The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-04-17

certainly gives very practical example @
of the simple life, for his needs are re- -
duced to minimum. Food, shelter and w.
clothing of the rudest kind are all that NJ
he requires as he wanders from desert to Y
tell with his focks. Like the bishop of
Brownings poem, he seems only to ask
that
That hutch should rustic with suficient
straw
but he is nevertheless said to suffer
greatly from rheumatism caused by in
cessant exposure to all weathers, and also from
ophthalma, which is real scourge among the
natives of Algeria and results all too frequently
in complete blindness
About week ten days before Christmas the
courses indigenes,' or native race meeting takes
place at Biskra This meeting is, of course much
less popular than the fashionable one which is
held in the spring, but good number of French
people always attend it. There is superstition
in Biskra that this particular week is always the
windiest in the year, and certainly the soli-
tary occasion of which l have had experience, the
reputation justified Even in the shelter Of
the stand we were thickly powdered with fine
white sand that blown in upon us by the high.
strong wind. We drove out to the course in one
of the shaky little carriages drawn by two swift
ponies, which be hired cheaply in the town.
The Hippodrome DEL Ala thronged with
people French for the most part, with a sprnkling
of English and Germans, and some native Kaids
gorgeously appareled. The first part Courses
events, the distance in each being 150O
meters. In the second part, Courses de la Com
mune Indgene," there were three events, and the
longest distance run was 2,400 meters, this race
being open to horses of all ages. The horses bore
such names as Boucoucha, LAMAR Salah and
Mabrouk while the jockeys figure the pro-
gram under such nomenclature Messaoud-den-
Chebha, cem-ben- Mohamed and forth. The
course is of hard white sand. upon which the fly
ing hoofs beat with a noise like thunder.
The streaming burnouses of the Arab jockeys
red and white and blue of all shades-made
patches Of brilliant color There were no rows of
raucous-voiced bookmakers shouting the odds;
but as the Arabs are inveterate gamblers, no
doubt a good deal of quiet betting went on.
Among the spectators many French officers.
wearing the pale blue tunic of the famous
Chasseurs d'Afrique Most of them combin-
ing business with pleasure, for the Arabs from
all parts Of the desert bring their best horses to
compete in the races, and these are frequently
bought for the remount department OF the African
cavalry. Every effort is being made by the
French government to encourage horse breeding
among the Arabs
Close to the grand stand of the harem
carriages with their shattered windows, could be
seen wherein the Arab ladies of quality were sit
ting concealed, catching imperfect glmpses OF
the races and also of what probably interested
them far more-the toilettes of the French wom-
en- A group of Spahis, in their bright red
burnouses and high red boots, added to the pic
turesqueness of the gay scene. When the races
we're over we were invited to mount up into the
Judges box to witness the fantasia This was a
thrilling and rather dramatic finale to the days
proceedings.
The men &C each goum or tribe, rode past head
ed by their kaid, or chief, galloping in rapid sue