Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-28
The Undiscovered World
Bv Frederic j. Haskin

combined. This has been explored, set
tied and organized into prosperous and
highly civilized states. Only a genera
tion ago Baker, Livingstone and STAN
ley were winning the admiration of the
world for their courageous efforts to
solve the hitherto impenetrable mys-
teries of the heart of darkest Africa.
Where Baker pressed forward, risk
ing his life with every step, where
Stanley braved the hostility of saw
ages and the terrors of disease, where
Livingstone sought to illumine the
darkest continent with the light of the
cross, forfeiting his life in the cause
of Christ, there runs today the rail-
road. The conquering railroad has
penetrated to the center of the darkest
continent, the savages have become
the men-servants and the hand-maidens
of twentieth century civilization, and
it has become necessary for Great
Britain and Germany to enforce the
strictest of game laws to prevent the
absolute humiliation of the African
wild animals by European and Ameri-
can sportsmen. Thus in the brief
space of one generation has Ethiopia
delivered up its secrets. OF course
there remains huge sections of Cen
tral Africa which have not been ex-
plored, but the railroad and it's ac-
OOllpeilAg illS COlIl1iiClC Clebl dIIlly UOW
practically command the entire conti-
nent.
The newly discovered part of Africa
and the soon to be explored part of
South America are both equatorial in
climate and general characteristics.
For this reason until the course of
civilization is changed they will not
add to the resources of the civilized
world as much as would a similar
amount Of new territory in the tenn
perate zones. The greatest expanse Of
unknown land lying in the temperate
zone is comprised In the great central
desert of Australia. Australia has an
area approximately equal to that of
the United States, but it's 100000 peo-
pie live and have their being on the
very coast. The great center of the
continent is all unknown. The belief
is general that this whole area is a
barren and waterless desert, wholly
incapable of supporting life. Travellers
whol have gone into it have found it
to be the bleakest and most barren of
land known to man, with the excep-
tion of the Great Sahara. The Sahara,
the huge African desert, is absolutely
and irretrievably barren. But it has
long been explored and charted, its
oases are known and inhabited and it's
caravan routes are established. Across
the Australian desert there is no route
of travel and no communication be-
tween man and man.
Future generations, however, may
discover that this Australian desert is
not as bad as 1t is painted. The first
travellers across the great plains of the
United States would have found bar
rem alkali deserts where life seemed
impossible, which have now been
turned into beautiful and fruitful gar
dens by irrigation. 1t is true that
Australia has no great river and very
meager water systems of any descrip-
tion, but it is possible that the rivers
will yet be found flowing under
ground. If so, artesian water may
some day make the desert of Australia
blossom as the rose.
It is a curious fact that that portion
of the inhabited world of which the
least is known to men of our civiliza-
tion is the high plain of Central Asia,
where the human race was Graded.
Within the past decade a great deal has
been added to the worlds store of
knowledge concerning this old region.
Dr. Sven Hedin and several other trav-
elers have explored different parts of
mysterious Thibet, and from their re-
ports some knowledge has been OBJ
tanned of this almost unknown country.
A French party under the direction of
M. Cordier went forward to Central
Asia and explored the land of the Lolos.
These and other exploring parties in
this part of the world have discovered
new mountain ranges, new river sys-
TENS and new chains Of lakes. But
everything else they found was hoary
with age. An explorer who found him
self in land hitherto unknown and
uncharted discovered in the rains of an
inn some account books which showed
the records of a civilized government
which was expending money raised by
taxes for the purpose of improving the
road system 600 years before Christ.
Thus has the oldest part of the world,
which has been lost for few centuries,
come back into the Biographies.
The geogra phical societies, the min
ing engineers, the railroad builders and
the adventurous victims of the wander
lust will not be long in forcing the dn-
discovered world to yield up its few
remaining secrets. BY the end of the
twentieth century the whole world will
be on the map.
Tomorrow-Lakes- Gulf waterway.