Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1913-03-28

Az over the deserts OF north.
AA ern Africa, dirigihle bal
A loon, one of the newest OF
I1IA the wonderful inventions
of man. has Just afforded
another ultra-modern contrivance-
the camera-its first chance to snap
group OF dwellings as old in style as
any that man ever built for himself.
1t was the Italian dirigible balloon
"P 2" that accomplished the feat and
gave the italian invaders of Tripoli
additional reason for patting them.
selves on the back and feeling like the
vanguard Of progress. While the bal
loon lowered high over the arid waste
that lies back Of the Mediterranean
coast of northern Africa. the pho
tographer trained his camera on lot
of holes in the desert-apparenty bur.
rowed by animals. Instead of being
that, however. they we're all that was
visible of villages teeming with hu.
man beings. of troglodyte villages.
whose Inhabitants dig deep into the
earth to find home just as their
forefathers did thousands OF years
ago, when the dirigible balloon and
the camera and the Italian nation
we're things undreamed of
This unique picture OF underground
dwellings taken from a point far up I'm
the air by the latest European visitor
to the cavemen has aroused renewed
interest in these African troglodytes,
whom only few travellers have ever
beheld
This most recent visitor sojourned
among the cave-dwellers of Matmata.
back OF the Mediterranean coast OF
Tunisia. and from these struck sttll
further inland to the places where the
climbing troglodytes" dwell and the
nomads OF the desert store their grain
and other valnables In storehouaes
which, though built above the ground
are fashioned exactly like the under.
ground homes of their neighbors, thus
leading scientists to believe that
their ancestors burrowed into the
ground.
Curious, indeed, are the tales brought
back by this latest adyenturer into the
land of the troglodytes. When he APP
preached the underground dwellings of
Matmata all the women whom he en-
countered ran away. covering their
faces as they went. He was taken
into homes deep down In the earth. yet
furnished with carpets hanging from
the earthen walls, with modern tables
and benches.
But those who went before him
have given us more minute details MS
to this extraordinary people In 1911
an American, pointed out ON every
side as the first of his race to venture
Into the Matmata region and the des
ert spaces hidden behind 1t. Hojoarnea
for some time with the kaid, or chief
tain, OF Matmata, Travelled with guides
provided by this local potentate far
into the hinterland and gathered the
materials for a long account OF his
wanderings, to say nothing OF SPLEEN
did series of pictures. Previous to
this visit the troglodyteB had enter
tanned two French aHehaeoloRiafs and
still earlier-far back In the nlnefIes
when they we're scarcely known at
all to the outside World-they opened
their curious abodes to Brnnn, Dan
ish explorer, who also lived with the
kaid OF his day and gave an interest
Ing account of what he saw
Frank Edward johnson is the man
who can lay claim to being the only
American who has lived among the
eavemen of northern Africa. While
he was in TripoH some years ago he
became quite chummy with the kaid
OF Matmata. an intelligent native
whom the French masters OF the land
mad appointed TO rule over an inland
tribe. This native later became kaid
of Matmata and. happening to read
In some American magazines an ar
ticle by Mr. Johnson on trogiodytes
he wrote to the author at his home In
Norwich. Conn. that he would I'm.
prove his knowledge Of the subject by
paying his old friend a visit Il am
a trogiodyte myself, the writer Of
the letter remarked So Mr.. Johnson
left his Connecticut home. aeged
across the. sea TO Tnnis. transferred
TO a small coastlng steamboat, which
landed him al the desert port OF
GabeB, and after weariEome journey
over the sands. found himself within
view Of the village of Matmata or
rather. be didn't find himself within
view nf II Il vas there. but he
couldn't see H.
Imagine arriving AT town Of 600