Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-09-30
Will Irrigate African Desert.

lects the world has ever seen is plan
ned for the heart Of Africa. Ii is MOTH
ing less than the irrigation of desert.
Inc author Of the plan, now before
the African government authorities, is
Professor E. II. L. Sehwarz, and his
design is 10 reclaim vast areas OF the
haiahari Desert. Streams draining
this arid region are to be damned and
a very large shallow lake created, ir-
rigating 10000 miles of potentially
productive territory between the Fam
oezi and Orange rivers, considered to
De among the most promising land in
the whole of Southern Africa.
Professor Schwarz Is in Europe an
swering the critics Of the project, the
chief objection being that the evapora-
ton from the large surface of the pro-
posed storage lake would be so great
that it would absorb a very large pro-
portion of the water. Even the critics,
however, admit the urgent necessity OF
arresting the process of desiccation
which is steadily increasing over the
whole region between the uplands of
South and West Africa protectorate on
the west TO the Transvaal and Southern
Rhodesia on the east.
The Kalahari Desert covers fully
10000 square miles and is part OF the
immense inner tableland Of South
Africa, with an average elevation OF
5000 feet 1t has been called
1.-THE Southern Sahara" and like the
great desert of the north is arid and
SCARED by the beds Of dried-up rivers.
The soil, however, is different from
that of the Sahara. Red sand is on the
surface, but occasionally limestone
overlies shale and conglomerates. The
Kalahari has been likened to an ocean
the ground being undulating, like the
ocean at times of heavy swell. The
crests of the waves are represented
by sand dunes, rising from 80 to 100
feet. There are also mud flats, which
form small brackish lakes after heavy
rain. A tough, un-bleached grass
growing knee high in tufts at intervals
of Is inches, covers the dunes.
Next to the lack of water the deserts
chief characteristics are the tuberous
and herbaceous plants and the large
numbers of big game. OF the plants
watermelons, bitter and sweet supply
water for man and beast; while the
game includes elephant, giraffe, Gland
lion, leopard, hippopotamus, rhn.
oceros, buffalo, zebra. quagga, kudu
baboon and ostrich.
The Kalahari is the home of wander
ing Bushmen who live off the game
killing their prey with poisoned ar.
rows. Along the western border dwell
Hottentots, who are cattle raisers. Tn
great bulk of the deserts inhabitants
however, are the Ba-Kalahari, the old
est of the Bechuana tribes; these are
natural agriculturists, who cultivate
carefully the meager produce of theil
difficult gardens, and rear small herd:
OF goats. They have been described
dS grave ana H1OTOSe.
One curious thing may be related as
pointing the need and Importance OF
the York Professor Schwarz plans
Where there is no running stream or
open well, and the natives desire water
they tie long bunch OF grass to a reed
about two feet long, and insert the end
OF the reed, with the grass, in hole
dug at spot where water is known to
exist underground, the damp sand be-
ing rammed down firmly around it. An
ostrich eggshell, the usual water ves-
sci, is placed on the ground alongside
Then the water-drawer, usually a
woman, sucks up the water through
the reed, cleverly squirting it into the
adjacent eggshell, through another
reed or straw, one end of which is
in her mouth, and the other in the
shell.
Professor Schwarz believes the time
is not far distant when the whole OF
the Dark Continent will be brought
measurably within the control of civ
ilization, and urges the Kalahari pro-
ject as a test of modern scientific meth
DDS applied to the rebellious unpro-
ductive portions Of the earth's sur
face.