Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-07-12

sun by excessively high buildings,
leaning so far toward the center that
they darken the streets. but, above oil.
keep the glare of the sun from the
dwellera The houses are not built on
any plan known 10 the rest OF the
world. The first story or ground
Coor is wlndowless, probably to serve
as defenses In case OF sudden attack
from the desert nomads. The next
| floor Is likewise windowless, but Is
| Lighted from above About the Er"Ses
are sunken gardens, and as may De
imagined with the spreading foliage OF
palms, give O charming sense OF fairy
land to the surroundings.
Every species Of exotic growth
thrlves In these delightful spaces,
oven bananas. Aga dates, etc.--the
products, In short, OF every tropic
country The industry Of the city Is
the entertaining, guarding OF the cara
vans and slaves that meet in this des-
ert waste for recuperation preparatory
TO the final assemblage at the chosen
marts Oh the seacoast.
Visits Of the Dread Simeon.
Almost daily the simOom makes life
burden unless one Is sheltered I'M
der the ample palms or in the spacious
ground apartments OF the solemn look
ing fortresses called houses. Were
,he gardens Oh level with the sur
FACE OF the desert they couldn't exist
an hour IN O simeon which sweeps
everything as clean as the new tangled
hotel sweepers. But let the slnoom
Whirl dust and heat with what fury il
lists, the voice of the "mueZzin" six
times o day proves that the human
still exists. and that IS about The only
evidence that there Is anything but
vast circumference OF almost evenly
built edifces made to resist the desert
invader, both simoom ana nomad
The strange dwelers in this unin-
Wiling oasis are as extraordinary as
their surroundings. There are three
distinct groups. they can hardly be
called races. The descendants OF the
earliest known .abitants, dilTereuti-
ated distinctiyely as Rhadamesians.
who arc accorded certain priority OF
rank, arrogating 10 themselves nobili-
airy distinctions: the "Atryas, q
mingling Of negro freedman from 9TH
er parts; then the descendants OF the
mobiles, by negresses These black
folk, however, have none OF the physi-
cal traits Of the African. Their noses
are aquiline, their hair long, their lips
normal, and their feet we'll proper
toned evident descendants, the an
thropologists discern, OF the ancient
Lbyians. A considerable group OF
scientists who have sojourneG in the
oasis testify, however, that the earl
lest settlers Of the oasis were unques-
tlonably the native black African and
that the remnants o. their civilization
attest superiority TO their successors.
The Italians look upon this as very
hopeful promise for their future set
clement and civilization OF the i'm
mense desert wastes that have fallen
10 them in occupying Tripoli, since
they propose to make use OF the myri- |
ads hitherto brought By the caravans
as slaves.
But the conquerors, like the French
in Algeria and Morocco, will be COM
pelled to turn the soldiers casernes
into schools to teach the men operating
in the country the innunlerable dia-
lects spoken BY the natives, for no
Two groups speak the same lingo. Nor
will the work OF "assimilating" the
new masters prove easy, since the
women are moro ALPHABETICALLY I'M
INJURED at home than even in Turkey.
One Of the secrets OF the French facil-
;ty in gaining the good will OF con-
ouered peoples is the ready adaptable. |
Ity Of the good humored little soldier
in making up to the women: ne IS al
wavs handy, always serviceable, he
can teach ho~ 10 cook ed!blcs IN 2
ashton neve. dreamed by the aborig. |
lEal.