Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-15
COMES BACK rnon ArRrc's w,Lps
Prof. Elliott Returns from nm ENcit-
ing Trip of Adventure.

copyright, 1896, by the Associated Press)
LONDON, Nov. l4--Prof ID. @. Elliot the
leader Of the Field Columbian museum ex-
petition from Chicago with Mr.. c. f.
Akely, the head OF the taxldermist depart
mcnt OF the museum, left Southampton
today by the st. Louis, on their return to
America after a most successful expedition
into Somailand. whittier they went in
March last for the purpose of making a
natural history collection for the museum.
In conversation with representative OF
| the Associated press, Prof. Elliot said I'VE
left Berbera at the end Of April. with a
caravan. consisting of sixty-eght men. all
armed, and ffty-six camels, which were
afterwards increased TO ninety-eght. Our
| intention was to explore certain districts
Of Somalland 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
Gobar plains and the range OF the Coils
This journey inland, which was undertaken
expressly FOR the purpose of getting wild
asses, occupied three weeks. The second
was to the south Of Berbera, via Mandera
and the Jorato pass OF the Coils range
| to the south Of the Togo plain. This trip
lasted six weeks and was embarked upon be-
| cause we wanted to get specimens of swain
and hartbeest and Clarke's antelope, 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
Berbera and crossed the Hand desert by
a route discovered by me over the Maredeh
plain to a point twenty miles from Mmit
Altogether, we were in 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 by me
was quite unknown to Europeans, and Ger
talnly never before traversed by a natu-
ralist before The whole country was abso-
lutely a waterless desert. True. there was
some kind of stuff with which to assuage
our thirst, but the only way to get it is
in the pools left by rains, or by digging
beneath the parched river beds. But the
mixture procurable is thick and yellow, Of
the consistency OF pea coup. Even the
pools are the resort of cattle and sheep, and
! the condition may be better imagined than
described. We had to establish guards
over every pool we needed to prevent its
| defllemcnt, but often the water was so bad
that even our mules refused to drink It,
Despite this and other difficulties. we man
aged to keep in good health
81 had no difficulty with my caravan. My
head man was the most competent In Africa
His name was Duella Idris; he had been
eight years with Stanley and had previously
| travelled with Count Teleki and DR.. Donald
son Smith"
Had you any trouble with the natives?"
mo. we we're so we'll armed that we were
never attacked. The orgadan people were
not friendly, but they did not proceed to
hostile measures. One tribe of midgans,
armed with bows and poisoned arrows, were
looting and raiding in our neighborhood. but
although quite close. did not molest US.
"The country was so unsettled by reason
of the Abysslnian raids that large numbers
of natives Joined my caravan for protection
and followed in my wake. The Abyssnians
l am happy to say, We did not meet. They
were ahead OF us, raiding in the valleys. and
we heard rumors of their atrocities. but
fortunately for us we did not come across
| them.
THE heat during our Journey was almost
beyond endurance and often l thought we
should succumb to apoplexy Such tempera-
| tuTe nave never before. Two
medical thermometers registered their high
est, 120 and there the mercury remained
The heat in these regions is so intense
that even natives trying to crcss the desert
in the day time frequently succumb.
THE nearest shave the expedition had
was in the case of Mr., Akey, who was
! furiously attacked by a wounded leopard
which was only vanquished by Mr.. Akey
literally surocating the beast by kneeling on
his lungs Mr. Akely, however. had four
teen wounds on his arm and right hand
He was all right, though, in a week,
Asked as to the results of his expedition
Prof. Elliot said: 81 have made large
collection, chiefly of the large mammals
probably the most complete ever brought
out OF any country by one party. No less
than ffty-eght cases and barrels were
shipped direct from Alden. to Chicago. where
they will arrive at the end of November
| obtained moreover, over 300 specimens o.
birds, fish, insects and reptiles"