The morning call., 1893-12-10
VENT WITH HIGH HOPES.
Only to Meet Probable Disaster
at Last.
HIS SUPPLIES ARE EXHAUSTED.
And Messengers Sent to the Coast
Have Found IL Impossible
to Return.

cal Society has received news of the expe-
dition. headed by the American explorer,
w. Astor Chanler, who started out to
ascend Mount KeDia, the great mountain
OF Equatorial Africa. The expedition
stranded near the equator, while waiting
Tor porters, donkeys and goods to arrive
from the coast. His messengers have been
gone four months and it is doubtful if they
ever reach him. His animals died of the
plague. including $50 donkeys and fifteen
cames.
Five years ago the late Captain Burton
said that very few white men had ever
entered the mysterious regions of the
Somali and Gala without feeling knife
or spear. A little earlier Captain Wharton
OF the royal navy landed on the Somali
Coast to survey the barbor of Kisimayu.
His officers had hardly set up their instru-
ments when they we're suddenly sur
rounded by fierce natives, armed with
spears, who said to them, 'You must go.
we cannot allow you here; and the in
hosritable people literally carried the off,
GERS and their instruments and rifles down
to the boat which they pushed off, and
then waved "good-by." On the water the
while 5000 natives sat along the shore. At
night the beach was alive with fires. turn
ing darkness into daylight, so that no boat
from the ship could reach the land with
out detection.
"A wealthy young American, William
Astor Chanler, left London on June 4,
hoping to spend two weeks in this forbid
den land and to clear up its geographic
mysteries. He had been in Africa be fore
as nimrod, hunting big game around the
base of Mount Kilima-Njar0 and on the
elevated plains of East Africa. But this
was his debut as an explorer, and the
young man, not yet 25 years old, had
most ambitious project in view. He
had with him the cOstliest outfit an
explorer ever took to Africa. His only
white comrade is Lieutenant Won Hohnel.
an Austrian army officer, who. with Count
Teleki. was the first to push successfully
into Gallaland from the south His car
avan numbered 200 men at The start, and
every dollar Of the expense for Journey
of about $500 miles. which was expected to
occupy about two years, Is paid for from
his private resources. He .s brother-in-
law Of Amelie Riyes- Chanler, and has a
home In New York City filed with the
trophies of his African hunts. He has
been seen very little In New York, how
ever, for since ne was graduated at Har-
ward he has given full bent to his love of
sport, and most of the time has been chas-
ing the elephant and buffalo in African
jungles.
Mr.. Chanler has started for the least
known part of Africa, region stretching
1900 miles from Cape Guardaful to the
Upper Nile. and OF which scarcely more
than fringe has been revealed to us. He
Is attempting TO win laurels in a field
where Won der Deeken, Luceran, Sacconi,
Panajosi and others have lost their lives.
and where a dozen explorers like Miles,
Hildebrand, Graves. Revolt. James and
Borelli have failed completely or met with
only moderate success. A single sheet
of one of the largest maps of Africa en-
braces an area Of 10000 square miles in
this region. and not one geographic
fact shown on this sheet is based upon
anything better than hearsay native in
formation: and maps of the unknown
horn OF Africa" would be even more bar
rem of detail than they are if 1t had not
been fer the tireless industry of the Rev.
Thomas Wakefield. a missionary, who, liv-
ing on the east coast since 1865. has lost no
opportunity of collecting all sorts of In
formation about Galaland from natives
who havs struggled down to the sea. The
large mass of manuscript notes he placed
In the hands OF DR.. Ravenstein, the lead.
ing authority on Africa in II gland. has
been q mine for geographers. though, of
course, its Information is not of the high
est value, nor so accurate as to make good
mapping possible.
Wake fields industry, however, and the
glimpses explorers have caught ot region
to which hostile natives bar access, have
shown that IN spite of the semi-desert
character of part of Somaliland and of
the country north Of Mount Kenia most
Of this expanse consists of fertile and eIe-
vated plateaus. densely peopled here and
there by tribes that are rich In horses.
asses. camels, sheep and cattle. There is
reason to believe that in some of these
Gala tribes men and women work to-
gether In the fields; that thousands of these
primitive farmers, who never saw white
man, till the soil with plows drawn by
camels or bullocks; and in rough way
know little about the drainage sys-
TENS, the mountain ranges and the regions
where game is abundant or scarce. A
great lake Is said to exist some " here
northeast OF Lake Rudolf. and Chanler
hored to find 1t or prove it myth.
Chanler began his journey at the mouth
OF the Tana River, and started with high
homes of snccess