AFRICAN DISCOVERY

Evening Star, Issue 21320, 26 January 1933, Page 11

AFRICAN DISCOVERY

SECOND GRAND CANYON A great valley like the Grand Canyon of Arizona, cut nearly a mile deep across plateau lands of southern Abyssinia, but Inhabited only bv monkeys, and seldom if over seen by white people, has been discovered by the Italian ‘ explorer, the Duke of tho Abruzzi. One of Italy’s colonies, a part of Somaliland, lies just south of the Abyssinian border, says Dr K. K. Free, in his ‘ Week’s. Science.’ “ Through this colonv Hows the. river called the Webishcbeli, tho Abyssinian headwaters of which the Italian Government commissioned tho duke to explore. At ono place along this river, ho reports, tho water has cut a deep gorge through almost horizontal rock strata much as tho Colorado River has cut the Grand Canyon. “ Tho gorge is reported to bo six to twelve miles wide, and from three-quarters of a mile to one' mile deep. Its sides are almost bare of vegetation, as is true also of the Grand Canyon, so that the horizontal rock layers are exposed. The colouring and the unusual pinnacles and other rock forms sculptured by erosion in the American Grand Canyon are reported to bo less spectacular in tho ncwly-discovercd African duplicate. “ Just as the waters of the Colorado River, after emerging from tho American Grand Canyon, now arc to ho used for power and irrigation by the new Government project at Boulder Dam, so the river that flows through the African canyon ultimately will bo put to use, tho duke believes, as a source of power.”