, 1916-11-30
c~opyrtsht, 1912, by A. Conan Doyle.

we begin to make our way back to the
Amazon.
The excitement which had been
caused through those parts of South
America which we had to traverse
was imagined by us to be purely local.
and | can assure our friends I'm Eng.
lann that we had no notion of the up
roar which, The mere rumor of our ex-
periences had caused through Europe
II was not until the Ivernia was within
800 miles of Southampton that the
wireless messages from paper after pa
per and agency after agency. offering
huge prices for a short return message
as to our actual results. showed us
how strained was the attention not
only of the scientific world, but of the
general public. 1t was agreed among
us, however, that no definite state
ment should be given to the press III
Ill we had met the members of he
Geological institute, since as delegates
It was our clear duty to give u first
report to the body from which we had
received our commission of investiga-
ton. Thus, although we found South
ampton full of press men. we absolute
" refused to give any information,
which had the natural effect of focus
Ing public attention upon the meeting.
which was advertised for the evening
of Nov. I. For this gathering the Zoo
of the inception of u task. was found
to be far too small. and it was only in
the Queens hall, in Regent street. that
accommodation could be found. 1t Is
now common knowledge the promoters
might have ventured upon the Albert
hall and still found their space too
scanty.
1t was for the second evening after
our arrival that the great meeting had
been fixed. For the first we had each,
no doubt. our own pressing personal
affairs to absorb us. OF mine l cannot
yet speak. 1t may be that as 1t stands
further from me l may think of it
and even speak OF it with less emotion.
| nave shown the reader in the begin
ming of this narrative where lay the
springs of my action. 1t is but right.
ltliulS, lhdl L Sloulu tdilN vi it
tale and show also the results. And
yet the day may come when 1 would
not have 1t otherwise. At least l have
been driven forth to take part in n
wondrous adventure. and l cannot but
be thankful TO the force that drove me
And now | turn to the last supreme
eventful moment of u adventure. AS
l was racking my brain as to nov !
should best describe 1t my eyes fell
upon the issue of my own Journal for
the morning of the Sth of November
with the full and excellent account of
my friend and fellow reporter Mac
dOna. What can i do better than tran
cribe his narrative. headlines and all?
admit that the paper vas eXuberant
In the matter, out of compliment to its
own enterprise in sending a CORE
%spondent, but the other great dailies
We're hardly less full in their account
Thus. then, friend Mac in his report:
THE NEW WORLD.
GREAT MEETING AT THE QUEENS
HALL
SCENES OF UPROAR.
EXTRAORDINARY INCIDENT.
WHAT WAS IT?
NOCTURNAL RIOT IN REGENT
STREET.
tSpecial.l
The much discussed meeting of the
geological institute. convened to hear
the report of the committee of investi-
CATION sent out last year to South
America to test the assertions made by
PROFESSOR Challenger as to the contin-
ued existence of prehistoric life upon
mat continent, was held last night in
the greater Queens hall, and 1t is safe
to say that it is likely TO be a red letter
uaic in the history of science. for the
proceedings were OF so remarkable and
sensational n character that no N
present is ever likely to forget them
ION, brother scribe Macedonia, what a
nonstfous opening sentenceD 1.-THE
tickets were theoretically confined to
members and their friends, but the lat
Ter is an elastic term, and long before
3 o'clock, the hour fixed for the com
hlehcement OF the proceedings, all parts
ol the great hall were tightly packed.
me general public, however, which
most unreasonably entertained a griev-
ahce at having cen excluded, stormed
the doors ut Il quarter to eight, after n
prolonged melee in which several PEG
ne were injured, including Inspector
S'oble of II division. whose leg was
unfortunately broken. After this un'
~"arrantable invasion, which not only
nlIed every passage, but even lntruded
upon the space set apart for the press,
II Is estimated that nearly 5000 people
awaited the arrival Of the travellers.
"hen they eventually appeared they
took their places In the front of n plat
form which already contained all the
Guiding scinntlhc men not OnlY of this