Home
  By Author [ A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z |  Other Symbols ]
  By Title [ A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z |  Other Symbols ]
  By Language
all Classics books content using ISYS

Download this book: [ ASCII ]

Look for this book on Amazon


We have new books nearly every day.
If you would like a news letter once a week or once a month
fill out this form and we will give you a summary of the books for that week or month by email.

Title: Jogging round the world : Riders and drivers, with curious steeds or vehicles, in strange lands and at home
Author: Dunham, Edith
Language: English
As this book started as an ASCII text book there are no pictures available.

*** Start of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Jogging round the world : Riders and drivers, with curious steeds or vehicles, in strange lands and at home" ***


JOGGING ROUND THE WORLD

[Illustration: _Play-fellows of the frozen Arctic. Eskimo Children
and their tame Bear_

_From Stereograph, Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



    JOGGING ROUND
    THE WORLD

    RIDERS AND DRIVERS, WITH CURIOUS STEEDS
    OR VEHICLES, IN STRANGE LANDS AND AT HOME

    WITH STORIES AND DESCRIPTIONS

    By EDITH DUNHAM

    WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS FROM COPYRIGHTED STEREOGRAPHS BY
    UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD, NEW YORK, PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

    [Illustration]

    _NEW YORK_ - FREDERICK A._
    _STOKES COMPANY - _PUBLISHERS_



    Copyright, 1905, by
    FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
    Published in October, 1905



CONTENTS


                                                  PAGE

    IN THE LAND OF THE ESKIMOS                      9

    IN THE OLD PARK AT NARA                        10

    A JAPANESE LADY IN A YAMA-KAGO                 12

    THE UNICYCLE OF KOREA                          14

    A KOREAN LADY IN HER PALANQUIN                 16

    A KOREAN GENERAL IN THE STREETS OF SEOUL       18

    CEBU, IN THE PHILIPPINES                       20

    A CARABAO TANDEM IN LUZON                      22

    GOING INTO SHANGHAI                            24

    IN CANTON, CHINA                               26

    THE HANSOM CAB OF COLUMBO, CEYLON              28

    RIDING IN A PALANQUIN IN CALCUTTA              30

    A TWO-STORIED CAMEL WAGON AT AGRA              32

    AN ELEPHANT FROM KHAIPUR                       34

    A BULLOCK CART IN AGRA                         36

    THE ROYAL CARRIAGE OF REWAH                    38

    ON THE ROAD TO JERICHO                         40

    THE TOMBS OF THE KHALIFS, EGYPT                42

    THE PYRAMIDS AND THE SPHINX IN EGYPT           44

    ON THE DESERT OF SAHARA                        46

    BEFORE THE PETROFSKI PALACE IN A TROIKA        48

    NEAR VILLEFRANCHE                              50

    IN SEVILLE                                     52

    RETURN FROM GRAPE-PICKING, MALAGA              54

    DRIVING A DOG-TEAM IN HOLLAND                  56

    A CARRIAGE OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY, SWEDEN    58

    TAKING A RIDE IN THURSO, SCOTLAND              60

    OFF FOR A HOLIDAY IN A JAUNTING-CAR            62

    IN PORTO RICO                                  64

    IN CUBA                                        66

    ORMOND BEACH, FLORIDA                          68

    THE OLD CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE                  70

    IN NORTH CAROLINA                              72

    AN OX-CART IN SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI             74

    IN CENTRAL PARK                                76

    ON AN OSTRICH FARM                             78



IN THE LAND OF THE ESKIMOS


Isn’t this a strange playmate? Would you like to have a bear to play
with?

The little Eskimo children on the sledge are having a very happy time.
They are merry little children, always smiling and happy, even in the
long winter nights when the sun does not shine for months at a time.
Wouldn’t you think it queer to have such a long night as that?

When winter is coming their father builds a low, dome-shaped house of
ice and snow, with a funny little door, through which one goes into a
passageway, then into a big room where the whole family lives. A lamp
burns in there, filled with whale blubber or fat, and having a wick of
dried turf. This makes a smoky light, but it warms the house, and the
Eskimos think their winter home very comfortable.

In the long, cold season the father sometimes makes a sledge like
the one in the picture. It is made of pieces of wood, with runners of
ivory from the tusks of walrus, and sometimes with pieces of reindeer
horn. The whole is fastened together with straps made of skin either
from the reindeer or seal. It takes a long time to make a sledge, for
the Eskimos do not have very good tools to work with, and have to work
slowly. Usually the sledges are drawn by dogs. You have seen pictures
of them, haven’t you? As many as twelve often draw a sledge, and they
run very rapidly over the ice and snow, while their master keeps them
in order with his long-lashed whip.



IN THE OLD PARK AT NARA


See these happy Japanese girls enjoying their ride through the park, in
’rickshaws. They look very comfortable and cool in their kimonos, don’t
they?

The park they are riding in is at Nara and is such a beautiful place!
It is there that a very tame herd of sacred deer is kept. Nara is on
the island of Hondo, Japan, and is a very old city, famous for its
carvings, cutlery and toys. You would enjoy seeing the toys that are
made there, wouldn’t you?

India ink and fans come from there, too; perhaps your little fan, or
your sister’s, was made in Nara. Did you know that all the figures on a
Japanese fan mean something, and sometimes a whole story is connected
with them? The parasols, too, are interesting, and the designs on them
are not arranged simply to look pretty, but each has its meaning to the
Japanese people.

In Nara, as in most of the Japanese cities, there are some noted
temples, and the carving in a few of them is said to be the finest
in Japan. In one of the temples is a huge bell over thirteen feet high.
Would you like to hear it? In another is a statue of Buddha more than
ten times as tall as you are, the biggest one in Japan. In Nara, too,
are storehouses in which there are specimens of articles used in the
Imperial household hundreds of years before our grandfathers lived.


[Illustration: _A Ride in the old Park at Nara, Japan. Pretty
Japanese Maidens in ’Rickshaws_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



A JAPANESE LADY IN A YAMA-KAGO


This does not look like a very safe way of travelling, does it? The
bridge is so narrow and the water rushes by so rapidly that we should
not enjoy crossing in a yama-kago (mountain chair).

