Evening star., 1944-04-30

quantities of gold ornaments given them
by their admirers, have been famous
throughout Islam for centuries Much
of the immunity which the region en-
joyed In the past was due to the in
fiuence of these entertainers at Con-
stantinople, Cairo, Bagdad and, of
course, Algiers Their highly stylized
dancing, with the chief emphasis on the
use of the hands and the eyes, but with
occasional discreet emphasis by hip
motions, is more Oriental in technique
than any other such performance in
Africa.
The villages of the Aures are colorful
and set in well-cultivated oases. A dis
tinctive feature of their architecture.
strongly reminiscent of certain parts Of
India, is the guelaa, which is a COM
bined granary and citadel.
The guelaa is built upon a high rock
some miles distant from the village OF
its owners. Often three or four stories
high, it has no stairway, ascent being
by means Of a circular ramp In a. CEN
trail court open to the sky To the
gueiaa the villagers 60 to- store their
surplus supplies, and as last resort,
to make a final stand, against their
enemies. -. .,
Twenty-Five Centuries Old
Although the Berbers are believed to
have been in North Africa for close to
Is centuries, the Mzabs have the oldest
buildings and records Of any of the
three principal Berber branches. They
are heretical Moslems, whose ancestors
took part in the Ibanite revolt against
Ali, the fourth Caliph after Mohammed,
in the very morning OF Islam. They
were ordered to be slain and saved
themselves by fleeing to a forbidden
part of Africa, $50 miles south of
Algiers. Against terrific odds they built
up a chain of beautiful villages and
small cities, which are prosperous to
this day. The fortress mosque at Char
daia, their old capitol, was built in 1O48,
and is still in good condition.
The Mzabs have long been money!
makers, and often go to other cities to
open offices. Their women never &C
company them on such occasions, and
by a system of rotation agents or man
ayers, the outside or branch offices are
pH tn kn fns
all Mzabs to return to their families
frequently. The Mzabs are rather heavy
set, with ruddy skins, and many of them
are blue eyed.
Ihe Arab of the Tent
Yet, for all the labored nonconformity
of these Caucasian relics, the Arab of
the tent remains the great individualist
of Africa-still the man who, more per-
haps than any other, lives his own life
as he likes it. This Arab, who is not
to be compared with the mimickers of
Europe in the port cities, is to be found
at his best in the huge, dark tents of
the Larbaa Confederation, scattered for
several hundred miles along the borders
of the Wadi Rhir.
A child of one of the largest tribes
will own many of the gardens and houses
of the nearest oasis, but will disdain
them and live outside under his huge
wooden tent, surrounded by beautiful
horses, camels, sheep, goats, dozen
or so sets of children and their mothers,
lusty hunting dogs and graceful falcons.
To such man you can talk sanitary
plumbing and operas, constitutional gov
ernment and novels until you are blue
in the face He will listen, but he will
think you crazy Linger not too long
there lest you begin to agree with him
Hasten away, for there the stars are
perilouSly near at night and the desert
air has magic!
There the Saluki, or "Sloughi," the
best dog developed in Africa, pursues
the swift gazelle with mighty strides
across the sand and rocks. And there
the gazelle, bounding with prodigious
suppleness, leaves deep, heart-shapee
footprints-but In vainI