How the Bedouins Conquer Thirst.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1672, 22 April 1885, Page 3

How the Bedouins Conquer Thirst.

ia an article r>u Tin- iiescuo oi t 'hmeaO ' ; ul 1 Lvji;,” ;!) the " V. cir, ai V " Genera! il. i.. Coi-ion, iate of the Egyptian general stad', >.ivs :— ’* la ttie * waic.-.c:.t'd ’ w.ue>’ >. the paramuiiu; y-.c-icn if ,t no nsved how a huge edy m Bedouins like the 10,0utJ who wany destroyed the Bfitisa scuaiv; at J'ama.i man.' ago to sub'.si, the rea-ca hj plain. In the first place, they u-.> not need the enormous trains rcnu’red far a European army, They arc me nio?t i j u*, ui u.c.:. ij.iCu iiiau uJ’ 1 * r.c.i a ui u.a;r a■ a ti small bag of giai’i, procureu be ourciia-e or barter trot.. caravans Their camels ana goal, ~,;i. iLu.u aippiG; g :..cin w.n i.,. . a„.[ lucat, and muusiiiig u;.,ci i iv r' 'tv ty herbage and ‘CO ;■>. x- of tec thorny £t C-'. ~g ill > l L..iu ui W.,1 :CS. Them i'- : -c in l i, ..uj a i-;c increase of ti.u ;• w..:cu ii.ee excuauge •/ tor ini.ee c'L.i.icaaie.s ; but b*tit g -no uicla-n. e carriers and gaiues i.-r an. tno ime! and coiumerco that cross tucir deserts, they realise yeariy targe amounts of money. As to water, tuey Know every uook and boaow ia the mountains, away from the trails, where a few barrels of water collect ia some shaded ravine, and they can then scatter, every man for himself, or nil their water skins. Oh my first expedit ion near the close of three years drought 1 i'in /■ hj -T *- - *’ depending, ami found them entirely dry. it was several days - to the next wei’U. But Bedouin guides knew some natural reservoirs in the lulls about U miles off. So they cook tut water camels at nightfall, aud cairn

j --c-: hmure daylight with :he ,v; v | I 'is n:'el. A-', h:vadium ai-:,v wuuiO i re !""’d 1.1 obtain guides, uiul I oveu a they did. they must keep ■ toeeijiei', an,{ , cot leave '■ : -c lino | iih’.’cii t j 100 ; iv wafer. liosmes, j the IleaciP'--. ae-eiS'tomed jV.jm iuianev ■> vc-jiml ww .%• a- most precious ami i'a ! e. use it iVi/pderiui economy. Ae-iee! 1 meu u-.u' acuna.'s drink more than cna. »u -is tir-ii.-s?, As to washing, they never indulge m such wasteful u uiseuso V\ hen Bedouins came to my camp walc-v was always offered them. Their answer would frequently be ; ‘ No, thanks,] dn n k yes level ny. ’ They know too well the importance of keeping up the habit of abste« miousness. No wonder they can subsist where invaders would cpiickly perish,”