The morning call., 1892-10-09
ACROSS THIBET.
The Latest Expedition Into tho Land of
the Lamas.

New York sun.
CAPTAIN Bower of the Seventeenth Bengal
Cavalry and DR.. Thorold reached Shanghai
nm April l. having journeyed from CASH
more through Thibet to the Chinese prov
irca of Szechuen. an exploit without par
oiIol Inv Europeans. The greater part of
the ionrnev was made at an elevation of
II 600 feet above the level OF the sea, and
for fortnight the road was 1900 feet
ohnve the level. The party, which consisted
of Captain Bower, DR.. Thorold and nine
East Indians, spent just year
on the Journey, eight months Of
which were passed in the elevated
copntry that is seldom visited by
Furoneans. A part of their route was
trayersed by the American explorer Rock
well and by Prince Henri OF Orleans and
NJ Bonyalot; but no previous explorers
had the same opportunities 10r observation
or penetrated so far among Tue nigh pla-
teaus that are exceeded In elevation only by
the Pamirs, so aptly called the roof OF the
world.
The party started from the northwest
corner of Cashmere in April, 1891. They
were well supplied with horses and luggage.
They made diagonal course straight
across Thibet and entered China near 1u-
chion-tu, in the southwest extremity OF the
consumed in this journey, which was made
in the face of many hardshlps and c0nSid-
cradle danger.
The cold was intense on the high platears
10. 900 feet above the sea level, over which
they Travelled for five months. Much suffer-
ing from cold was experienced at the outset,
because. to avoid the guards placed by the
Dalai Lama on the frontier of Tibet, they
were forced 10 90 far 10 the north and cross
the nninhabited table lands. For days and
weeks they travelled over these elevated
plains which are absolutely without human
life. The Ouly traces OF any previous traY-
elers were an occasional pile of three
stones. placed like an equlatOral triangle,
which marked the camping-ground of a
party of nomads. The only vegetation was
a low-lying heather. There was nothing to
make a fire of except the dung Of wild
horses. The plains were alive with game,
however-wild horses, antelope. gazelle and
yaks-and the leaders Of the party had good
sport The cold told severely upon the In
diqns and the horses the party losing about
thirty of the latter.
In the middle of these great plains they
had 4 narrow escape from party of no.
MAIDS, who threatened to put them out of
the country. The fellows were not strong
enough TO make an attack. but they limited
at re-enforcements near By, so Captain
Bower sadiled up at dead OF night and soon
put a good distance between himself and
the blackmailing bandits.
Near the sacred city OF Shassa they were
stopped by a large party of Thibetans, who
apparently thought they had some intention
of detiling the sanctuary Of the great Lama.
They explained that they had no designs
on Shassa and asked TO be allowed to pro-
ceed, but they were kept waiting while a
party went TO tue capital, eight days jour
ney and return, and secured the necessary
permission.
The caDtain and his eomnanion bava
brought back 200 specimens of butterflies
and flowers gathered on the elevated plains,
and many specimens OF animal life. When
the story OF their expedition is written it
Will add materially 10 the worlds kn0wl-
edge of the interior OF Thibet.