The Japanese people are used to going this way over mountain roads and
rough places, so they do not mind. This little bridge is near Nikko
(“Sunny Splendour”), a very beautiful city at the foot of a great
mountain range in Japan.

A long avenue lined with cryptomerias, a kind of cypress tree, leads to
the city, making a picture worth seeing, with the tall, pinkish trunks
and masses of green against the blue sky. Often one gets a glimpse of
some temple wonderfully carved and coloured, or a waterfall rushing
down.

The temples and waterfalls are famous, and also the mausoleum of
Iyeyasee, the most wonderful man in Japanese history. A long flight of
stone steps leads to a marvellously carved gate, inside of which is a
court with storehouses full of ancient treasures, and a stable with a
wonderful frieze of monkeys. In the stable is the sacred steed said to
bear away the spirit of Iyeyasee. Through a bronze gate, then through
another gate of white and gold, one passes through court after court
until the shrine is reached.

Another interesting thing in Nikko is the red lacquered bridge over
the river Daiya. Only the Emperor is allowed to cross this bridge.


[Illustration: _Japanese Lady in a Yama-kago (Mountain Chair) crossing
the Daiya River near Nikko, Japan_

_From Stereograph, copyright 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



THE UNICYCLE OF KOREA


We very often see bicycles and tricycles, but did you ever before see a
unicycle like this? The uncomfortable looking vehicle can only be used
by very high officials in Korea, and it is a mark of great distinction
to have four coolies instead of two. See the very elaborate robes of
the high general. I should think he would have to sit very still on his
high seat. A coolie marches ahead of him carrying his robe of state
when he goes to the royal palace.

Korea is a strange country; the people look like the Japanese; the
customs are somewhat like those of the Chinese; and yet the Koreans are
quite different from either. The country is hilly, and when walking
one no sooner gets to the bottom of one hill than he begins to go up
another. Korea is famous for its paper, which is very strong and does
not tear easily. The houses have partitions and windows of oiled paper.
Glass is quite uncommon.

Looking down into Seoul, the chief city, from the wall one is reminded
of a bed of mushrooms. The houses are one-storied, with sloping roofs
tiled or covered with turf, and very close together. The wall has eight
gates, each with a name, as, “Gate of Amiability,” “Gate of Everlasting
Ceremony.” The Northern Gate is up on a high hill, from which at night
signal lights shine out to let the people know if all is well with
Korea.


[Illustration: _One of the most curious Vehicles of the World: the
Unicycle of Korea. Used for High Generals_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



A KOREAN LADY IN HER PALANQUIN


If we were in Seoul, we could not see this lady in the palanquin,
because the curtains would be closely shut.

The Korean ladies of the higher classes are seldom seen by anyone
outside of their households, and the middle-class women, if they have
to walk on the street, have a peculiar garment, with long, loose
sleeves, which they put over their heads. The sleeves hang down,
looking like a curious kind of ears, and the cloak is held closely
before the face so that it cannot be seen.

Would you like to take a walk through the streets of Seoul, and see the
crowds of strangely dressed people, the many one-storied houses and the
booths? Perhaps we should meet the water-coolie who goes about all day
carrying water to anyone who wants it. He has a queer way of carrying
it, too: a long pole is fastened cross-wise on his shoulders by straps
going under and around his arms. From this pole hang two buckets or
pails.

There are many beautiful palaces in Seoul, with pretty little lakes
and ponds in the gardens. Some of these lakes are covered with lotus
flowers, and there is usually a tiny island in the centre with a tree
on it, under which one can sit and enjoy the pretty garden. One of the
very interesting things to see in Seoul is an old, old marble pagoda
which has been built so long that the people cannot remember who built
it.


[Illustration: _Korean Lady and Maid, in the Streets of Seoul, Korea._
(_The Curtain is seldom raised._)

_From Stereograph, copyright 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



A KOREAN GENERAL IN THE STREETS OF SEOUL


The Korean general in this palanquin must be a very important person
indeed. See the large number of attendants he has. An ordinary
palanquin is carried by two coolies. Only high officials, foreign
consuls, or legal advisers of the emperor are supposed to have four,
and in the pictures we see at least eight men taking this general
through the streets of Seoul. Only four seem to be really carrying the
chair, so the men at the side are probably not coolies. See, their hats
and clothing are different from those of the coolies.

The streets of Seoul are very wide, but look narrow because the
shopkeepers put up booths in front of their houses, and spread out
their wares before them, on mats or trays, so that there is not much
room left. One very wide street has two rows of houses or booths down
the middle; so it seems as though there were three narrow streets
instead of one wide one.

When the emperor passes through in procession all these booths are
taken down, and the street is swept and decorated in his honour. The
next day the booths are put up again and affairs go on in quite the
usual way.

There is an interesting old bronze bell in Seoul, which used to be
rung in the morning and at sunset. The gates of the city were closed at
dark, and all the men had to stay at home and could not be out on the
street, except at festival times.


[Illustration: _A Korean General carried in an official Chair through
the Streets of Seoul, Korea_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



CEBU, IN THE PHILIPPINES


In Cebu the carriages of the natives are evidently not built for
comfort, and the ones we see in the picture we should not find very
agreeable to ride in, I am sure.

This is the Public Square of Cebu, an old, old city on the island of
Cebu, in the Philippines. Hundreds of years ago some Spanish people
made a settlement there, and after that it was the capital city of the
Philippines. Now it is still an important city, and large quantities
of hemp are sent out from it to other parts of the world. Hemp, you
know, is used to make ropes and sail-cloth and that strong yellow
wrapping-paper called Manilla paper.

When growing, the hemp plant looks something like a banana tree,
with big leaves in which is the fibre used to make rope. The native
people have a rude sort of knife with which they scrape the pulp from
the fibre, after which it is dried in the sun and then prepared for
shipping.

There is also a very fine fibre that the natives sometimes get in
small quantities, out of which they weave a soft material that looks
something like silk. This fibre brings higher prices than the coarser,
but there is not so much of it to be had.

It is very interesting to see the people at work, getting the hemp
ready for market: almost everything is done by hand, for no machinery
has yet been made which can do the work so well.


