branches you see are sold for kindling wood and they make a splendid fire.
The heavier parts of the tree are also used for fuel and the donkeys are
loaded with these date knots and date sticks in baskets. It is a busy
scene and, what with braying of donkeys and shouting of the
wood-merchants, there is enough noise too.

[Illustration: FIRE WOOD MARKET, BUSRAH.]

There is one more blessing that comes from the palm tree and which we have
forgotten. That is shade. Arabia is a hot and dry country. The summer sun
is much more piercing than in America and the summer is much longer. When
you travel a long camel journey across the desert, oh how good it is to
come to a grove of palm trees and rest! Such a place is called an _oasis_
and underneath the palms there are always springs of water. I can well
understand how happy the children of Israel were after their journey in
the desert, when they came to Elim where "there were twelve wells of
water and threescore and ten palm trees." In summer time many of the town
Arabs leave their houses in the city and go to camp out in the
date-gardens to enjoy the cool shades. The Arab poets have written many
poems in praise of their favourite tree and fruit, but none of them are so
funny as these lines which Campbell wrote from Algiers where the date tree
also flourishes and with which we will end this chapter:

"Though my letter bears date as you view
From the land of the date-bearing palm
I will palm no more puns upon you."