The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-31
GALITZIN'S LONG RIDE
Twelve Thousand Miles on Horse
back Under Trying Conditions.
AToilsOme Journey ThroughWild, Desc
late Wastes Where Peril and Pri-
walton We're the Rule.
San Francisco Chronicle.


Galitzin, once came near placing himself
on the Russian throne, arrived here yester-
day.
Though frail in appearance. MANNED. and
forty-six years DID, he has just accom-
plished g feat calculated to make any one
think he has the blood of kings and con-
qHerors in his veins He has just COM
pleted a horseback journey OF 1900 miles
through the wild regions Of Russia,
Turkestan, Cashmere, northern Thibet and
other transcaucasus countries, some of
which no one has ever traversed before.
The Prince is naturalist OF consider
able note He also takes great interest in
explorations, and has been on several long
trips in different parts of Asia before, but
none OF them were anything Ike dam
gerous this. Before ne finished his trip
at Vladivostock he also visited south
Siberia
On his long travels, which have lasted
since May 2, $780, when he set out from st.
Petersburg. he has collected many speci-
mems Of minerals and plants, taken baro-
metric and other observations. and made
notes destined to be very useful from a
scientific point of view. His trip was for
two purposes, scientific and diplomatic, and
for these he was specially commissioned by
the Russian Gar. Much of the country
which the bold explorer desired TO see was,
as before stated, unknown. Other parts,
though known were so isolated from
Russia that the inhabitants knew little of
Russia and Russia little of them.
The Car thought it a good idea that
friendly relations should be fostered, and
also that much should be added to scien-
among them. 1t was for this reason that
Prince Galitzin was fitted out. Armed with
letters from the Gar, he called on many
petty as well as powerful kings and princes.
He also met the Viceroy of India, the Gov
ernor of Madras and many other poten-
5a d ot Much OF this PORTION ms trip ne
necessary, there being railways, and on
these he travelled great distances besides
the twelve thousand miles alluded to.
A brief dispatch from Vancouver, a few
days ago. told of the arrival there of Prince
Galitzin on the Empress Of China He had
gone down from Vladivostock, in the prov
ince of Amoor, to Japan, and there caught
the steamer.
When we arrived yesterday he said that
his strange and rough journey. He said,
also, that he would await the arrival here
of Archduke Franz Ferdinand d'Estes, now
in Chicago, who is destined one day TO
wear the crown of Austria Hungary. The
Archduke and the Prince are old and firm
friends. When they meet they will visit the
Yosemite and Yellowstone parks together,
and go on hunting trip in the North.
-GThe Prince is certainly a. fragile-looking
however he stood it well and had remark
ably good health the entire time. He has
dark eyes, a high, intellectual forehead,
with rather long black hair and a dark and
his travels. 1t was interesting one, and
part of it was exceedingly thrilling.
tersburg on horseback" he said .and at
first / had but a dozen horses and men
enough to take care of them, with what
provisions and camp equipage were neces-
sary. / proceeded to the Ural mountains,
and thence down by the Caspian sea- Thence
I proceeded through Turkestan, over the
,xa1< 20 a1x.Nv-1
e THREATENING EXPERIENCES.
II neglected to add that when 1 set out
1 took twenty-five live sheep as part of
'fiyn supply from Russia to India Some of
my horses died and others gave out as l
proceeded. At length L got equipped again
/ had got through Turkestan and was try
ing to make my way through Thibet to
southern Siberia To do this had to cross
several frightful mountain chains, including
the main range of the Himalayas. / got
along fairly well. though 1 experienced
many dangers from deep SHOWS and gla-
ciers. as well as shortness Of provisions on
81 had five Russians, two Turkestans and
enough more people of different nations to
make up a total of twenty -fotf. / also had
able cavalcade. finally reached a plateau
twelve thousand feet high. 1t was in the
middle of extensive ranges of mountains
ON my way to Karakorum pass. Here i
began to have some experience that seemed
to threaten destruction.
1.-The grass was growing everywhere. It
was grass over two feet high, with q
rather broad blade, and it appeared to be
the very best kind of food for my horses
| accordingly made camp and. after re-
past, went to bed. i tired and slept
soundly. The next morning when l woke
UP l was surprised to find twelve of my
horses dead and many others sick. 1t APP
peared for time that l would lose all of
them. Luckily, my black Turkestan pony.
which L rode, in all before L completed my
fr~rN frrvn hole
the grass. He unusually sagacious,
it was.
1T turned out that it was the same grass.
known among naturaliSts as daturi stren-
oneun or poison grass. Ii had been planted
by the natives as a preventive of travel by
crossed that way, and they did not want
anybody to. do So Besides it had been
were passes on each SIDE at long distances,
and they had planted the poison grass as
military subterfuge.
Il had great difficulty In curing my horses
and moving on, but L succeeded. The pass
was frightful. There was absolutely no
trail. and We had to founder and wander
on through the canons and along precipces
as best we could. In doing this we lost sew
eral animals.
of Lindzitang, in Thibet. This is 1900 feet
high, and here had some experiences that
made it appear for a time that we would
a duplicate OF previous experiences we had
undergone, but much more serious in con-
sequence. The altitude was great that
we had great difficulty in breathing. We
had felt this more and more as we had pro-
ceeded to this plateau of $4,000. At times we
| could scarcely breathe.
81 soon found out that IL was highly DAN
gerous to sleep on the ground. not because
Of the likelihood of taking cold, but be-
cause of the possibility of the heart ceasing
| to beat. Though one might not notice il
| at first his lungs soon grew too cramped
| to afford free breating, and the sleeper
would grow black in the face, while his
heart would fiutter like a wounded bird.
ITO obviate the great danger of dying
| while trying to gain little rest we were
forced to sleep in sitting posture. 1t was
the only way we found that we dare sleep
| at all. Several of my men came near losing
their lives. Man after man grew black in
| the face and sick from carelessly falling
over.
.It grew worse we proceeded. but We
| had 900 feet to go, or a total height
| Of 10000 feet, before We reached the summit
| OF the Chang Lang 10 pass, in the Hima,
layaS. This was a pass Wnlcn no one n2u
| ever travelled over. There was a tradition
| among the Thibetians that two caravans
had over century ago attempted It. but
failed, and that all had persisted. AS time
| had passed the natives had grown super
stitious saving the gods visited their wrath
| on all who attempted IL, and that they
| would surely die.
] EFFECTS OF THIN AIR.
"But the fact that the mountains had
| never been crossed by this route afforded
me the reason why they should be, for my
| object was largely exploration. i therefore
| pushed on, and after many weeks succeed
| ed in gaining the crest i found before 1