St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-01-14
NAMELESS HEROES.
Humble Natives who Daily Add 1mpog"
tant knowledge to the Map of Asia

The Royal Geographical SOCIETY," at us
last annual meeting in London, after
mentioning by name various persons
who had distinguished themselves
during the previous year in promoting
the progress of geographical science,
referred to the work done by two per-
sons, whom he called simply the ma"
tive explorers. NJ H. and R--n. His
reason for suppressing their names
was owing to the fact that they had
been travelling in Southern Ihlb bet.
For the last two centuries the people
of that country have been so avcrse to
the presence of strangers among them
that only four Of the many Europeans
who have tried have been able to reach
the capital, the sacred city of Lassa.
All the mountain passes leading from
India into Thibet are now so carefully
guarded by soldiers that it is impos-
sible, owing to the nature Of the coun-
try. to escape them.
About twenty five years ago AL En-
glish officer, noticing that the natives
of certain frontier districts in the Him.
alayas were permitted to go into
Thibet for the purpose of trading, con-
ceived the idea of instructing some of
these traders in the rudiments Of sur
veying, so that they might bring back
some intelligent account OF this almost
unknown land.
Having obtained permission of the
Indian Government to make the ex-
pertinent. he did so. and succeeded SO
well that since that time number of
these so-called 'native explorers
have been constantly in the govern
ment employ. After being taught to
use the compass, sextant, chronometer
and thermometer, and to plot their
daily routes, they are sent out with in
structions as to the direction they are
to take. To all appearances they are
ordinary traders, their instruments be-
ing concealed in the pack which the
Thibetan merchants carry.
Sometimes they 60 as the servant OF
a trader, or as his companion. One
of the most successful of them trav-
eled for great distance as lama, or
priest. Like them, he bore a prayer
barrep' slung about his neck, but the
strips of paper which it contained
were not inscribed with the Buddhist
prayer, som name padn,e hum ooh,
the Jewel in the lotusD but. were COW
cred with his route-notes and journal.
He had the rosary, which distinguish
es the lamas, constantly in his hand.
but he dropped a bead, not at the end
of every prayer, as they do, but after
every hundred PAGES that he walked.
On their return to India, the explorers
give their notes to an officer in the
survey department, tell him the story
of their travels, and describe the coun-
tries they have passed through, the
habits, customs and occupations of its
inhabitants The officer embodies
these accounts in a report, and from
their observations map is construct
ed of the journey. BY this means the
general features of the greater part OF
| Southern Thibet-the course of the
| rivers and mountain chains, the posi-
ton and height of the passes, the sit
uation of the principal towns, and the
| industries and natural resources of
the country-have been accurately
learned.
But, while they are in the govern
ment employ, their occupation is not
| revealed even to their nearest rela-
tives, nor are their names known ex-
cept to one or two English officers at
Calcutta. When referred TO, it is un-
der some letter or letters The most
| famous of them was called the Pundit,
| or master Now, knowing that the
great incentive to explorers is the
hope of fame. it is certainly very re-
| markable that these men voluntarily
encounter dangers which can not be
surpassed by those of travellers in any
part of the world, simply in the dis
charge of their duty, and expecting
no other reward than a small daily
wage.
No other country presents more
frightful dangers than Thibet, where
the mountain passes are. in some
cases, over nineteen thousand feet
high, or more than three thousand feet
higher than Mont Blanc. But to the
dangers of cold, storm and mountain
heights must be added that of the dis
covery by the Thibetans of the real
object of their journey. the result
Of which would almost certainly be
death.
These men are not educated, high
caste Hindoos, but or taken from he
humblest classes. The Pundit was u
schoolmaster in little Himalayn viii
lage. Of him the greatest E uropean
authority on this subject publicly said
that che had added a larger amount
OF important knowledge 10 the map
of Asia than any other living man. "
After the Pundit had spent many
! years in these explorations, his con-
stitution having become broken dow n
and his eyesight nearly destroyed, the
government gave him asmall pension
and little plot Of ground in his ma
tive village.
| II also then permitted to be revealed
4 Tho tuna nan,a Main, G;p~h IF fh n