The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-07-15
Young Somali Mother and Babe.

prepared by the Natio.laI Geographic So
ciety. Washington. u. c.
/ r UBALAND, In eastern Africa, nov
4 under British control, has been de
D sired by Italy ever since she en-
? ! tered the World war, and diplo
matte negotiations in regard to thu
proposed change of ownership are still
IN progress. Getting possession OF
Juoaiand would not mean an entry by
italy into new region. She already
owns Italian Somaliland, the adjoining
territory to the northeast and of this
Jubaland would doubtless become a
part.
JuDaland Is now the northeastern
portion OF Kenya colony extending
from the Juba river (the Italian bonn
daryl westward for some 200 miles
The distance north and south across
Jubaland is about 300 miles. It 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
ID Abyssinfa and receives practically
all IT'S drainage from that country.
Ihere is a thin line of plantations in
Inc Juba valley, and patches of farm
ing land In Kenya hedge Jubaland
round on other sides. But most of
'ubaland's 10000 square miles are NOT
'apaole OF supporting agriculture. and
'rooaDly never will be. 1t is, in fact
great part-time desert, a sort of
geographic Doctor Jekyll and Mr. HYDE
"a withered waste during the dry sea-
on and good grazing area during s
he wet period. 2
Not Like an American Desert 4
This dual aspect of the country has {
'oioed the Somali and creates diff T
III problems for any government that =
iles over the region. When the rains =
ing out the grass and fill the water .
'les' these dusky nomads push inland "
I'm their herds of camels, cattle
eep ana goats, centering their tour. ~
Us ABOUT good pool or travelling =. ~
'm water hole to water hole. As ~
land dries up there Is the reverso I'll
the natives driving their a., a.
iinais east to the Juba, west TO tba -
ram swamp, and south to the Tana -
er or kenya. During these move CT
nus there are inevitable clashes over wa
Ter rights. In addition the Somau
unolushing cattle "rustlers," and ga
come an opportunity to add TO their ga,
Us by raiding weaker tribes iii
he desert of Jubaland is quite I'm. VI
anything in America. Instead ~ 'ne
y sandy or rocky waste. mucb of cat
of good soil which sunnorts Lor
Sc and in places almost an I'm. men
e'raoie growth of thorn busbes
er than a mans head. In the drr T
on these bushes are leafless and er (
sround is dry and dusty. Aftor hav,
rams the thorn plants take nm Itall
.oa' 'uSurance, while grass springs sinis
'eheath them. The most cbaroo peoI
nc feature of the interior Of In ity
~ Is It's little, parklike nrairios Som
! one suddenly encounters in Tho logic
or the bush. MANY of tboso 10y than
y united prairies, bare and drst,, tives
Z the dry season. covered ,,,,.s Galla
tent grass after the rains Rnt TIL
center OF others are the water inclu
ihese may become entirolr but t
tt 'iihes' or after exceptionaI1v while
rains may expand until ths rust
prairie becomes a swami W and +
Water From the Yak Tre. religi
land slopes imperceptiblv . wnite
the typical TuhoInn, ep.ioiy to- esque
he presence ne 81 "a'er mole, dusky
is always oouies IT like @
or when he stun,h,a TO the long,
,omali insist that they were walt, :,
OUT by an earlier people This nsaa
hlghly improbable; but project ara si
Is been discussed seriously hn s sn
ltish is to enlarge and deenen S SHAPED a
!, and 70 .e their times
the bush between the pools % &c. sns .
lrglng the existing game ana 20 IA o.
raiis. 1t is believed that &C i sp,,-
u such procedure the various 500
could be induced to SETTLE
Inc water holes or to limit Their t tnro"
10 small group of them. 40 aoa,ns.
undesirable features of tho an,,n.
aoma dism would be eliminated ~. o.