REPORT FROM COL. ROOSEVELT

As Director Of Smithsonian Expedition—Fruits Of Trip To Africa—He Tells 
What Was AccomPlished By The Various Members Of The ExpediTion, 
Showing That, All Told, About 11,397 Specimens Were Prepared.

Washington, April 6.

"The collection of African specimens made by the Roosevelt party," said Mr. Mann, of Illinois, 
in presenting to the House to-day a letter from the ex-President, making a preliminary report 
to the Smithsonian Institution upon the work of his expedition into the jungle, 
"undoubtedly is the most complete and valuable collection in the world and 
it will be of great service to naturalists and scientists."


Khartum, March 15.

To The Hon. Charles Walcott, Secretary Of The Smithsonian :

Sir: I have the honor to report that the Smithsonian African expedition 
which was entrusted to my charge, has now completed its work. 
Full reports will be made later by the three naturalists, Messrs. Mearns, Heller and Loring. 
I send this preliminary statement to summarize what has been done; 
the figures given are substantially accurate, but may have to be changed 
slightly in the final reports.

We landed at Mombasa on April 21, 1909, and reached Khartum on March 14, 1910. 
On landing we were joined by Messrs. R. J. Cunningham and Leslie J. Tarlton; 
the former was with us throughout our entire trip, the latter until we 
left East Africa, and both worked as zealously and efficiently for the 
success of the expedition as any other member thereof.

We spent eight months in British East Africa. We collected carefully in 
various portions of the Athi and Kapiti plains, in the Sotik and round 
Lake Naivasha. Messrs. Mearns and Loring made a thorough biological 
survey of Mt. Kenia while the rest of the party skirted its western base, 
went to and up the Guaso Nyero, and later visited the Guas Ngishu region 
and both sides of the Rift valley. Messrs. Kermit Roosevelt and Tarlton 
went to the Laikipia Plateau and Lake Hamington, and Dr. Mearns and 
Mr. Kermit Roosevelt made separate trips to the coast region near Mombasa. 
On December 19 the expedition left East Africa, crossed Uganda and went down the White Nile.

North of Wadelai we stopped and spent over three weeks in Lado, and from 
Gondokoro Mr. Kermit Roosevelt and I again crossed into the Lado, 
spending eight or ten days in the neighborhood of Rejaf. At Gondokoro 
we were met by the steamer which the Sirdar, with great courtesy, 
had put at our disposal. On the way to Khartum we made collections 
at Lake No and on the Bahr-el-Ghazel and Bar-el-Zeraf. We owe our 
warmest thanks for the generous courtesy shown us and the aid freely 
given us not only by the Sirdar, but by all the British officials 
in East Africa, Uganda and the Sudan and by the Belgian officials 
in the Lado, and this, of course, means we are also indebted to 
the home governments of England and Belgium.

On the trip Mr. Heller has prepared 1,020 specimens of mammals, 
the majority of large size; Mr. Loring has prepared 3,163 and 
Dr. Mearns 714, a total of 4,897 mammals. Of birds, Dr. Mearns 
has prepared nearly 3,100, Mr. Loring 899 and Mr. Heller about 50, 
a total of about 4,000 birds. Of reptiles and batrachians, 
Messrs. Mearns, Loring and Heller collected about 2.000. Of fishes, 
about 500 were collected. Dr. Mearns collected marine fishes near 
Mombasa and fresh water fishes elsewhere in British East Africa, 
and he and Cunningham collected fishes in the White Nile. 
This makes in all of vertebrates: Mammals, 4,897; birds, about 4,000; 
reptiles and batrachians, about 2,000; fishes, about 500; total, 11.397.

The invertebrates were collected carefully by Dr. Mearns, with some 
assistance from Messrs. Ctmningham and Kermit Roosevelt.

A few marine shells were collected near Mombasa and land and freshwater shells 
throughout the regions visited, as well as crabs, beetles, millipeda and 
other invertebrates. Several thousand plants were collected throughout 
the regions visited by Dr. Mearns, who employed and trained for the work 
a Wnnyamuezi named Makangarri, who soon learned how to make very good specimens 
and turned out an excellent man in every way.

Anthropological materials were gathered by Dr. Mearns with some assistance from others; 
a collection was contributed by Major Ross, an American in the government service at Nairobi.

I have the honor to be,

Very truly yours,

Theodore Roosevelt.