The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-05-24


Il "A his perilous voyage across the
Tripoli desert in company
with an Arab caravan Mr.. Ostler was
on his way to join the Turkish forces
at Tripoli.
There lies on either side of the
frontier line that divides Tripoli from
Tunis, an arid desert-land; dreary.
windy waste of sand and camelthorn
ecrub, wherein houses are as rare as
lightshlps In midocean, he writes.
Here and there, the long, low booths
OF nomad Arabs may be seen; but
these houses Of hair-cloth are set down
at dusk and taken up at dawn. There
is no place where you may count on
finding them. Therefore, the traveller
bent on entering Tripoli from the
western side unless he carried tent
with him, will sleep unsheltered. be-
meath the stars or the falling rain. as
the seasons shall decree.
For me, the season decreed rain OF
the African variety. Stand In such
as wet as though you had lain in the
bed of river For two nights l
slept In 1t huddled with shivering,
cursing camel-drivers, under the use
less lee of rampant built of barley
sacks. For three days. on the back
Of dripping camel. | progressed
towards gray horizons came no near
err; and almost without intermission,
the rain fell heavily and chill singing
the face from time to time with Icy
gusts.
The desert Is cold now. Tho desert,
indeed, like the little girl with curl
down the middle of her forehead,
knows only extremes. When 1t is
hot 1t is very. very hot; and when 1t
Is cold, 1t is horrid. The wind means
over the sand dunes. whistles through
the stiff, unyielding branches of the
camel-thorn, and searches you to the
very bone. Never have | known such
bitter biting cold as I have known
here, In an African desert
Voice of Greed.
When the French officials politely
but firmly deprived me OF the serv-
ants and baggage animals with which
had meant tosaorosas the dA@s~ts 4
managed to hire camels from the lead
ers of caravan carrying barley into
Tripoli, to sell to the Turkish army.
Not even an American lady tourist
they had nice faces. Their general
appearance, since they were armed to
the teeth, was picturesque but think
| never saw more villalnous counten-
ances, nor heard voices more express
sive of violent greed. Yet. as they
came in sight, the camels reeling
stately across the desert, like ships In
gentle swell, the men draped
and hooded, perched aloft, or pacing,
with harsh cries, alongside, / saw in
them a vision Of deliverance.
The striking of our bargain was DIFF
flcult. Arab-like, all spoke at once, ex-
tending rapacious hands to receive the
"foos" before starting. crying in saw
age, high-pitched tones that, II seen
with a "Nasary" they would be set
upon and killed, and each protesting
that he alone. of all the band, was to
be trusted. What little Arabic |
speak is that of Morocco, and Morocco
Is as distant from this country as is
Spain from Italy. Therefore, though
the main structure of the Arabic
tongue. held together by the Koran. Is
the same throughout the north Of Az
RIGA, idioms and pronunciations differ,
and l found II hard to make myself
understood, and harder still to under
stand. But In the end the shouting,
shivering conclave broke up; It was
agreed that | should accompany the
caravan for thirty francs, and was
presently seated upon one camel, with
my baggage disposed upon divers 9TH
ers.
The train of camels moved along.
each beast choosing its own road, and
browsing at will upon the stick-like,
withered scrub. The drivers are slow
to beat their beasts Off from this In.
termittent grazing, for they do not
give them any other fodder than that
which they thus find for themselves.
Only when some linger far behind the
rest, tearing at some peculiarly dainty
growth, do the men, hurrying back,
fall on them with blows and curses.
and drive them on their unhurried
way.
1t had been cold all the morning.
The rain began TO fall at noon. To-
wards dusk we halted in the shelter
less waste. and the camels knelt,
groaning bitterly. to be relieved of the
sodden barley sacks. With these q