The Washington herald., 1908-07-05

There is stiu plenty OF work for eX-
pl0rers. In spite OF the remarkable dis
coveries effected during the second half
OF the nineteenth century. vast portions
OF this globe have stlll 10 disclose their
secrets. And II must be remembered that
the bee-line journey which Stanley
makes across Africa or a Burton through
Brazil really leaves those countries prac-
tically as undiscovered as before the
Journey was made.
In fact. il may be said that while 'tho
COURSES Of the great African rivers and Of
the equatorial lakes were traced more or
less accurately by Burton. speke. Baker,
and the rest Of that galaxy OF mid-Vic-
torian explorers, otherwise the dark places
OF the world remain pretty well as they
have been since the dawn Of planetary
life. That popular opinion should hold
otherwise is due to a conspiracy OF map
makers. Examine any Old map Of a CEN
tury ago. Turn 20 a map Of Africa. and
you will see that the Niger. which really
makes a bend at right angles 10 itself.
50 that It's whole course sweepS in semi
ci-cle round the west coast Of Africa, is
brazenly depicted as flowing straight
across the continent. and Joining the
great lakes thousands Of miles from its
actual source.
The same effrontery IS manifested to-
day. Africa, the dark continent is
scarcely whittier than before il was
divided among the powers of Europe. In
fact, old Portuguese maps Of three cen
turies ago display with passable ac-
curacy the intricate system OF equatorial
lakes which were forgotten and not shown
on maps of the early nineteenth century.
West Of the Soudan are vast negro king
doms civilized by the rapidly spreading
Mohammedanism Of the present day.
manufacturing their own cloth and show
ing evidences Of considerable civil de-
velopment. but these are only a rumor TO
the officials OF the European colonies
which border them. And even in coun-
tries such as the Transvaal-even in Cape
Colony itself-are regions which 10 white
man has penetrated, says Harper's
Weekly
Egypt. again. which shows so grave
" upon the map in British red. is really
a tiny strip OF territory some thirty
miles IN width on either side of which
lies unknown desert haunted by predatory
tribes. The vast territory Of sand and
stone which stretches from the Atlantic
through the Sahara and thence into
Arabia. the home of the BedOuins who
conquered oil Northern Africa. with AL
geria. Morocco. Spain. Portugal, and half
Of France. and may DO so again, is still
as solitary and remote as In the earliest
times. when Abraham set forth from
Babylon.
In Europe. little or nothing Is known
Of Albania. Montenegro. and the noun
famous districts OF the Balkans. In Asia.
the whole northern portion Of Siberia
is uneXplored. The northeast passage
has been made less than half dozen
times, yet the north coast Of Siberia is
glaringly presented upon the maps as
though its configurations had been sur
veyed by careful geodesy Outside the
railroad and the course OF the streams.
the whole Of Siberia is an unknown for
est and swamp. The desert which en-
braces one-third Of Central Asia is prac-
tically unexplOred. Civilization unknown
70 us may yet be found Sven Hedin. the
Swedish explorer, has already discovered
evidences Of such among the monasteries
of the Buddhist monks, from which he
has procured manuscripts and records
whose existence was unsuspected.
Southward still Is the vast tableland of
Tibet, with its mysterious capital, Lhasa,
ruled by an emperor-pope. a city which
was seen but once during the nineteenth
century by Western travellers previous
10 the English military expedition Of
few years ago. Descending 10 Burmah.
the exact source Of the interior Of Siam,
the hill tribes of the South-C Chinese
frontier, French Cochin China. or the
tungles of Malaysia. AbOut two-thirdS
OF the whole land area OF Asia. in fact.
is still terra incognito.
The East Indies are almost totally un-
known. New Guinea. the fourth largest
island in the world; Borneo. with its
head-hunters; the Celebes, Sumatra. are
Inhabited either by wandering head
hunters or petty Mohammedan potentates.
who have successfully resisted :he en-
croachments Of their Dutch conquerors