The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-11
EXPLORING IN CELEBES.
The Work Two Brothers Are Doing In Q
little known Island.

The Work Two Brothers Are Doing In .
little known Island.
The island OF Celebee, just east OF Borneo,
ia one OF the most curiously shaped bits Of
land in the world. With its central knot
OF mountains from which radiats long and
narrow arms extending for hundreds Of
miles, the island looks on the maps like q
picture Of devifish. The whole island Ia
nothing but the tops Of great mountain
ranges rising from the shallow sea floor;
and curious fact Ia observed about its form.
II we examine the mountain system Of
Borneo . little to the west, We will observe
that its ranges are arranged almost ex-
actly like the tops Of the partly submerged
mountains which form the island Of Celebes.
II Celebes were lifted a few hundred feet
higher above sea level 30 that the shallow
come into the air the general shape Of the
island and Its ranges would give 1t strik-
ing resemblance TO Borneo.
Celebes has been very little known ex-
cept near the coasts. The Dutch have not
attempted to bring the wild tribes Of the
interior into subsection. and their hostility
TO explorers has prevented exploration;
and yet IL is the third largest island In Indo-
nesia and fourth in commercial importance
and also. 1t is believed, In population
1t In OF particular interest from the fact
that the narrow strait separating 1t from
Borneo is the dividing line between the
prevailing Asiatio and Australian forms
Of animal and vegetable life. The plants
and animals Of Celebes more nearly resemble
those OF Australia than OF Asia. but tn ey
have developed many pee uliarities Of their
own.
Two stout-hearted brothers named Sara
sin. who have long lived on the coast, have
devoted a great deal Of their time In the
past three OF four years to the exploration
OF the island. They are absent for many
months at time. travelling In the interior
at their own expense and making slow
progress because they find that Infinite
patience and gentleness are necessary
In dealing with the natives. The Sarasin
brothers have attracted great attention
among geographers, throughout the world
because they have brought TO light many
hitherto unknown tribes in this densely
peoped island and have revealed the as
poets OF large areas that no other whit
men have visited.
They have just returned from their
latest trip which occupied about half a
year. They crossed the island in a re-
gion where they had made no previous
Journey and, naturally, the places, rivers.
lakes and mountains which they name in
their report are not TO he found in the
very best and latest aliases.
They need to make only one or two more
Journeys to show the island in all its i'm
portant aspects. Thus the work they are
doing is contributing material for a good
map Of the Celebes.
They say OF their latest journey that their
collections embrace very numerous OBJ
jects illustrating ethnology, fauna, fora
and eeology; they have fixed the astronomi-
cal position OF a large number Of places
and have determined their altitude. Their
surveys, they say, will make important
changes in the information now given on
the maps Of the central part Of the island.
They are already preparing TO start on an
other expedition.