[Illustration: _A Family “Turn-out” in the Public Square, Cebu,
Philippine Islands_

_From Stereograph, Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



A CARABAO TANDEM IN LUZON


Oh, look at these strange animals with such wide-spreading horns! Do
you know what they are? They are named “carabaos,” and are sometimes
called “water buffaloes” because they are so fond of the water. Often
through the day they go into the rivers or lakes and splash about; and
if they are kept too long from their bath they are likely to go mad and
become dangerous. They are very powerful animals and are used a great
deal in the Philippine Islands in place of horses, to do farm work and
draw carts.

Do you see this queer carriage with the woven canopy top and the
wooden wheels? Carts like this are used in the southern part of Luzon,
which is the largest of the Philippine Islands. It is a beautiful
island with many rivers and mountains, and there are also volcanoes. Do
you know what a volcano is? It is a mountain with a deep hole or crater
in it, in which there is a mass of fire, and gases which sometimes
explode. When there is an explosion great quantities of molten stuff
called lava pour from the mouth of the volcano, sometimes burying
villages at the foot of the mountain. A volcano is not a very pleasant
neighbour, should you think so? Many of the islands of the Philippines
were formed by volcanoes under the sea, that have thrown up masses of
lava until a new island was made.


[Illustration: _A Tagalog Tandem, Bambam, Luzon, Philippine Islands_

_From Stereograph, copyright 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



GOING INTO SHANGHAI


This is a strange-looking thing to ride on, don’t you think? It looks
something like the wheelbarrows we use in our gardens, but the wheel is
very large. Do you see how it goes up in the middle of the barrow?

These Chinese people are going into Shanghai. They have come along a
very sunny road; wouldn’t you think their heads would ache? The Chinese
women do not wear hats and they do not mind the heat. See how small
their feet are, and yet they are very large compared with the feet
of the ladies in higher classes, who could easily wear dolls’ shoes.
Chinese shoes, the ordinary ones, are made of cloth; so when it rains
the Chinese do not like to go out and get them wet.

Let us follow these people to Shanghai and see what the city is
like. It is a great shipping place, and the harbour is filled with
queer-looking boats called junks. Shanghai is a busy place, and the
streets are always crowded; in the native part they are extremely
narrow and dirty.

In the afternoons there is a great deal of driving on the chief road,
Maloo. Here we should see all kinds of carriages, ’rickshaws and
barrows like the one in the picture.

If we should meet a Chinese friend he would say, “Have you eaten
rice?” instead of “How do you do?” They think our clothing very queer,
and the men would not know what to do with pockets.


[Illustration: _Coming into Town, Shanghai, China_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



IN CANTON, CHINA


If we were in Canton we should probably have a ride in a palanquin
something like this one. Do you think you would like it?

This Chinese lady is evidently of a very rich family. See her silken
robes, and her tiny foot. The women of the higher classes are seldom
seen on the streets of Canton; they stay at home or are carried in
closely curtained palanquins. Do you see the curtains in the picture?
They are raised so that we can get a look at the Cantonese lady; if she
were on a crowded street they would all be down.

The streets of Canton are very fascinating; they have a long row of
shops on either side, with wares all displayed. Some of the streets are
only about six feet wide, and many of the shops have large signs at the
sides, either upright or hung like the signs of old English inns, so
that there is not much space for passers-by.

The signs are sometimes black, sometimes scarlet, blue or green, with
characters of gold or scarlet, so the street is full of colour. The
street tradesmen are picturesque, particularly the barber, who carries
over his shoulders a pole from which is suspended a bright scarlet
stand with a brass basin resting on it. He wears loose trousers and
blouse of dark blue and a broad-brimmed straw hat.

The streets are almost always crowded, night and day. At night
lanterns of painted glass or horn, and sometimes paper lanterns give a
touch of colour and make the streets look gay.


[Illustration: _A beautiful Cantonese Girl in her Palanquin, with Maid
Attendant, Canton, China_

_From Stereograph, Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



THE HANSOM CAB OF COLUMBO, CEYLON


 Have you ever, when out in the country, seen an ox-cart with two
 patient oxen drawing a load of hay or stones?

 Here we have a cab drawn by a little bullock, or zebu, which looks
 somewhat like those big oxen, but has a queer hump on his back and is
 very tiny. He looks gentle and kind, and no doubt trots about all day
 taking travellers through the streets of Columbo, in Ceylon.

 Do you know where that is? It is an island ever so far away in the
 Indian Ocean, and is the place where many pearls and precious stones
 are found. It is a very beautiful island, and the roads, winding along
 between palms of many kinds and strange plants, with bright coloured
 birds and butterflies fluttering in and out among the leaves, are
 wonderful. Little bright green lizards dart here and there over the
 beautiful plants, looking like rare jewels, and very pretty ferns and
 flowers are all around.

 Ceylon is such an interesting place to visit! There are ever and ever
 so many plantations where tea is grown, and rice, too. The labourers
 who work in the fields, and who draw the ’rickshaws we see in the
 picture, are called Tamils. The part of Columbo where they live is
 named Pettah and is very picturesque.

 Their fruit shops look tempting and there are many kinds of fruit
 with curious names, as “papaws,” “lovi-lovis” and “rambutans.” Would
 you like to taste them?


[Illustration: _The Hansom Cab of Columbo, Ceylon_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



RIDING IN A PALANQUIN IN CALCUTTA


What a beautiful road this is! Wouldn’t you like to take a peep around
the curve and see what is beyond? But such a queer way of travelling!

These men can go very rapidly, but they have stopped here to let us
look at them. The lady seems to be enjoying her ride very much in her
palanquin. Isn’t that a funny thing to ride in?

This road is in one of the beautiful parks in Calcutta, the city in
India where the Governor General lives. It is such an attractive city,
with oh, so many parks and gardens! one where there are numberless
kinds of animals, another filled with rare trees and plants. There
are also many private gardens. There are so many fine buildings that
Calcutta is sometimes called the “City of Palaces.” The most beautiful
part of the city has a queer name, Chowringhee. Here there is a large
park where there is much driving; sometimes the band plays and it is
very gay.

“Black Town,” where the natives live, is not so attractive, but very
dirty, with narrow streets and ugly little houses of mud or bamboo.
Here and there are idols made of plaster or painted wood, looking like
those we sometimes see in pictures. The natives of Calcutta make many
useful things, among them gunny-bags, the very coarse bags that coffee
and cotton are packed in. These bags are used by people all over the
world.


