Cave Dwellers Still Exist

1914

Are Undersized, Animal-Like Creatures of Atlas Mountains

New York, Jan. 19. — S. F. E. Johnson, who has been exploring and sketching in Tunisia for the Geographic Magazine, looked over the troglodytes, or cave dwellers, of the Atlas Mountains, and noted that they were abandoning their altitudinous burrows because of the cold and, perhaps, because of their increasing inability to stand exposure.

They are mostly undersized, animal-like creatures, and many of them are deformed through intermarriage. They had migrated in numbers to the valleys, but could not accustom themselves to sleeping indoors. Their burrowing tendency clung to them, and they made holes when they could not find them.

Johnson said the impression that there were only about 500 troglodytes in Tunisia had been dispelled. He estimated that there were at least 5,000 of them. Their intelligence was limited, and they had a strong dislike for music in any form — vocal, instrumental or bass drum.

Johnson brings back maps of the Roman roads of Tunisia, constructed more than 100 years B. C., which, he says, are as good today as when they were built; and serve as a model for modern road makers.