Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-13
IL MILES OF FILM REVEAL
SECRETS OF DARKEST AFRICA
GeorgeS-Marie Haardt Leads
Eight Cars Across Great
UNEMPLOYED Areas.
Pictures to Be Exhibited Here
Before Members of the
Geographic Society.


Georges-Marie Haardt, the motor
car Livingstone" who led an expedition
OF eight automobiles through $4,000
miles OF deserts and jungleS of darkest
Africa, came to Washington this week
In connection with the American show
ing of reels from the II miles of film
which form scientific diary of I'M
explored areas, strange tribes, wild
animals and tropical plant life.
The motion pictures which constitute
this modern explorers record will be
exhibited here to members of the Ma
t1onal Geographic Society. They were
the first motion pictures ever shown in
the Opera House in Paris, where the
President of France was the honor
guest. The Prince of Wales saw them
In London and the royal families of
Italy, Spain and Belgium viewed them
in their capitals.
Mr.. Haardt made the first announce
ment here yesterday that he plans a
similar expedition, probably with five
cars across Asia, following to some ex-
tent in automobiles the route that
Marco Polo took when he brought to
Europe its first news of Cathay's coal,
paper money and of Kublai Khan.
Mr.. Haardt's motor car expedition
crossed the heart of Africa from Al
gerla to Mozambique and included a
trip through the little-known interior
1.-THE mammoth island of Madagascar.
Untamed Taureg tribeSmen had to be
brlbed to pilot the automotive caravan
across vast stretches of the uncharted
Sahara. More than 10000 natives were
put to work blazing trail through 375
miles OF otherwise impenetrable jungleS
of the Belgian Congo.
Traced Railway Route.
One object of the expedition was to
trace route by which France may pro-
ject railroad to link its vast provincial
holdings in Africa. It had other Off
cial commissions from the French CO.
lonial Office. the Air Ministry and the
French Geographic Society," This en-
tailed scientists and engineers who
made observations in their respective
fields. and photographers and sketch
artists who made records for scientist
and layman.
The expedition had eight 10-horse-
power Citroen cars, equipped with cat
erpillarS systems in addition to regu-
lar front wheels. Each car had a
trailer. and cars and trailers had to
carry extra water, gas and oil tanks.
The initial stage of the journey was
across the Sahara to Buren,, on the
Niger River. One area of this part of
| the trip included the almost unknown
Tanezroutt, country devoid of re-
sources; no wood, no grass, no growing
! or living thing; no water for $50 miles.
Hunter Disguised as Bird.
The expedition encountered the
Tuaregs, mysterious and marauding
! desert tribes. The men wear wells which
| cover the face and suggests the helmets
/ of the crusaders. Along the Niger
! southeast of Buren,, the party came
/ across a hunter disguised as bird.
/ From a piece of wood he had carved
| birds head and neck, feathered it,
and supplied eyes and an open beak,
Mr.. Haardt said. HE placed this de-
vice around his forehead and went into
the bush on all tours. Moving slowly
and stopping at times to peck at the
ground or to examine his surroundings,
| just as a real bird might have done,
he was able to approach close enough
to birds and hares to kill them with
stick"
At Tessawa, in the Southern Sahara,
5000 of Sultan Barmou'S HauSa riders
escorted the motorists into the town
amid the din of tom-toms and trumpets.
The Sultan is a modern Solomon and
one of few living men with hundred
wives.
The expedition explored the swamp
bordered. iSland-Studded Lake Chad.
Many of the islands are floating, made
of light wood the natives use also for
boat building.
The Peuhl tribe, which practices flag
citation of youths as test of manhood
before youth is granted tribal priv
ilegeS, was studied. Beyond Lake Chad
were found the Mazzas, who muclate
the lips of their women by piercing
holes in them and inserting wooden
disks.
Women Eat Like Pelicans.
"a woman not thus mutilated is not
considered a desirable person for a
wife," Mr.. Haardt explained when
one of these poor creatures eats she
resembles pelican. At each bite she
must lift her upper lip with one hand
and slip the food into her mouth with
the other
Another curious people were the Yon-
dos, who sit in motionleSs dignity on
thronelike stools and have a strange
language that resembles cultural
cough.
Toward the Congo, the expedition
turned its major attention to obtain
ing geological specimens. They made
a side trip from Yalinga to the Am
Dafok swamp, jungle haunt of ante
lope, lions and elephants. The expedi-
ton leader gave vivid description of
what was found there.
I'VE pitched our camp between the
Am Dafok swamp and the forest, in a
grove of palm trees. Not far away
roamed great herds of antelope, and
while much of the other animal life
kept out of sight by day, 1t announced
its presence soon after sunset
Just at nightfall, the silence was
oppressive, but this did not last long.
Jackals began to yelp; the wild laugh
of the hyena echoed through the night;
the Jungle was vibrant with life.
Finally. all lesser noises died out
before the majestic roar of the lion,
fresh from his kill and come to drink.
Occasionally we could catch a glimpse
of fitting shadow or the opaleScent
red or green of animal eyes in the
darkness beyond the circle of our fire.
light"
40 HippOpOtami at Play.
Then, returning to Yalinga, the ex-
plorers found swamp where 40
hippopotami were playing, and a halt
was made to photograph and study
them.
In the Belgian Kongo the expedition
was in the midst of the Equatorial
Forest, and could only get through
after the Belgians had engaged 10000
natives to cut trail through 375 miles
of jungles. And in the midst of this
isolation, the expedition came up on
tribes practicing primitive wireless"
communication of surprising ingenuity.
It is effected by drumlike instruments
called goudougoudous, made of wood,
followed out on the early loud speak
er" principle. and struck with hammers
encased in rubber. Various sounds are