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THE GREAT SAHARA.

If the people of Australia were to be told that thejr were directly interested in the Oonaervation of the African Sahara, they Would probably exhibit signs of incredulity. But if the theory pronounced fey Lieutenant Armit in his recently-published work on ** Light as a Motive Power ” be correct, it 18 a matter of very considerable importance to the colonies , of the Island-Continent that the project which has been «et on foot for inundating the Sahara should be abandoned. Let ns explain. From time to time public attention has been directed to ' the geographical peculiarities of the Great African Desert, or rather we should write “ Deserts,” for there are Several distinct deserts within the immense tract known as the Sahara, which, extending over 40 degrees of longitude and from 10 to 16 degrees of latitude, embraces within hjs 1 area no less than two million, square miles. Scattered over this arid country, there are several “ oases ” islands of Verdure- in the vast ocean of sand—inhabited tribes of the Targhi or Tawdrik, described as being generally and collectively ounel breeders, slaves and salt dealers, guides and robbers. To the South, on the banks of the Quorra river—one of tbe head waters of the Niger—is the celebrated city of Timbttetoo, which is the emporium of all the district lying between the Kong mountains to the south and the desert to the north. From Timbuctoo an extensive and valuable trade is carried on with the countries abutting on the Mediterranean. Every year numerous caravans, loaded with the products of Central Africa, traverse the Sahara for this purpose. But there is immense risk in these undertakings. The natural dangers of the desert are of themselves many and great; and the fierce tribes who inhabit the oases, living ehiefly by plunder, render every such journey doubly hazardous. Commerce being the • motive, a plan has been laid before tbe public by ,which the transit of merchandise across the Sahara might be avoided, and Timbuctoo itself brought within a few days’ sail cf London or Liverpool, The projector is Mr Daniel Mackenzie, and his project, briefly described, is to cut a channel from the Atlantic Ocean into the Great Desert, thereby Converting tbe latter into an inland ocean larger than the Mediterranean Sea. To; render this scheme comprehensible to the reader, a few details are necessary. Tbe usually accepted geological theory of the Sahara is That it was depressed below the level of the ocean by the same agencies that raigedthe Atlas Mountains to the north and sank a portion of the former continent, the remaining elevated-peaks of which are termed the Cahflryjlslanas, to the westward. There are indications of the sea having tilled the basin of the present desert subsequently to that convulsion, and it is said that the old

channel can yet be traced to Cape Juby, on the coast abreast of the islands. ‘ From this

point to the commencement of the great depression there are five or six miles of low '‘hummocks” or sandhills, and it is proposed to construct a canal through these, so ‘as to restore the connection with the Atlantic. The results would be most desirable in a commercial point of view, and even although it might slightly interfere with “the rights of property” possessed by the . desert-tribes, such interference could scarcely be regarded as an evil. But it is pretty • well understood nowadays that any exten- , sive alteration in the distribution of land and ■ water on the surface of the gfobe must exert a very perceptible effect pn clfmftte; and the exception was at once taken to Mr Mackenzie’s project that its execution would Prejudicially influence the climate of Europe, 'o combat this objection an article was lately published in a publication entitled ‘The Anglo-Australian,” from which we extract -tbs following;—

