THES SACRED ICILY OF THE SANDS 
smith takes up the chorus as he works 
his Oriental bellows, and in a few mo- 
ments the entire street of blacksmiths 
has joined in this weird song. 
The Arab merchant showing me Kai- 
rowan rugs would point up and say: 
“Nothing so beautiful as the blue sky, 
bright sunshine, and the perfume of 
flowers”; whereupon he would inhale the 
jasmine and say: “The most beautiful 
mosque of Mecca, Damascus, or Kairo- 
wan is not half as beautiful as the 
vaulted blue of the sky to worship God 
in. 
We of the West have much to learn of 
the East; the faith of a Mohammedan is 
sublime, and makes a nomad of the Sa- 
hara feel equal to any sultan, and his 
carriage and manners that of a prince. 
His only dwelling is a tent made of 
1093: 
crude cloth of camels’ and goats’ hair ; 
his only drink, water (brackish) and 
goats milk; his food, dried dates, locusts, 
and a little barley; his only perfumes, 
tar, gazelle, and the few small flowers. 
that bloom in the Sahara and that he 
uses also as medicine. 
Before his tent is hobbled his horse 
and some camels. In the tent is a large 
wooden chest, some copper pots and 
pans, and a few oil jars. No furniture 
encumbers the interior. He can break 
camp in half an hour and move to some 
other spot with his wives and children. 
For a pastime he can hunt the gazelle 
and ostrich. 
He is absolutely happy and thanks God 
five times a day for all his blessings and 
the beauty and liberty of his Sahara 
home. 
tee 
Photo by Rollin T. Chamberlin 
THE MILITARY ESCORT WHICH ACCOMPANIED US INTO THE SZECHUAN ALPS: THEY 
WERE SENT BY THE MAGISTRATE AT PI HSIEN TO SEE THAT NO 
HARM BEFELL US ON THE JOURNEY (SEE PAGE IIII) 
