THE DARK PLACES OF THE WORLD.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4258, 18 January 1901, Page 2

THE DARK PLACES OF THE WORLD.

Speaking at a 'meeting of the Royal Geographical.. Society (says ... tbo St. James’s Gazette”) iho president, Sir. Clements Markham, remarked that , the most important geographical event since the close of the last session had been the return of the Duke of Abruzzi from Franz Josef Land. The results of that expedition were of great importance, and if it could be arranged,, his Royal Highness would! give an account of it to the society in the course of the session. Two- recent' expeditions to the Antarctic regions had both, supplied valuable information, while the society’s proposed expe'dition was at last making some progress as regarded equipment and other' arrangements, the ship being in an advanced state. The German expedition was far more advan. ced,, and its commander and Captain Scott, of the society’s expedition; had mot and 1 compared note;;. In Africa the greatest amount of geographical work had been done this year. But a review of it must, alas! commence with a reference to the loss of a valued explorer. It was only last scuion that Captain Wollby’a father read the account of his gallant son’s splendid geographical achievement in marching from Abyssinia to the Nile. All would remember how they looked forward to welcoming him on his return from the front. Now that could never he. Captain Welloy had fallen fighting for his country in a most righteous war. His noble example had been followed by others, for there had been remarkable activity in the exploration'of Africa this year. Major Gibbons had followed Mr Grogan from' the Cape to Cairo. Mr Moore had returned' from his important investigations of the Central African lakes. Mr Harrison had brought home an admirable map of the region between Lake Rudolf and Adis Abeba. The society’s gold medallist, M. Fourcau, had safely returned after his wonderful Jour, ney across the Sahara, of which he had promised to send some account. Last, but certainly not least, Dr Donaldson Smith had' made very remarkable Journeys involving new discoveries between. Lake Rudolf and the Nile.

Dr Donaldson Smith then gave the account of his expedition from the Somali coast-to the Nile. Dr Donald, son Smith started from Berbers on August .1. 1899. Iri'his journey in 1895 he saw the worst side of the Abyssinian method of annexation, but his more recent observations, showed him that the Abyssihians* treatment of tribes once brought thoroughly to submission was commendable. In the first attacks , the Abyssinians wore certainly very cruel; but later they restored to the natives a large proportion of their belongings and very nearly their original self-govem-mcnt. only a moderate tax being imposed. From the Somalis to the Boran he was surprised to find the natives quite as ridh apparently as they were before they came under Abyssinian rule. _ Leaving El Dere, which is about equidistant (760 miles) from. Berbera and the Nile, the expedition marched through broken and very wooded country, abounding in elephants, and hero tb© Somali followers gay© such trouble. They were never satisfied, unless they had over tetn pounds of camel meat or mutton a day each, and when food was scarce Dr Smith had to be on tho alert constantly to prevent them from poisoning transport animals or stealing sheep. But tho Somalis were not such miserable uiieves as most of the Indians; and their superb physical condition, swift-footedness, olndurance, and intelligence were remarkable. After leaving Goff the expedition neachria an altitude of over 5000 ft in the Boran highlands, when suddenly the caravan was brought to an abrupt halt by a precipice that sheered off almost perpendicularly to a broad plain 1700 ft below. On November 26 the valley of Lake &teFaroe was entered, and here the expedition endured much hardship by.the burning of tho camp and the shortness of water, for the water of the lake .was fouptl to be so briny that ic. was uudrmkabLake Rudolf was readied on December 10th. The formerly rich tribe of Rusiawas. found no longer to exist, and no human beings we r e seen until the river Aianam was reached. A remarkable ehamre m the fauna was now observed. Between the Nianara and the Nile there was not snly a completely different set of birds, but scarcely any of the mammalia were "he same as had been found in the eastern section of the journey. On January 3rd the Omo River was left Dehind. It wag now found that as the expedition approached the natives fle'd to the hills, and seemed inclined to fight- They appeared to be a branch of the Turkana.

One day a nnmbeir of them attacked two of Dr Smith’s camelmen, and were only driven off by firing: but this was the only case of attempted hostilities on the whole 'journey. After leaving the highlands and crossing at nVht angles the line of march of the late Captain neilby, tli© Magois were encountered. These were quite different in appearance and customs from anv tribe previously met with. Thev had the heavy build and large features of the Sudanese, and the lines of raised tattooing which arc wi characteristic of the people about the Nile. Thev seemed to giro principally for small red beads, which they wore worked in gorgeous patterns. 'Hie.v « ere the only people, too. whom Dr Smith had seen wearing a zebra’s tail suspended" from tim elbow. on n branch ol the Magois calling themselves Katua were encountered, and Dr Smith wa« surprised to find them cow-wordim • pars, indulging in certain rites snmiosod to be peculiar to tho Hindu religion. Fort Berkeley, the British outpost on the Nile, ,was reached on March 11th last. ' I \s ho steamers had come up, howcuoi. the followers of the expedition had to he scut down to Mombasa, after waiting a month. But on May sth a- gunboat arrived. and Dr Smith and Ins coB carious were’ carried down to Cairo. That c>iv was reached just 10 mouths after the departure. of the expedition from the Somali coast.