n Arab Filgnmaqefe
norv
ackwooq
go
tili riay long In tho blnzlng
licnt tlio cnmels havo como
nhuflllug and slouching
through tlio nand past
Ilelouan, for the March
full moon Is hero nnd five
thousand Bedouins aro
mnklng their annual pll
irrlniiiiHi to tho tomb In '
tho Desert, whoro tho Bholkh Aboil
Sorla ("Father of Spued") fulfils tho
function of nn Arab Lourdcs. From
far and near, with their families,
their wives and children, their
tenia and gonls. their plaintive piping reeds and
their Incessant tapping of drums, tho procession
has been struggling In since suurlso. Hundreds
of donkoys trip bosldo tho stately camels, and
tho Hcparato lines of dust radlato llko tho spokes
of an Invisible) wheel towards tho great encamp
ment Just bolow Helounn, to mergo later In tho
slnglo stream that Journeys forty miles southeast
to tho Tomb Itsolf. To tho music of thin Boft.
gay piping tho camels cotno swaying In beneath
tholr enormous loads. TentB spring up over
acres of yellow sand; camps aro pitched, all sop
nrato yot all touching; tho donkeys roll In tho
hot Boll; tho children laugh and play; tho men,
gravo as tho rumels, sit round against tho walls
of bcrslm and water-Jars and baggago that Ho
In heaps; nnd tho women whisper to ono another
behind their veils how their little ones shall all
bo healed presently, and more that tho child
loss wives among them shall at last becomo
mothers. At tho Tomb of Abou Serla theso
things coma to pass at tho March full moon. It
Is a tlmo of great rejoicing.
Shortly after dawn tho first stragglers came In
fellaheen on tired donkoys; many, too, on foot.
Thoy camo from villages on tho other sldo of
Cairo. For tho poor travel slowly, and start
first. Tho wealthy ncdouln sheikhs, swathed In
white, with clrclots of gold about their turbaned
heads, como lator on their grand whlto camels,
wIvcb and retain-
rs closo behind
them. And from
dawn, all through
tho burning heat
of noonday and
afternoon, tho
hordo of fella
heen troop strag
gling In till the
crimson sunset,
dying behind the
Lyblan Desert,
falls on an en
campment grown
wldo and doop.
Tho palm groves
along tho delta
cast long shad
owb. Tho lizards
sing among the
dunes. Tho wom
en start their
wild and curious
ululating, shrill
as an animal cry
and hardly hum
an. And sudden
ly tho moon
hows hor hug
yellow disk abovo
tho Moknttam
Hills and draws
a raarvolous sweetness out of tho desert, shoot
ing tho spread encampment with a sllvory veil.
It Is a wondorful sight. Tho camels seem twice
their natural size among tho pllodup fodder. Lit
tle fires spring up, built over stones. Voices are
low; noises llo down ono by one braying of
donkoys, gurgling grunts of camels, bleating of
goats and kids soon to bo sacrificed. Groups
gather closely round tho fires, for tho night air
nips. Coffee Is made in tiny china cups, and tho
gaunt heads of tho camols thnist forward over
tho vory shoulders of their owners. Thoy chew
and chow nnd chow. Those dark bundles in tho
nand, lying apart by thomsolves, nro mon already
aslcop. wrnppcd from head to feet In sheetB of
black and blue and whlto nnd yellow. No ono
treads on thorn. Tho bnro feet go silently to nnd
fro, picking their way so carefully. And every
where dark faces glenm in tho moonlight, eyes
flash llko stars and whlto teeth shine.
