The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-05-04
a story OF Wonderful DiscOv-
cries.

THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY ByEIED CITIEs-COLD
COINS FOUR POUNDS ~ wE.CHT-cID TEA-BRiCKs.
An English civil engineer, named johnson.
lately engaged in the trigonOmctrical survey of
Cashmere, ias made a curious report OF what he
saw and heard in Chinese TUrkc-tan. q Part IF
tie world long inaccessible u Europeans. He
says that while measuring and triaGguiating. last
year, AZ q remote station on the borders Of Cash
mere. he received an invitation u visit the new
ruler Of khOtan, who had expelled tie Chinese
from his provinces, declared his Independence.
ami determined TO enter into friendly relations
with tie nearest British officer within reach.
The adventurous johnson being the haudiest.
the Khan fJTwith requested his presence 1T the
capital. Hcbi. The way thitler lay across the
klun-Lun chain Of mountains, by a difficult IGss
at an elevation Of nineteen thousand tect-Jhrcc
miles and Il haiI. Ii was a hard journey buJ the
i~ndeiati-aile johnson pushed Oh. saw the Khan.
stayed with him four days, board some very Won
deriul storie=, ana then made hi way bacA -
tie HIEaiayGn passes, resisting the kho1anese
inclination u hold him a. a hostage Tor the open
iug VI commercial relation. with England.
IL j. said that although German travellers have
previously cro-sel the high mountains which hem
IL khOtan, 10 EuToVcan has ever before entered
llchi. tie capital. Tie Khan i described ~ Il
natural king Of men OF the Cdrlvlcse PATTERN.
eighty years Old, six tcet high, stout, Of Il fair
complexion. and altogether a gyJdly specimen vi
the old Turkish gentleman, such . he was IN tic
days before OttJmans were heard u. lie r1le.a
Province Of two hundred and fifty thousand in
labitlnt-, whereof his capital contains tOrty tnou-
sand fine. strong TeH. and short bat pretty
women. tair and cieanIy in apparel. and dressing
well, eli Turks and M5iamu.eI.us great caters
Of meat and drinkc-s Of tea, all Carrying On a
considerable trade in the face 81 the great difficult
tc-- and most anxious 10 JIale with the English
in particular. The country, well vatcIei bv
moderate showers. and irrigated from the rivers
which flow n~ortiiwalds from TIE Kluu-Lun. Is
f-r-Tf al - rs-s -,.a.T - .-.-1 81. e. II IL
comparison with Cashmere itself, but It, climate
Is described a. being much superior. both dry
and equable.
The reports brought hack by Air. johnson are
somewhat Nuuclau~eni-h. For instance
l.. The fertility Of the country : increased I,-
Il fine impaIIablc dust or mould which i waftel
IN from the adjacent deserts. E. wichout wili. IN
perfect calm, and Ills tie air - - u darken IT,"
This phenomenon occurred during lir. john
sons visit, and he was then unable u read print
at noon without a candle. II J. not explained
how the dust i blown without a wind. but NJ.
Johnson says IL l. = waited III 4 CALM" and Le
cannot he cyntradictcd.
=. Tie storms la the desert raise waves o. -and
which settle into hills three hundred u four hun
drcd feet high. Why not one thogzaud feet,
B. The tradition OF tie country i that three
hundred and siNtv ciLic- We're overwhelmed in
1nc day by sant--rorEs. The -ite- yf these citics
arc partially known 20 there is a vast array Of
and Nineyebs awaiting -Jllej.ty's
Ilckaxc. shovel, and archaeological kill.
!. The people Of the-e buried towns used gold
'Dirs weighing four pounds oach-hgt =. this l.
kept "a profound secret by thp-c who know the
There i no relic of tic Br5bdi-na-
gan purses in which this money was carried
,bout for every day usc.
.. e. The store Of tea used for the actual con
Of the people j. now dug out of one Of
Thee ruined c%ities," and Mr.. johnson brought a
brick Of this Tea away with him. The Ch.uc-c
Is now cut oft 30 tie Hchiau= cut of
heir supply from these bricks.
We are further informed that the country in
which these wonderful things happened l. highly
'uriierous-a remark which i perhaps uunece-~-
,ry when We remember the four-Iound gold coins
which seem to have been the circulating medium.
Mr.. J,hnson's report l. about 70 be published
% L,m-on. An appropriate yigaettc would DC a
Of a loug-JOw.