HITCH-HIKING ACROSS THE SAHARA
1. Give an idea of the size of the Sahara. How is it compared with England?
Ans: The Sahara is the largest desert in the world. It covers almost whole width of North Africa. If a giant were to pick England up and put it down in the Sahara, it would be quite difficult to find her. Such is the hugeness of the Sahara.
2. What had Christopher’s foster-mother to do with his desire to see distant places?
Ans: In his childhood, whenever Christopher would do something naughty, his foster-mother used to threaten him to send him to Timbuktu (which is an old city in the Sahara desert). Instead of alarming him, it aroused a keen desire in him to travel see distant places.3. How did he manage to get a seat in the weapons carrier?
Ans: When he Christopher was going southward from Bousaada he saw a weapon carrier. He showed the lieutenant in charge a French Ministry’s study permit which was actually cancelled. Fortunately, the lieutenant did not see the ‘cancelled’ stamp and allowed him a seat.
4. What was the most noticeable feature of the desert city, named Ghardaia?
Ans: Ghardaia was a typical desert city. It had flies stickier and more numerous than any other place. Food and other articles were constantly covered with flies and they followed food straight into the mouth. Christopher had to keep his food free from the flies with great difficulty.
5. How did they manage to drive the heavy truck in the trackless desert with its soft sand?
Ans: They had ten-foot strips of steel mesh. Wherever came soft sand, they placed these strips to make a runway for the truck to pass that area. When the truck reached harder place, they loaded these strips back into the truck. In this way the truck moved on towards El Golea.
6. What did the driver of the truck tell Christopher about three Englishmen who had attempted to cross the desert?
Ans: Hantout, the truck driver, told him that three English travellers had tried to cross a part of the Sahara in a car with water supply of only one day. Their car stuck in a sand dune and later their dead bodies were found dried up like leaves. They had drained radiator and one of them tried drinking oil from the crankcase of the car.
7. Give an account of the little town, named El-Golea, and compare it with In-Salah, bringing out the difference between the two.
Ans: El-Golea is a lush green town with plenty of water. With date-palms and shady pools of water, this town has triumphed over the barrenness of sand. On other hand, In-Salah is fighting a desperate battle of its survival. The sand is encroaching on the town. The people are forced to migrate.
8. What do you know of Professor Claude Balanguernon? How did he save the hero’s life towards the end of hitch-hike?
Ans: Professor Claude Balanguernon was a French professor who had devoted his life for the education and welfare of the Tuareg tribe. Towards the end of hitch-hike, he missed meeting Christopher at In-Abbangarit and went towards Agades. Christopher was miserable at In-Abbangarit. Upon realizing about Christopher’s plight, Professor contacted the Desert Patrol who rescued Christopher.
9. Describe the events leading to the killing of a camel. What sort of water did they get from its stomach?
Ans: Christopher and his companions had no water. They reached a well and found that it was dry. They reached another well at noon next day. It was drytoo. Next waterhole was at distance of two days. They had only one way to survive – kill a camel and obtain water from its stomach. They slaughtered a camel and got a blood-like unappetizing liquid which saved their lives.
10. Describe the journey through the Land of Thirst and Death.
Ans: The journey through Land of Thirst and Death, while Christopher and his companions were going from Tamanrasset to Timbaktu on camels, was the most arduous and dangerous. Christopher survived a drastic sandstorm and also an attack of a deadly snake while making tea
11. Describe the stay at In-Abbangarit. How did Christopher manage to get water there?
Ans: At In-Abbangarit, Christopher found a well but water was good 46 metres below. He had no bucket and rope. He tied articles of clothing to make a rope but it was not long enough. He became clueless. He had a recording machine. It had a wire as recording medium. He used this wire as rope and a tea-pot to bring out water from the well.
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