Zaara


Zaara is an archaic variant of Sahara, both being English transliterations of the original Arabic word for desert. It is an African region famed for its arid, barren characteristics, and was used by contemporary writers not just as a geographic reference, but also to illustrate the epitome of a dismal wasteland. Modern references to the Sahara as Zaara are very sparse. It generally cannot be found in online dictionaries or encyclopedias, not even as a footnote under the standard spelling. However, a few references can be found in antique books, particularly those regarding the animals of the region and travelogues; and on antique maps, some as recent as 1834.

Literary references

From the chapter on lions in William Smellie's 1781 English translation of Buffon's Histoire Naturelle :
This is a description of the English Mastiff from the Cynographia Britannica, published in 1800. The reference to attacking "the lord of the savage tribes" means the breed's use as lion-hunters. At the time this was written, lions were commonly referred to as the "king of the beasts" :
This is an early 19th-century complaint about a 1788 American law that made it easier to market fraudulent land grants. It cites the poor quality of Zaara's land as an example of deceptive marketing. This commentary appears in Blackstone's Commentaries: with Notes of Reference, annotated by St. George Tucker of the College of William and Mary and published in 1803 :
The Narrative of a Voyage to Senegal in 1816 by Corréard and Savigny, carries this lengthy subtitle :