The cave dwellers of southern Tunisia; recollections of a sojourn with the khalifa of Matmata; . the officers havecomfortable quarters in new buildings. There are no women within the camp, thereforeall domestic service is performed by soldiers, whoact as cooks and chambermaids. The officers formthemselves into committees for the control of supplies,and at their table one dines remarkably well, as Ihad occasion to verify that same evening. Lieutenant Henry introduced me to his I met most of the messmates of Gabes, andwe renewed acquaintance to the clink of glasses. After dinner we ad
The cave dwellers of southern Tunisia; recollections of a sojourn with the khalifa of Matmata; . the officers havecomfortable quarters in new buildings. There are no women within the camp, thereforeall domestic service is performed by soldiers, whoact as cooks and chambermaids. The officers formthemselves into committees for the control of supplies,and at their table one dines remarkably well, as Ihad occasion to verify that same evening. Lieutenant Henry introduced me to his I met most of the messmates of Gabes, andwe renewed acquaintance to the clink of glasses. After dinner we adjourned to the military club,where we met all the officers of the o-arrison, bothyoung and old. Next morning Lieutenant Henry accompanied meto the Ksar. We first ascended the minaret, from 2 24 CAVE DWELLERS which we had a beautiful view over the town andpkin. Then we visited the various groups of houses,with their vaulted gables and remarkable steps tothe upper storeys. These steps were merely stonesprojecting here and there from the wall for theconvenience of those who wished to climb MEDININ. \- Several of the groups of houses clustered so closelytogether, and leant so much the one upon the otherin endless confusion, that it was extremely difficultto find ones way through the laliyrinth. By a narrow opening, so low that we had to passthrough with bowed heads, we arrived in a court-yard, emerging thence by a larger opening like a METAMER AND MEDININ 225 gateway, built as a defence. Through loop-lioles inthe sides, a severe fire might he kept up on anattacking enemy. A In a few of the outer walls overlooking the plainI noticed the same loop-holes; but defence is sup-j^osed to be maintained from the roofs, or ratherfrom the central building/J It surprised me not to see more men about; but f- my cicerone explained that nearly all the inhabitantshad sallied out on the 20th of this month, and hadgone towards Moktar and the Tripolitan frontiernearest the sea, to follow their a
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublisheretcetc, bookyear189