Llttlo visits aro paid from group to group. A
bearded fellow with a face of night enters n cir
cle whero nil nro Beatod lound tho llro nnd roffoc
pot. "Aro you happy?" "I am happy becnuso of
your oxlstonco." "Coffeo?" handing him a cup
"Coffeo for ever," as ho sips It slowly. Wo out
siders wntch and staro and question, yet get no
nearer to thoin. Centuries llo between. Their
courtesy Is porfect. Thoy ncept n clgaretto. light
ing It with Hint nnd stool, offering tho latter as
a present that may not be refused. Tho young
man, playing his reeds so softly to n group of
listeners, hands them over to an admirer who
has praised thorn, with "Please accept them from
me." Behind, In tho snnd, mon nro praying on
tholr knees towards) Mecca, "Sing to us, kindly,"
asks nn Englishman, who knows Arabic, of an
other man. Tho singer Is shy, but only requires
coaxing, and when tho Englishman suggests a
certain song, tho other hesltntes. "It Is not
pleasing thnt I should sing such a song before
gontlomen nnd Indies." "Thoy don't understand
a word." "But I ennnot do It. Whether thoy
tindorstnnd or no, I find It not pleasing." And.
after this lesson In sweet dollcncy, between tho
vorsea of n song ho finally chants, nlways this
question: "Hoes my volco plenso you, O gentle
man?" Yot theso aro morely fellaheen, tho pens
ant tollers of tho delta, who nccompnny tho grent
Bedouin pilgrimage to tho Desert Tomb of Abou
8orln, Father of Spoed, ono of Mahomet's gen
erals . . . And after midnight ono or two of
them rise qulotly nnd resume tholr Journey. "Our
camels trnvel bettor In tho night-time." Off thoy
go, with their donkoys, goatB and chlldron, carry
ing all thoy possess In thin world with them. Tho
unmeasured desert swallows thorn. No sound
comes back. They vanish In tho moonlight as
softly as thoy camo. Ono thinks of that Hedoutn
who lovpd an Knglishmnn, nnd paid him the
great honor of taking him homo. "I will show
you my homo," ho said, and thoy travolod three
days and nights across tho desert. Hcncnth n
Umestono boulder ho pointed to tho ground. "Now
you nro In my homo," ho said, proudly, nnd with
tho stately dignity of n great prince of tho desert.
And tho Englishman saw a llttlo pllo or ashes nt
his foot. It was summer, n tent unnecessary;
tho wife and flocks woro away. This squaro foot
of sand In tho enormous wilderness was home.
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In the morning, with tho rising sun, the Hedoutn
arrive, lloforo Ilelouan is uwako their whlto
head-dress wus visible far down tho sandy waste
that meets tho fringo of Delta towards Cairo.
Hut Ilelouan soon comes down to see. Few of
them tarry hero; they go straight through; tho
Hedoutn do not llko tho people, houses, tourists.
Thoy resent tho cameras, flourish tholr whips of
buffnlo-hldo and trot past almost fiercely. There
Is scorn In their eyes, as they circle about their
wives. High on tholr splendid camels, they havo
a regal air, making tho great brutes turn and
double as easily as horses, and shouting angrily
If anyone goes nenr tho water-sellers. This is
tholr last wnterlng-plnco beforo the tomb Is
readied, and to tritlo with n Hedouln's wntor Is
llko trilling with IiIb wives. And no wondor thoy
wear this prlncoly mien, for tho wholo Imperial
desert Is their homo. Upon tho slower cnmels In
their lordly train, sometlmeB four abreast, their
women, nil carefully veiled, sit with tho little
children. Some aro hhfden from sight In tent
like canvas, gorgeously striped nnd colored. It
sways to and fro with tho enormous kneo-stroko
of tho cnmels like n boat nt sea. Solomuly tho
Moslem world (lies past across tho sands. And
wo outsiders get no nearer, ask, stare, and follow
as wo may. Tho gulf It not bridged thnt lies be
tween our minds nnd theirs. In vain wo try,
wondering what they think nnd feel, nnd whnto
emotions hide behind thoso fine bronze faces
Tholr politeness veils it all, their own deop world;
tholr courtesy screens revelation. Thoy move,
