The San Francisco call., 1897-11-05
THE UNExPLORED CONTINENT
New Y ork sun.

New orH sun.
Africa is no longer the Dark Continent.
Explorers have grid roned II with their routes.
Probably no geographical question of the first
importance remains 10 be settled there. In its
most i'm portant aspects Africa is now revealed,
and It's study in detail Will be the work OF the
next century. Ii is IN South America and AMI
arciica that the largest explorations of the
future Will be made. OF the great land masses.
South America is the least known and offers
the greatest priz IS TO exploration.
All that part OF Colombia lying east of the
CordIlerss, region as large as Texas is al
most wholly unknown except along the
courses OF four or five oi the larger rivers
which were mapped by Creyaux and other ex-
plorers. With only one or TWO exceptions. the
many tributaries OF these large streams, If
they are indicated on the maps, are marked
in broken lines to show that they have not
been surveyed. The names OF lew OF the In
dian tribes and towns, and some inklng of
minor mountain ranges seen from the eX-
plored rivers are all we know OF the large
white spaces on the maps OF Eastern Colon bia.
Not third OF brsZu, 8 country as large as
our own. is even fairly well known away from
the large tributaries OF The AmsZon; and even
the le,t known and most poputuus part OF the
country, East Brazil, wss shown on the mans
with elaTing lnaecuT4cy not more ihan ten
years go. number OF long mountain ranges
were depicted on al maps Tor number Of
years, though there are nosUch ranges. Some
OF The large rivers nave cut their valleys
deeply and the high bluffs we're represented as
mountains There are districts thousands of
miles square, between the Amazon tripu
tarles, both north and south OF that river. OF
whose geogT ply not the slightest detail has
come 10 light The eastern parts Of Ecuador
Peru aud BOLIVIA, east 0! the CoIdiliaras ire
/ very litIle known. II is correcI, In The main
/ 10 say thss between Vesezuela and Arge1-
! tina all inner South America has been ex-
/ plored only along its more important water.
courses and that the still unvlslted regions in
Srazis stretch two-shirds OF the way across tbe
continent ia Its widest part
No one knows when g survey OF the Andes
Will be carried out, but certainly many wear.
will elapse before s fsirly detailed man ot
these great mountain chains will be possible
The inoetstigable lsbors ofa German ernIo-s,
/ fifty passes through the mountains which No
never been mapped Tbs sources OF Tnanv
J rivers flowing ialo the Pacific are n OF kno~1
1 though tney are undoubts div among ths
mountains not more than $50 10 200 mile,
/ from the coast The recent boundary q snnf.
I between Chile and Argentina was due lsrv,ly
/ L the fseI that the eres: OF the unnunIsi-
range IN that lautade is further west N :
was supposed. and Chile tholehf herself entr
tied 10 Nider territory than she ecu d have
! II she accepted thai line as q boundary
lew years ago the late Captain PAGE n
An er1cap, ssftfed an interesting onestlon in
south American geography, and there are no
lev others OF equal IN EDoTfRnce that remain
/ 10 be solved. His work bissted me hopes q
/ Bolivia that she might md water outler n
the Atlantic by way OF The Pilecmayo RIVER
which rises among the mountains and flow;
/ southeast 10 he broad Psrana Captain Pagt
was enPloyed 70 ascend the PIIconayo on 4
smsd steamer, through The hostile indian
eoaliry, and eadsayor 10 reaca Bolivia Hs