The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-10-22

known, there are some sections which
have not been accurately surveyed
There are also jungles and mountains
in Central America about which little
is known. The San Bias country OF
Panama, for instance, though Amer
lean airplanes have circled over 1t and
a few individuals have penetrated it.
holds secrets which are yet I'M
fathomed
The northeastern portion of Hon.
duras, just behind the Mosquito coast,
must be left blank on maps Of that
Central American republic, though
rumors concerning the mountains, for
ests and uncivilized Indians of the In.
terror reach us from time to time.
South Americas Blank Regions.
| South America has many square
miles of territory which is yet IN
trodden by a white man. These in
clude large portions of western and
northwestern Brazil, the northwestern
portion Of Bolivia, areas In southern
! Argentina, and the Vaupes region IN
Colombia. There are certain routes
across most Of these areas which are
fairly well known, but as soon as cne
leaves the beaten trail he reaches ter
ritory which has never been explored
To the northwest of Paraguay be-
tween that country and Bolivia lies
vast tract Of land often spoken of as
the Paraguayan Chaco. 1t covers an
area of at least 100000 square miles,
and Is believed to be constituted
mainly of swamps and jungles. A few
merchants, who even today as they
are the pioneer explorers Of distant
and little-known areas. are about the
only people who have ever visited the
interior of the Chaco, lured there be-
cause 1t Is the home of the quebracho
tree, an important source of tannin.
The Oriente, the eastern portion of
Ecuador, is inhospitable in It's climate
and choked with jungle, and few are
the white men who have braved con-
tact with its savage head-hunting ma
tives to tell us the natural resources
or even the physical features of this
uncharted hinterland.
The story of every part of Europe
is an open book, but Asia has its blank
spots about which one can still won
der. Serene and invincible sit the
Himalayas as the backbone of Asia,
saving their snowslides and monsoons
for any presumptuous person who
tries to probe their secrets.
Two explorers of the National Geo
graphic society within the last two
or three years have been penetrating
portions Of western China in Yunnan,
Szechuan and Kweichow provinces
about which nothing much was known
previous to this time. A few other ex-
plorers have been vying with them in
putting these areas In detail on our
maps. Kingdom Ward pushed from
China across Tibet and
northern India, outlining route which
had seldom been trod before.
Mongolia and the Cobb desert still
lave their secrets. though they have
,een revealing recently some Of the
most remarkable remains Of dinosaurs
Ind other prehistoric animals that
lave ever been discovered
Africa DIRK In Spots.
Africa Is still dark" In spots. There 7
ire great portions Of the Sahara des- q
rt about which practically nothing Is r
.nown, notably the Hank region. ex- r
ending from latitude % degrees T
o 20 degrees near longitude :
legrees west. 1t is inhabited by :
ribes that the French, for quite +
,hile, have been trying to suhdue. AS
matter Of fact, little Is known about
he western Sahara or about the
outhern and central portions of the IL
,ibyan desert. Hassanein Bey. an n
Egyptian explorer. has within the last r
ear or two pushed his way across
hitherto unknown portion OF the
ibyan desert and placed upon our
laps two previously doubtful GASES o
nd given us interesting data con. N
erning a prehistoric people who once o
the hills about the GASES. II
Much OF the area to the west of the
ultra oasis, which was explored by
Irs Rosita Forbes and Hassanien
ey In 1921, still remains blank on
nr maps There are also several d
Iaces In the Belgian Congo where h
lie white man has never been. n
One of the worlds widest OF wild in
,ots is the interior of New Guinea. Il
here 1t Is said that $4,000 square A
lies Of UNEMPLOYED wilderness, peo- -
ed by head-hurters. pigmies and h,
her tribes Of chronological interest p,
e waiting for someone to como md "a
I'D them. ::