152 



The National Geographic Magazine 



VIRGIN FIELDS REMAINING 



Even in Africa, which for a quarter 

 of a centur^^ has engrossed the zeal and 

 energ}^ of explorers, there is much j^et 

 to be made known and charted. Not 

 only is there great work to be done in 

 the Libyan Desert and the Central Sa- 

 hara, but even the country of the Tau- 

 rigs, in Western Sahara, needs thorough 

 exploration. South of Abyssinia and 

 northwest of Lake Rudolf is almost 

 virgin ground. The niost interesting 

 areas are the primeval forests in the 

 basins of the Ubangi and Aruwimi. 

 These regions invite naturalists and eth- 

 nologists to reveal to the world their 

 fauna, flora, and ethnology, and espe- 

 cially to correlate information on the 

 pygmies of Du Chaillu, Stanle)^ and 

 Schweinfiirth. 



The new year presents such political 

 complications as insure tremendous 

 changes in eastern Asia during the 

 twentieth century. As rehabilitated 

 China concedes extended spheres of for- 

 eign influence, geographical knowledge 

 will grow apace. Gradually the great 

 blanks in Manchuria, Mongolia, Tibet, 

 and Indo-China will be filled on maps of 

 Asia. Like advances may be expected 

 as to Arabia, Sumatra, Borneo, the 

 Malay Peninsula, and especially the 

 Philippine Archipelago. In the last- 

 named region the almost untraversed 

 islands of Mindanao, Mindora, and Pal- 

 awan will soon yield to the energetic 

 and intelligent explorer the long-hidden 

 secrets of nature as to their fauna, flora, 

 and capabilities of service to mankind 

 in general and to the United States in 

 particular.* 



MEXICO OF TODAY 



By Senor Dr. Don Juan N. Navarro, Consul-General of 

 Mexico in New York City 



MY object in preparing this p;iper 

 is to present to the members 

 of the National Geographic 

 Society and to the readers of its journal 

 some well-ascertained facts about the 

 Mexico of today and the many natural 

 and commercial attractions which make 

 it one of the best places in which to in- 

 vest capital with security and the prom- 



* Other papers on the advance in geograph- 

 ical knowledge during the past one hundred 

 A- ears are : 



"The Progress of Geography during the 

 Nineteenth Century." By Gilbert H. Gros- 

 venor. Appendix to the Report of the Sec- 

 retary of the Smithsonian Institution for 

 1900'. 



"The Transformation of the Map (1S25- 

 1900)," By Joseph Sohn. Scribner's Maga- 

 zine, March, 1901. 



ise of a speedy and splendid return. Be- 

 fore entering upon my subject I wish 

 to state that my words and opinions are 

 made on m3^ own responsibility, and 

 are in no sense semi-official. In speak- 

 ing of my own country I can hardly be 

 required to be impartial in my opinions, 

 but in the statement of facts I shall en- 

 deavor to give not only my own private 



"A Century of Exploration." B}- Cyrus C. 

 Adams. The World's Work, Januar3% 1901. 



"The Geogranhical Conquests of the Nine- 

 teenth Century. " By Angelo Heilprin. The 

 N. Y Evening Post, January 12, 1901. 



" Fields for Future Explorers." By Sir 

 Henry M. Stanley. Windsor Magazine, Jan- 

 iiary, 1901. 



" Welche Erdgebiete sind am Sclilusse des 

 19 Jahrhiuiderts noch unberkannt ? " Voji H. 

 Singer, Globus, 2 Juni, 1900. 