[Illustration: _A Lady in her Palanquin going through the Geological
Gardens, Calcutta_

_From Stereograph, Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



A TWO-STORIED CAMEL WAGON AT AGRA


This is almost like a house on wheels, isn’t it? There seem to be two
stories in the wagon or carriage. We can see someone sitting in the
upper part, and the lower floor appears to be filled with all sorts of
things. How proud and haughty the camels look, with their noses up in
the air!

In what country would you expect to see this carriage? Yes, it is
in India, at Agra, a very beautiful city. There are such wonderful
buildings in Agra that we should want to stay there a long time and
admire them. One is called the Moti Musjid, or Pearl Mosque, and
travellers say that it is exquisite. It is all of marble and has three
beautiful domes like immense bubbles floating in the air.

The gem of Agra, though, is the Taj Mahal, a big tomb built centuries
ago by one of the rulers, Shah Jehan, for his wife, whom he dearly
loved. Just think, this building is standing now, after all these
hundreds of years, and is still perfect! It has a beautiful big dome
and a number of little ones, besides minarets and towers, and it looks
like a marvellous dream building or a palace made by the fairies.
Every little part of it is as perfect as a bit of jewellery. There are
flowers inlaid in many colours, and exquisite mosaic work in different
patterns; and in the dome is a wonderful echo that repeats a note again
and again until it sounds like fairy music. Wouldn’t you like to visit
this wonderful place?


[Illustration: _Two-story Camel Wagons at Agra, India_

_From Stereograph, Copyright, 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



AN ELEPHANT FROM KHAIPUR


Here is another elephant dressed in elaborate trappings. His saddle
cloth is very gorgeously embroidered and fringed, and he has a cloth
over his head, which seems to cover up his eyes, but perhaps he can see
through the fringe. He even has a bracelet or anklet around one of his
fore feet--do you see it? The owner of all this magnificence sits on
the elephant’s back in a howdah, a very much ornamented sort of chair.

With all its splendour, I am sure we should not find this a comfortable
way of travelling, for as the elephant lumbers along, the howdah
pitches first in one direction, then in another. We should feel as
though we were at sea; and in the hot sun, without the bracing air we
get on the water, it might be an unpleasant motion.

This elephant comes from Khaipur, a state in the western part of
India. It is a very hot part of the country, and we should probably not
be able to live there more than four months in the year, as the rest of
the time it is intensely hot. Many of the Hindu people of Khaipur own
large numbers of oxen, camels, sheep and goats; so they do not settle
in one place to live, but go about, stopping wherever they find good
pasture-lands. The chief man is called the mir; isn’t that a strange
name? He has a very large estate, with big parks, and, I suppose, owns
several elephants.


[Illustration: _A wealthy Merchant of Khaipur out for an Airing_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



A BULLOCK CART IN AGRA


Here are some more bullocks, drawing quite a different kind of cart
from any we have seen before. What fine-looking animals they are, and
how patient they seem, in spite of the fact that the rope harness
goes right through their nostrils and over their ears, which must be
uncomfortable, to say the least.

See what a very elaborate canopy the carriage has, in the shape of a
dome; but the wheels, somehow, do not seem to belong to the top, for
they are made of wood and are very clumsy. We should know at once that
this was in India, the land of sharp contrasts. Travellers in India
often say that in that country the most magnificent and the meanest
objects are found side by side. A beautiful palace and a miserable
little hut are seen together, or a wonderful bit of carving beside
cheap red or yellow glass ornaments.

Carts like the one in the picture are very often seen at Agra, the
city where so many wonderful buildings are found. There are many
interesting things in India that we should like to see; you know it is
a very large country, and there are many different kinds of scenery;
and in some places it is very beautiful. The different castes or
classes of people each have manners and customs of their own, and the
dress of the natives tells at once to what caste they belong; but it
would be hard for us to remember all the differences.


[Illustration: _A typical Bullock-driver with clumsy wooden-wheeled
Car, at Agra, India_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



THE ROYAL CARRIAGE OF REWAH


Surely the owner of this gorgeous turnout must be a very important
person in India. See the magnificent trappings of the elephants and the
many mahouts, or drivers. To own an elephant is quite a distinction,
and only titled or extremely wealthy people have carriages drawn by
the huge animals. Would you like to ride after them? It seems to me it
would be a very slow way of getting about, but no doubt it would be
impressive.

The elephants in the picture belong to a Maharaja or great prince,
and they have come from Rewah, a little state somewhat north from the
centre of India. You know India is a very large country and it is
divided into states, some large, some small, each of which has a native
ruler. These rulers live in great splendour and dress in magnificent
fashion, with jewels and many coloured garments.

Look at these elephants and see how gay they are. Their trunks are
painted, a big medallion hangs between their eyes and a gorgeously
embroidered cloth covers their backs and hangs down almost to the
ground on both sides of them. In addition to this they have big chains
around their necks, which I should think would be in the way when they
walked, shouldn’t you? Can you imagine how all this would look in blues
and greens and reds, with the glitter of gold and silver sparkling in
the bright sunlight?


[Illustration: _Richly adorned Elephants and Carriage of H. H. the
Maharaja of Rewah India_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



ON THE ROAD TO JERICHO


Dear me, this donkey seems to have a heavy load on his back, don’t you
think so? These women have come from Bethlehem, the place where the
baby Jesus was born hundreds of years ago. You know that beautiful
story, don’t you?

The road that we see in the picture is the way to Jericho, which was
once a very prosperous city, with rich fields all about, and springs
of water bubbling up and keeping the fields moist and green. Now all
that is left of the old city is a heap of ruins; the springs are there
and the fields are green and beautiful, and covered with wild flowers,
but there are no gardens. Tribes of people called Bedouins live around
there; they do not settle in any one place to live, however, but roam
about from one part of the wilderness to another. They sometimes act
as guides to show travellers the country. The men on the burros in the
picture look like Bedouins.

The hills near Jericho are not very attractive to look at: they are
covered with stones, and not many trees or flowers grow on them; but
some of the hills in Palestine are beautiful, with large groves of
olive trees, and masses of green foliage. Do you know where Palestine
is? Look on your map of Asia and you will see it by the Red Sea, and
you will find many stories in the Bible about the old cities and places
there. It is the land where Jesus lived, and is wonderfully interesting
to visit.


