The flocks of sheep and goats range at various distances from the
source of their water-supply. It is quite usual for the goatherds
to gather their flocks in early morning, returning to the oasis
in the evening to distribute the goats to their various owners;
but probably in most cases the flocks of sheep, with some goats,
return to water once in two or three days, thus being able to stray
from 20 to 40 kilometers into the desert. Being less dependent on
water, the camels range a much greater distance. It thus appears
that the area grazed over by the flocks of the Arabs is fairly
circular in form, with a radius of 40 or more kilometers from the
wells, and that the range of the camels may be much greater than
this. It should also be noted that the caravan routes are broad
tracts where all vegetation fit for fuel or food has been utilized
Between the two sources of destruction referred to, the stationary
and continuous and the frequent but not continuous, little territory
passes untouched as a source of food-supply.
A visit to the wood markets of the town indicates to what ends the
natives resort to obtain fuel. (See figs. 2 and 3.) Among many kinds
of wood, some are from the oasis itself, such as the willow, plane,
and palm; some from the mountains, like juniper, pine, and oak;
and some from the oued, like the jujube and _Tamarix_. Much of the
fuel is at present brought three days’ journey by camel. Usually
the subaerial portions only of the plants are used, but in the
case of the jujube both root and branches are gathered. The fuel
requirements have apparently brought about the extinction of some
species from certain of their earlier habitats; for example, the
betoum (_Pistacia atlantica_) probably formerly either grew in the
oasis of Laghouat or near by, since it was formerly in common use
as a fuel. Tristram mentions the betoum, and no other species,
as a source of fuel, but inquiry failed to show that at present
this species is in general use for this purpose; but the betoum
is a familiar sight in the region of the dayas south of Laghouat,
where it is the only arboreal species of the region.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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