The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-31
TOPEKA STAIN JOURNAL
INFORMATION
BURE AU
FREDERIC J. HAsKLN. Dirocto<.
WAAhinEton, D. @
SCIENTISTS AGAIN OFF TO
AFRICA.

great spring drive October is spring
down there) to round up the wild
| elephants that are trampling and de-
stroying their crops, when they sweep
! these elephant herds together that
4 they may exterminate them, three
| American scientists will be on the spot
| that they may write about the event
in their note books and that they may
| obtain specimens to bring back to our
] own National museum.
But the elephant drive will be but
an incident in an expedition that is to
peentrate to the darkest and least
known parts of this great and ele-
/ mental continent This expedition
will travel from the Cape to Cairo by
the least known route. 1t will be
\ headed by the man-who knows most
| of Africa OF all government scientists,
| the man who did much of the Scien-
| tific work when Roosevelt skirted the
east coast of the continent. 1t has its
eye on a dozen scientific riddles that
1t intends TO solve. 1t is already on
| its way.
The expedition is sent by the Smith
| sonian Institution of Washington, D.
| c. 1t will collect specimens for the
/ National museum which works in CO.
ordination with the Smithsonian. 1t
will study and collect animals and
| plants and observe the ways and hab-
| its of the natives. Its collection is in
! tended to supplement the specimens
/ obtained Tor the museum Dy the Ia
| nous Roosevelt Smithsonian expedi-
ton of 1909. which you will remem-
| Der, brought back so remarkable an
assortment of big game specimens.
| Other expeditions have stocked the
/ National Museum with exhibits from
practically every portion of Africa ex-
cept the southern interior. There are
exhibits from British East Africa,
| German East Africa, LIBERIA Portu-
guese Angola, and the French Congo.
| Now, before certain animals are en-
tlrely extinct, Africa is to be fin
I ished" from the naturalist collectors
| point OF view.
When Roosevelt sailed for Africa in
1903, he announced his intention of
getting a white, or square nosed,
| rhinoceros-a fast disappearing spec
| imen- When he returned, the white
rhinoceros was catalogued among the
| list of big game taken.
The naturalists of the 1919 party,
are especially interested in obtaining
the skin OF a South African elephant,
/ which is becoming equally rare.
| Great herds of these elephants once
! roamed over the plains and thru the
forests of southern Africa. Unlike
tho Indian elephant they are ner-
vously temperamental and were never
| Of much use as beasts of burden, but
their immense ivory tusks are worth
their weight in gold. The natives used
! to spear them occasionally for the
tusks and for meat. Then the for
eign trader came and killed great
/ numbers of them systematically, and
from that time the South African ele-
plant was doomed.
| Until now some efforts have been
\ ma de to protect these and other wild
beasts of Africa from total extinction
| by setting aside game reservations and
making the license laws in certain
| sections particularly strict. But the
| clumsy rhinoceros. hippopotamus,
and elephant repay this consideration
| by trampling over crops and menace
| ing the lives Of the natives to such an
| extent that the African governments
are now planning a big roundup of
| elephants that, II carried out, will
practically exterminate them.
Besides setting their hearts on
South African elephant, the naturalists
are particularly eager to study Lake
Tanganyika, the longest fresh water
| lake in the world. The origin of Tan
ganyika is mystery that has so far
/ baffled science. 1t is a fresh water
lake, and yet it contains large num-
| Ders of fish, mollusks, and jelly fish
that are beyond doubt creatures of the
| sea. How these marine creatures
| found their way into Lake Tanganyika,
unless the lake was at one time an
arm of the sea. scientists are unable
to decide.
The three naturalists who are going
| after evidence on this and other dis
puted matters are Mr.. Edmund Heller,
| leader of the expedition, Mr.. A. c.
| Raven, and DR.. Homer L. Shantz, q
botanist OF the department of agricul-
| ture. Mr.. Heller was a member of the
| Roosevelt expedition in 1909. and has
made other excursions into Africa be-
| sides. DR.. Shantz is to study particu-
larly the useful plants of South Africa
with a view to introducing into this
country any that might be Of practical
value.
Accompanying the scientists is a
large moving picture outfit sent by a
film company to obtain pictures for
commercial release. Camera men will
work mainly under the guidance of
Mr.. Heller, who will direct the taking
of all scientific pictures.
The expedition is sailing direct for
Cape Town, at the extreme southern
end of the continent. Here it will
obtain the necessary equipment for
jungle and mountain exploration.
From Cape Town it will travel north
sources of the Congo river, turning
east to Lake Tanganyika.
Their headquarters will be estab-
lished on the shores of the lake at
Ujiji, place made famous by the fact
that here Stanley found Livingstone
in 1871. Using Ujiji as base the
naturalists can make exploration trips
into wild and little known districts of
the surrounding country. They Will
cover part OF the territory traversed
by Stanley and Livingston. and finally
they will continue north to explore the
Ruwenzori range of mountains. said
by some scientists to be the Mountains
Of the Moon famous in ancient history,
and from here they will leave Africa
via the Nil or by British NEast Africa
The scientists expect to collect any
specimens of interest which can be
transported. Obviously they cannot
hamper themselves with a caravan OF
live zebras and lions tho they may
bring back a few animals for the Ma
tiOnaI Geological park at Washington.
Skeletons and skins. on the other
hand, can be preserved and shipped
back in any reasonable quantities.
Like the Roosevelt expedition. the nat
uralists state they will shoot only for
collecting purposes.
The trip as far as Lake TanRanyika
,. l.. ...it 2