The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-15

non IN every phase OF GrOp1cd uIo, THO noin0
Of two Of the most advanced and interest
Ing tribes In Central Africa. and land
where the solution Of more than one mys-
terry Of African geography was to DO found.
Hore he lived for seven years. cut on most
OF the time from all hope OF communicating
with the civilized world: and. thanks to his
labors. this region Is now moro infinitely
known in its geographic and chronological
aspects than any other region Of equal ex-
tent In Central Africa.
DR.. JUNKER's achievements show the sac
rifices and hardships which an unselfsh de-
voion to science nerves some men to un-
dergo. For years he was without the COM
radeship Of any one Of kindred blood. He
lived among the natives almost as one OF
them. sharing their huts. sustaining life upon
their rude cookery. learning even to relish
fried ants and other mysteries Of native Gu
llnary art,displaying no weapons on his long
journeys. lulling suspicion by the music Of
his accordion. going wherever he pleased.
but nowhere till he had convinced the peo-
pie before him OF his friendly intentions.
The tolls and privations OF those years
left their marks In the lines that furrowed
his strong face and doubtless shortened his
life. He made very large collections which
were lost through the Mahdist invasion;
but the results Of his geographical labors
were saved. and all geographers were thank
full for the abundant material he brought
home. He helped to solve the problem OF
the Welle Makua. which proved to be the
Congo's greatest tributary. though geogra-
piers had long inclined to the belief that 1t
was the upper course OF the Shari. which
flows into Lake Tchad: and while engaged
upon this problem JUNKER accomplished
feat which geographers regard as very re-
markable. Itmay here be described briefly
both as noteworthy achievement and also
as illustrating the infinite pains with which
he gathered his material.
DR.. JUNKER had lived several years In this
savage wilderness before he set out to solve
the problem OF the Welle Makua. He started
on this journey with absolutely no instru-
ment except a compass to did him In deter
mining his positions. Some OF his instru-
ments had been broken and others ruined
by the climate during many months Of al
most incessant travelling. The remarkable
care with which he sought to produce a map
worth studying in spite Of his lack Of scien-
tifc appliances has already been described
in The Sun rs follows:
"JrxKER trudged through the grass compass in hand.
counting every STEP At the expiration OF each fifteen
minutes he stopped and joted down in his note book
tho distance and tho direction travelled In the
preceding quarter of an hour In tho evening he
tered tho days progress his route map He kept
this and trying routine through the weeks
and months Of his long journey down the wells Makus
and when. at last he was compelled to turn back. he
continued the task till he reached once more his head.
quarters At SpoRunIs lie had travelled down tho
river from this point whose latitude and longitude he
had previously determined nearly four hundred miles"
It was not known until tho report Of
Lieut.. MAR1NELs astronomical observa-
tions reached Europe last year that the
point where DR.. JUNKER turned back. and
whose situation he determined without in
struments at the end Of journey OF 400
miles. is marked on bis map less than two
miles distant from its proper position. It
is the most remarkable achievement Of the
sort on record
DR.. JUNKER lived to complete his work.
The results Of his long studies I'LL two large
volumes and have been published in Ger
man and English. He will always be re-
membered as one OF the most modest. con-
scientious. self-sacrihcing. and successful Of
African explorers.