[Illustration: _Women of Bethlehem on the Road to Jericho_

_From Stereograph, Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



THE TOMBS OF THE KHALIFS, EGYPT


These camels seem very much dressed up, don’t they, with their richly
ornamented coverings; and see, the front one has a net over his head
with tassels hanging from it. The carriage, too, is very elaborately
carved. See the women in it, with veils over their faces. The Egyptian
women of the higher classes always wear veils like these out of doors,
so that only their eyes can be seen.

The buildings that these “ships of the desert” (as camels are
sometimes called) are passing are the tombs of the Khalifs, just
outside of Cairo, Egypt. They were built centuries ago, for you know
Egyptian history goes back farther than that of almost any other
country in the world, and many interesting old buildings still remain.
In the tombs shown in the picture are buried some of the Khalifs, or
rulers, of Egypt, who lived thousands of years ago. The tomb of Keit
Bey, which we see in the middle of the picture, has a beautiful minaret
or tower with three balconies. Can you count them? The top of the tower
is shaped something like a pear, with a straight spire at the top. Most
of the other domes have a half-moon at the top. Do you see them, and do
you notice the lace-like patterns carved on the domes? In olden times
the Egyptian people did much carving, and painted a great deal too, so
their houses and buildings were all beautifully decorated and coloured.
You have probably seen Egyptian designs many times in the museums near
your home, or in books, haven’t you?


[Illustration: _A Ship of the Desert, passing the Tombs of the Khalifs,
Cairo, Egypt_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



THE PYRAMIDS AND THE SPHINX, IN EGYPT


Here are more camels, which have brought these men to the pyramids and
the great Sphinx of Egypt. Have you ever heard of them? That enormous
head that you see in the picture belongs to the Sphinx; isn’t it
strange-looking? It is of stone and has stood there so many ages that
no one knows when it was carved. The Sphinx has a body like a lion’s,
which could be seen a long time ago, but now the sand has covered up
most of it.

See the big pyramids in the picture. They are wonderful to look at; it
seems as though they must always have been there, like the big rocks
and hills; but men built them many, many years ago--long before the
invention of any of the machinery that people use now to lift stones.
The biggest pyramid of all was built for the tomb of a king. Travellers
often climb this large pyramid, but it is not very easy, as one has to
step from one big stone to another. If you go to Cairo, in Egypt, some
day, you will go out and see these wonderful things.

There are many other strange sights in Cairo. The life there is quite
different from that of any other country, and the people have customs
which have come down through thousands of years. In the museum there we
should see an interesting collection of old toys and paintings, and so
many other things that it would be hard to name them all.


[Illustration: _Tourists on Egyptian Transports passing the Great
Sphinx and Pyramids, Egypt_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



ON THE DESERT OF SAHARA


Now we are on the great Desert of Sahara, in Egypt. Isn’t this a queer
way of riding? That looks like a little house on the camel’s back;
but it does not look as though it would be very comfortable to ride
in. This camel is dressed up too, with a net and saddle-cloth. Do you
suppose he likes all this covering?

The desert is a strange place. For miles and miles there is no water,
nothing but great stretches of sand with queer plants growing in it,
and pebbles all about, blue, pink, green, and other colours. Some
people think that long ago there was a sea where the desert is now, and
often travellers find shells, which make it seem as though water must
have been there once. The Arabs, the people who live on the desert,
are shepherds with big flocks of sheep and goats, and many camels and
horses. They have no homes to live in always, but have to move about
from place to place, wherever they can find water. Of course, living in
this way, they can have no houses, but have to live in tents, which can
be easily carried whenever they move.

Sometimes a terrible storm comes up on the desert; the wind blows, and
drives great clouds of sand before it, making it almost impossible for
a person to see. In a storm like this the people have to keep moving
and to try to get out of the storm, for if they stayed in one place the
sand would soon cover them.


[Illustration: _The Arab’s Shibriyeh,--a Home on the Great Sahara Desert_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



BEFORE THE PETROFSKI PALACE IN A TROIKA


We do not often see carriages in America with three horses, do we?
In Russia, however, they are used a great deal, and go very rapidly
indeed, the middle horse trotting while the others gallop. This gives
a peculiar motion to the carriage, as you might suppose. The Russian
people are fond of driving extremely fast, and urge their horses on to
the greatest speed. See the arch over the middle horse; it is very much
ornamented, and the harness is quite gay with all its tassels and bells.

A carriage like this with three horses is called a troika. This troika
has come out from Moscow to the old Petrofski Palace, which was once
the residence of the royal family. You know that Moscow was, a long
time ago, the capital of Russia, and it is still one of the principal
cities in manufactures and commerce.

Going towards it one sees the mass of roofs like a dark green sea;
nearer, many spires and domes attract the eye. The spires seem like a
network of gold; the domes are in some cases gilded, in others a deep
blue, covered with gold stars, and in still others are tiled with green.

In the centre of the city is the Kremlin, a hill where the buildings
are particularly beautiful, among the shrubs and trees, with the tower
of Ivan the Great rising above them all. At the foot of this tower is
the great bell of Moscow, the largest in the world. There are hundreds
and hundreds of bells in Moscow of all sizes and kinds.


[Illustration: _A Russian Troika (three-horse Carriage) before the old
Petrofski Palace in a northwest Suburb of Moscow. The Palace is not now
occupied as a royal Residence. The middle Horse in a Troika
trots while the others gallop_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



NEAR VILLEFRANCHE


Here is the grandpa of some little French children, out for a drive
with his fine pair of dogs. See how patiently they stand and wait until
their master is ready to start. Then they will trot along very soberly,
making the queer little cart jolt over the roads about Villefranche.

For many, many years this little town has nestled down in its valley
among the hills of southern France, and of course one sees there some
fine old houses, built centuries ago. Besides these old houses there
are a big Gothic cathedral and an old monastery which is now used as a
hospital or asylum. Both these buildings are interesting to see.

