compels them to ask
for it. Arabia is generally supposed
to be a part of the Turkish empire.
but few of the sheiks recognize the
sultan.
The dress OF the Arabs is as I'M
changeable as the other desert Gus
toms. The undergarment is a long
shirt, while the aba, large square
tunic, which may be the seamless
garment of the New Testament, is
the dress suit of all great occasions.
AT one season OF the year it serves as
blanket, and at another it is the
bed. On the head the Arab wears a
square cloth, called the keller On
the feet are sandals of the ancient
fashion.
Livelihood and Religion.
The desert Arab obtains" his living
by camel raising. In the great cen
trail plateau one may find him herd
ing thousands OF camels He drives
the camels to the larger cities once
a year to be sold to the merchants
whose caravans still transport the
merchandise from one end of the
desert to another
Though Mohammed was an Arab.
and the Arabian city of Mecca is the
center of the Mohammedan world. the
desert Arab Is more or less of
pagan. He calls himself Mohamme-
dan, yet he seldom prays or feasts.
or goes upon the pilgrimage to Mecca.
as a good Moslem should.