Lost World
February 11, 1895
To Whom it may Concern:
As you know, it has long been my assertion to the scientific community that prehistoric life may have survived in isolated pockets much longer than accepted theory states, perhaps even to present day! Obviously, a founder population of at least several hundred individuals would be necessary to maintain a species in even the remotest locale, as well as the ecosystem to support them. In this age of exploration and electricity, the scientific community feels that there can't possibly exist any place large enough or isolated enough to support a founder population of the size and number described by my theories. The scientific community is wrong.
Large portions of land remain largely unexplored by modern man. In fact, we continue to make discoveries in these areas every year. Tribes of aborigines live in the Amazon Basin who have never invented the wheel. Extinct fish are caught in nets off the coast of Nova Scotia. And now, dinosaurs roam the Congo, and I have proof.
A colleague of mine, an anthropologist by training, while studying a pygmy tribe in the Congo basin, came across an artifact. A clay tablet, carved to depict a native hunting party attacking a large, long necked creature. Unable to identify the species of the animal, and knowing my penchance for rare taxonomy, he sent me a rubbing of the tablet. Imagine my surprise when I first unrolled the page to behold early man felling a semi-aquatic hadrosaur of the late Cretaceous! This animal was extinct perhaps 60 million years before the first homo sapiens ever took up a spear! Contacting my associate by wire, he was able to verify the authenticity of the tablet and even sent me a sample of the clay for dating.
Imagine my surprise when results came back indicating that not only was the tablet genuine, but less than 200 years old!! My friends, dinosaurs may still live in at least one isolated valley in the darkest jungles of Africa.
The scientific community has branded my proof a "hoax" and for the last year denied me funding for an expedition. I have obtained private funding from several generous sources who wish to remain anonymous at this time. My friends, the boat sails on Friday. I await your replies and hope to see you soon.