The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-11-15
To Be Enriched by Many New
Specimens
AN AFRICAN EXPEDITION
Yields q Supply Of Mammals, Birds and
Reptiles
Professor Elliot Gives Some Descrip.
tion Of the Hideous Country E'x- Fl
plored by the Naturalists.
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
LONDON, Nov. 1S.-Prof. D. G. FL
liott, leader OF the Field Columbian
museum of the Chicago exposition, with
c. E. Akeby. head taxidermist of the
museum, left Southampton today by the
ST. Louis on their return to America af-
ter a most successful expedition into
Somaliland, whittier they went in
March last for the purpose of making
natural history collection for the mu-
scum. Asked as to the results OF the
expedition, Professor Elliott said:
II have a very large collection, chiefly
of large mammals, probably the most
complete ever brought out of any coun-
try by one party. NO less than %
cases and barrels were shipped direct
from Alden to Chicago where they will
arrive at the end of November. OBJ
tanned, moreover. over 800 specimens Of
birds, fish, insects and reptiles"
In conversation with representative
of the Associated Press. Professor FL
lott said I'VE left Berbera at the end
of April with a caravan consisting of
slxty-eight men, all armed with Sni-
ders and Winchesters, and fifty six cam
els, which were afterward increased
to ninety-eight. Our intention was to
explore certain districts of Somaliland,
between Berbera and the River Chile.
During our stay in Africa we made
three distinct expeditions from The
coast. The first was to the east of the
Berbera. to the Gobera plains and the
range of the Coils. This journey in
land, which was undertaken expressly
for the purpose of getting wild asses,
occupied three weeks
"The second was to the south of Ber-
bera, via Mandera and the Jorato pass
Of Coils range, to the south OF the Toyo
plain This trip lasted six weeks and
was embarked upon because we wanted
to get specimens of SWANS harte beest
and Clarke's antelope, both of which
are extremely rare, and of which very
few specimens have ever come to Eu-
rope. The third expedition lasted
over two months. rms time we went
from Berbera and crossed the Hand des-
ert by a route discovered by me over
the Maridlen plain to point twenty
miles from Milmil.
"Altogether we were in the interior
81 months and returned to Alden at the
beginning of October"
Asked regarding the character OF the
country visited, the professor said:
"A large portion of the districts visited
by me were quite unknown to Europeans
and certainly had never been traversed
by a anaturalist before. The whole
country was aDSOlutely WdteIleSS oeS-
ert True there was some kind Of
stuff with which to assuage our thirst,
but the only water to be got Is from the
pools left by the rains or by digging be-
meath the parched river beds. But the
mixture procurabe is thick and yell
low, of the consistency of pea soup.
Even the pools are the resort of cattle
and sheep, and the condition may better
be imagined than described. We had
to establish a guard over every pool we
reached to prevent its defilement. but
often the water was SO bad that even
our mules refused to drink. Despite
this and other difficulties, we managed
to keep in good health
'I had no trouble with my caravan.
My head man was the most competent
in Africa. His name was Dualla Idris.
He had been eight years with Stanley,
and had previously Travelled with Count
Teleki and DR.. Donaldson Smith"
Had you any trouble with the ma
tives?"
mo; we were so we'll armed that we
were never attacked. The Orgadan
people were not friendly. but they did not
proceed to hostile measures.
1.-THE country was so unsettled by
reason Of the Abyssinian raids that