The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1911. ACROSS THE SAHARA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 51, 14 October 1911, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1911. ACROSS THE SAHARA.

A very interesting and informative account of Tripoli and its hinterland is given by Mr Hnnns Vischer, F.R.G.S., Political Agent for Northern Nigeria, who recently took a caravan across the Sahara to Bornu, marching right through Africa from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. Mr Vischer’s book is called “Across the Sahara,” and contains not only an account of Tripoli, the seat of the present war between Italy and Turkey, but also of the various desert tribes who hold the immense area separating the negro peoples of Central Africa from the descendants of the Mohammedan invaders who occupy the northern coast line. Reviewing the work at length, one writer points out that Tripoli itself, which has just been shelled by the Italian warships, has seen many conquering races establish themselves for a time within its boundaries, and then vanish, whirled into destruction by lire and sword, and leaving their dwellings and their bones to be covered )y the restless sands of the desert, the Phoenicians who founded Tripoli gave way to the Carthaginians, and when Cato’s “Delonda est Carthago” was fulfilled with dreadful slaughter it Zamu, Tripoli and its hinterland was taken over, in right* of conquest, by those Romans whose descendants after the lapse of more than two thousand years are now engaged in wresting it from the Turks. T he Romans held the North African province, which they called Tripolitania, for three centuries; uul the Emperor Septimius Severus was himself a native of Leptis, one of the “throe cities” from which the province derived its name. Besieged by the Auxoriani, a desert tribe of nomads, who were probably the forefathers of tho present-day Asgar Tuaregs, Tripoli fell in tho middle of the fourth century, A. 1)., and the Roman garrison was exterminated. A hundred years later the Vandals held the province md' were inturn conquered by Belisarius, who added Tripoli to the Byzantine Empire. Then came the Mohammedan conquest, which swept North Africa from cud to end. 'The invading Arabs routed the Byzantine army at Eusa, putting to tho sword both the European conquerors of the country md tho native subject population of Berbers, who found a Boadicoa in their bravo mountain queen Cabina, but were ultimately subdued and adopted Ime religion, language, and customs of their new conquerors. Sicilians, Spaniards, Arabs again, and then Turks in turn conquered and held the country. it was under the Turks that Barbary Corsairs became such a pest to the European nations. Arabs and 'Turks have alternately bold sway since then, hut the Turks have occupied the much-contested soil since ISoo. Much blood has soaked into tho desert of Tripolitania, and now it seems that the descendants of those Romans who’took the land from the Carthaginians are about to wrest it from the present holders, the Turks.

If they succeed, history mny repeat itseli' in the destruction of the Italian invaders hy the descendants of those desert nomads who overthrew the Homan legions nearly 1600 years ago. The author describes in this book how he purchased camels in Tripoli and or-

ganised a great caravan. As soon as it was known that ho intended to cross rhe desert ho was besieged by negroes, who wore anxious to accompany him bade to Tripoli to their homes. Many of them wore freed slaves. He also took as an escort a number of Arabs and a Soudanese who had fought as a corporal under Gordon at Khartoum. Mr Vischer gives a lively account of the troubles between the Arabs and the negroes, whom the former despised profoundly, and whom they treated none too well. From Tripoli to Yonduha was the first stage, and thence to Gharian, where the people live in subterranean houses cut out of the solid rock, and having square courtyards about 30ft below the surface. At Gharian the author was hospitably entertained hy the Turkish commandant, and then/passed on to Misda, situated in a place which had once been a fertile valley but is now a desert. At Misda the author came into touch with the famous brotherhood of the Senussi, who maintain there one of their club-houses, “where the members of the sect meet to discuss matters of policy and religion, receive messages from headquarters, pray together and hear sermons, receive guests, and keep a school.” Mr Vischer writes of the Senussi that they are undoubtedly powerful and well organised. Caravans from every part of the Sahara, from Egypt to Morocco, and far south to the basin of Lake Chad, take the yearly contributions of the members to the Senussi headquarters at Kufra. “Also it is a fact,” says tho author, “that quantities of modern arms have been and still are imported from the coast of Cyrenaica to Kufra, in spite of Turkish vigilance and the representations of many consuls. European guns and rifles of every pattern and origin from the old blunderbuss to the latest Mauser pistol can he found in most towns along tho North African coast, and would lie supplied by unscrupulous agents of respectable firms as long as there is a profit.” Mr Vischer lays stress upon tiie hospitable characteristics of the Senussi. Hut ho adds: “Should they decide, however, to fight the Christians, whose advance into the countries now ruled wholly by Islam they naturally deplore, their number, organisation, and armament would make them a formidable enemy, protected as they are by tho desert which they know better than any one.” It may ho imagined that there must be a good deal of activity in the Senussi club house at Misda at tho present moment. Mr Vischer emphasises the racial differences and consequently the incessant quarrels between the Arabs, the Tuaregs and the Tubbus, w.h,o.,have all embraced Senussism. He doubts whether even the present Sheikh Senussi would succeed in uniting them. It is quite likely that the world will ho afforded an opportunity of seeing this point decided before yery long. For live months the caravan travelled through the Sahara, halting at differ- • out oases and having more than one running fight with Tuaregs and Tubbus. The record of the author’s adventures is a stirring one, and there is an introduction by Sir H. H. Jolm■ston, a notable authorty on the geography and natural history as well as tho politics of Northern, Central, and Western Africa.