1889

About forty years ago in March I sailed unaccompanied from Boston on a ship bound for the Mediterranean with an undetermined destination. The first evening after dinner sitting alone in the smoking room a gentleman slightly my elder joined me. It turned out that he was a well-known citizen of Chicago and that we had mutual friends. The following day he introduced me to two ladies, both widows, prominent in social circles in Chicago and nearby Lake Forest, who were accompanying him on a motor trip along the northern coast of Africa. Later we saw much of each other on the deck, playing shuffle board, etc., and after a few days I was invited to join them on their motor trip in Africa, which I gladly accepted.

Our ship first stopped a few hours in the middle of the day at Funchal on the island of Madeira long enough for us to go ashore. Proceeding, in a few days we arrived at Gibraltar where we left our ship. The next day we crossed to Algeciras, Spain, for a few hours' visit. From Gibraltar we took a ship for Casablanca, Morocco, stopping en route at Tangier, where we visited the market place and palace of the Ex Sultan. Arriving at Casablanca a motor car with driver was waiting to take us to Marrakesh, about 150 miles south, where the snow-covered Atlas Mountains were visible. We drove about the city, visited several gardens, and saw Arabs perform in what they called Fantasia. In the market place was a large enclosure filled with camels and caravans coming from and leaving for the desert below. We next visited Rabat and Meknes, from the latter we motored to Moulay-I'drise and Volubilis, the former the most sacred town in Morocco, the latter a Roman ruin of the 17th century. From Meknes we motored to the holy city of Fez, where we put up at a former palace of the Grand Visier. One evening my male traveling companion and I, under an arrangement made by the British Consul stationed there, dined in a Moorish palace, the home of the wealthy Mohammed Benchekron, in the upper part of which was the harem of his many concubines. After several days in the very interesting city of Fez, we motored to Taza, then to Oujda, then to Tlemcen, Algeria, and then on to Oran, where my male companion left to join his wife in Florence, Italy, where she had spent the winter. From Oran the two ladies and I motored to Algiers, where the next four days were spent sightseeing, visiting the Botanical Gardens and arranging for our motor trip to Biskra. The next few days on our way to Biskra we passed through some of the finest scenery in Algiers. After leaving Bougia on our way to Batna we crossed a high mountain from which a superb view was had of the valley below. After Batna we visited the Roman ruins at Lambese and Timgath and motored through the splendid Pass at El-Kantara before arriving at Biskra. The day after arriving in Biskra, the two ladies left by train for Constantine and Tunis, while I went to Touggourt, an oasis, eight hours on a railroad built on the desert from Briskra a few years before. Upon reaching Touggourt I left at once riding a camel with my previously arranged entourage of camels and mules and a retinue of attendants consisting of eight Arabs. We proceeded slowly on the desert until we arrived at the place we were to encamp for the night. It was late afternoon just before sunset. A tent was erected for my use. I walked about the immediate vicinity of our encampment and found it extremely interesting. It was dangerous to go beyond the series of land dunes for fear of becoming lost. It was full moon and the sky was clear. A nice dinner was served in my tent, after which the Arabs played their weird music and danced in my tent until I was about ready to retire. Before doing so, I went to where my outfit was encamped and found the camels and mules sleeping in their crouched position on the sand with a full moon in the sky above, making a picture such as nowhere else to be seen. Returning to my tent I soon fell asleep not to awaken until the next morning just before sunrise, when music the Arabs were playing was heard as they were coming to awaken me. At once realizing it was Easter Sunday, I arose, dressed and went to where my outfit was encamped, where I was served my breakfast. It was a beautiful day and the sky was clear. Soon we were on our return trip to Touggourt where we arrived mid-afternoon - the end of my extremely interesting motor trip across the northern part of Africa, the outstanding event of which is of course, my unforgettable memory of being on the Desert of Sahara Easter Sunday a long time ago.

Secretary, Treasurer and BequestChairman, 108 Mt. Vernon St., Boston 8, Mass.