The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-11-30


OF the northeastern point of Africa
at the entrance to the Gulf Of Alden,
like a chip fallen there in the making
OF the continent, lies SOcotra, q little
island TO which the world gives scant
thought, but which sends it's pleasant
messages to the nOstrils of thousands
each day. 1t Is. the Isle Of Franklin
cense" from which IN 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 a 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, q
milky juice exudes and slowly hard
ems in tear-shaped drops of yellowish
hue. These are gathered as olibanum,
or the true f~rankincense. The idea
that frankincense was originally q
product Of India probably arose from
q confusion Of 1t with other odorifer-
GUS products OF that country, and be-
N"u'S VI thS i0NL Una liiDoItcu lIuuh-
incense is sold with native Indian
products.
Among ancient and medieval peoples
frankincense was the physicians cure
all, being confidently administered for
fevers, boils, internal disorders, lep-
rosy, as an antidote to hemlock poi
soning, as a sedatlve, q stimulant and
a tonic.
In ancient times Socotra and the
southern end Of Arabia produced all
day the largest supply from the
Warsangli country, in Somaliland.
Socotra, 70 miles long by 35 miles
wide in its widest part and lying 543
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 It's precious balsams
1t has been almost forgotten. The
Europeans who have visited 1t could
be counted on ones fingers. Every
ship that passes through Bab-el-Man-
deb, east or west, sights its cloud belt
ed peaks and gives it room: for
Socotra has no harbors, and the mon
soon snarls about It's uncharted rocks
like a 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 Il 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
latch string of SOcotra does not hang
out for tourists. Only after careful
arrangements and the securing Of per
mits does one venture to the island,
and ever then his reception may not
be cordial. It's sultan has enjoyed
isolation so long that he considers 1t
a sort Of priceless privilege and
wishes to preserve 1t.
Hadibo, or Tamarida, as the Arabs
call 1t, from lamar, the date-fruit
tree. Is q collection of ~lat-rOofed white
houses scattered among the palms.
The sultan's palace" is a large mud
structure with fiat towers, and the two
prayer houses are suggestive of the
graceful Arab mosques only by con-
trast. The poorer population, chiefly
of African descent and much older in
the history Of the island than Its Arab
aristocracy, lives in huts of thorn and
plated grass, invariably overrun with
luxuriant gourd vines. Surrounded by
tiny garden plots, in which tombac, or
native tobacco, lentils, melons, and
yams grow abundantly, they are more
picturesque outside than inside.
There is not much to be seen in
Hadibo. The principal amusement af-
forded the visitor is that of being
seen one is fortunate If any part of
his person or belongings escapes much
handling, as well as the sharpest kline
Of scrutiny. Yet they are a kindly
folk, hospitable and quite harmless
Ouarrels among themselves are said
to be almost unknown.
The women for the most part keep
shyly yelled, or crowd behind the
doors, while the men may bring out
their small stores OF skins, dried tom.
bac, Jumps Of fr%ankincense and aloes
for inspection. 1t Is said that in an
cient times the SOcotran women ex'
ercised the arts Of magic, and among
the Arabs the legend still survives
that they were wont to sit on the
rocks and lure mariners to disaster
with their smiles. Possibly the
Socotran women were the Circes and
the Sirens, so fatal to the old Greek
sailors: but If SO, their charms have
sadly deserted them since, or the sail.
ormen of that day were ever more
impressionable than sailors are now
Beside Hadibo is a khor. or lagoon
that winds its placid way through the
palms. Strangely enough, a strip OF
sand not more titan SO feet wide d.
vides It's sweet waters from the brine
of the sea. There are several Of these
-oo-s olnn., Tho nanCt nnI