THE WORLD’S EXPEDITIONS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1523, 28 February 1901, Page 65

THE WORLD’S EXPEDITIONS

ACCOUNT OF A NEW AFRICAN TRIBE. Sir Clements R. Markham, president of the Royal Geographical Society, delivered hit . customary address at the opening of the last session. The most important geographical event since the close, of last session had been, he said, the return of the expedition of. the Duke of Abruzzi from Franz Josef "Land. Its results were of great importance, for it had finally discovered the northern limits of the Fran Josef group, andi confirmed Nansen’s discovery of a -deep ocean to the north; while the sledging party under : Captain Cagni reached the highest northern latitude yet attained. He had , . a very interesting conversation with the Duke at Christiana, and if it could be arranged his Royal Highness would b< pleased to give them an account of his expedition. in the course of the session. Thej were still anxiously waiting for news of the expeditions wtf, Sverdrup land! Peary up '- Smith Sound. The ..Windward went out to bring them succour, but she had not yet. returned. The two recent expeditions, tithe Antarctic regions had both supplied ' them with valuable information,' and the society's own Antarctic expedition was nowr at last making progress as regarded equipment and other arrangements. - It was in Africa that: the greatest amount of geographical work had been, thi s year., ~ Major Gibbons had followed Mr Grtogfvn from the Cjape to Cairo. Mr Moore had returned after his importsnt investigation of the central 'African lakes. Mr Harrison had- brought home an admirable map of the region between Lake Rudolf and Addis Abeba. Then srold medal * list -M. Foureau had safely returned af-ter-his wonderful -journey across the Sa- . hara,. of whichhe had promised, to send ‘ the. society some account ; and Dr Donald son. Smith had made very remarkable jo tar- : neys, of which, he was to give them a description, involving new discoveries between Lake Rudolf, and the Nile. From South ; Africa they had several sheets of the maps which had been made during the war by the surveyors sent out at the. suggestion of Sir. Thomas Holdich. And in this connection he was pleased to learn that serious steps had been taken, under the Intelligence Department, to carry out administrative surveys of all those territories in Africa which were directly dependent on the Home Government and that in conjunction -with the other European Powers which had African pos sessions. (Cheers). SAVAGE BEAU BRUMMELS. t Dr Donaldson Smith, in the course of an interesting lecture, described a, new tribe he had' discovered—the Magois. They have the heavy build and large fea. tares, with high cheek bones, of the Soudanese, and above all, the lines of raised : tattooing on their cheeks that is so, typical of the people about the Nile. Dr Smith ■ thinks it not unlikely that they are a branch of the Dink as, who, perhaps,, being driven from the Sobat by the Neurs, pul . the, desert between themselves and theii persecutors. They seem to care principally for small red beads, and' work them in gorgeous patterns on leather plaques witb which the warriors adorn their massive head dress. The most outre of our fashionable young men can never aspire to the height of collar worn by some of the Magois. Their Collar of bends throws the chin high up in the air, and theii looks are done up iu a great chiffon, composed principally of clay covered with ostrich feathers. Parallel lines of raised tattooing on the chest and abdomen, leopards* skins hung over the back, and a

h'ell liung on a slender cord around the waist help to enrich the men’s appearance They are the only people Dr Smith hae ever seen, wearing a zebra*s tail suspended from the elbows. -Many of the younger gills, have rather attractive features and pretty figures. . The worst burden. they have to carry in life seems to be the countless necklaces of beads which spread over -their bosoms to the waist, and the large bracelets and anklets of ivory, brass and iron. Their hair is shaved above the ears and cut fairly close on the top of the head