The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-03-08


"A OF the London Express, gives
A a picturesque description OF
A "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 Tripoll.
There lies on either side OF the
frontier line that divides Tripoli from
runis. an arid desert-land a dreary,
windy waste of sand and came-thorn
ecrub. wherein houses are as rare as
lightships 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
rain for sixty seconds. and you VIII be
as wet as though you had lain In the
bed Of a river. For two nights |
slept I'm 1t huddled with shivering,
cursing camel-drivers, under the use
less lee of a rampant built Of barley
sacks. For three days. on the back
of a dripping camel. progressed
towards gray horizons came no near
err; and almost without intermission,
the rain fell heavily and chill stinging
the face from time TO time with icy
gusts.
The desert is cold now. The desert
indeed like the little girl with curl
down the middle OF her forehead
knows only extremes. When it 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, unyieldng branches OF the
camelthorn. and searches you TO the
very bone Never have known such
bitter biting cold as 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 TO cross the desert.
managed to hire camels from the lead
ers of a caravan carrying barley into
Tripoli, to sell to the Turkish army
Not even an American lady tourist
could have said Of these men that
they had nice faces. Their general
appearance. since they were armed TO
the teeth was picturesque, but I think
never saw more villainous counter.
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
4 gentle swell, the men draped
md hooded, perched aloft, or pacing,
with harsh CT .eA alongside. saw in
them n vision of delverance.
The striking OF our bargain was diff
fcult. Arablike. all spoke at once. OK.
tending rapacious hands to receive the
"noos" before starting. crying in saw
age. high-pitched tones that. If seen
with a "Nasary" they would be set
upon and kille., 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
| rica, idioms and recommendations differ.
| and | found Il hard to make myself
understood and harder still TO under
/ stand But In the end the shouting.
/ shvering conclave broke up: It was
( agreed that | should accompany the
/ caravan for thirty francs, and I 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
% beat their beasts of from this I'm.
termittent grazing, for they do not
zive them any other fodder than that
which they thus find for themselves
only when some linger far behind the
est. tearing at some peculiarly dainty
growth. do the men. hurrying back
all on them with blows and curses
nd drive them on their unhurried
way.
Il had been cold all the morning
he rain began TO fall at noon. To
ards dusk we halted in the shelter
,ss waste, and the camels knelt
roaming bitterly. TO be relieved Of the
odden barley sacks With these