The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-08-26

l. which the prince of Wales re
Gently visited, Is probabl
Great Britain's best hope for a rea
cotton-producing region within the EN-
pire. A projected railway in the prov
ince Will open up a quarter Of a mil
lion fertile acres of what British ex
perts consider as good cotton land as
any to be found in America.
Natal is not well known to the out
side world, because it is merged In q
greater whole that attracts all the at
tention at a distance Natal is now
one of the divisions In Africa's UNITED
States" the Union of South Africa.
But like our own Texas 1t started out
as colony of another power and later
had an independent existence of its
own as republic Settlers from Hol-
land first placed 1t in the fold of Euro
pean colonies and later organized 1t as
an Independent country. Great Britain
took it over in 1912 and merged it into
the Union of South Africa when that
federation was formed in 1910.
Natal lies just around Africa's cor
ner, only little way beyond the Cape
of Good Hope, by turning which vasco
da Cana, in 1897, found the all-impor-
tant water route to the East. Natal
fronts, therefore, on the southern part
of the Indian ocean. 1t extends rough
ly between south latitude 81 anu 80. |
and has position corresponding, in
the northern hemisphere, to that of
northern Florida and the southern and
central portions of the other Gulf
states
In area Natal is some 5000 square
niles greater than South Carolina. AS
n that and other of our South Atlantic
states, the coastal belt is relatively
ow and warm with subtropical cli-
nate. 1t is In this zone that Natars
'otential cotton lands are situated.
here, too. is considerable sugar
and large tea Plantations
he tea Industry, however. is losing
round since the province placed strict
mits on immigration from India.
ack about thirty miles from the coast
he midland belt begins. This zone ia
lgher and cooler, as Is the back coun-
y of the American Gulf states, and
institutes corn belt" Still farther
ON the coast are the uplands of Ma z
u, where higher altitude and lower e
mperature combine to create condi-
ons like those Of the plains of Texas
Id Oklahoma. And, as in the uplands L
those states stock raising and ce- b
al production are the dominant IN Iy
stries. 81
Called the Garden Province. 7
Although the smallest Of the prov dl
,es Of the Union Of South Africa &C
ltal Is In many ways the most IA tn
RED. Because Of Its agricultural DOS tn
iilties, already pretty well deyel- bs
Ell, Natal Is known as the "Garden of
vince" Its scenery Is more varied
IN that Of any other province II has 10,
heaviest population Of British ex- su
ction; and Its native population is SD
much higher type than that Of Sa
rest Of South Africa. being largely We
u.s. ha
he chief scenic factor in Natal 10 we
Drakensberg rampant. This Is lat
'ely called a mountain range In In
lily 1t Is the seward edge OF the
plateau that stands clifrlIke over coo
low country about hundred miles the
nd. This rampant, in most places bes
cult OF access, gives Natal an Iso- rise
IN that has shown itself in the do are
pment OF marked individuality bun
ng Its people. don
the Drakensberg one encounters 7
cry that is stupendous At ploces bpr
great cliffs rise almost sheerly for fam
70 feet. The edge is scanned with Arr,
ons, many OF which seem choked nre,
a tumble of gigantic powders as give
Is houses.
e Drakensberg is not only fen. Son
OF beauty. Over its edge stream. reso
In mighty leaps, creating poten. mon
'ower that will some day be har- q, Il