THE SAHARA’S NOT DRY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12780, 25 October 1919, Page 7

THE SAHARA’S NOT DRY.

SOON-IT MAY NOT: BE A DESERT AT ALL. p It is one of the widest beliefs thaV ' the Sahara is perfectly dry. As a mat-' ter of fact it rains there, animals and ’ plants live there, and it is inhabited, by close on half a million people I ri ] It is certainly a very dry region’ but throughput the Sahara Desert there are wells and oases which supply plenty? bf water. • | ■ Norris the desert’without plants at-d trees.- Palm trees, mimosa, shrubs! of .all kinds, are found scattered all cher file desert, and this fact lias riugied the attention of- French experts) to- j wards the region, who argue thait jf anyhing. grows there naturally, irvdacli more will grow if the land is .cijdti- ; rated. . • , > . ■ • Schemes are on-foot, in fact, 1 to cut a road right across the desert, enja rge these wells and' oases, and gen fcralTy cultivate a region which got its bad name because it has tejen allowed to run-wild for centuries. Round the wells grow fig trees, apHcots, peaches, grapes and date palms';'[which, 1 with very little bare, would’bring a t wonderful profit. ! ‘ One. of the greatest troubleia, however, the. French, who have a protectorate over thp Sahara, ]mve to te/ce is the c people who, live there. Like the country, they are wild and absolutely unscrupulous, not hesitating to i fob and murder any. traveller. who attempts to | cross’the desert. ■