Cheyenne Wells record., 1922-05-04

prepared BY the National Geographic So
ciety. Washington. D. CO.
The MOplahs, whose revolt In India
is one Of the most serious the British
have had to contend with In recent
times, are operating in the portion OF
India-the Malabar coast-which was
the first to be sighted by Europeans
and the first with which trading was
carried on. Yet 1t has been less known
than any other part of the great penin-
sula empire. To the casual observer
of maps this seems the front door to
India, and the region which should be
best known and most influenced by
Europeans. For 1t is the coast facing
toward Europe and lies just opposite
the main water gateway to and from
the west-the mouth Of the Red sea.
But although 1t was natural enough
that vasco- da Cana. after he had
rounded Africa, should have his first
Indian land.fall In Malabar, 1t Is equal
ly natural. when geographic conditions
are taken into account, that most of
the present.duy. argosies Of trade shun
this lower western coast OF India and
turn instead nOrthward to Bombay or,
doubling the point Of the peninsula.
anchor at 1ndia's black doors" Mad
rus and Calcutta. For the Malabar
region is only Il narrow strip 20 to 60
mites wide with rugged mountains. the
Western Chats. cutting 1t of from the
rest Of India almost as completely us
would many miles Of water.
!. Then, too, MAIahar has no good
ports :sCalieut md Cochin did well
enough for the lIEht-iraft caruvels Of
the early explorers, hut cannot well ac-
.comfnodnte larger modern ocean-going
Graft. In the east India has no such
continuous barrier as the Western
ilhats. and 80 the wide portion Of the
-Beninsuln to the east Of those rugged
mountains has become n familiar land
10 travellers and has to degree be-
come Europeanized. while the Malahar
;fOast has been little known md has
remained the best mirror Of ancient
india.
:. What the Region 10 Like.
:: :. In few other places will the West
erner have his dreams of the East and
Iyf India come so nearly true MS in
Malabar. The climate Is. hot and the
annual rainfall amounts to nearly ten
ffft- Tbe-c6nHtsare fr1nged with mil,
lions Of cpSoput palms, Just Upland lA
:ndny parts 81 the region are quiet la
,goons and, backwaters. connected by
canals, on which picturesque Eastern
:."4gondoias' n1y.:1Aiong; these. inland
:shores are.stlA more. ccconut and other
.,palms, and In the waters are croco.
:diles. EverSNhere" brown aativss
!: :swarm-mostly bare above the waist
little different In appearance and cds.
toms from the arst Indians which the
is149s.
{. Back of the coastal lagoons are fla,
::-tIce' fieids and m miny seetlons these
extend up the lower hlllsIdes on ter.
sfaces, irsigafed- fomi the countless
...monsoon-6 66tn streams that trickle
down. from the CHATS, .Eisewhere the
hill slopes are given DIP 10 gardens
which ever IA the Fifteenth century
were models Of. careful cultivation. In
Them are grown Characteristic Eastern
products, plnntains. mangoes. pepper,
CINNAMON, gingef. coffee; ten and many
~. q =
!. Farther from tie coast fn the ihsheS
hills. are the luxuriant forests with
their undergrowth Of tree ferns, rho.
..todendrons' and redls and their deli
cate and coforfui orehlds. And 10 COM
!!-plete the :Westerner's dra;I IN. picture Of
the East, In the forests are tigers and
:.ieopards and wild. elephanta. .11ds re-
SgiOn Is In fact the elephant country.
tpar excellence. Of Inala. In its tsmhfi
forest reserves In the Westsr6 Chats
ithe British, Indian gdvefnmelit makes
N respectable amount OF spin money
,,by- selling the elephants which IT traps.
Large herds, too, roam over the pri-
.Edfefy owfien1oresf lands of the region
aA&-es Esaa.a aeaserr itsaa,s. .eliatalx 70 tho
f3outh. These wooded mountains form
Ia region of great, neutrality-suspicious.
|peaks with dark green ravines In (which
tsilver Streama-descend NUMEROUS
;waterfdals and CASCADES.
MOST Of k.fP.opl} Ais Hi1duc
| Though the Malabar coast'is blessed
with rich soil and luxuriant vegetation
1T is not us dependent on agriculture
as most other portions Of India. Fish
abound In the sea and are caught In
|great quantities. and eaten. The tim.
Per industry, too. 10 important and
many nattyes are employed in II.
|framinss are practically unknown In
|kAiss favorsd' conner Of India.
!. via nature % bountiful II might be