Note 197 — Chapter XIII

اّلشُومْ Asshume, or Shume; this wind has been already mentioned; during its continuance, it is impossible to live in the upper rooms of the houses, the inhabitants, therefore, retire to subterraneous apartments, cellars, or warehouses on the ground floor, eating nothing but fruits, as the water melon, and the prickly pear, for animal food at this period is loathsome whilst hot, and has scarcely time to cool before it becomes tainted. The walls of the bed chambers being of stone, buckets of water are thrown against them to render the rooms habitable towards night; and so great is their heat, that in doing this, the effect is similar to what is produced by casting water on hot iron. I have felt the Shume 20 leagues out at sea; when in lat. north 30°, longitude west 11° 30′, I astonished the captain of the ship, by directing his attention to particles of sand which fell on the deck; and although the mariners actually collected about a wine glass full of this sand by sweeping the deck, yet he would scarcely credit the cause to which I ascribed it, until we reached Agadeer, when he met with many daily proofs of the extraordinary effects of this tremendous wind. I never found any extreme inconvenience from the Shume north of the province of Suse, although at Mogodor it is sometimes felt, but seldom or ever continues more than three days.

The Akkabaahs are sometimes obliged suddenly to strike their tents, and proceed on their journey, from the Shume arising, and drifting the loose sand along the plains, which attaches to every fixed object in its course, and soon buries it. Savary, who often sacrifices truth to the pomp of language, has committed a gross error in describing the Desert; he says—“Woe to him, whom a whirlwind from the south surprises in the midst of the solitude, if he have not a tent to shelter him; he is assailed by clouds of burning dust which fills his eyes, ears, and mouth, and deprives him of the faculty of sight and breathing.” (See Letters on Egypt.) Now, so far from tents being any permanent protection during these winds, they are rather an annoyance, for it is impossible to keep them upright; and if they are not immediately struck, they, and all within them, are soon buried in the overwhelming torrent of sand.