The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-11-16
RARE SPECIMENS
The Field Columbian Museum
Expedition Sails For
Home.
Professor Elliott Gives an Inter
esting Account of Their
Travels.
Secured Many Fine Specimens.
Something About the COun-
try Visited.

LONDON, Nov. l6.-PrOfessOr ID. G..
Elliott the leader of the Field Column.
bian Museum of Chicago expedition,
with Mr.. G. Akeby, head of the taxi
dermist department of the museum,
have left Southampton by the st. Louis
on their return to America, after a
most successful expedition into Somali-
land, whittier they went i'll March last,
for the purpose Of making a natural
history collection.
In conversation with a representative
of the Associated Press, Professor
Elliott said:
I'VE left Berbera at the end of April,
with a caravan, consisting Of IS men,
all armed with Sniders and Winchest-
ers, and So camels. which were after
wards increased to 9S. Our intention
was to explore certain districts of
SOmaliland between Berbera and the
river Chibele.
During our stay in Africa, we made
three distinct expeditions from the
coast. The first was to the east of
Berbera, to the Gebari plains, and the
range of the Coils This journey inland,
which was undertaken expressly for
the purpose of getting wild asses, occu-
pied three weeks. The second was to
the south of Berbera, via Mandera and
Jorato pass of the Coils range, to the
south of the Toyo plain. This trip lasted
six weeks, and was embarked upon be-
cause we wanted to get specimens of
Swaine's Hartebeest and Clarke's an
telope, both of which are extremely
rare, and of which very few specimens
have ever come to Europe.
The third expedition lasted over two
months. This time we went from Ber-
bera and crossed the Hand desert by a
route discovered by the plain, to a point
20 miles from Milmil.
| Altogether we were in the interior
| six months and returned to Alden at the
beginning of October
All waterless Desert.
Asked regarding the character of the
country visited, the professor said:
"A large portion of the districts Wis
tied by me was quite unknown tt
Europeans, and certainly had never
been traversed by naturalist before
The whole country was absolutely ;
waterless desert. True, there was some
kind of stuff with which to assuage on,
thirst, but the only water to be got il
from the pools left by the rains or b,
digging beneath the parched riverbeds
But the mixture procurable is thick ant
yellow, of the consistency Of pea soup
Even the poo!s are the resort Of cattl
and sheep, and their condition may b
better imagined than described. w
had to establish guard over ever,
pool we reached to prevent its defle
ment, but often the water was so ba
that even our mules refused to drink ii
, Despite this and other difficulties, w
, managed to keep in good health"
Secured Many Fine Specimens.
Professor Elliott, in reply to ques
tions, >ald he hao no trouble with hi
caravan, nor We're his party attacke
by natives at any time, though the
ras,ed through some hostile country
: THE weather was intensely hot, med
cal Thermometers registering l2O de
grees, their highest.
1 Asked as to the result of his eXped
ton, Professor Elliott said:
Il have otherwise very large co
. lection, chiefly of the large mammal
!. probably the most complete eve
brought out of any country by Oh
;, party. No less than 5S cases and ba
= !, rels were shipped direct from Alden
= Chicago, where they will arrive at II
end of November. l obtained, NOR
y over, 800 specimens of birds, fish, i