The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-21
,ha, o, the primitive tribes south. has produced

the zulus, Two exploring expeditions, well con.
Sobat. define the northern reach on the Mau
plateau, and the southern limits Of the spurs
extending from the mountainous mass OF Abys
/ sinln. Between these, some interesting lakes
ought To he found.
Knother promising region extends between
the Tangnnika and Albert Edward lakes \
dozen explorers have touched the edge OF ms
region, but only one has crossed H. His llnteill,
gent observations have rather excited than allnyed
Interest We wish oknog where s the serarahng
line between the head Of the River Basin and that
Of the Albert Edward We arr old Of active vol
canoes and clusters of mountain peaks oi un
usual height A thorough investigation OF this
part would discover the southwestern sources OF the
Nile and the eastern sources OF the Congo Inc
people inhabitng the region would be-. found 10
be among the most interesting Of any In Africa
For unless We are much mistaken. they are relics
OF n great prehistoric migration cooled UP In that
peculiar recess formed by the Tangnnika TO me
south, the mountain chains % the east ana the
grent congo forest tn the west, while the war
loving races marching 10 the south moved past
them apparently unheeded and unheeding
The next bit Of real interest for the explorer
Is n strip barely 30 miles wide but 700 miles long
lying between 2s degrees, W minutes east and
~ degrees, 81 east and between 4 degrees north
and 5 degrees south, Ernest and systematic
work In this part Of the Congo Free State would
settle many geographical questions, such as,
the exact line OF the great upheaval which occurred
at tho subsistence OF the vast trough wherein lie
Lakes Albert, Albert Edward, kinu and Tan
Lanika. From the western slopes Of this long
upland, which IL believed To be now mainly Tor
es,ed, rise the head waters Of the welle Mubangi,
Arumiwi, Chofu, Iowa, lindi. LiYh. l.uama and
| other rivers. How far east does the forest extend
along this line? How far west do the Ilaips
located the centre Of the seismic disturbance which
mace such a huge earth rent? How many vol
mole which has been piled west Of the chain Of
lakes? Though several Explorers have crossed
this region their traycrscs are mere THREADS Oh
travel and disclo,c but little OF its character.
Nor must We forget tnut The great lakes Df
Africa also offer tempting objects for intelligent
research, We have n? iIea as yet Of the MATURE
and their outlines have, been but ,imperlectly
skefched. Yet these lakes cover. about $4,000
square miles 4 inner Ai,rica. Moreover, II IS
ward with the determination 10 ascertain the
altitude of the Wet ria Nyanza OF Tansanika
by the the, dolIte and spirit level, previous 10 max
ing a Trustworthy survey ut these lakes.
The President 81 the Royal &c graphical So
ciety lately said that South America contained
a larger une4plored area than Africa. Though
the statement should nj be taken too literally,
it is certainly true that there are considerable
areas awaiting exploration. West and north
western Brazil contain several parts aslIuleknuwn
10 the European void as the darkest parts Il
Africa. The debatablc ttrritlry between Ecuador
and southeastern Colombia, parts II Cuzcu and
La Paz in Bolivia; the Peruvian Andes, the upper
Basin Of the P~ilcomayo and an extensive portion
If Patagonia are regions Of promise. 4. great
part Of the Andean Cordillera is completely un.
known, both as TO its topography and its geology.
IA Y Va llt HihllHN VI .NFkfn'lllH, ~ lIN
renowned pampas. and Of the Patago man table
land are still waiting. solution Tho fauna Of Tie
Andean lakes is still a mystery. .Thosr who are
engaged IN the study Of the past history u man
kind would find an ample harvest in IN Sc South
American mountains and finally those who should
Investigate the economic value, Of the. physical
conditions Of that country would be we'll COmpen-
stated fur their laborS Of exploration there.
OF late since Col PreiyalSky's explorations
in mid Asia the world has been interested IN the
exploits Of explorers like those II lounghuS-
band. James Rockhill, lItiledale and Sven
lledln, who have found something new even
in that old continent The twentieth century
will not find Central Asia So difficult Of access
as II was during the nineteenth.
The e. rcat Siberian railway will afford many
a starting place for explorations 70 the South
lies between Lake iiaikal and the Himalaya
range furnishes a very large field for them. sven
lledIu has made a brilliant record in trnver-ing
successful exploration should not stimulate others
g. emulate his hardihOpd and daring Tibet
has long w%ithStDud the attempts Of travellers
10 penetrate il for n systematic survey. our
knowledge Of the country though on the whole
considerable has been gained fu lively and
by snat,hes " short PUSHES, resembling some
what The manner in which Europeans during
the carly part of this century endeavorcd 70 reach
the interior ~ africa. Malaria and savage man
opposed them everywhere lust ms the Jealousy
ul the chimes" aud supNrstitiouS IGNORANCE Of the
TlbetanS oppose modern travellers PerSever
ancc will conquer in the end and both Tibet
and China will have to WELD. Arabia and Persia
await the Wallins, Palgravcs, ~Iurtors and
Doughtys II the future. wise and tactful tray.
ellers accomplished in the languages Of Oman
and ljim, learned in Oriental history and sat.
ura,ted with Eastern lore; The mission Of such
old ruins, revive the forgotten histories, and fore
east the methods by which those venerable races
may BE- brought int touch and communion with
the busy world which 0bhors excluoivrness
There ara many tracts in AustrHlia stu un
known, but thcse may safely be LETT for the Aue-
tral,nrs, who hay" shown themselves pecu'inrlv
qualified In every way to solve all geographical
questions affecting their interests.
.Thos" " N" tw ,ut'oth century who may be in
clln"h "a eNplur' tho lev regions will have AMPLE
chance 10 teet t'"ir powers. The last half n the
niuet,outh century has been cyrsaiinriy indirer-
"it To- nOl0r lnnds and seas. though wc arr not
altogether without splendid Examples 81 whNt We
Mare. Greedy. Peary, NorAenskioli. Virgins.
Manson and others have Ion" mrrve'lcuelv
well, ana the map shows clearly what territory
Y. have gained from the once unknown, North.
sun a vast region remains. North Of the Goth
degree parallel Of latitude lie Grrenland Baiin
Land, Northern tHna'A and Naska. which con
tam larg" blank patches. The Inst wears Of the
century have Witnessed n growing interest in the
northern extremity Of our globe, and We ARE vet
in doubt aS regards the fat Of poor Andr,e and his
companions. In 1900 We shnll probably hear
OF IN" departure Of an ANITA rctiC expedition TO ex-
plorr that vast circlmpolHr area extending over
30 degrees u latitude which lies in the southern
Hemisphere.
In his necessarily brief sketch Of the explora.
tons yet 10 he accomplished by the bold spirits II
The coming century, II must not b. imagined that
| have included all the tasks Mat must eNgnce
explorers. Hundreds upon hundreds will And
amp" work in correcting, revising and refining
the hGSty work performed by pioneers in africa,
AmerlcH, Asia and Australia, until tho highest
point Of accuracy and precision has been attained.
There are signs that the world is getting inpa.
tent with Slovcn aud incIac, work, and expect
s,penor merits in the explorers Of the future.
This is but natural, after being sqtiatad with
novelties, and another reason is perhaps that the
increase in the number Of geographical soci-
cues mas been 50 great that the geo
graphical public hAS becomn more learned and
faSuliuiS in its tastes ard requires the best that
can be obtained As the ~societles are so willing
to coach intending explorers and prepare them
for their tasks, ! have no doubt that such men
Ms they need will be forthcoming and as amply
endowed with physical powers and mental fitness
as any who ever yentured into the unknown.
HENRY NJ. STANLEY.