New Britain herald., 1925-09-11
,lERBA THE HOME
 i OF L0TUS,EA7ERS
North African Island Now Scene of Sponge Fisheries

Washington, D. c, Sept, Il - Jerba, the North African island whare an ancient Greek treasure galley was discovered recently. is not listed as a stopping place on Mediterranean cruises. although it possesses a background Of rich his toric and romantic interest. Tradi- ton places on this little Tunisian island, almost midway between Gl. hroltar and srnz. the home Of the totus-eaters, of whom Homer tells In ane o' h.s sea tales,
 The present day natives, mostly Berbers of the Khariiite sect, would probably tell you they have never heard Of the fabled sweet forget fulness that was said to come to ~" f,o'"nhagi as the eaters of the lotus plant were called" says h1li"1II rom the Washington, D. C., Headquarters of the National Geographic society. There is noth- Ing today about their busy little paln-shaded towns or harbors full os fishing boats, that lends the at nosphere of a land of always after dinner Secure in their insularity { against the attacks of norladic Arabs, the Jerba islanders tend their fruit groves and vegetable gardens, wing also h industry with their kinsmen, the Mozab!tes. as traders to all the seaports of the Orient.
 Sponge and rolypus Fisheries
 The sponge, polypus and other fisheries, and the oyster beds in the Canal d'Adjim. ( q 7 channel through the narrow sweep of water that separates Jerba from the mainland, are productive. Every morning the queer looking craft of the Arab sponge fishermen put out from the long wharves. with flags flying, for the great stretches of shallow water that extend In all di- rections from the island Large steamers must be met by native sailing craft and rowboats, as it is impossible for most of them to ap- proach within two or three miles of the shore.
 "Jerba has been made, through the efforts of its inhabitants, one of the most fertile and prosperous spots along a great stretch of sun baked Mediterranean coastline. More than a million date-palms wave their fringes over the white roofed towns and villages of this island oasis, which Is approximate ly twice as large es Malta. its Brit fish neighbor 25o mles to the north east. Tn addition there are exten- sic groves of olive. orange, lemon and peach trees.
 TO the stranger coming from the bleak and perched Tunisian mainland this fertility seems a miracle. There are no rivers on Jerba, no streams worthy of the name even, and railtall is as scant and intrequent as on the mainland. The answer to the riddle is under ground water, obtained through ar tesian wells in the same manner that the natives of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico secure a con- Etant supply of fresh, cool water.
 Roofs Like Inverted Saucers
 'Humt-Suk, the capital and prin- eipal city, lies on the sandy north coast about half a mile from the sea and five miles from the anchor age of steamers. Its countless little buildings of one or two stories all have domes and from the roof tops the city looks like an array of in verted saucers, with the graceful Einarets of the mosques breaking the skyline like slender lighthouses. Public gardens and Q number of wide curving streets show the bene- fcent influence of the French. Down by the sea is the spot where e great mound of Christian bones,