The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-15

American NatuRa1ists Return From
the African Desert.

the African Desert.
Copyrighted 1886 BY Associated Press.
London. Nov. M-Prof d. @. Elliott,
leader of the Field Columbian Museum
nj the Chicago exposition. with Mr.. e. G.
Akeley. head OF the taxidermist depart
ment OF the museum, left Southampton
today by the st. Louis. on their return TO
America, after = successful expedition
into Somaiiland. where they went last
March for the purpose OF making a nut
ural history collection for the museum
Asked as to the result Of the expedition.
Prof. Elliott said:
II have a very large collection, chiefly
complete ever brought out Of any coun-
try by one party. No less than fifty-eight
cases and barrels were shipped direct
s srpVe a. the 70 .oa se1s they viii
tanned more than 800 specimens of BIRDS
nsh. insects and reptiles"
In conversation with q representative OF
the Associated Press. Prof. Elliott said:
we left Berbera at the end OF April
with caravan consisting Of sixty-sight
chcsters, and hfty-six camels. which
were afterwards increased to ninety
eight. Our intention was TO explore GER
tain districts OF Somaiiiand. between Ber-
bera and the river Chile.
During our stay In Africa We made
three distinct expeditions from the coast.
the Gobera plains and the range of the
Colts. This journey inland. which was
undertaken expressly for the purpose Of
getting wild asses. occupied three weeks.
The second was to the south OF Berhera.
Via Mandera and the Jorato pass Of the
Coils range. TO the south OF the Togo
plain. This trip lasted six weeks and was
specimens OF SWANS haarte beste and
Clark's antelope, both OF which are ex-
'remely rare. and OF which very few spe-
third expedition lasted over two months.
This time we went from Berbera and
crossed the Hand desert by route dis
covered by me over the Martdlen plain to
a point twenty miles from Mimi. AL
together We were Ia the interior six
months. and returned to Alden at the be-
ginning OF October"
Asked regarding the character Of the
country visited. the professor said:
"A large portion Of the districts visited
and certainly had never been traversed by
a naturalist before. The whole country
Was absolutely a wateriess desert. True
there wss some kind of stun with which
TO he got is from the pools left by the
rains or by digging beneath the parched
river beds But the mixture procurabs Is
thick and yellow. of the consistency OF
pea soup. Even the pools are the resort OF
cattle and sheep. and their condition may
better be imagined than described We
tA4 20 SStAht4s1 ENAEd over every pool
we reached to prevent its denlement. but
often the water was so bad that even our
mules refused TO drink. Despite this ard
other difficulties. We managed 70 keep I'm
coed health. / bad 40 trouble with my
caravan. My head man was the most
competent In Africa. His name was Dual
IA idrts. He had been eight years with
Stanley. and had previously travelled with
Count Telek and Or Donaldson smith
We were so we'll armed that We were
never attacked by the natives. The OTsa-
dan people were not friendly. but they did
not proceed to hostile measures One tribe
of Aidgans. armed with bows and poison
Ell arrows. were footing aud raidsnr IN our
s1eigheorhcod. hut although quite close
they did not modest US The country Was
so unsettled. BY reason of the AhysssYlirn
raids. that large numbers OF natives 5sin-
"a nay caravan Tor protection. and Tot
lowed In my wake. The AbyssirianS. I
am happy TO say. we dss net meet. They
were ahead Of rs yaS6lng In the valleys
and we heard ramors OF their atrocities
but fortunately for RS. we did not come
across tfstcz-
rscst beycae endurance. and often
thought we should stsScu1lh to spoplexv
such Temperature had never encouut erred
before Two medical Thermometers regts-
tered their highest, laA ard there : hs
inerc'ary reTnasnss-. The heat in these re-
20 cross the desert in the daytime fire.
Gsfsttir Snccurch
The nearest shave any member az the
expedition had was Ia the ease Of MI
Afeaey, ~ro ~as IaEiogsly attacked IS a
wounded fe1rsard when US AMY var
auishea by Mr.. Akaley literally snsorar-
frg the beast tv sne~ifrw o. hts lungs.
Nj Akesey E1s however foarresn
wounds OF ffs arm ard rsEnt hand He
got All right, though. In = week"