The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-02-25
ALL READY FOR AFRICA
hr. R0Osevelt's Outfit Is Complete
And In Shipshape.


and complete statement of the plans for
President Roosevelt's trip to Africa
were given to the public this evening.
This covers the Presidents inspiration,
expectations, route, purposes, outfit,
caravan, weapons, and sketch of a
gOodly portion of Africa, which appears
to be quite continent
1t begins by the statement that The
odore Roosevelt, 50 years of age, hav
ing, on March 4, with his retirement as
twenty-sixth President of the United
States, completed over 25 years of pub
lie service, has decided to take rest and
recreation in a two years trip abroad,
half of which will be spent in Africa
under the British flag as faunal natur-
alist, and the other half in Europe, Wis
iting at least three of the dig capitals. "
The official party will consist of Mr.
Roosevelt, his son Kermit, and three
American naturalists, who are probably
not 'faunal"-Major Edgar A. Means,
United States Army officer (retired);
j. Loring Alden and Edmund Heller.
The object of the hunt is not to hunt,
but to make collection of mammals,
birds, reptiles, insects and botanical
specimens to be deposited in the Ma
tional Museum at Washington, superb
marble palace which probably will be
completed in time to house the unpre-
cedented and unparalleled collection.
The party will leave New York the
middle of March, going by the Mediter-
ranean route to Gibralter and Naples.
At Naples they will board a steamer
for Killndini har or, Mombasa Island,
Africa, where they will arrive toward
the end of April. They will proceed by
the Uganda railway to Nairobi, spend
six months there, then go by rail to
Port Florence, Lake Victoria, Nyanza.
The party will cross Uganda by cara
van, and finally pass down the whole
length of the Nile ARRIVING at Khar-
toum about April, 1910. At Khartoum
Mrs Roosevelt will join the party and
accompany the President on his trip to
Europe.
1t is stated that the funds for the
trip were secured by the Smithsonian
Institution from source which has not
been revealed, but that it will not be
paid out of the funds of the Smithsonian
or of the Government. 1t is reported
that the amount necessary has been
donated by Mr.. Andrew Carnegie Mr..
Roosevelt has stated that he himself
will pay his own personal expenses and
those OF his son.
Major Mearns is great ornthologist,
Mr.. j. Loring Allen is a great field nat
uralist, Mr.. Edmund Heller is great
zoologist and Mr.. R. J. Cunninghame,
an Englishman, who will accompany the
party, is great shot.
The smaller mammals will be caught
in traps, OF which many of the latest
models have been provided The larger
mammals will be shot with express
rifles, and the most powerful rifles in
the world has been secured. For Mr.
Roosevelt six guns have been expressly
manufactured. The first is rifle of
.4O5 caliber, carrying 30O-grain bullet,
with which to shoot elephants and
rhinoceri. The bullet at the time of
impact has an energy of $500 pounds.
The second rifle is new United States
Government rimless cartridge type, car
rying 230-grain bullet, to kill very
large game at 500 to 1000 yards. This
is the lion gun. The third rifle is an
extra light gun, 1880 cartridge, with
its most effective range at five yards.
The fourth is .400-caliber gun for
moderate size game; it is of high power
type. The other members of the party
will be armed with similar guns and will
also carry revolvers.
Every member of the party is said to
be dead shot, and all the large party
of natives have been selected for their
shooting ability. The country is reas-
sured by the statement that if Mr..
Roosevelt should happen to miss lion
or rhinoceros the beast would be
brought down by fusillade of bullets
before he could possibly reach the
President.
While in Africa Mr.. Roosevelt will
write number of articles on hunting
for Scribner's Magazine, which is said
to have contracted to pay him for these
at the rate of 81 word, and will also
write editorials for The Outlook.
After the African hunt, on his visit of
Europe, Mr.. Roosevelt will lecture in
German at the University of Berlin, in
French at the Sorbonne in Paris, and in
English at Oxford University, England.