The St. Johns herald., 1891-07-30
\ NOTABLE JOURNEY.
The Extensive Trip of Two Dis
 tinguished Frenchmen.
They Consume Seventeen Months fin Trav- cling Through Countries Which Are Little Known to
 Whi.e Men.

With the march of republican ideas, royalty is every year becoming more ornamental than useful. All that the people require nowadays is that the royal rulers and the nobility shall make themselves as obscure as possible, and keep in the background when matters of public moment are in question. Therefore, it is with some surprise, writes N $. Adler in Golden Days, we hear of titled parsonage doing some thing useful, as in the case of Prince Henry cf Orleans, who, in company with Mr. Bonvalot, French explorer, las crossed central Asia and performed a most notable journey.
 The two men left Paris in July. 1889, and returned in December, 1890, after an absence of seventeen months. They travelled to Russian Turkcstan by the Traflscaspian railroad; thence passing through Bokhara and Samar, they reached the Chinese frontier at Kulja, where they organized a caravan for their march through the western prov
 
 nese government placed no Instructions in their way, and the real difficulties of the journey did not begin until they reached the famous Lake Lob Nor, dis covered by the explorer PrejeValsly, and started scuthward toward Lhassa, over route never followed by Eu- ropean.
 Undeterred by the failure of every previous explorer since the days of Hue and Cabot to reach this forbidden, sa- cred city Of the Buddhists, they set out over the plateau, at an elevation of twelve thousand feet above the sea, far from any inhabited center, and travelled Eouthward for two months and half, until they came almost to the threshold of the Mecca of the Buddhists.
 On the way they were dependent for awhile for food upon the flesh of some sheep they had taken with them, and they drank tea made of melted ice, which was found to be very salt. Still they pushed on, and the nearer they ap- preached the famous city, the higher grew their hopes that they would be the first to break down the barriers which had kept all Europeans out. Four times PrejevalslIy had tried to accom- plish this same feat. Once his provis- ions gave out, compelling him to re- treat. Another time he was attacked by force of Thibctans and driven away.
 On another occasion the authorities of Lhassa threatened his party with death unless they retraced their steps. Not long ago, also, MT. Carey, the English explorer, set out for Lhassa, only to be defeated like his predecessors. The Bonvalot party, however. pushed stead fly on, and were not brought to a halt until they were within q day's march on horseback of Lhassa. When finally they stood on the banks of Tengri Nor, they suddenly found dinsurrnountable ob- stacles before them. The authorities of Lhassa had learned of their approach, and sent them peremptory command to turn back or perish.
 The explorers could almost have seen the sacred city, had it not been for the in the way, and we can inn agine their disappointment when they found themselves defeated after endur- ing terrible hardShips for months in the effort to penetrate to Lhassa. They did all they could to conciliate the rulers, but in vain. Every overture was stern ly repulsed. The negotiations lasted for several days. Finally, however, the authorities consented to sell to the ex- plorers few horses and yal1s to bear
 
 baggage and facilitate their eastern journey. The Thibetans were probably very glad to get rid of the Europeans, and to help them for an ample consider ation to get out of the country where there was no welcome for them.
 From a geographical point of view this journey to the neighborhood of Lhassa was of considerable importance. The party travelled through region south of Lob Nor, which was almost white space on our maps, and they found there an unknown chain of mountains running parallel with the Himalayas, and nearly as lofty. In their opinion these mountains in their highest summits reach an elevation of from twenty thousand to twenty-five
 
 tened the highest peaks with French names. They were within sight of thesc mountains for fifteen days, and saw them extending across their track like an immense white barrier.
 It was some time before they found pass through the mountains which enabled them to go to Tengri Nor. Their march to the frontier of the Chi nese province of Yunnan was very try ing. At last, after having been seven months without any communication with Europeans, the party reached the first French station on the frontier of Tonquin. Here they found an. officer and few soldiers, who were very much amazed at the arrival of the shattered caravan. The supplies of the party were now nearly exhausted, and in their attire and appearance they