El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-05-10

these centers OF population has a COM
plned storehOuse and fort for purposes
Of defence.
The people. whether Of the noun
tains or of the plains. are an Arab
race known as Berbers. In former
days their tribes were continually at
war; each village being at daggerS
drawn even with its nearest neighbOrS.
But most dreaded Of all were the rob
Der TOuaregs, ravagers Of the desert
VINO, sWooping down on their racing
camels when least expected. were &C
custOmed to carry off food supplies
and portable property, together with
me good looking young women, ana 10
murder everybody else, including
children.
This sort of thing is not permitted
any longer, however, thanks to the IN
reference of the French. who, as one
means Of pacifying the country. have
established a great semi weekly mar
ket on a convenient and inviting oasis
10 which the people come from great
distances to buy and to sell. 1t = to-
day the principal meeting place of the
TrOSlOdytes. or cave dwellers, of all
southern Tunisia, and there the mem
bers Of tribes which have been cor
many centuries at swords points, make
friendship with one another It ls
practical application of the principle
that hostility nearly always arises
from lack Of acquaintance.
Necessarily the natives most exposed
TO attack DX luuEdEtS were muse VII
inhabited certain Subterranean villages,
wherein pits, or holes in the ground,
took the place of mountain caves Dr
boat shaped houses. One such place,
called Matmata. is 80 miles south Of
Gabes, a French garrison town on the
African side of the Mediterranean. It
has a population Of 5000 and there is
not a house in sight. all OF the dwell
ings being underground.
Furniture Cut From Solid Rock.
1anr oh, Z 1fHr-~ &c mi
without by a tunnel, slauting down to
the cOurtyard-the opening OF the
tunnel being at a little distance Fur
niture, such as tables and beds, are
simple and inexpensive way of proviu-
ing it. The walls Of the rooms are
whiteWashed. There are mattresses
stuffed with wool, and rugs and blan-
kets OF native manufacture
EtiGuet, says DR.. Johnson, fOroids a
man to approach any other mans hole
near enough TO look down and see his
women Usually the head of the house
hold has several wives tthe number de
pending upon his means) and there are
When a man wants a wife. he buys her
from her parents with certain num-
Der OF goats and lambs and stated
quantities Of olive oil, barley and
wheat. The price Of a bride is defi-
nitely fixed by custom; but woman
who is blind in one eye or otherwise
defective comes cheaper The groom
is expected to give to his prospective
fotherinlaw a new feZ and a pair of
yellow leather slippers he receives
with the girl q dOwry Of about So
half down. and the other half payable
at the end Of a year
Such pit villages are much more de-
feasible against an enemy than might
be supposed. There are similar subter-
ranean towns in Asia Minor, and his
tory records an assault upon one q
them. in comparatively recent times by
an Egyptian army. The inhabitants
sought refuge in the underground
rooms. rolling ruge stones against the
entrances. so that the invaders were
unable to force their way in. When
the latter lowered buckets into the els
terms. to get water. the ropes We're
cut. The upshOt of the affair was that
the foe was compelled to withdraw.
death from thirst being the alterna-
i've Rene Bache.