The radiated heat thrown up into the atmosphere bythe burning sands qI the Great Desert is held to superheat the current of air passing over it to sach an extent that its molecules expand indefinitely, and oonseqaently rise towards the cold current of air above, which is flowing south from the North Pole above the snow-line on the mountains, 'f ho surface current which is thus forced to ascend has Originally, be it remembered, p >ased as the south- - east Trade wind over the Indian Ocean, and its molecules are therefore surcharged with moisture, and consequently all the more easily affected by gadiated-heat. At the present time, owing to vhe desert being dry, these winds ascend, and northerly winds are called down from the summits of the Alpine systm to blow over the eastern portion of the Mediterranean into the heart of the African continent, uffeere they have been .experienced as far south as the Bth parallel by Livingstone, Speke, Burton, Sir Qamuel Baker, and other well-known travellers. These northerly winds, which form the prevailing udnds of . the Mediterranean, ore held by some Authorities t6 come directly from the cold Arctic current, and as the Tramontana Negra and Gregale «( these regions, together with the Northers of Mexico and the north-west monsoon of the northen: regions of Australia, are essentially cold winds, there appears to be some foundation for the assumption. These winds are, however, stronger than the uonth-east trade winds cf the Indian Oceau, and they consequently tpm these back towards the Australian continent after having ascended over the desert, and, as things now stand, are held to water its southern colonies on re-becoming surface winds at the Calm Belt of Capricorn, where they ... «re now found to become the prevailing westerly winds of the southern temperate regions. On the desert once more beconjljag on ocean, how, aver, the radiated heat which now forces the south- . east trade wind ef the Indian Ocean to ascend, and which at the same time calls into existence the prevailing northerly winds of the Mediterranean, will be quenched, and an evaporating surface will be substituted in its stead. The effect of this change in the status quo will evidently bo to give increased power to the south-east trad s of the Indian Ocean, which, now turning back the nor th-eaatttr ades which will base been called into existence through the Calm Belt of Cancer being enabled to resume its proper position, will cause a greater rainfall to be experienced by the entire northern, coast of the ‘ Mediterranean, which will in future be under a similar climate to that of England aud Western JSurope; while, strange to say, this new theory seems to foretell the restoration of the early and latter sains to Syria, «s prophecied to come to pass in the Holy Scriptures before the children of Israel return to Jerusalem. There is doubtlessly something very attractive to the British mind in this combinafcion erf Business or theology. We question whether Any other people in the world so .habitually associate the Gospel with the Ledger—the Bible of religion with the Bible o£ mammon. It would' be both pious and profitable to secure the trade of Timbuctoa and the accomplishment of prophecy' by one and the same operation. But it so happens that, ae was said at the commencement of this article, the people of Australia are interested in this matter, if modem scientists do not greatly err. It will be observed that in the above extract we are told that “as things now stand ” certain atmospheric currents are believed to water the southern colonies. The inference is, that any undue interference with “things” as they stand would seriously disturb existing arrangements, and, accordingly, a little further on We find it stated that The effect on the Australian Colonies of this important ohnngelin the preseut distribution of land and water would, apt Aar to bo the very reverse to that which would bo experienced by the northern shores of the Mediterranean, as the vapor which would go to water the latter regi. ua would be diverted from its present functions, and the Australian continent within the temperate zone would, in consequence, lose that amount of moisture which is now vreoipitated over it by the prevailing westerly winds. Whether such a change would injuriously affect the Colonies it is hard to say, ns they receive moisture from both westerly and easterly winds; but one thing is certain, and that is, that their present periodical floods would be gneatly reduced; ft they ever would recur seems, indeed, to be the question. We rather feel inclined to the opinion that the Australian Colonies have no superfluous sioistnre to spare, and that injurious as V their present periodical floods” may be, a peroetualdrougbt would l»e very much less > endurable. Gkarly if tbe effecfc of the pronpsfed African improvements is likely to be nature puggestsd by the above theory

it behoves our neighbors to veto the work, however desirable it may be that commercial and friendly relations should be established with the capital of Negroland, or that “the early and the latter rains” should be “restored to Judea.” Mr Mackenzie and his co-projectors will have to wait a little longer. An inland sea at the Equator would be a poor compensation for the conversion of Australia into a desert of larger magnitude than' the Sahara itself.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18760304.2.32.2

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Evening Star, Issue 4063, 4 March 1876, Page 1 (Supplement)

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,529

THE GREAT SAHARA. Evening Star, Issue 4063, 4 March 1876, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE GREAT SAHARA. Evening Star, Issue 4063, 4 March 1876, Page 1 (Supplement)

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