The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-01-05
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Vast Tracts Of Land Awaiting Ceura-
geous Explorers.


burg Dispatch, doubtless astonished a
great many people, who imagined that
practically all Of the earth's surface is
now known to civilization. There was
something strange about the nara
tive. To speak Of four years travel
ings in unknown lands in the heart OF
Asia seemed like a fairy story. But
it is nothing of the kind. DR.. He
din's story is altogether probable, and
the field is still large in Asia, and
will be for many years to come.
Few people realize how much un-
discovered country there is still on
the globe. In spite of the efforts of
Livingstone, Stanley, Baker, YAM
berg, Andree aud all the others the
opportunity for exploration is still ex-
tensive. 1t would not be extravagant
to say that at least 2O,00O,0Oo square
miles of unknown lands yet remain to
be mapped and described by the in
ouisitive traveller. Though explora-
tion is steadily in progress in all quar-
ters of the globe there is still big
field left, and many dreaming school
boy Of the present day will yet
achieve fame among the worlds map
makers.
The traveller in Asia has yet to
map nearly 100000 square miles OF
that continent. In central parts we
know nothing Of cities: towns and
races beyond the extrayagant yarns OF
native pilgrims There may be peo-
Piles in these interior countries un-
heard of by civilization, as there are
certainly geographical peculiaritics OF
which we know nothing.
The same may be said, and with con-
siderably more emphasis. OF Africa,
North and South America, Australia
and the Pacific Islands. Millions Of
square miles remain to be uncovered
in Africa, America and Australia, and
not a year goes by but what some
hitherto unknown island Of the Pacific
is added to the list, and many more
remain.
Many a tourist in Europe this last
season has heard for the first time, as
he sailed past Gibraltar, that beyond
the range of mountains that extend
along the coast of Morocco there is a
land that has never been troddcn by
an explorer. The information seems
all the more strange when it is real
lied that the most civilized peoples OF
the world have been sailing along this
same rock-bound coast ever since the
days of the Phoenicians. Just think
of it! Less thar q score OF miles from
pathway of civilization several thou
sand years old, and yet unknown. 1t
may be all the more surprising to know
that it is not ten years since big lake
was discovered in the heart OF the
Pyrenees, the mountain chain dividing
Spain from France, and in the heart OF
Europe, one might say.
What do we know of Africa? Moth
ing but in a general way. The ex-
plorers have not gone far away from
the river courses. We can follow
fairly we'll on the map now the course
of the Congo, the Zambesi, and locate
approximately the long, mysterious
course of the Nile. But the geogra-
pliers have little or nothing with which
to fill up the white spaces in Central
Africa. Some travellers are gradually
breaking their way into the interior
country. and the next few years will
yield many valuable and interesting
discoveries: but the field is still large
for those with the ambition to travel
in unknown countries.
The most important work OF the fll-
turc African explorer will be to study
the various races and map cut the hy-
geographic features. There arc doz-
ems of native tribes presenting charac-
tcristics interesting to the ethnolo-
gists. We need more information
than we have of the tree dwcllcrs of
Shari, the dwarf tribes Of the Congo,
the Baluba. and the remarkable Bach
ilangc, who are already on the high
road to civilization.
Examine the latest maps of West
crn and Central Africa and you vii
see great districts without mark OF
sign of the yeographers. The great
rivers seem without any tributary
streams. This is in no sense Il pccu
, liarity. The tributaries are there
Their absence from the maps is thu
most effective presentation OF the fac
that they are not yet mapped out o
explored. There is a whole world o
uncxplorcd country to the north. south
10 II. IL