Is That What You're Smelling?

The people live in villages altogether, each family having land apportioned to them according to their numbers by the village commune or assembly. So not only do they live in squalor, but they have no freedom and they have to farm the land for other people. Some of the country through which we passed seems quite fertile, but the greater part has a barren appearance. Often whole sections would be continued wilderness with a sandy or corduroy road for a sort of road and bird stretching on either hand.