Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-07-15

prepared by the NatIo4ai Geographic So
ciety Washington. u. CO
W UBALAND, in eastern Africa, now
under British control, has been de-
sired by Italy ever since she en-
y 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 Abysslnia and receives practically
all its drainage from that country.
There is 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,
81 great part-time desert, sort Of
geographic Doctor Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde
"a withered waste during the dry sea-
son and 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 duslly nomads push inland
with their herds of camels, cattle,
sheep and goats, centering their jour
neys about a good pool or travelling
from water hole to water hole. AS
the land dries up there is the reverse
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 Somali
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
Alike 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 I'M
penetrable growth of thorn bushes
higher than a mans head. In the dry
season these bushes ae leafless, and
the ground is dry and dusty. After
the rains the thorn plants take on a
tropical luXurance, while grass springs
up beneath them. The most charac-
teristic feature of the interior of Jul
baland is its little par1like pralries
which one suddenly encounters in the
midst OF the bush. Many of these are
merely limited prairles, 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 a 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 a surprise to the
stranger when he 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
che British Is to enlarge and deepen
Tnese reservoirs, TO minimize their
seepage and TO construct roads
through the bush between the pools
10y enlarglng the existing game and
cattle trails. It Is believed that as .
result sof 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 nomsdism would be eliminated