The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-03-29


5ENRI the wonderful inventions
- of man. has Just afforded
another ultra-rnodern continuance"
The camera---its first chance to snap
q group OF dwellings as old IN styie as
any that man ever built for himself
1t was the Italian dirigible balloon
SIP 2" that accomplished the feat and
gave the italian invaders OF Tripoli
edditionah reason for patting them
selves on tie back and feeling like the
vanguard IF progress. While the pal
doom lowered high over the arid waste
ahat 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
chat, however, they were all that was
visible OF villages teemfng with hu-
snan beings, Of troglodyte villages,
whose inhabitants dig deep into the
earth to find home just as their
eorefatEers did thousands Of years
ago. when the dirigible balloon land
the camera and the Italian nation
we're things undreamed of
This unique picture Of underground
dwellings taken from point far up in
the air by the latest European visitor
to the cavemen has aroused renewed
interest in these African troglodytes,
whom only few travellers have ever
beheid
Tssis most recent visitor sojourned
among the caye-dWeilers of Matmata,
back Of the Mediterranean coast of
Tunisia, and from these struck still
further inland to the places where the
climbing troglodytes" dwell and the
nomads Of the desert store their grain
and other valuables In storehouses
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
sack by this latest adyenturer into the
land Of the trogiodytes. When he ap-
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 h,tth carpets hanging from
the eartheR walls. with modern tables
and benches.
But those who went before him
aave given US more minute details as
to this extraordinary people. In 1911
an American, pointed out ON every
side as the first Of his race to venture
unto the Matmata region and the des.
ert spaces hidden behind 1t, sojourned
eor some time with the kaid, or chief
tain, of Matmata. travelled with guides
provided by this local potentate far
anto the hinteriand and gathered the
materials for long account OF his
wanderinss. to say nothing Of a splen-
did series of pictures. Previous to
this visit the troglodytes had enter
tanned two French archaeologists and,
still eariier-far back In the nineties,
when they were scarcely known at
all to the outside worId-they opened
their curious abodes to Brunn, q Dan
tsh explorer, who also lived with the
said of his day and gave an interest
eng account of what he saw.
Frank Edward Johnson is the man
who eau lay claim to being the only
American who has lived among the
cavemen Of northern Africa. While
he was in Tripoii some years ago he
Became quite chummy with the kaid
OF Matmata. an Intelligent native,
whom the French masters of the land
had appointed to rule over an inland
tribe. This native later became kaid
of Matmata and. happening TO read
In some American magazines an ar
dele by Mr.. Johnson ON trogIodytes,
fe 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 81 am
a trogiodyte myself" the writer of
the letter remarked. So Mr.. johnson
left his Connecticut home, sailed
across the sea to Tunis, transferred
to a small coasting steamboat, which
landed him at the desert port OF
fabes, and after wearIsome Journey
over the sands. found himself within
view of the village OF Matmata. Or
rather. he didn't find himself within
view of 1t. It was there. but he
couldn't see 1t.
Imagine arriving at tswn OF 5000