The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1925-07-09

prepared by the NRtio4ai Geographic So
ciety. Washington. u. c.
" UBALAND, In eastern Africa. now
under British control, has been de-
sired by Italy ever since she en-
tered the World war, and diplo-
matte negotiations in regard to the
proposed change Of ownership are still
In progress. Getting possession of
Jubaland would not mean an entry by
Italy into a new region. She already
owns Italian Somaliland, the adjoining
territory to the northeast, and of this
Jubaland would doubtless become a
part.
Jubaland is now the northeastern
portion of Kenya colony, extending
from the Juba river (the Italian boun-
daryl westward for some 200 miles.
The distance north and south across
Jubaland is about 300 miles. 1t there
fore has an area about equal to that
of the state of Georgia.
The Juba Is the only year-round
stream in all this region, and it rises
in Abyssinia and receives practically
I'LL It's lIOD4 LhdL NOOhtA
There is a thin line Of plantations in
the Juba valley, and patches of farm
ing land In Kenya hedge Jubaland
round on other sides. But most of
Jubaland's 10000 square miles are not
capable OF supporting agriculture, and
probably never will be. 1t is, in fact,
a great part-time desert, a sort of
geographic Doctor Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde
Ia withered waste during the dry sea-
son and a good grazing area during
the wet period.
Not Like an American Desert.
This dual aspect of the country has
nodded the Somali and creates diff
cult problems for any government that
rules over the region. When the rains
bring out the grass and fill the water
holes, these dusky nomads push inland
with their herds of camels, cattle,
sheep and goats, centering their jour
neys about good pool or travelling
from water hole to water hole. AS
the land dries up there is the reverse
movement, the natives driving their
animals east to the Juba, west to the
Lorain swamp, and south to the Tana
river of Kenya. During these move
ments there are inevitable clashes over
water rights. In addition the SomaIi
are unblushing cattle 'rustlers." and
welcome an opportunity to add to their
herds by raiding weaker tribes.
The desert Of Jubaland is quite I'M
like anything In America. Instead of
being sandy or rocky waste, much Of
1t is Of good soil which supports a
dense, and In places almost an Inn
penetrable growth of thorn bushes
higher than mans head. In the dry
season these bushes are leafless, and
the ground is dry and dusty. After
the rains the thorn plants take on a
tropical luxurance, while grass springs
IN beneath them. The most charac-
tesistic feature of the interior of Ju-
haland is its little parklike prairies
which one suddenly encounters in the
midst Of the bush. Many Of these are
merely limited prairies. bare and dusty
| during the dry season, covered with
succulent grass after the rains. But
in the center of others are the water
holes. These may become entirely
dry at times, or after exceptionally
heavy rains may expand until the
whole prairie becomes swamp.
/ Water From the Yak Tree.
The land slopes imperceptibly to-
ward the typical Jubaland water hole,
and the presence of these bodies of
water is always surprise to the
stranger when ne stumbles upon them.
The Somali insist that they were
scooped out by an earlier people. This
seems highly Improbable; but a project
that has been discussed seriously by
the British is to enlarge and deepen
these reservoirs, to minimize their
seepage. and to construct roads
/ through the bush between the pools
by enlarging the existing game and
i cattle trails. 1t is believed that as a
result of such procedure the various
tribes could be induced to settle
around the water holes or to limit their
/ travels to a small group of them, So
that the undesirable features OF the
present nomadism would be eliminated