The couscous might be termed the Arab version of an Irish stew and is the pièce de résistance of most well-ordered Arab dinners. It consists of mutton or fowl and various vegetables, cooked separately, highly seasoned, and served together with steamed wheat dumplings. Wheat and other grains are raised in the Algerian oases and are still threshed largely by woman's hand power much as they were hundreds of years ago. Manual labor is far cheaper in the desert than machinery. According to Arab tradition the great rift in the rock wall at El Kantara was made by Hercules with a single twist of his foot, to form a gateway between mountains and desert. The place derives its name from the remains of a Roman bridge which are still to be seen near by. THE KORAN REPLACES THE THREE R'S IN THIS SCHOOL In compliance with the injunctions of the Prophet, all Arab boys must learn the Koran. However, the language which they speak has drifted so far away from the pure Arabic of their sacred book that they can not understand passages they memorize, but simply repeat them parrot fashion. THE ROAD TO GLORY IS SOMETIMES A ROCKY ONE The heterogeneous individuals who comprise the French Foreign Legion have penetrated the Algerian Desert with good roads. Assignment to a long term of road-building work is one of the punishments for attempted desertion from the Legion. The motto of the Foreign Legion is, "No questions asked," and many a man buries his past under its uniform. The life of the Légionnaires seems romantic, but instead is the sternest reality. National Geographic Society HIS SCARLET CLOAK DENOTES HIGH OFFICE At the head of each Algerian tribe is a Caïd who dispenses justice Autochromes by Gervais Courtellemont THE FAME OF THEIR DANCING SPREADS AFAR Throughout Algeria the dancing of the Ouled Nails is known. These girls are very circumspect in their costume but execute a dance that greatly appeals to their Arab patrons. WELLS ARE IMPORTANT PLACES IN NORTH AFRICA Until the French came to Algeria good water was a rare commodity. They introduced the artesian well to supplement the springs and surface wells of the oases. Autochromes by Gervais Courtellemont City women generally throughout the Moslem world veil their faces, |