I wonder if you know what kinds of things grow in southern France.
They have a great deal of warm weather there. Grapes, did you say?
Yes, grapes grow there in profusion, and olives and mulberries. It is
on mulberry leaves that the silk-worm feeds, and ever so much silk is
made in France and sent all over the world. Then there are numberless
little farms or gardens where vegetables and fruits of various kinds
are raised.

Market-day is a great event; everyone must go, and of course all the
people in the country places try to grow the choicest vegetables and
fruits, and raise the very best fowls. The flowers, too, offered for
sale, are beautiful and very fragrant; we should like to see them, and
to bring some home with us.


[Illustration: _The Grandpa of Villefranche, South France, out for a drive_

_From a Stereograph, copyright, 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



IN SEVILLE


There has been a wedding in Seville, and now the bride and bridegroom
are going off with all the good wishes of their friends. The beautiful
horse seems to know that he is taking part in an important event, and
he stands very still while the good-byes are being said.

Seville is a very attractive and important city in Spain, on a river
with such a long, hard name to say--Guadalquiver. Some parts of the
city are below high-water level, so that often the river overflows and
causes much suffering. Seville has many interesting old Moorish houses,
because long, long ago the Moors came over the Strait of Gibraltar from
Morocco to Spain and settled there, building houses in their own style.

Some of these houses and palaces are beautiful, with double arches
and carved patterns like lacework. The Alcazar was the palace of the
Moorish kings and is wonderful to see, although not so marvellous as
the Alhambra, at Granada, which the Moors also built. Some day you will
read what Washington Irving wrote about it.

The Moors were driven out of Spain about the time of Columbus, when
Ferdinand and Isabella came to the throne. Most of the houses in
Seville are built in the Moorish style, around a court which often has
a marble fountain in the centre, with beautiful shrubs and orange trees
here and there. The streets are very narrow; in some places so narrow
that two little burros could not pass if their panniers were full.


[Illustration: _The Departure of the Bride and Bridegroom, Seville, Spain_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



RETURN FROM GRAPE-PICKING, MALAGA


What quantities of grapes we see here! Baskets, barrels and the
panniers on the little burro are filled. These people have just come
from the vineyards about Malaga, in Spain.

Malaga is at the foot of a large range of mountains the sides of which
are covered with vineyards. You know that those delicious white grapes
that we get in the markets come from Malaga. Do you know how they
grow? The vineyards on the sides of hills or mountains are planted row
after row, only a few feet apart, and each row a little higher than
the one before it. Every vine is like a little tree by itself, with a
trench dug around it to catch the water when it rains. The soil of the
vineyards is red. After the grapes are picked, they are packed in cork
dust and sent to other parts of Europe and to America.

Raisins and wine also come from Malaga in large quantities. They are
both made from grapes--raisins by drying the grapes in the sun, and
wine from the juice of grapes; so you see how many must be picked every
year. Figs and almonds grow in Malaga, and olives. All these things,
you know, grow only where it is very warm and sunny. If we went to
Spain we should see many olive trees. They look something like plum
trees, but are knotty and gnarled and the leaves are a darker green.
When the olives are ripe they are a dark glossy purple.


[Illustration: _Return from the Grape-picking, Malaga, Spain_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



DRIVING A DOG-TEAM IN HOLLAND


See these good old dogs harnessed like horses, drawing the
strange-looking cart! Do you think your dog would run quietly along the
street if you harnessed him this way? I do not believe he would, but
these dogs are used to being driven, so they do not mind it at all; in
fact they expect to draw a cart, as the dogs in Holland often do.

To-day is market-day, and the Dutch peasant woman is just coming from
town where she has sold all her vegetables and flowers. See the garden
just beyond the fence in the picture. What do you think these flowers
are? A great many tulips, hyacinths and crocuses are grown in Holland.
It is a great gardening country; every bit of ground is cultivated, and
the kingdom is like one big garden crossed by many canals like silver
threads.

There is a high tower in Utrecht, one of the cities, from which one can
see almost the whole country spread out like a map, and it is such a
pretty view. The meadows are bright green, and along the canals willow
trees, elms and poplars are seen. Dotted here and there are pretty
little villages with houses painted in bright colours, and everywhere
are windmills with huge sails. They are used to grind corn and to pump
the water from the canals, and in addition to being so useful are very
picturesque.

The people of Holland are very neat; every day their houses,
sidewalks, and streets are cleaned, and everything put in its best
condition.


[Illustration: _Dignity of a Dutch Matron with her Dog Team. Outskirts
of Eukhuysen, Holland_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



CARRIAGE OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY, SWEDEN


This quaint little carriage was owned by a rich man in Sweden, three or
four hundred years ago. Do you see what a peculiar harness the horse
has on? That queer arrangement on his back I should think would be very
uncomfortable, shouldn’t you? The man’s clothing, too, looks strange.
Do you see his big funny-looking hat? If we should take a drive in
this old, old carriage, what kind of country do you think we should go
through?

Sweden is one of the countries that have many different kinds of
climate and scenery, so you can understand that it would take a
great many days to see it all. In the northern part we should find
the winters very long and cold, and the summers short. We should see
high mountains, and rivers on which vessels can sail for two or three
hundred miles. Doesn’t that seem a long distance? Then we should see
thick woods with very big trees in them which are cut down for timber.
There are not many cities in the north, and if we kept going toward the
middle of the country we should still see only a few, but we should
see many farms where beetroot is grown, from which they make sugar. We
should see fields of grain, and cows grazing in the meadows. Often we
should pass a beautiful lake, blue as the sky, reflecting the country
like a mirror. Here the winters are not so cold or long, and as we
approached the coast we should find a much warmer climate. Most of the
large cities and towns are along the coast.


[Illustration: _A sixteenth Century Carriage of a rich Norseman,
Bergoik, Sweden_

_From Stereograph, copyright 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



TAKING A RIDE IN THURSO, SCOTLAND


See this dear, shaggy little donkey; doesn’t he look full of mischief?
Many a happy drive these children have over the roads about Thurso, in
Scotland. They are on their way now to the village store. This looks
like a very pleasant road, with its long stretches of field and meadow.

From Thurso are sent out cattle and sheep and grain, so you see it is a
farming country around there. Do you know where Thurso is? Look on your
map of Scotland and you will find it, away up in the very northern part
on the sea-coast. Like many places near the water it is very rocky, and
many paving stones come from there.

