214 * BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jail., 



wind increased they began to flutter a little but all indicating 

 that the wind was coming from the south. That was terrify- 

 ing, because about the only thing except a storm which would 

 obscure the sun that could interfere with our success was a 

 kabellah, whiph would darken the atmosphere and bring up 

 the sand from the desert. It appears as a yellowish bank ad- 

 vancing from the desert while overhead you may have a 

 perfectly clear blue sky. Of course, we knew that if the 

 kabellah blew we might have all our labor and pains for 

 nothing. The morning of the day was hot. It was so hot it 

 really seemed as if it was no. I said to a friend, "Is this 

 kabellah due?" He turned the subject off, saying "Well, 

 I think it is a slight one, perhaps, but it may be all right by 

 the time the eclipse begins." The eclipse began at two o'clock. 

 I went up upon the roof and looking off could see that yellow 

 bank while overhead all was clear. The wind was blowing 

 from the south. What was going to happen by two o'clock 

 no one could tell. It had been blowing then for a day and a 

 half. About eleven o'clock I found myself quite nervous. It 

 was a brilliant blue overhead. Where the sun was it was 

 absolutely clear, but the old carpenter whom we had in our 

 employ, seeing my distress, as I went from one side of the roof 

 to the other, looking out over the desert and then at the sky, 

 was very much concerned. Finally he said that he thought 

 that we would have no kabellah by the time of the eclipse. 

 That was very encouraging. Soon after he called my attention 

 to a spot off on the blue Mediterranean where the sea could 

 be seen very well, and there was one little whitecap, which 

 instantly showed to us that the wind had changed, and that we 

 should not have any more south wind. I watched that white 

 cap. One after another they appeared, and finally became 

 general. The change in the wind had saved us, and we were 

 able to make a very good observation. 



If I had time I could tell you many more wonderful things 

 about this most interesting country, and its people, but the time 

 came for us to return home, and we had to leave our hotel 

 and take our departure for a more promising land. I do not 

 know that I can close in any more expressive way than by 

 using the native words for " Good-bye." They have a dif- 

 ferent meaning and significance from ours. On this occasion 