llko tho camels, at tho pace of a thousand years,
unchnuglng. Wo wntch thorn across barriers,
that Is all. Note that old man praying alono
thoro, behind tho munching camel. Ho has wash
ed his hands nnd feet; his carpet Is spread on
tho Band, and his shoes nro off. Mind, heart and
soul nro concentrated. He Is oblivious to tho
world about him nB ho bows towards tho east
and his forehead tnpB tho ground,
As tho moon risen hlghor nnd night becomes
all whlto, tho fun begins In enrnest Fantasia, as
they call It, borrowing a forolgn word. A couple
of mounted police from Ilelouan como down to
keep order and seo that tho fow Inquisitive tour
ists from tho hotels nro not molested. Hut tholr
services aro not onco required. Only tho llttlo
children trot around with tholr lncesatn demand
for baksheesh. Tho Arabs take no notlcn of us
outsldors, beyond mnklng way whon wo approach,
offering hero nnd thoro n word of explanation
or Inviting ub to drink coffeo with them when we
draw near to their flro-clrcles. Tho Fantasia
grows faBt and furious, while tho crouching cam
els munch and tho cries of gontB nnd donkoys
mlnglo with tho womon's weird ululating. In one
corner a ring Is formed and tho bnnd begins to
piny two pipes and a tomtom. To tho endless
repetition of a single phrase, half melody, half
chant, enters n Sheikh upon hlB Arnb horse. Tho
gold nnd silver trappings gleam In the moonlight
His head-dress shines; tho horso's metal neck
lace chinks nnd rattles. Holding tho reins In ono
hand, tho other grips a staff with Its point In the
sand; round this he circles In and out, making
a figure of eight, tho animal taking Its small steps
proudly, neck arched, tall flying, head held grace
fully erect Suddenly the rider awlnga a gun
round from hli
back, nnd fires
It off Into tho
sand with ono
hand; tho peo
pto watch In si
lonce; the horse
prances out; an
othor Sheikh en
ters the ring
and gocB
through n simi
lar perform
anco. In another di
rection a circle
several huiidred
strong, packed
closo as her
rings, sit round
upon tho sand,
nnd a story-teller
stands In the
center, reciting
wonderful ad
ventures with
many wild ges
ticulations. ' He
carries a wav
ing stick, nnd
his volco falls
nnd rises with
n walling noto.
All thoso fnces
In tho moon
light watch nnd
listen with rapt
attention. A
burst of laugh
ter comes, then
exclamations of
delight, then
long-d rawn
"ohBl" Tales of
Arabian Nights
go floating
ncross the des
ert air towards another group,
where the dancing girls, who accom
pany tho pllgrlmago from Cairo,
aro performing to yet another clr
clo of onlookers.
Further off, upon tho outskirts of
the camp, rows of tall, shapely men
stand waving their arms, swaying to
and fro, bending- their thin and
graceful necks as thoy reclto their
songs, of a soml-rellglous, semi
erotic character, towardB tho eaBt
They sudednly kneol and bow, then
rise again; the singing goes on and
on for hours, and from the dlstnnce
the chanting of other groups comes
In upon tho breeze. It Is a mourn
ful sound. A fow hundred yards
outsldo the encampment these vari
ous chanting groups combine In a
Blngle tone that holds tho monotony
' of wind blowing among the boul
ders of tho desert
And the Fantasia continues far
' Into tho night, while tho moon
climbs hlghor, the old NUo flows
slowly by and tho desert listens sol
emnly all round. Numbers sleep
through It; hero and there some
rlso up nnd disappear ocross tho
sand; everywhere aro tho outlines of the hump
ed and pointed little tents, tho grotesque heads
and ncckB of camclB and sheoted human figures
passing Boftly to and fro through tho moonlight
All know thnt strnngors stand and watch them,
but, while awaro of It, thoy are utterly Indiffer
ent. Tho rejoicing Is among themselves, no
question of display or showing off for others.
They simply do what they havo done for cen
turies, nnd will do for conturieB to como. A
Benso of something eternal, nnd Infinite as tho
desert Itself. Hscb from tho camp. It stirs tho
blood. Somowhero In It thoro 1b a touch of awe.