Scotland is an interesting place; the scenery is beautiful, and there
are many wonderful old castles famous in history. Perhaps you have read
the stories written by Sir Walter Scott about some of them. His home
was in Scotland, and Robert Burns lived there, too. Have you read any
of Burns’s poems?

In olden times the northern part of Scotland was owned by the
Highlanders, who lived by raising sheep and cattle, and by hunting.
They were divided into clans, or large families of relatives, and were
very loyal to one another. Many stirring tales are told of these old
times; probably you will read them some time. Now most of the large
estates in the Highlands are owned by English or American people, who
spend a short time there every year in shooting and fishing.


[Illustration: _Young Citizens of Thurso, Scotland, on the Way to
the Village Store_

_From Stereograph, Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



OFF FOR A HOLIDAY IN A JAUNTING-CAR


Here is a happy family, off for a long holiday. Grandfather usually has
to take passengers about in his jaunting-car; but to-day is a holiday
for him too, and he is going to take the family all off for a long
drive. Have you ever seen a jaunting-car? They are used a great deal
in Ireland, and sometimes we see them in America--at Newport or other
summer resorts. Before one gets accustomed to riding in them he has to
hold on tightly when going around corners; but after a while he gets
used to the jolting motion and is not afraid of being tipped out.

See the house in the picture. Many cottages in Ireland are like this,
of stone or earth with the roof thatched with straw; but a great many
have no windows except holes cut in the walls, and the door is so low
that one has to stoop to go in. Of course the houses in the cities are
different.

Dublin is the principal city and is a very beautiful one, with fine
houses and buildings. Exquisite lace, made by the peasant women, comes
from there, and a kind of cloth called Irish poplin, made of silk and
wool. It rains very often in Ireland, so the grass and foliage are
bright green, for which reason the island is sometimes called the
Emerald Isle. The Irish people say, “In England it rains all day; in
Scotland it rains all night; but in Ireland it rains both day and
night.”


[Illustration: _Off for a Holiday in a Jaunting Car, Ireland_

_From Stereograph, Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



IN PORTO RICO


Here is a whole family out for a drive in their cart drawn by four
bullocks. This “horseless carriage” is in Porto Rico, which means “rich
harbour.” Did you know that Columbus discovered the island of Porto
Rico? It is called the “land of perpetual June,” because the weather
is so fine through the whole year. To be sure, they sometimes have
terrible earthquakes and hurricanes; but the people are prepared for
these and have cellars or caves to which they go when they see signs
of a hurricane coming. They have to take food with them, of course,
to last until the storm is over, and sometimes whole villages are
destroyed.

Except at these times Porto Rico is a beautiful place; flowers bloom
all the year and the fields are full of growing things. A great deal
of coffee grows there on large plantations. You know that Porto Rico
belongs now to the United States, and every afternoon at sunset in the
large cities a band plays “The Star Spangled Banner.” While it is being
played the flag is lowered and the men take off their hats. It is an
impressive sight.

There are many interesting things to see in the city streets. The men
who sell bananas carry them fastened to a pole; the milk-man sometimes
carries his large open can of milk on his head; and all of the native
people, if they have anything to carry, balance it on their heads, no
matter what it is. They are very expert at balancing things in this way.


[Illustration: _A holiday Jaunt in a horseless Carriage, Coamo, Porto Rico_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



IN CUBA


Surely this is a queer-looking street-car! Did you ever ride in
one like it? Perhaps if we were in Cuba we might take a ride; but
if we were in a hurry it would be better to find some other way of
travelling. The car seems to be well filled with passengers. I wonder
where they are all going! See the boy at the side of the car, with an
odd-shaped basket in his hand. Perhaps all these people are going to
the tobacco fields, for as you know, a great deal of tobacco is raised
in Cuba, and cigars and cigarettes are made in large quantities. Many
other things grow there, too. Some plants which belong to tropical
or very hot countries grow close beside those found also in colder
climates; so there is great variety of plant life.

Some fish with very queer names are found in Cuba: there is the “giant
aguja,” a great big fish that sometimes weighs as much as five hundred
pounds; the “snoring ronco,” the “galligo,” the “garfish,” and several
others with names as funny. Do you know what all these fish look
like? I’m sure I don’t, but if they are like their names they must be
strange-looking objects.

There are many kinds of animals and insects in Cuba, too; some of the
insects are quite troublesome and we should not care to have them come
near us. If one is making a collection of insects, Cuba is a good place
in which to find different varieties.


[Illustration: _A characteristic Street-car. Rapid Transit in Cuba_

_From Stereograph, Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



ORMOND BEACH, FLORIDA


Isn’t this a fine long beach? Can you see how far it stretches? The
sand is just as firm and hard as a floor, so the beach is often used
to race on. Automobiles have made unusual records here: the sand is so
smooth that they can go at great speed over it. Can you imagine how
strange these automobiles would look to a child who had never seen one?
We sometimes think the carriages of other countries are queer to look
at, but if we had never seen an automobile before, perhaps it would
look the strangest of all to us. Indeed, just after dark when the lamps
are lighted they look like great monsters with shining eyes and open
mouths coming towards one. Did you ever notice it?

Wouldn’t you love to have a run along this beach, and to paddle in the
water? Perhaps some time you will be in Florida and go to Ormond Beach;
perhaps you have already been there. Florida has water on three sides
and there are many beaches of course, but the coast is flat and sandy,
with reefs and sand bars that go way out into the ocean, so there are
not many good harbours for vessels. On the side where the Atlantic is
there are very few. Something grows in Florida that you like very much;
I wonder if you know what it is? It grows on trees with dark, glossy
leaves; it is round and the colour is between a red and yellow. The
colour has the same name as the fruit, so I can’t tell you what it is
without telling the name of the fruit. Do you know what it is now?


[Illustration: _On the famous Ormond Beach. The record-breaking
Automobile Race-Course, Daytona, Florida_

_From Stereograph, Copyright 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



THE OLD CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE


This funny little cart with enormous wheels has stopped in front of the
old gate at St. Augustine, in Florida. Would you like to take a ride
through the town?

