Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-11

heights of some 80, 900 square miles in area;
but, few places being below 5000 feet and
many as high as 25 900 feet above sea level.
That is the best information our usually re-
liable books of reference afford Some
other source must then be sought out for
the desired knowledge. 1t is limited. !
know of but few, the most important OF
which is, l think, book entitled Journey
to the Source of the River O1us, written
by Captain John Wood OF the Royal Indian
Navy, who made trip into Pamlr 5S years
ago, substantiating some of the seemingly
absurd assertions of Marco Polo, but giving
| clearer information on points of more value,
than those detailed BY the ancient explorer.
In the main, however, and particularly con-
cerning Pamir, Wood agrees with Polo ard
this is what the latter says about 1t:
In leaving Badashan you ride u days be-
tween east and northeast, ascending-a river
that runs through land containing good
many towns and villages and scattered hab-
itations. And when you leave this country,
and ride three days northeast, always among
the mountains you get to such height that
It is said to be the highest place in the worldi
And when you have got to this height you
find great lake between two (ridges of
mountains, and out OF 1t a nne river running
through plain. The plain is called Pamier,
and you ride across it south to north u days
together, finding nothing but desert with
travellers are obliged to carry with them
whatever they have need of. The region is
so lofty and cold that you do not even see
any birds flying. And 1 must notice also
burn go brightly nor give out SO much heat
usual, nor does it cook food SO effect
ualiy.
1t must be a wonderful country, for both
travellers agree that there is nothiUg in the
world to compare with the vast solitudes of
this mountain wilderness. Listen to Wood:
Silence reigned around-silence so pro-
found that it oppressed the heart, and as l
contemplated the hoary SUBMITS of the
everlasting mountains, where human foot
had never trod, and where lay piled the
SHOWS of ages, my own dear country and all
the social blessings 1t contained passed
across my mind with a vividness of recollec-
tion that had never felt before. 1t is all
very well for men in crowded cities to be
disguised with the world and to talk of the
delights of solitude. Let them but pass one
"a hours on the banks of the Sir-i-kol and y
Will 90 more to make them contented with
their lot than thousand arguments.
One naturally asks what object Russia
has for placing troops or fortlfcations in
such country. That can be best answered
by tracing the country's history-meager as
1t is-in limited space. As long as the
time of Justinian, an embassy set out from
Byzantium, bound for China, but when it
reached the Collar mountains it became dis
couraged, turned back, and for eight CEN
turies longer the land of tea and silk re-
mained unvisited by Europeans. But, long
before that according to Ptolemy the geog-
rapher, the caravans of Seric used this val
lev as a route to China. AT that tim9 there
was somewhere in this region fort called
the Stone Tower, which, from its position,
controlled the entire passage of the mount
aims. Geographers disagree as to its exact
position, but it is supposed to have been in
the defle leading down from Pamir. Know
of this fact, the Russians are evidently de-
termined on taking advantage of it and will
securely close the country against visitors,
peaceful or warike, for reasons polite