Evening star., 1939-03-06
Explorer Discovers
Lost World With
Perfect Relations
Dr.. ZuhI Also Finds
Falls and Monsters
In South America
BY HOWARD w. BLAKESLEE,

Dy NV
Associated Press Science Editor.
SCHENECTADY, N. Y, March g.
Discovery on the slopes bordering
Conan Doyle's lost world OF lost
village where perfect happiness
exists was announced yesterday at
Union College.
The village lies in a huge gorge.
nearly half mile above sea level,
but still more than a mile below the
fiat summit Of Mount Roraima,
British Guiana and Venezuela,
which was Doyle's famed site of
throwbacks of the earth's earlier
days. 1t was located a few weeks
ago by DR.. Paul A. Zahl. research as
sociate Of the Haskins Laboratory in
Union College, who returned last
week.
monsters" Discovered.
His expedition also found the first
authentic lost world monsters"
They are only ants, but they are
2 inches long, the largest on earth.
In the lost world they are called
ur-sting," from the belief that
four stings at one time bring death.
Finally, DR.. Zahl reported discov-
cry near Roraimas mists of two
waterfalls, each estimated at about
10 times the drop of Niagara.
1t was the first, and highest Of
these waterfalls, that led to the lost
villages. The explorers attention
was attracted by column of mist
rising persistently above jungle car
peting plateau that spreads COM
paratively fiat so miles out from
Roraima'S base
He traced this mist to the lip OF
an uncharted gorge that dropped
down in the midst of the jungle
Over the edge of the gorge the Uitshi
River, in the dry season a stream
200 feet wide, plunged 1900 to 1000
feet. all estimates indicating the
latter.
He named the. place the George
vi Falls. While exploring the gorge
he came upon an Indian village,
about 3 miles below the falls. His
guides and the inhabitants told him
these people had never before been
visited by white men.
Lead Idyllic Lives.
The Indians were aboriginal Yet
their lives impressed DR.. Zahl as so
idyllic that he remained a week.
He found practically perfect" hu-
man relations among them.
He said he never noticed sign
of anger, only laughter and general
happiness. His photographs, par
ticularly family group, bear out
this spirit.
DR.. Zahl said these Indians were
a great contrast to those found near
white settlements or mission CEN
ters. Indians who had frequent
contacts with whites showed marked
development of the weaker traits
of the white race, such as jealousy,
treachery and anger.
The Aborigines told him Of q
second falls, another 3 miles down.
stream. They said they had never
seen these falls because they feared
them.
DR.. Zahl soon learned why. As
his party approached within mile,
the gorge narrowed, heavy mist
drenched the explorers and the roar
of the waters rose so that DR.. Zahl
said he could believe the express
sion "too noisy to think"
There was adventure almost every
hour of the way from the moment
DR.. Zahl left the coast bound for
Mount Roraima foothills. In q sea-
plane piloted by the Art Williams.
In three hours the plane covered
$50 miles that have taken other
expeditions six weeks.
Through low-lying clouds the plane
followed the course of the Mazaruin
River.
Within so miles of Roraima in
creasing frequency of cascades dis
closed the last possible stretch on
which to set the plane down.
Note Asks Aid.
The landing put him and COM
panion, G. T. Chislett, former men,
ber of the Brazilian-British Guiana
Boundary Commission, on a sand
bar in midriver with no immediate
means Of getting ashore. The plane
then flew off to drop a note asking
for aid to be sent from a nearby
mission.
Night came before aid. In the
morning DR.. Zahl awoke with the
river rising due to torrential rain
and the water tapping at tent flap.
He and Chislett were preparing to
swim when an Indian rescue party
appeared in canoes.
The next so miles took six weeks
Of hiking. While feeling his way
over slippery ledge leading to one
of the new waterfalls, DR.. Zahl
almost stepped on an 8-foot BUSH
master. The reptile was coiled, ready
to strike.
Just beyond it was a sheer drop
OF about 1000 feet. DR.. Zahls only
choice was to freeze" his position,
foot in the air. He then slowly with
drew without exciting the bushmas-
ter into a lunge.
Capture of the huge ants, dino
ponera grandis, was accomplished
with something like military tac-
tjoc Thaca ants aro hoo Sfc of r,ray,