The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-12-12

at the entrance to the Gulf Of Alden,
like a chip fallen there in the making
Of the continent, lies Socotra, little
island to which the world gives scant
thought, but which sends its pleasant
messages to the nostrils of thousands
each day. 1t is the isle Of Franklin
cense" from which comes much Of the
pleasant, aromatic gum burned as in
cense alike in the churches and tenn
pies of the West and the East.
Frankincense is gum resin OBJ
tanned from certain trees of the genus
Boswellia, found in Socotra, East At
RIGA and Arabia. An incision having
been made In the bark Of the tree, a
milky juice exudes and slowly hard
ems in tear-shaped drops of yellowish
hue These are gathered as olibanum,
or the true frankincense. The idea
that frankincense was originally a
product of India probably arose from
a confusion of it with other odorifer-
Gus products Of that country, and be-
cause of the fact that imported frank
incense is sold with native Indian
products.
Among ancient and medieval peoples
frankincense was the physicians cure
all, being confidently administered for
feyers, boils, internal disorders, lep-
rosy, as an antidote to hemlock poi
soning, as a sedative, stimulant and
q tonic
In ancient times Socotra and the
southern end of Arabia produced all
the frankincense in the world, but to-
day the largest supply comes from the
Warsangli country, in Somaliland.
Socotra. 70 miles long by IS miles
miles east Of Alden, is said to be geo.
logically older than eastern Asia yet |
in the centuries which have elapsed |
since the argosies of Persia and Tyre |
sought it out for its precious balsams |
II has been almost forgotten. The |
Europeans who have visited it could |
be counted on ones fingers. Every
ship that passes through Gilman
deb east or west, sights its cloud-belt-
ed peaks and gives II room: for
Socotra has no harbors, and the mon
soon snarls about its uncharted rocks
like hungry lioness lying In wait
for her prey.
Tourists Are Not Wanted.
If one makes his way to this out-of
the-way island he will probably sail
into Tamarida bay, where before him,
smothered in palms, will lie Hadibo,
capitol of the island. In the distance
he will see a vast rampant of gray
limestone mountains thrusting needle
pointed peaks up into the clouds.
These are the peaks of Haghier.
1t should be explained that the
atch string Of Socotra does not hang
put for tourists Only after careful
arrangements and the securing of per-
nits does one venture to the island,
md even then his reception may not
,e cordial It's sultan has enjoyed
ISOLATION so long that he considers it
sort of priceless privilege and
wishes to preserve 1t.
Hadibo, or Tamarida, as the Arabs
all it, from lamar, the date-fruit
rec, is a collection Of fiat-roofed white
ouses scattered among the palms. .
tructure with fiat towers, and the two /
rayer houses are suggestive Of the ,
raceful Arab mosques only by con- |
rast The poorer population, chiefly |
f African descent and much older In {
he history Of the island than its Arab ,
lives in huts Of thorn and 6
lated grass. invariably overrun with t
1xuriant gourd vines. Surrounded by {
inv garden plots, in which tombac, or s
alive tobacco, lentils, melons, and
ans grow abundantly, they are more
picturesque outside than inside. 4
There is not much to be seen in 4
-adibo. The principal amusement af- b
)rded the visitor is that Of being S
cen: one Is fortunate If any part of b
Is person or belongings escapes much a
andling. as well as the sharpest kind b
7 scrutiny. Yet they are kindly a
Tx, hospitable and quite harmless.
uarrels among themselves are said Il
be almost unknown. o
The women for the most part keep W
lyly yelled, or crowd behind the Il
,ors, while the men may bring out "
eir small stores of skins, dried TOM e
&c, Jumps of frankincense and aloes Il
II inspection. 1t is said that in an ii
ent times the Socotran women ex- 81
cised the arts OF magic, and among II
e Arabs the legend still survives o.
at they were wont to sit on the te
cks and lure mariners to disaster
it'll their smiles. Possibly the IL
,cotran women were the Circes and II
e Sirens, so fatal to the old Greek tr
ilors: but If so, thelr charms have Fl
div deserted them since, or the sail pl
men of that day were even more OF
than sailors are now. 81
Beside Hadibo is khor, or lagoon, m
at winds its placid way through the al
Inns. Strangely enough, strip OF
nd not more than 80 feet wide d. oo
les its sweet waters from the brine De
the sea. There are several Of these IN
ted-in lagoons along the coast, and OF
ut eminent traveller. the late Theo- le