At sunrlso tho tents are struck, and the entire
mass moves on across tho sand In single (llo, a
procession stretching for miles. At the tomb It
self, two dnyB Inter, to tho light of a thousand
ramp (Ires, tho Fantasia Is renewed In full earn
est. Tho nnlmnlB nro sncrlflced. Thoro Is end
less praying, dancing, singing, nctlng nnd the
rest. Then all return tho way they went. The
Hedoutn scatter again to their various resting
places I ntho desert home. Tho camels como
slouching nnd shuttling through tho sands past
Ilelouan
What remains with mo, however, Is not so
much tho memory of their. Fantasia nnd wild re
joicing, ns tho moonlit plcturo of tho llttlo fami
lies who loft tho camp to contlnuo tholr Journoy
boneath tho stars. For tho sight stirred old deep
yearnings that every Nnturo-lover knows too well.
So qulotly thoy stole away Into tho Immeasur
able desert! All their possesions In this world
they carried ensily with them, and In their henrts
this ancient faith tho ages cannot change. The
camels padded off, veiled women In tho Bwnylng
tents upon their bncks. Tho silhouettes were
Btrango nnd mysterious agnlnst tho brilliant stnrs.
Mko dreams of a forgotten world thoy molted
Into tho distance swiftly. Moonlight, sand and
desert took thorn homo.
So &xoVove
JWcvxv
-B-ihS1V
"&sC$Slssis '
A TRIBUTARY OT Ttlt AMAT.OM
PHEPAltATIONS urc being mndo
by tho University of Pennsyl
vania to scud an expedition to
the Amazon valley for tho pur
pose of collecting Information
rclntlve to tho aboriginal Inhabitants
nnd to explore tho forests whero those
primitive, peoples still roam untouched
by civilization.
- It Is expected that the expedition
will be ono of the best equipped thnt
lias ever left tho United States for.
scientific 'purposea. A steam yacht
has been provided and furnished with
Jail tho apparatus which can contrib
ute either to tho comfort and safety of
the members of the expedition or to
thc prosecution of the scientific In
quiries for which tho expedition was
organized. This steamer Is 132 feet
iln length and, drawing only six nnd
'one-half feet of water, Is designed to
navigate even the smaller tributaries
'of the great main basin of the Ama
zon for many thousand of miles.
Explore Tributaries First.
A dcflnlto plan of campaign, has
been, mapped out for the expedition
and tho itinerary of tho steamer has
been determined up to a certain
point. Leaving Philadelphia In Jan
uary, the steamer will proceed to
Para and there make final prepara
tions for an extended cruise on the
great river system. It Is proposed,
first, to explore the tributaries which
flow from the north and which have
their sources in the mountains on
the borders of Brazil and the Oulanas.
In theso almost unknown regions live
representatives of the great Carlb
stock, of whom practically nothing Is
known, as well as representatives of
the equally Important Arawak stock.
The next region to be explored Is that
which Is drained by the Hlo Negro
with its affluents, tho Rio Uranco and
tlmo as tho collections can bo con
veniently embarked at Manaos for
shipment to New York and Phlladelp
phla. Brazil to Co-Operate.
It Is proposed that while tho ex
ploring parties aro engaged with tho
natives in their distant haunts, tho
party in charge of tho Bteamer will
conduct hydrogrnphlc surveys of tho
rivers and their tributaries. In this
way a great deal of geographical In
formation will be obtained which will
be useful from a scientific stand
point, as well as from practical con
siderations. Tho government of Brazil, always
Interested In whatever pertains to
scientific Investigation, has Indicated
Its" readlncsB to co-operato w'lth tho
University of Pennsylvania In order
to secure tho success of tho expedi
tion and to mako Its labors most effec
tive. Tho Important results which
may bo expected from this underta
king will bring as much credit to Bra
zil ns to the University of Pennsyl
vania, and will securo for both scien
tific and practical results of tho very
greatest permanent value.
The valley of tho Amazon Is ono
vast forest whero modern civilization
has never penetrated and whero tho
only industry connected with modern
life thnt has taken root is the extrac
tion of rubber from the natlvo forests.
Neither agriculture nor mineral
wealth haB attracted tho whlto man's
enterprise.
Quite Commonplace.
"I know a man whom overy ono respected, and
it wns found out ho had married no fewor than
six womon In ono month, yet ho wasn't oven
arrested, and no ono thought tho less of him
for It."
