The New York herald., 1921-06-19

the two ladies were carried in chairs.
ten bearers to each. The servants, with
not fewer than fifty asses. looked after
the baggage; while another squad OF
lancers brought up our rear. On our
right rose the new wireless; France is
linking up with wireless her whole At
rican empire. On our left, half square
milo of the desert had been cleared for
an aviation park; and here an avion,
flying from France, had recently alight-
ed. 1t was heavy going in the sand.
Presently, on a slight rise ahead, low
brown town was seen. 1t was Tim
buctoo.
A shriII Welcome.
An hour later we reached the out
skirts. No such distinguished visitors
had arrived in years, and a crowd was
assembled to give us welcome. Native
horesmen, on their fine Arabs. galloped
by, shrilly greeting us. Where we passed
up III e slight rise TO the French quarter
the 7otabes. In their long white or blue
gowns, stood grouped. They saluted us
profoundly. The romantic music of pipes
bI oke out, and the beating of tom-touis,
these continuing long after we had gone
to our quarters.
The French hold Timbuctoo with a
handful of officers and some Senegalese
troops. The Government Is a military
one the trlcolor always flies from the
fort and every black man salutes you.
These blacks are simple community.
Their life is quiet there is little money
about tomorrow for them will be as
to-day; and yet ! call them contented.
They dwell five degrees inside the tropics
BY day a scorching, furious sun beats
down; but there is glamour over the
desert at dawn and at dusk and in win
ter the nights are cool. Nor Is Timbuc-
too unhealthy. When the French entered
in 1894 they found population Of 5000.
1t is no more than 1000 to-day, and will
yet decrease.
There is. as ever. no production at all.
Food is brought in from the outside.
Down by the canal the French have
planted an acre or two with green vege-
tables save for his. there are only the
mmosa thorns and the inimitable desert.
No caravans worth name now arrive.
The new railways in French Africa,
more than the old raids of the Tuaregs,
divert the traffic. 1t Is true the salt In
dustry continues. Twice year the
camels are driven to Taudenni, on the
borders of the JUN. 500 miles northwest,
and return with the cut bars of salt.
Three thousand salt laden camels ar
rived the other day.
A city OF Mud Houses.
The area Of Timbuctoo looks square
of 500 yards. Round its fringe nomads
have built their reed huts, but the town
itself is built entirely of mud. The
houses are windowiess. opening upon
lanes deep in sand, where the midday
sun strikes fiercely down. Mud ovens
stand in these lanes where the women
come to their baking. The mud houses
have strongly clamped doors. Some are
built up second story, which Is braced
with pylons of mud-the one trace of
Egypt, or Of Egyptian" Jenne (Guinea).
could find in Timbuctoo-and is
pierced. unlike the lower floor, with
small Moorish windows. There are
three mosques, their mnarets crudefy
fashioned of mud. Two of these are in
ruins; in the third, the saddest of little
spots. a few old men humble their
prayers
/ entered Timbuctoo's upper school
In the dim light of windowless rooms
classes of fifteen >or twenty worked at
Arabic and arithmetic and French. The
black faces OF their teachers were good
faces. In the market place a crowd Of
500 bought and sold. There were Syri-
ans about, but here one saw the true
physiognomy OF Timbuctoo-the COM