Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-08-13
IN FAR OFF AFRICA.
Interesting Account of Mrs. French
SheldOn'S Exploration of the
Dark Continent.
A Brave and Fearless Woman Forces
Her Way Through Many Seri-
Gus Obstacles.
She Rows Upon an Unknown Lake.
Sees Strange Sights and
Presses the Button.

Mrs. French-Sheldoa's exploration of
the remarkable crater Lake Chala, at the
foot of the eastern slope of Kilima- Marc
IN Africa, has been attracting consider
able attention. An explorer named New
was the first European to visit this lake.
IN 1871, and although he described the
crater as exceedingly steep and difficult of
descent, he managed to reach the edge of
the water. He approached the lake from
the north and described it as triangular
In shape, surrounded with an almost
triangular ridge of hills, rising above the
surface of the water to a height of from
$50 to 300 feet. J. Thompson, on his
journey to Masailand, visited the lake and
described It's attractions in glowing terms.
but he could find no place by which i was
possible to descend
On learning by telegraph that Mrs.
Sheldon had succeeded in getting pom
toon atioat in this lake, says the New Y ork
World, the committee of the Royal Geo
graphical Society of London asked her to
send them notes of her experiences. Mrs.
Sheldon 5 reply, dated Taveta, April 26,
has just been received. In her letter she
! company with Keith Anstruther, who
| some months before had forced a path
down to the waters edge. Mr.. Anstruther
| had two sections of a pontoon. across
| which he proposed to place a sort of
raft or platform. With a number of por-
ters there the attempt was made. Mrs.
Sheldon went first and at considerable
risk succeeded in forcing her way through
the dense vegetation and loose rocks.
Sometimes she sank to her armpits into
the mass of decayed vegetation which had
accumulated for ages.
Multitudes of birds whirred about and
troops of monkeys leaped FROM branch to
branch. Soon, however, SIZE found herself
upon i ragged, rough triangle of the
trunks and rocks" with tie water tapping
her feet. Mr.. Anstruther and the men
followed with pontooons, which were lock-
ed together and set adoat. Mrs. Sheldon
and Mr.. Anstruther got on board and with
the greatest difficulty persuaded one of
their superstltious men to accompany
them. Mrs. Sheldon and the man padded,
while Mr.. Anstruther kept a sharp look.
out for the intrusive crocodiles, which were
most numerous Ducks of three varie-
ties rose in startled focks from their rest
ing places. The perpendicular rocks which
come down from the crest of the volcano
could be seen reaching far down below the
surface of the clear blue water. Above
the water they were densely clad with
trees, tangled with lianas and alive with
birds and monkeys.
Mrs. Sheldon noticed a strange under
current In the water that now and again
caused waves to rise up and move forward
through the center of the otherwise tran
oull surface, yet the air was perfectly
calm. Mrs. Sheldon speaks of "the resist
ance or suction of the water which was felt
when the paddles were put two or three
feet beneath the surface" This NAV DOS
slbly be accounted for by the action set up
by the water, which no doubt comes in
from beneath, but there is apparently no
supply from the outside. The sounding
line carried by Mrs. Sheldon and Mr..
Anstruther did not reach the bottom of
the lake. The lake Mrs Sheldon describes
as an unequal oblong, the water basin be-
ing two miles broad by two and half to
three miles in length The circumference
is about six miles.
This letter was discussed With much in
terest at meeting of the Geographical
Society, and if Mrs. Sheldon is we'll
enough when she reaches London, she will
be asked to give her experiences more in
detail at the public meeting 1t was
hardly expected when Mrs. Sheldon started
on her (fOr wOman) perilOus journey to
the Killma- jaro district that she would
be able to ada anything of Importance to
existing geographical knowledge of that
region. But it seems that she has been
fortunate enough to find out good deal
about this particular lake that has not
been known before. In another letter re-
celved by the same mail to Mr.. Sheldon
no mention is made of Mrs Shedons ILL
ness. She says that her health has been
perfect, with the exception of an injury in
one eye received in making the decent to
the shores of Lake Chala. That she was, |
up to the time of writing, able to stand I
the fatigue of caravan life is evident from
her statement that she had only been car
rled In her palanquin five hours during the
journey. Mrs. Sheldon said that with
luck she hoped to be able to reach the
coast by June 20, in time to catch the
steamer Madura. This, as has been
told by cable, she succeeded in
doing. The severe illness with which |
she was Frustrated just before her
departure was doubtless due tie some sud- |
den attack of jungle fever and to the effect
Of her long journey. IN the last letter re-
ceived Mrs. Sheldon expressed herself as
'nore than satisfied with the success of her
expedition, One very curious thing she
mentions: The natives have no name for
a woman leader of an exploring expedi-
ton, so they named her Bwana Bebe,
which literally Interpreted means master
lady"
Henry Wander Wayde, the American |
artist and photographer in London, fnrn-
ished Mrs. Sheldon before her departure
for Africa, with special apparatus for re-
cOrding by camera the various stages of
her journey and sending the negatives to
him to be developed in London Mrs. |
SheIdon's story of her expedition is looked
forward to with much int crest by multi
tude Of people interested in African affairs.
Already her photographs are displayed in
the shop windows of London. and if the
demand for them is any indication of the
interest taken in her expedition she will
meet with very cordial reception on her
return.
How's Your Liver7
A very unnecessary question to ask man |
whose skin and eyeballs saffron-tinted. Of |
course his tongue, too, is furred, bowels consti-