The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-08-28

palms and suddenly you ride forth into
the Sahara. There it is in all its glis-
tening glory, the varied reflections in
its uDdulating surface greeting the eye
sensually and at times giving an effect
of the sea.
Little has been written about the
desert OF Sahara. Probably because its
physical makeup and attendant mys-
terry is unfathomable. 1t is an open
question whether it was once the bed
of a sea or whether it is pulverized
rock from the rocky portions of the
plains. The rains and the lightning
may have reduced the rocks to sand,
which, in turn, was swept over that
vast area by the tremendous winds. It
IS hard to think of it as once having
been the bed of an ocean. as most Of
the desert level is far above the level
of the sea. But while it has been do
scribed as a useless waste OF territory.
the one black spot dumped into the
best part of q great continent, 1t seems
to serve a purpose. Many do not care
to advance farther into it than a short
trip to Biskra. 1t seems to brighten
most OF the tourists In fact 1 believe
that what is difficult to understand
annoys some people and it is easy to
see that the annoyance inflicted on the
average woman tourist by the desert
is really terror inspired by the tre-
mendous sweep of sand that seems to
pile up mountain high. They think,
from sight of the great rolling dunes
IN the foreground, that some vague
horrors are hidden behind the hills.
Many people have exclaimed, oh, l am
afraid to get out of sight Of the palms;
one is so liable to meet robbers or those
fierce Arabs of the desertp
yet, I believe, IL the most timid
would try to study the character Of
the country and its people among whom
they are moving, instead of sticking
close to the consulate in the shadow
of their national flag. their fears would
be overcome as mine were. Nowhere
in the world can you find such poetry
as may be found among the Arabs
And this poetry can not be enjoyed
unless you have a working knowledge
of that picturesque language The
Arab has a thousand ways of express
ing himself. He can speak in meta
phors so significant that you can not
fail to catch his meaning. How 1t
thrills one to see fervent, passionate
Arab answer the question, What is the
desertT He glances at you ferceIy.
and then, spreading his arms aloft.
cries with almost a sob, 1t is the gar
den OF Allahp
Mrs. Mansfeldt refers particularly to
the devout nature of the Arab. who
prays not once but five times every
of the desert, while the caravan ia
swinging along at a rapid rate, the
signal would come for prayer, which
the. Arab obeys as the peasant does
the Angelus- Down comes the camel,
the Arab leaps of and kneeling in the
sand presses his forehead into the burn
ing surface, declaring his devotion to
Allah The periods of prayer are not
according to watch; the Arab knows
when to pray by mental calculation
assisted by nature. For instance. If
he does not instinctively know when
the noon hour arrives, he gets OF his
camel about that time, looks straight
up and sees the sun. 1t is time-he
prays; in midafternoon he judges the
time by measuring the length of his
own shadow. If his shadow is Just 10
times the length Of his foot it is Ilrnv
for his third prayer. The next prayer
is at sunset: another is made under
the stars, while through the night the
muezzin (priest) looks after the spirits
of the sleepers by crying his prayer at
intervals from the minaret of the
mosque, Sleep is good; but prayer is
better"