New Britain herald., 1926-04-16
HERE'S A GLIMPSE
 AT MYSTERY LAND
4 Trip to Egypt Of BedouinS
 and SheikS

Washington. April lS-Recent dis patches from Cairo credit A. M, n.assaneln Bey, former first secretary nt the Egyptian legation at Washing ion, vlth moderni2ing the courses and sspipment of the Azhar uniyer- ylty t'Htord of Moslem learning,
 Hrsids his educational and diplo. m Sttc work Hassanein Bey won dis tioction as an explorer by crossing ne hitherto untraVcrsed Libyan des- rst, What sheik really Is, and a curious communal date market arc described in parts Of Q. communica- ton to the National Geographic so' ",ety concerning his 2,2o0 mile jour ,ey which follows:
 My first objective from Sollnm was Siwa. where I arrived after nine days trek, This is one of the oldest eases of the Libyan desert, ?nd the most prosperous because Of tts date trees and its numerous springs. It's geographical position has made it center for Bedouins trading between Egypt and the in ',ror of Cyrenaica.
 Curious Communal Custom
 "The chief occupation Of the in> habitants is the cultivation of dates, Olive trees are also grown and olive oil extracted.
 The dates of Siwa are famous all oyer the world. A visit to the dats market reveals a curious communis- tic custom that prevails here. EVery- body, rich and poor, brings all ms dates, good and bad, and puts them in heaps, and no one dares touch one date from another mans heap for it would bring bad luck. On the other hand, they allow any stranger or any poor man 10 come in and eat as much as he likes from the best quality provided he does not take any away with him. Therefore no- body starVes at Siwa.
 Some of the women are unusual ly comedy. They dress in very ioost garments and adorn themselves with necklaces of silver bangles. Photo graphs of some of these Siwa girls suggest that they follow the most modern form of colffure, but tho hair is not hobbed. although 1t has the same effect. It is plaited Wher the child is young, and the braldinE continues as the hair grows. The locks are oiled from timo to tim" but are never unplaitcd or comhot out.
 Shcik--In Arabic
 After leaving Siwa l put aSli' n.v khaki clothes and assumed des arr garments, travelling as l}edoW' .haik. find that in America sho'' means somothing very terrible an Fascinating: but 90 pr cont of 'h' .hnilif In tho dnScr, arc $ little hE" " tn run away with heautifu v.ouan as the S"mc per cent Of tn .-la'a bankers of Ancrica! Tn ,.o,d 'shoik' in tr@hic mans m oI' .".' and lt has come in time f ,,:a tho cni"s' mar oF th" tribe : ..;. Is. is chicf, o' th' 'rr"E of tn .,lfgior, or thh heal of caravan.
 Two days tourney from IaTh
 .b. on tht way 70 ,Taio, VIC cam .ro>s pc'rifcl forest, iht hi ..,. oe pctri,ir,I tr"os arc ctil, us" .s landmarks or he way set ' rror1inE 70 an fs"-o'd pracNc . 'hn l"Sert.
 "1t :, customar. when 2 oaraTa ,rG. small pieces If stone lyln .nut along the route to hHa in n m, tp snow that some on ..s passed. of course. tracks i :2.a sand are ohli'erattd by th wind. It is q wonderful sight some times, when ono has been trekNin 'or five or six days without seein any sign of the hand of man, "oma across q riia q: two or thre " .Jcn"s on the ground. + straight way encourages one, Inc body :. camel or even the skeleton Of a 3nfnrfnnatc 'ravcler. though h .Wtul sight, at feast shows that r~rayan has rassed that way.
 Eight DSS nf Sandstornr
 "ThG most Interesting feature 'rn trip 10 Jalo vas eight days
 N1s' orm.
 The dcarrt is usual,v very ca)n with an occasional breeze, ~hic ,"comos stronger and stronsc ,hna gradually the land looks as lt had ben fitted with pipes emf ing steam. The fine sand fir rises, but as the velocity Of Il vind increases heavier grains ris When the sand gejs as high |