The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-12
Likes sir. Mallory.
AFRICAN FOREST Nor so BAD.

The travellers who first penetrated the vast equatorial forest of Africa fixed the worlds attention with word pie lures that are now believed to be partly fantastic. Some of them told how they wandered in the forests for months without seeing the sun.
 They lived at monday in semi-darIE- ness. The undergrowth almost pre- vented propress, no fresh breezes could penetrate the area of gloom and even the animals were silent, like every oth- CT phase of nature existing there.
 The writers of today are taking e different view of this tropical forest. The latest of them is Maurice Delafosse, one of the leading colonial officials of France, who, in a book he has just written, contradicts many statements made by earlier travelera
 He says that nowhere has he found the African forest darker than any other dense woodland. The vegetation in it is certainly more luxuriant and more crowded together than in a Flu ropean forest, but it is an exaggeration to say that these woodlands are coY- cred with inlpenetrable vegetation.
 Wherever the natives live we'll worn footpaths lead in all directions. Travel ing is hard on some of them, but many of th paths are very useful highways.
 Delafosse had none of the experience of travellers who assert that their gar ments have practically been stripped of them by the dense and thorny under growth. He lived for months in for ests without greater damage to his clothing than in any other parts Of Africa. except that when travelling rap- idly on hunting path his sleeves have become unduly worn at the elbows.
 As for darkness in the forests he off, ten took his compass bearings without artificial light when pitching camp at nightfall. The forest traveller has this advantage, that he is always in shadow and on the hottest rays he can pursue his Journey the wh ole afternoon, which would be impossible in the open coun- try.
 As for the reputed feeling of dis comfort and oppression in the depths of the forest, this is partly true. When there Is no stir in the atmosphere 1t is more difficult to breathe in the forest than in the open, and as there Is less chance for evaporation, the discomfort of excessive precipitation Is manifest. It must be remembered, however, that if under such atmospheric condi- tions. man breathes more easily in | the open land, he is at the same timo much hotter and so far more uncom- l fortable. When & breeze stirs any where 1t penetrates tho woods also with refreshing effect.
 l DelaIOsSe fecoTOs lHdI no mas Hau AS" l such delightful experiences in Africa as on his morning walks ip the depths of the forest. He has never found for est travel as uncomfortable as march ing over the savannahs where the high grass is above his head. IL Is then that a man without air, horizon or shade feels as though he would melt.
 There are plenty of sounds in the for. | est to attract attention also, and they help to keep ennui at a distance. Some thing is going on all the time.
 In addition to the ceaseless murmul of the streams, there are the hummins s of insects. the song of birds the chat ter of the monkeys, their gymnAstl' | faats from branch to branch. the occa' sional falling of dead branches ant tree trunks. and at night time thu wonderful harmonies and olscords O animate darkness comes and sleeI again at sunrise