The Coconino sun., 1925-05-22
The Sudan Country
Port Sudan, March 10. 10:


boat. 1t is a small harbor, deep and
narrow. Several English boats were
tied up here, loading and coaling.
We had no more than time to drop
our mud hook before flat-boat pulled
alongside with select variety of ma
tive Indians on board This particu-
lar brand of natives is called fuzzy
wuzzies because of their peculiar up
standing Angora-like black hair, which
stands out like long crinkly mop all
over the head. And, like the Angora
goat, there were mud balls dangling
down in the hair. The only other or
nament was wooden hair pin They
were quite professional when it came
to having their pictures taken, espe-
cially so was the proud owner of a
hair-lip, who wanted Is cents before
he would pose for the battery of
amateur camera feinds. The rest
would strike an attitude for ten cents,
or what have you?
None of them seemed to be savage
except as to odor, in which they pre-
dominated quite excessively. They
used no American language but could
say Shilling" adding motions which
in the great international code, indi-
cate an earnest desire for money. They
had no new tricks to offer, though
one or two enterprising local mer-
chants had the inevitable batch of
beads, including some ivory, ostrich
feather fans and dried walrus hide
canes.
One could see from the surround
ings that the natives had for many
years lived on the climate until a
small tourist crop was developed a
few years ago.
Our boat hesitated here about three
hours in order to put off party of
about 25 passengers who had actually
bought tickets at a big round price for
a trip through this desert country
some few hundred miles to Khartum
where they expected to pick up a few
more beads and such junk while view
ing few more old ruins. The wealth
er here is very much like samples re-
ceived from Imperial valley during
the brisk months of July and August.
This place, Khartum, was mention
ed as being populated as extensively
as 10000 and the largest city in Su-
dan, consequently a bunch of our
sharpshooters Immediately wanted to
hit up with it, fearing the place might
not be there the next time they came
this way. Some of US are like that.
If Hoyle on places-tourists-sh
spend-their-vacation- n-and-money men,
tions place away out in Helrs Half
Acre, they Immediately have an all
consuming religious desire to be able
to report: "I've been there" It's a
terrible thing nowadays to be COM
PEELED to admit you "haint been
there" no matter where the place is
located and regardless of what it pro-
duces.
Looking Sudan over from a port
hole, I am able. to report that the
main crops here are sea gulls, Indians,
camels, ostriches and sand dunes,
though | could see range of noun
tains away off in the distance where
| presume the ivory forests are in
tensively cultivated. Some of our
tourist body who used to think os-
trich feathers were picked from the
trees planted along the shore close to
handy shipping points, have been
here, for there were no
trees. Going around the world this
way, peeking into windows and over
back yard fences, has many surprises
as well as sad disappointments.
have never been able to discover
where the natives all along the line
cultivated their bead farms, but there
must be thousands of acres devoted to
this crop around and between ports.
1t has been said by one tourist wiser
than most of US that the greater ton
mage of such beads is manufactured
from glass, but knowing the value of
glass of any kind, we are certain of
its being a financial impossibility to
sell glass beads at such low price.
Only beads of perspiration could COM
pete.
The party that left US today will
pick up the boat again at Cairo or
Alexandria, all enthusiastically telling
US stay-at-homes what wonderful
trip it was; how they would not have
missed it for anything, then just
casually add: "but | am glad it is
over"
The Sudan, as this sunburned coun-
try is called, is as large as India and
two-thirds the size of China and is
governed jointly by England and
Egypt, but from inside advice | learn
that England, having the largest joint,
never disagrees with the Egyptian
authorities, but merely insists that
where compromises are necessary
they shall be satisfactory to England.
When one stops to consider how
much of the worlds surface is either
owned or controlled by the little old
British Isle, you must come to the
conclusion that the Englishman has
right to be "cocky" or, at least, he
must have been mighty "cocky" to-
have absorbed so much Of the earth
from such a small beginning, if you
get the idea.
Honest, | had no intention of writ
ng this letter today, but it was so
neasIy hot some ventilation was nee
sssary just to let off steam.
was just in hopes that some in
,ellectual genius who likes to punish
lis head with statistics, will clap an
Eye on this and measure up the earth's
control. It's easy, but I'm too basy
Ind tire so easily while attempting to
.hink I'm thinking.