Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 16.djvu/558

532 opening of the valleys." Also: "Up to 1856, on the left bank of the Ouadi Titersin, there had been aline of downs called Arekka-n-Bodelka so high that camels had been unable to cross them. A freshet in the Ouadi came with such force as to sweep away the entire mass composing the downs."

As M. Duveyrier says, the alluvial deposits from the Saharan torrents are often extremely fertile. At Biskra, at the time of the French occupation of that place (1844), a layer two yards in thickness of a rich loam was found on an ancient pillar of Roman construction.

The existence of subterranean sheets of water being well demonstrated, and a rude example being set by the untaught natives, it only remained to follow that example on the grander scale made possible by the advancement of science, and determine what benefits could be derived from these bidden treasures. Dr. Maurin enunciated, "Dig an artesian well in the region of sands, and the sands will become fixed by vegetation, and a forest of palms will soon stand where there had been a moving plain." And his saying is well borne out by numerous facts. In 1872 an old marabout (Mussulman devotee or saint) dug a well, planted palm-trees, and established himself at a place now called Tendouf; in less than a year it had become an important commercial center!

The first attempt at boring an artesian well on Algerian soil was in the plain of Oran, on the 7th of December, 1844. It was fruitless, although carried to a depth of 322 feet. A second attempt was made on the 14th of May, 1845, at Arzeu, and was likewise given up at 580 feet. Some time after the occupation of Biskra, a boring was made there to 270 feet: no result. It seemed a hopeless task to find living water, although it was well known that many years before the Arabs had had artesian wells.

General Desvaux, however, commanding the subdivision of Batna, kept studying assiduously to find means of fertilizing the barren regions around him. The perusal of several works by Toumel, by Berbrugger, by Prax, as well as a memoir of M. Dubocq published in 1853, convinced him that boring was destined to play an important part in the solution of the problem that so occupied him. In 1854 he chanced to be on the summit of a sand-hill near his camp, and overlooking the entire oasis of Sidi Rached. He saw that luxuriant vegetation, and turning away was confronted by the sterile waste on the other side. More than ever struck by the contrast, he sent for the sheik and questioned him, and learned that all the northern wells had become filled in with sand, that the parasite waters prevented digging any more, and that the entire population, broken-hearted, were looking forward to leaving their homes. As soon as possible he communicated with Marshal Randon, Governor-General of Algeria, and was authorized by him to commence a systematic search for water in the Sahara.