The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-05
President Roosevelt Plans to
Leave for Africa
Nine Days After the Inaugural
tiOn of His Successor.
WIFE WILL MEET HIM
At hhartum and AccompanyHi
on Journey Home.
Expedition Is More in Interest
of Science Than Sport.

New York, Nov. 5.-From excellent
authority it is learned President Roose-
welt plans leaving New York on March
13, nine days after the inauguration,
by thel liner, Koenig Albert, for Naples,
via Gibraltar, where the liner is due on
March 25. His expressed desire is to
get away as soon as possible. so as
not to embarrass Mr.. Taft in his new
office.
Besides his son Kermit, who will take
photographs of big game in Africa, he
VIII be accompanied by a professor
from the Smithsonian institution and an
official from the navy department. They
have not yet been chosen, but several
are under consideration. One will have
knowledge of medicine, so that when
the party leaves the Uganda railroad
and plunges into the unbeaten paths of
the eastern African forests the mem
bers of the expedition may be properly
cared for.
From Naples Mr.. Roosevelt and party
VIII travel on one of the German East
African steamers to Mombassa via the
Suez canal and Aden a sea journey of
IL days including stops.
Will Avoid the Congo.
So far no arrangements have been
made for the six months the party will
spend In Uganda province between the
coast and Port Florehee, a distance of
DOS IIllloS. On Victoria NyanZd the
party will embark for Entebbe in Cen
trail Africa. One thing certain is that
Roosevelt will not enter the Congo ter
ritory.
President Roosevelt has received an
invitation from the nephew of the late
Senator James Mcmillan of Detroit,
who owns $4,000 acres of forest, noun
tain, and jungle in the Nairobi district
of Uganda, to shoot. over his estates
and use the comfortable shooting boxes
fnd in 1rin cnn-
tions where big game Is to be found
The president is scheduled to arrive
at Entebbe early in December. where
his native porters, hunters, and guides
through central Africa exploring some
of the tributaries of the Nile and event
ually landing him at Gondokoro, the
frontier post of the Soudan-- some time
toward the end of April, 1910.
The number of natives to be employ
ed on that part of the journey is not
yet settled, but 1t is estimated as some
where around so. Each man will carry
an average load of so pounds on his
head.
To Leaven Beaten Paths.
1t is stated Mr.. Roosevelt will not
follow the beaten paths of travellers
and hunters in the East African pro-
tectorate, or any part OF his journey in
Africa but will strike out on new lines
for himself.
From Entebbe the distance to be COW
cred on foot, by boat, rivers, and lakes
to Khartum, where 1t is expected Mrs.
Roosevelt will join the party, is about
5000 miles. The journey from Condo
kow by steamer will take eleven days
and vessels leave once a month
From Khartum the railway journey
across the desert TO Wadi-Haffa, at the
second cataract of the Nile, takes
thirty-six hours. From that point there
is a regular steam boat service down to
Assouan at the first cataract, and to
Cairo, a total water journey of 900
miles The time taken from Wadi-
Halfa depends on the length of the stay
the party will make at Aboo Simbul,
Philae. Luxor, and other points of in
terest on the banks of the river Nile
The usual passage for tourists down is
about two weeks.
Has an English Permit.
From the British government the
president has received permit to kill
as much game as he likes. but 1t is un-
derstood he will go to Africa more in
the interest of science than to kill anil
mails for the mere sport of it. 1t Is
probable he will confine himself to one
specimen of each kind of large and
small game, including lions, elephants,
rhinoceroses. and crocodiles- Lions, 1t
is said are the most difficult to get at
in Africa because they have become
wary of the white man and his deadly
gun The king of the forest can be
heard roaring dTOu0u TIE
night. but he takes to cover and disap-
pears before the sun rises
The president will have no difficulty
in keeping in touch with the outer
world. whether in the British or Ger
man East African protectorates.
telegraph wires now cover the dis
trict in all directions. and where the
station is some distance away the ma
tive runners are employed to take
messages. At night the natives have
semaphore signal. by means of
torches waved from the hill tops
for thousands of years and is still
reliable.
Effects of the Climate
An expert who has made the same
tourney through Africa three times
from the east coast to the Nile said
today that the climate IN the interior
was healthy for white men If they
only took ordinary precautions to
safeguard themselves against disease.
The country teens with interest for
the hunter and naturalist from the
time he lands on the East African
coast until he reaches Egypt.
Large steamers land their pas
sengers at Kilindini harbor and pas
sengers drive by carriage along
smooth road fringed with immense
mango trees to the old Portuguese
seaport of Mombassa, where the
Uganda railroad starts through East
Africa to Port Florence on Lake Vic
toria Nyanza, a distance of 5S4|
miles
The temperature of Mombassa is
torrid as it is situated only four de-
grees from the equator, but the rail-
road begins to ascend directly after
leaving the coast and by the time the
station of Mazeras has been
reached the elevation is $50 feet above
sea level For the accommodation of
nd hfc orfxr