Norwich bulletin., 1913-02-11

| 0O~-@@CN Italian war balloon over the villages of the troglodytes, the curious cave dWeilers Of northern Africa, which is described in one of the Sunday New ork papers. the contribution ito science upon this subject made by one distinguished son of Norwich Frank Edward Johnson, is given large prom thence. or the work of MT. Johnson in his original investigation among the troglodytes it is said:
 frank Edward Johnson is the man who can lay claim to being the only American who has lived among the cavenen of Northern Africa. While he was in Tripoli some years ago he became quite chunlny with the Kaid Of Matmata, 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 ucle by MT. Johnson on troglodyteS, 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. T am a troglodyte myself, the writer of the letter remarked. So MT. Johnson left his Connecticut home sailed across the sea to Tunis, transferred to small coasting. steamboat, which landed him at the desert port of GabeS, and after wearisome Journey over the sands, found himself within view IH6 Village or MaInlaIa4 Of rather, he didn't find himself within view of it. It was there but he couldn't see it.
 Not House In Sight.
 Imagine arriving at a town of 5000 inhabitants and not seeing q house only picturesque mosque built since the French occupation,', he said, in an article which he wrote for the National Geographic Magazine after his return to the United States.
 When he finally looked groundward and located the village, he slipped ana stumbled down the sides of a huge hole dug in the ground, and found that it was a courtyard of his friend. the Kaid, from which other openings led into living rooms and store rooms. Every house in Matmata is built in just this way-one large hole, left covered, for a courtyard. and every thing else leading out of it deep inte the earth.
 The big holes vary in depth and width, averaging about yards deep and 15 yards in circumference. In the middle of each courtyard is a square masonary trough which pipes rain water into a large cistern. This is a most important home adjunct, as water is very scarce. Every drop of rain is carefully preserved-so care fully that the unfortunate horses, goats, sheep and donkeys belonging to the natives are watered only once in tw enty -four hours.
 Visiting the kaid.
 The Kaid's dwelling is a superior sort of place with it's entrances walls whitewaShed and several articles of European furniture disposed about the various holes that serve as rooms. high class dwelling of this un- derground village is that of SheflS F'erdjani, who courteously invited MT. Johnson to pick his way down the steep walls of thef 'tcourtyard'' and pay him a visit. He describes the visit thus:
 A young man burned a handful
 of dried esparto grass, which
 famed up brightly and showed us
 the steps and turns down the tun-
 ne1. I almost fell over a donkey
 eating it's hay Great eyes glared
 at me from out of the blackness-
 On coming into the large round
 courtyard one would think the
 Sheiks the father of at least
 twelve infants, for children from
 to 10 years old are curiously
 of bonbons and SOUS Whatever money one gives the Sheik is di
 vided among the children
 He met the Sheik's beautiful little 1 six old daughter who liked to be | photographed with her playmate, little | Ayesha. and her little brothers. After 1 gratifying this taste of hers door of | oalm leaf boards was pushed aside and l he American was uShered into the | 5heik'S private roon1-or "a ther cave | ut out of the solid rock. In 1t was an , ,ld wooden chest, many guns, and a hewn out of rock, but, pro- l rided with comfortab1e-looking native | na attresses filled with wood and with | native blankets. There was also an oil l amp made just like those the Greeks l md Romans used. The kaid of Matnata was very po- l ite to MT Johnson. Whenever the | alter travelled about in the neighbor- l food to look up other borrowing com | he was provided with knives, | spoons, forks and naplzins by his hos ,itable host.
 Matmata Etiquette.
 Under such auspices the American | lad ample opportunity to study the .ustoms of the country. and he has | much that is interesting to say about hem Of the Kaid's village he writes: |
 Matmata has it's special code of
 etiquette. Never approach near
 enough to another mans dwelling
 to look down into the great cir
 cular courtyard and see his wom-
 en. It is not only bad form but it
 is dangerous. Each dwelling has
 numbers of white Kaby1e dogs that
 keep constant watch. and on
 your approach would fly out at
 pieces. Never enter a passage
 way to a dwelling without sending in. small boy or girl to let the