The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-05-30
IN THE GREAT THIRST LAND
THE INTERESTING BUT LITTLE
KNOWN KALAHAI DESERT.
Inhabited by Rowing Bands of Semi
Savage Natives, Who Live Mid
way JJp High Sand Dunes.


way Up High Sand Dunes.
An interesting but little known
country is that ribbon of land which
runs from the Orange river, in South
Africa to the Zambezi, distance OF
1000 miles, and separate German
Southwest Africa from British South
Africa. the territory of the Kaiser
from the territory of the King. Much
of it is taken up by the Kalahari
desert, or Great Thirst Land. The
southern portion is the most arid
part of the whole desert, since north
ward the rainfall slowly increases
till the traveller gains the green rush
es of Lake Ngami.
The most remarkable feature OF
the Kalahari desert is the presence OF
sand dunes. In the distance these
dunes look like mountain ranges.
Beginning on the banks of the Or
ange river they gradually increase
until they occupy vast tracts of coun-
try and form veritabe desert They
run in parallel lines like the pillows
of a flaming ocean. In the trough OF
these red-hot desert waves are form
ed narrow sandy streets, or mile
broad aIluvial valleys At sunset you
gaze on a sea of silver grazed bush
man grass--the finest drouth-resist-
ant grass in Africa, while green on
the sides of the dunes are scattered
the wonderful Tsamma melons-the
Iife-blood of the desert.
Dainty desert flowers, purple and
crimson and purest white, fit to
adorn a queen, accentuate the vivid
ness of the color scheme. High on
top of the dunes or down in the
silly soil of the plain you will find
sometimes a c1ump of handsome
trees. But in the south, at least, the
desert is tire1ess land. The reason
is not far to seek. The bushman,
the Bastard, the trek-Boer and the
trader all scour the country in search
of fuel They have cut down millions
of the slow-growing, nitrogen-gath-
ering camel-thorn. They never
plant. And so today the Kiruman,
the Molopo and the Nosop, once
mighty rivers, are now all as dry as
dust, and we find land of pits and
desolate places. There is no doubt
that by afforestation, dry-farming
and deep boring it will be possible
to reclaim the uttermost parts of the
Kalahari desert and turn it into a
rich and fertile land.
The Kalahari desert is inhabited
by rowing bands of seni-savage ma
tives, who live mostly On the Tsam-
ma melon. The most famous of these
desert dwelIers are the bushmen.
They are the keenest hunters and
the finest crackers in the world. They
can wear down the fleetest buck rae
ing over the burning sand.
Perched in their primitive huts,
midway up the highest dunes, they
can survey the country for many
miles around. You can traverse the
Kalahari and never set eyes ON a sim
gle bushman. But no man leaves a
footprint on the sand without the
ken of these nomads of the desert.
One sect of the bushmen are the
slaves of Bechuanas and are sent
out into the desert by their black
masters to kill Wild cats for their
skins They live on roots and care
little for water
The great peril of the Kalahari is
want of water, and not a season pass
es without the loss of several lives.
The British have much to learn from
German enterprise. On their side of
the border all is desolation-no made
roads, no telephones, no telegraphs,
no railroads On the German side
of the line every police post is linked
up with a field telephone This means
that the loneliest settler is in direct
touch with civilization British col
onists may be dead and buried before
a physician can be summoned, yet
they are the pioneers who have open
ed up the region.