Among the African deserts are some fertile spots. They are
occasioned by springs which arise in little dells and moisten
the ground for some distance around them. They are islands of
verdure and beauty and refreshing in an ocean of desolation.
Some of them are very extensive and contain a considerable
population. One of these is called the Great Oasis, consisting
of a chain of fertile tracts of about a hundred miles in length.
Another is the Oasis of Siwah, which has a population of eight
thousand souls.
Is not life dotted with just such oases that gladden the desert expanse
that surrounds so many pilgrims of earth? (Text.)
(2211)