The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-04-15
OZARK CONTINENT"
TURNED ITS DARKEST
SIDE TO kIRMEN
Boston Herald)

tBOStOn Herald)
For Leigh Hunt the dark continent
was symboliZed by the Nile as 1t flowed
through Egypt like some grave, Nigh
ty thought threading dream" For |
Henry Drummond, to have lived in
Africa was Ito have lived before
Menes" and "to have watched the
dawn of evolution" Famous explorers
of the mysterious country, from Llv-
ingstone to Stanley, round dozen OF
them, one after another grappled with
it, but had to leave the biggest OF It's
puzzles unriddled. Those were Gays
in which travelling had to be done
with feet to the ground through shut
in land which defed all save local in
vestigation. These are airplane times
that permit of larger prospects, and
the birds eye view" of Africa just
taken by DR.. Chalmers Mitchell, the
scientific aviator of the London Times,
is the beginning Of new method OF
charting out the continents or the
world. 1t shows a region all untamed
and far yet from having qualified itself
as safe for civilization.
The attempted trip from Cairo TO
the cape, good part of it accom-
plished in a single machine, was well
calculated to try out African cond1-
lions. DR.. Mitchell and his party
found it by no means easy either to
stay up or TO look down. Heavy rains,
thunderstorms and whirlwinds pre-
vented clear vision; good seeing was
also interfered with by flying sand
storms, even by bush fires which sent
up trailing columns of smoke for
scores of miles. At one stage Of the
Journey there were columns OF dust
thousands of feet high all round the
Horizon.
Terrific heat sometimes 1essened
the lifting power of the plane, and
forced descents" required with dis
agreeable frequency. Once ground
was reached, there was danger from
both human and animal enemies;
armed natives threatened the aviators
from the bush, lions roared near by.
or elephants charged on tho resting
party Occasionally there were pes
tilential landing places Astounding with
mosquitoes, centipedes, crocodlles and
large believing animals Many
tune the hippofly stabbed like d
lancet" and the minute lake-fly raised
Instantaneous blisters."
Dr. Mitchell found the mountainous
regions of Africa extraordinarily wild.
dcsolate and picturesque" But out
side the populated areas there were
many "desOlate wastes" swamps wet
and dry, and such natural processes at
work as tended to make the whole
country arid, and limit men, animals
and plants to the river banks, water
holes, hills and lakes" The general
impression made upon him was that
of "slow accommodating decay through
countless centuries" of generations of
men, beasts and plants fostering in the
steamy uplands and in the dry low
;1,ir fai n nf
DEATH" Happier lands are recalled by
him which have risen and fallen
under the cleansing sea, been scraped
and secured by glacial epochs, while
Africa has only cracked and festered."
He calls it "the most interesting, fas-
cinating and deplorable country
Imaginable" and his only hope is that
some colossal upheaval may come in
to redeem and remake it. Yet in spite
Of all he would be glad to repeat his
airplane trip over the dark continent.