The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-12

81 Central Asia TIE facts which pF.
Hedin brings back TO as are SO marvellous
as 20 more than astonish, and they utter
" upset cherished theories II many sa-
vgEts.
The explorer found buried cities Of
which ,he world has never heard. lie
learned 0f the existence 81 great bodies
81 wager Of which even the most learned
in the science OF geography never
dreamed. He found great hefds Of Mild
animals. Re saw thousands and thousands
o. camelS without owners. he assembled
10 heights hitherto considered beyond ,he
re1ch Of man, and he encountered caf7-
logue of dangers which make one shudder
II hear of.
Or Hedin headed an expedition. 81
which he was the only European. which
vas backed by King Oscar Of Sweden
and a number OF other wealthy persons
Interested in explorations He was alb
sent tribe less than four years. and
though ! suppose the outside world has
not learned Of II 10 any extent, he was
accorded almost as royal q reception IN
Sweden as was DIR. hansen himself.
The information here given has been
rather guarded from the public fer the
reason that Or. Hedin proposes "a leave
q literary monument 10 his efforts. Sixty
two times. he told me. he he'd 10 defend
his life against inhabitants OF that section
not only sought 10 XIII him 10 ohtaip pos
session Of what tie had. bat because they
objected 10 outsiders learning the nature
or the country.
The inhabitants no found were fierce
and warllke and protesting allegiance 10
none beside their chiefs. The majority -
them claimed 10 be utterly ignorant Of
the great nations Of the world and 'e-
ciared that no force could he brought
against them so strong they could not
conquer e. They spoke a language some
thing like a combination of Russian and
Chinese. though nowhere did Or. Hedin
find traces OF a mixture OF blood. In ap-
pearauce these people were distinctly
TaHaric. and the explorer believes they
are descended from the same families
that bred the present Inhabitants of the
Russian steppes.
ore thing the doctor noticed. and that
was that the women Of all the tribes were
xteptionaily beautiful and were treated
b. the men with exceeding respect. This
is all the more interesting from the fact
that IL is almost the first Instance in
which any explorer ever discovered that
among persons apparently ignorant Of
civilization and IFS ways. woman held
place 50 near akin 10 that she maintains
IN the eisilized world.
Or Hcdn left ste ,kholm in October.
1853. Though the kirgis steppe he went
TO Tashkent, and during February, March
ard April 1894. he marched over the Pa
Mrs. whose northern plateaus during this
season are buried In snow. lie had just
begun 10 study the glaciers of the gig M
tic mountains 81 Mus-fag-ata when he
vas Obliged by an attack or iritis 20 40 TO
Kashgar In June-October. lS9i we ind
him again on the Pamirs, and this time
he completed his Investigations Of the
glaciers. Four times he attempted 10 as
~ ma 4s4sfn s.ft 4tfa-
alta. but only reached 20 nO0 feet Af'ar
going west to Lake Ishik-kul. he passed
the winter at Kashar arranging his geo
logical collections, maps and annota-
TORS.
In 1895 Dr. Hedln investigated the coun-
try between the Kashgar and Tashkent
rivers and on April 10 he ieft Mefket 10
cross the dreadful desert Of Takla-Makan
ia the Khotan river n task which nobody
had attempted before. The caravan con-
sisted Of four men and eight camels. Tn
tn April p they could get water BY dig
ging but eastward nothing hat SAND
dunes were TO be seen and DR.. Hedin CT
dercd his men 20 take water supplies
FOR ten days The natives however took
only four days SUPPLY. II was thirteen
days before water was found, and almost
all the caravan saccumhed. Only DR..
Hedn. two men and one camel reached
the Khotan river. and most Of the bag
gage was lost
Or HELM was obliged to return %
KaShgar and send 20 Europe for new in
ffruments. By October be had crossed
and mapped on five different routes the
high and difficult mountain ranges limit
ing the pamirs 20 the east. ON December
II. 1895 he ieff Kashgar for the last time
went TO Tashkent and Khot8n. descended
the Khotan river three DAYS. continued
through tho desert eastwards and follow
81 tho Keria river % its terminus IN TIE
sands. whence the desert Was crossed 20
Shah-yar on the Tariur-
In these regions very important ais-
eoveries were made especially two cii
towns. NV buried IN the moving sands,
with many paintings and sculptures.
proving she existence OF high culture IN
arclent times. Wild Camels were found
In great numbers. only two days were
passed without water Then the doctor
continued down the TaTlm, the complt-
Gated river system Of which was mapped.
ard theace 10 Karasha Koria and LAKE
Ie0h-uor the position 81 which IL Thus
finally sHcerfalned.
Prom T.ob-unr Dr Hedin returned 20
Khoian AZ the end 81 May. Is.5. Here
he rested for month ard then went 20
TlFat crossing the Kweuiun mountain
range by new path south % the koEra
gold fields with hffy cafnels. horses AID
assess. ton men three dogs ard twelve
sheen he crossed the northern highest
plateau II Tibet in two months Not ?
single human being was Heen. bat every
day oar traveller found great herds -
Wild horses and vaks.
All this unknown region was scieniif-
rafTv investigated. -Four large and nine-
teen small aait lakes were discovered.
the largest one 30 considers Die IN sEtsnt
that the caravan went four DAYS aioag
Sta shores a. most % the animals Hu~-
cyr1bea little By little. Tire caravan rnasi@
Tor Taonangol fTokhaj and found fhe
erzt NonRols Or He8in then went
through al TsaiSam and north ~ kok7-
nor 20 SfnirR where he was Hospitality
received by TIRE English missionary ar
Ridley In Tssidam the caravan was
threatened ~ attacks % TanEuf ro'f~
hers hus aIl vent sell and ie SlulnE Ehs
Mshornrusdau eebeilj21 vas just naishef.
From IAangchoo Dr. Hedin crossed ne
Ala-ghaa desert ogl res route. making
q curve STA fsu-ma-fu ard down 70 @inE-
shs. where ne Fnet with swedish mission
aries Through CraoE hs sent quickly
70 Pao-fs (BsutG) ard thence via hwei-
hssa-chung 20 PekiHg. witch ~ -eaes~f
March 2 1ssT after a very hard winter
tossrnav He rested only twelve days n
/ TaEfrr then returned through Mongolia
/ sfa Tsre4 20 Efsenta ard further 70 THE
Ssfsrszu rafrnad which he fpEne 20
rsfuenE z village ~ the east 81 kanak.
ar Ma ~ ~ reached his native toso.
s,saezfs5fr7 where he wzs received in .
! very GAsterang manner ~ the king.