. The story of Africa and its explorers. neglected by the Arabs as soon asFrench authority becomes firmly example of this is afforded by Biskra, atpresent the terminus of the Saharan have been built here for the wintervisitors, and a town, more French than Arab,has grown up in this secluded spot, but thenative commerce has declined pari jKissit withthe growth of foreign enterprise. Biskra was formerly a busy commercialcentre, but, like Touggourt and Wargla, itstrade is rapidly on the decline. The reasontor this is that the caravans avoid the oasesunder French rule
. The story of Africa and its explorers. neglected by the Arabs as soon asFrench authority becomes firmly example of this is afforded by Biskra, atpresent the terminus of the Saharan have been built here for the wintervisitors, and a town, more French than Arab,has grown up in this secluded spot, but thenative commerce has declined pari jKissit withthe growth of foreign enterprise. Biskra was formerly a busy commercialcentre, but, like Touggourt and Wargla, itstrade is rapidly on the decline. The reasontor this is that the caravans avoid the oasesunder French rule, and turn aside to Moroccoand Tripoli, not only because the Arabs preferto deal with their co-reliqionists, but owincrto the slave trade being suppressed in Frenchterritory. The declining cultivation in the largerswampy oases M. Dybowski also attributedto the abolition of slavery. During thesunurier months these spots are hotbeds of * Clarke, Cardinal Laviprerie and the African SlaveTrade (ISSSl), pp. iC), lOd. 104 THU 8T0BY OF ^^ SOME PRODUCTS OF THE OASES. 1, Rice (Oryza satlva) ; 2, Common Millet or Durra(Sorr/lmm vulgare); 3, Orange (Citrus aurantiura). malarial fever.* But as soon as the disease vestiges of liiunan habitation and the remainsappears the Arabs pack up and desert them, of animals now extinct. Already, the sandsleaving their negro slaves, Avho are not sub- are—as at Ain Sefra—becoming bound to-ject to attacks of fever, to water the palms gether by the vegetation which irrigation permits to Thejealousy of the powers thatbe will, however, eventuallydie away. It is mentionedjust now simply as an illus-tration of the oTowth ofcivilisation in the Saharaand the stubbornness withwhich the old-time life isdying away. J Meanwhile, the sole reli-ance of the trans-Saharanrailway is not upon theroute from Biskra south-ward. In the opinion ofmany, the western line,which after crossing theTell and the High Plateauxends for the present amongthe sand dune
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1892