"Grent Scott! Who was ho?"
"Our minister."
3- v '-E-
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JbbbbbbbbLi -aWBiBBaLi3 bbbHbbbVm.
HAS NO CHANCE TO ESCAPE
Seal Once Harpooned by Eskimo
Hunter Cannot Fall to Become
Hla Prey.
When onco ho has gono to tho
trouble of splicing a flno spear ban
dlo tho Eskimo doea not wish to
break It, so tho point 1b put on with
a togglo or joint. When a seal or
wnlrus Is Imrnooned tho sudden strug-
glo of tho animal does not break the
spear, but merely unjolnts tho point,
nnd tho moro tho animal struggles
tho more the point turns crosswlso
In the wound and tho firmer the
barbs tako hold. But tho animal can
not escapo. for with thongs of skin
the point Is connected with tho spear
shaft The animal merely swims
away or dives deep Into tho sea, car
rying with him tho Bpear. Tho long
leather thong which Is attached to It
uncoils from the deck of tho kyack
and plays out. It carries with It a
drag llko a kite, which retards the
animal and exhausts him, but does
not pull hard enough to break tho
lino. Even this drag is mado of skin
stretched over a spliced framework.
When tho line is nil played out It Is
seen to bo nttached to a float which
In nlan itln1 DTI fltlP llPOtC Of ttlH
boat This Ib mado of an Inflated
skin. It has plugs and attachments
cloverly carved from Ivory, for wood
Ib fnr too precious to bo used In this
land of Ivory so far from tho forests.
Tho iioat serves aB a buoy so that
tho Eskimo can follow tho animal
and find It after It gives up Its strug
gle and dies. Then, too, tho float keeps
tho catch from sinking and boing lost
In tho ocean's depths. -Southern
Workman.
Uncle Jed Again.
A huge touring car had just whizzed by, leav
ing n terrific wavo of gasollno behind It
"Thar goes another ono o them odormoblles,"
said Uncle Jed. Judgo.
In Literature.
Author's Friend Our baby enjoys your new
book moro than any of. us.
Author How enn tho baby enjoy It?
Author's Friend Ho stands on It to look out
of the window.
Our Drayma,
She (after the proposal) What! Marry you
n drunkard, gamblor, and Impostor? Ha! ha!
Begone, sir, beforo I ring and have you ejected!
He Isabella, am I to take this as a refusal?
London Opinion.
Yabahana Indian.
the Uaupes. Finally, un effort will bo
made to reach the Isolated tribes that
Inhabit tho vast unexplored forests
botween tho Rio Madeira, tho Rio Tap
ajOB and the Rio Purus. In each case
tho steamer will proceed as far as
possiblo up the affluents and cunoes
will bo used to reach the less ucces
slblo headwaters. Since tho tribes, as
a rule, llvo some distance from the
rivers, It 'will bo necessary for the
members of tho expedition to pene
trate Into the forests and to remain
In the native villages long enough to
make the necessary observations and
to mako collections to Illustrate tho
condition of tho native arts. These
collections will then bo carried by
vhatover means of conveyance the na
tives can provide, to tho steamer,
f -rhlch will thus become a storehouse
of ethnological material until such
Prepared for Peril.
"Havo you made your will, John?"
"Yes, mother."
"Havo you oiled and loaded your re
volver?" "Yes."
"And put on your bullet-proof
Jacket?"
"Ycb."
"Is your' prayer-book In the pocket
over your heart?"
"Yos."
"Then go whoro duty calls you,
dear."
Thero wero no tears In that brave
mother's eyes as sho watched her
son march away on his business trip
to Now York city. Tho women of
the suburbs learn Spartan sternness
In these wild, murderous days. New.
ark Nowb.
What He Would Do.
"What would you do," asked the
lieutonant who was Instructing tho
class in aviation, "If you were up a
thousand foet in tho air and the stoor
lng gear should go wrong or the en
glno should fall?"
"I'd hit the earth In about twlnty
seconds, I'm thlnkJn'," replied Ser
geant McManus.
u-V' ' - - tm . t.
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