The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1925-03-05
TRIDESMEN IN
GREAT MIGRATI
Provide Modern Prototype
of March of Children
of Israel.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. tribesmen,
again Ia revolt against the Persian
government. provide a modern proto-
type Of the march Of the Children Of
Israel out Of the wilderness, accord
Ing to bulletin from the Washington
headquarters Of the National Geo
graphic society.
Only IN the case Of the Bakhtiarfs,
who i've In the Wild West Of Persia.
their pilgrimage is accomplished every
six months and the trail traverses
sn0w-covered mountains icy streams,
and other obstacles along what has
been called the 'wickesieet 200 miles In
all the world
Thunder Of Hail Million HoofsI
~Along with $4,000 Of the men, wom-
en- and children on their semi-annual
Odyssey go some half a million cattle
The tribesmen live on the cattle and
the cattle live on grass. Only during
the winter months is there grazing on
the scorching Httoral Of the Persian
gulf; and only In the summer months
IL there grass on the plateau country
back Of the Bakhtiari mountain range.
Haeuce people and cattle have to move
with the seasons.
when the Bakhtiaris knock down
their black and orange and white tents
10 go in search Of grass they pile their
household effects on the backs Of their
animals. and atop these cargoes ride
the lambs, the calves and the chick
ems. Their women strap to their backs
elr crude wooden cradles} In which
they carry their babies and their hus-
bands guns.
''Tf an observer would get the epic
quality of this mammoth migration he
should station himself beside stream
Lone of the torrential, icy-cold noun
tatn rivers. First the tribesmen make
RATS underlaid with inflated goat
skins and on these they entrust wom-
en- and children, the younger animals
and their meager household effects
Then they drive their horses, cows and
sheep into the swirling stream. The
goats alone refuse to swim and, per-
haps In return for the use of their
dead comrades skins, cross on the
RATS.
s-The roar Of the falls above, the
sereeching Of animals the cries Of the
dying beasts caught In whirlpools, and
the yelling of the men go to make up
din that is weird and unparalleled.
Finally the men themselves take the
icy plunge. This scene is not matter
Of hours, but Of days. and the cross
ing is continued through the moonlight
nights.
Cross Snow Trails In Bare Feet.
'grhe next high Light of the trip
comes with the mountains where men
and women discard shoes and break
trails through snow-filled ravines and
along icy passes. ever higher and high
sr. until, when the summit is reached,
the weaker humans and animals have
been left bleeding, freezing and starv-
in9 on the steep trails. A panorama
Of the serpentine line, twisting and
twining from the valley below, as far
as the eye can see, is one Of the most
picturesque spectacles Of human geog-
raphy. The climax Of the mountain
climbing comes with the ascent Of the
giant and seemingly inaccessible Ear
deh Kuh, some 1900 feet high.
asT1ae Bakhtiaris do not bow to TIE
hersn; they continually are at war
win the Lurs and other neighboring
txfbesman. They are ruled By tribal
ezASftaanR- Their men value women
AgAt1y, using them as beasts Of bur-
den. and pay slight attention to their
daughters Their sons they teach to
sheet and swim and ride by the time
Ehaw are nine or ten years old"