First let us look at the old gate. Hundreds of years ago the city had
a wall across one end, and this old gate guarded the entrance. See the
sentry boxes where the men on guard used to stay. The door to one of
them is right in back of the cart in the picture. Now, if we go through
the gate we shall find an interesting old city, quite different from
any other in America, for St. Augustine was built by Spanish people
many, many years ago; and some of the quaint old houses are still
there to remind us of the times before our grandfathers lived. The
streets are very narrow and the houses peculiarly built, most of them
made of _coquina_, a combination of shells and sand, cut into
bricks. At the end of the town near the sea is an old fort, also built
with coquina walls, and in going through it we should hear from our
guide many strange stories of things that happened long ago. Several
times the fort was besieged, but the coquina walls were soft enough
so that bullets became embedded in them, and the fort did not receive
much injury; but the walls are crumbling now. Another interesting old
building is the cathedral with its odd-shaped belfry with four bells in
it.


[Illustration: _A Relic of the old Days, at the famous City Gate in
the old Spanish Town of St. Augustine, Florida_

_From Stereograph, copyright 1905, by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



IN NORTH CAROLINA


Here is a happy farmer taking his family out for a drive in his big
ox-cart. He is very proud of his cart, and of his little farm where he
raises vegetables and melons for the market. When he was a little boy
his father and mother were slaves on a large plantation, and although
they were treated kindly they belonged, like the horses and dogs, to
the white people who owned the plantation.

This man is happy to think he is free, and he works hard to keep his
family supplied with all they need. See the dear little baby in his
mother’s lap. Perhaps when he grows up he will go to one of the schools
in North Carolina, where the negroes learn to be good farmers, able
to take care of themselves and their families. Perhaps he will be a
teacher.

This road looks very sandy, doesn’t it? You know it is in what is
called the Sand Belt of North Carolina. All along the eastern part of
the state the country is low and flat, much of it sandy, with here and
there a swamp; but farther inland it is good farming country with fine
soil. North Carolina has a wonderful climate, and it is so warm and
pleasant that a bigger variety of plants grow there than in almost any
other state. We should like to see peanuts growing, shouldn’t we? They
grow in great abundance here.


[Illustration: _Free and happy in his crude Prosperity. Life in the
Sand Belt of North Carolina_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



AN OX-CART IN SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI


This father is taking his family out too; it is a good large family,
isn’t it? All these pickaninnies live in the house we see in the
picture, way down in southern Mississippi. Before the Civil War the
coloured people in Mississippi were slaves, but now they are free, and
many of them live quite happily and contentedly in their little cabins.
Numbers of them own small farms and grow cotton and corn, or sometimes
sugar-cane, from which syrup and molasses are made.

Mississippi is one of the states where it is warm weather most of the
year; the Gulf of Mexico is just south of it, and the breeze across the
water is soft and mild. It rains a great deal in the southern part of
the state, and there are many rivers, so the land is overflowed very
often. Along the Mississippi River in some places banks called levees
have been built, to keep the water in its place, but often after a
heavy rain there is so much water in the river that the levees are
broken, and then great damage is done. If the river did not sometimes
carry off houses these overflows would not be so bad, for the water
leaves a kind of mud on the fields, which makes things grow faster and
better.

There are large numbers of trees in Mississippi: the holly that we use
at Christmas time grows there, the fragrant magnolia, the persimmon
with its queer puckery fruit, and many other varieties.


[Illustration: _Rapid Transit in Southern Mississippi_

_From Stereograph, copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



IN CENTRAL PARK


These dear little goats give a great deal of pleasure to children in
Central Park, New York City. Would you like to take a drive now and see
some of the interesting things in the park? It is such a large place
that it would take quite a long time to drive about and see everything.

Where would you like to go first? Why, of course, you want to see the
animals, so we will pay a visit to them. What do you like to see--the
monkeys? Well, they are funny, with their wrinkled little faces and
paws like tiny hands. Do you like to give them peanuts, and then watch
their solemn faces while they crack the shells open? We mustn’t stay
watching them too long, for there is much in Central Park that we want
to see. As we go along we will look at the trees, because here are
found all the different kinds that will grow in this climate, and some
of them are very beautiful.

There is a very famous “Needle” in Central Park; have you ever seen
it? Don’t look astonished, for it is quite different from the needles
we are accustomed to seeing. Perhaps you would know it better by its
other name, obelisk. It is a very tall shaft of stone with curious
inscriptions on it, and it is very, very old. First it stood in
Heliopolis, hundreds and hundreds of years ago, then it was moved to
Alexandria, Egypt. Several years ago it was given to the United States
by the Khedive of Egypt. It is now called “Cleopatra’s Needle.”


[Illustration: _The Goat Carriages, Central Park, New York_

_From Stereograph, Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]



ON AN OSTRICH FARM


Would you like to try a race with this ostrich? I am afraid you would
be beaten, for this is a famous trotter, Oliver W., who has made a
record for great speed. It looks strange to see an ostrich harnessed
into a racing gig, doesn’t it? But you know they can go very rapidly,
and easily run faster than horses. Do you see all the ostriches in the
picture on the other side of the fence? This is a farm in Jacksonville,
Florida, where ostriches are raised. You know so many people want
ostrich plumes that it takes a great many to supply them all, and there
are ostrich farms in Florida and California, as well as in Mexico and
other countries. The first plumes are cut from the birds when they
are about six or seven months old, and then about twice a year until
they are very old. Ostriches are queer-looking birds, aren’t they? See
Oliver W.’s long neck, and his feet with only two toes, the outside one
having no claw. It is wise to keep away from those feet, for ostriches
sometimes kick, and very powerfully, too. They are strange birds and do
many funny things; so a visit to an ostrich farm is very entertaining.
You have heard, haven’t you, how they hide their heads in the sand and
think no one can see them? When the Arabs of the desert want to catch a
wild ostrich they find it quite easy, for the birds are very apt to run
around in circles instead of straight ahead, so the horses soon catch
up with them.


[Illustration: _Exercising Oliver W., who has a trotting Record of
2:02. Ostrich Farm, Jacksonville, Florida_

_From Stereograph, Copyright 1904, by Underwood & Underwood, New York_]




*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Jogging round the world : Riders and drivers, with curious steeds or vehicles, in strange lands and at home" ***

Copyright 2023 LibraryBlog. All rights reserved.



Home