The Portland daily press., 1890-05-28
DISpELLEO SOME OF THE DARKNESS.
The Services OF Frank James In
African Exploration.
Allfo OF Adventure Ended by an En-
ragged Elephant.
ourneys Among the Treacherous
Base and Savage somaIIs.

NEW YORK, May 27.-Frank l.. James, a
well known traveller and author, and half
brother of ID. Willis James Of this city. was
killed near the Gaboon river in Africa. on
April 2l, by a wounded elephant Mr..
James's body was pierced In front by the
tusk of the enraged elephant. The wounded
man knew that he was dying, but the shock
to his system prevented him from feeling
any pain and almost dnlled his senses. He
lived only 40 minutes after receiving the IA
tai wound, and the last words upon his lips
we're for his youngest brother, William, to
whom he was devotedly attached. Only one
member Of his party was with him at the
time Of the accident, which happened about
1--WE miles from his yacht at 4.30p D. m., and,
by a strange fatality, on his birthday. The
body was placed on his yacht. which
reached Southampton, England, ON Satur'
day night.
gal about the end OF January In his own
yacht, the Lancashire Witch, which Is an ex-
act counterpart Of Lord Brasseys Sunbeam,
for trip to Africa and South America, in
tending 20 get back to London about the 1st
OF July.
the journey uD the Nile from Cairo to Koros-
ko, and thence across the desert TO AbOu
Hamed, following the banks of the Nile to
Berber. But the first expedition, which
brought him fame as an explorer, was
that through the country of the Base.
A considerao part Of the ground traversed
was an unknown land and had not been ex-
plOred. The Base, OF Kunama tribe, who in
habited the district, were far more unciyi-
lized than any other people who lived In that
part of Africi To penetrate into the heart
Of that country had been for some time with
Mr.. James, as he said in the preface to his
book, cherished object He had discussed
its feasibility with Egyptian officers and
others in the Soudan, Iwho had invariably
told him that it was next to impossible TO ac-
complish his desire. The Base were most
treaeherous. and would not hesitate TO at
tack the party, especially under cover Of
darkness.
Tho start was made from Suaklm, where
the expedition was made ready for the long
journey. The trip lasted until April 18th Of
the following year, when the party safely
returned to Suakim.
After the success Of this expedition, Mr..
James determined to penetrate the country
of the Somali. The half-ciylllzed Somali, as
seen at Alden, were familiar to European
travellers who passed through the Red Sea;
but their native land, with the exception OF
q part of the coast region. had remained un-
known to Europe until the accomplishment
and his friends. The country Of the Somali
lies in the northeast angle OF Africa. With
the same men who had accompanied him on
his previous explorations among the Base,
Mr.. James made his journey through
the territory of the Somali They
left Berber on December 22nd,
1884, and returned there April 16 Of the fol
lowing year. 1t was considered remarkable
from the fact that after reaching the extrem-
ity Of their proposed route, Megadoxa,
near the Leopard river, they returned to
Berber by an entirely different course from
the one which they had pursued in the first
part Of the journey. The results Of this ex-
peditiOn had been presented in a book by
Mr.. James, called "The Unknown Horn OF
Africa" Lord Abardare, president Of the
Royal Geographical Society In 1S84-85, in his
annual address spoke Of this exploit Of Mr..
James as zone of the most interesting and
difficult feats Of all recent African travel"