2 AFRICA SPEAKS 



Nile, to live her brief day in the infinite cycle of time, 

 recording her history in hieroglyphics for those who 

 might follow. 



Africa has also been called "the land of contrasts." 

 In the north He Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, and 

 here once stood the proud mistress of the Mediterra- 

 nean — ancient Carthage, the titanic, supreme for five 

 hundred years! Here the picturesque people of the 

 Great Desert — Arabs, Douars, Bedouius, and the 

 Touaregs with their dyed flocks, mix in the carrow 

 streets of romantic cities with Hindus and Turks, 

 Marabouts in rags, and Amirs in silks. Tatooed Ber- 

 ber women jostle their way through this kaleidoscopic 

 scene of restless color or stop at street corners to watch 

 snake charmers and fire eaters, or to listen to story 

 tellers. Here is a land of pilgrimage and pageantry, 

 of barbaric splendor, where minarets rise above aban- 

 doned Christian ramparts, from which the muezzin 

 calls the faithful to prayer at sunset, his cry of "Allali- 

 hu-il- Allah! AHahAkbar!" echoing through the laby- 

 rinths below to mingle with the eerie wail of flutes, the 

 throb of drums, the cHnking of silver bangles, and the 

 thump of the tamboiu*. 



Southward across the velvety carpet of golden sands, 

 there are today regions practicaUy unknown, and many 

 places now marked on the map as explored remain as 

 primitive to this very hour as they were centuries ago. 

 There live tribes who burrow beneath the ground, ar- 

 boreal people who share their tree huts with the mon- 

 keys, and clans who exist in caves. Beyond the equator 

 and the boundless forest he snow-capped mountains 

 and reeking jungles side by side, and present flourish- 

 ing commonwealths where sturdy settlers have hewed 



