Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1913-11-28
MHPLESS REGIONS
An Eighth Of the Worlds Land
Surface Still UnexpIored.
AREAS WRAPPED IN MYSTERY.

THE Dwelling Of the VoidT In Arabia
is Supposed to Be the Most DesoIsts
Waste on the Giobe--New Guinea
Has Baffied Countless Expeditions.
1t would seem as though this little
world Of ours should be pretty thor
oughly known by this time. yet there
are many unexplored territories which
have yet to receive the impress Of a
human foot and which doubtless. like
the north and south polar regions. viii
take their toll OF heroic victims from
the hardy explorers who first enter
their closed portals.
On rough estimate about 100000
square miles. or one-eighth Of the to-
tai land surface Of the world, are wait.
ing to be discovered. Some 100000
square miles Of this lie In the arctic
regions Of the north, but among the
frozen tracts that form antarctic" In
the south. where Scott and his gallant
followers were penetrating. nearly
100000 square miles are relegated to
the sole use Of whales, seals, pen
gums. petrels and other animal and
bird inhabitants Of frozen homes.
II is true that human habitations
could never be formed in such climes
as these. bu: the scientific world Is
ever eager for the discoveries of ex-
plorers. and even among uninhabited
districts their work is never wasted
In Arabia there exists a tract OF un-
explored country nearly five times as
large as Great Britain. 1t stretches
from Mecca almost to the southeast
coast and is called Dahkna. or "the
Dwelling of the Void" Probably no
more desolate waste is to be found IN
the globe. for not a single river Is es
timated TO fow throughout its entire
100000 square miles. Imagine Ger
many and France combined without
river or stream and you VIII gain some
idea Of the parched condition Of Dahk
ma. The Sahara is a blissful retreat
by comparison.
Some authorities state that the
whole desert is not worth the price Of
a good malacca cane. Others give ere.
dence to the legend that treasures and
hidden cities lie in the heart Of the
sands,
OF quite a different character are
the enormous mountain Businesses OF
South America. which lie along the
upper Amazon and in the districts OF
Colombia and Peru. The celebrated
treasure OF Cuzco lies secreted among
the Peruvian heights. Impenetrable
forests. mountain jungles and innn
mernble fever spreading rivers hold
the most intrepid adventures at bay.
to say nothing OF carnivorous ants
malignant snakes, water moccasins
and those most deadly Of serpents, an
acondas During recent years over
dozen expeditions have been either
wholly or partially wiped out In their
efforts TO wrestle with these regions.
Although the famous Ell Dorado
which set the sixteenth century ablaze
has never been unearthed. the country
generally might tittingly be called Fl
Dorado. from the rich minerals and
priceless stones emanatlng therefrom.
Strange, wild eyed men descend oe
casionally from the mountains. bring
ing wonderful fragments with them
But they refuse to act as guides to
those who would accompany them
back
1t is curious to realize that vast por
lions of the British empire have never
been seen by British eyes or the eyes
OF any white men. Nearly a quarter
Of Australia is still unexplored, mainly
in the west, where the population av
erages only one person in about every
twenty square miles.
New Guinea has bafIied countless
expeditions. though many are still try
Ing to fight their way inland from the
coast. Despite the fact that the Int
rior Of this island is practically geo
graphical blank, It is neatly divided
on the maps between Britain, Germa
ny and Holland Among Its products
are birds of paradise. spices and can
nibals
Another particularly interesting dis
trlct which has so far defied civiliza.
ton lies secreted among the Himalaya
mountains. Rumor accounts that II
is presided over by women. who are
responsible for such rude laws as are
necessary even in a lawless district.
manage the affairs of state and live in
a luxury of inverted Mormonism by
possessing four or i've husbands apiece
To the hill men are relegated all the
rough tasks and menial lnbors. "Alere
man. is of small account beside there
Himalayan amazons. But we may as
sumo that IN due season the men will
rise to claim their vote
The foregoing selection does not ex
haust by any means the list Of geo
graphical blanks waiting to be filled
Before the atlas complete can lie on
our shelves we must penetrate the
darker haunts Of Borneo. North AmeIi |
ca. the Kongo BASIN the 700 mile
mountain range that stretches from
Der Fur into the heart Of Sahara and |
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