The record-union., 1897-03-29
RACE OF DIV ARTS.
Strange Things Discovered by Two
Danish Officers.
Sturdy Race of Fire-Worshipers
Found in the Pamir Region
of Asia.

One of the most remarkable journeys
of our day was recently undertaken oy
two adventurous young Danes. Know
Ing that there was a good deal OF ull-
explored territory in the Pamlr region
in Central Asia they determined 10
Journey thther and make close STUDY
of this terra incognita and it's lnflabl-
tants NM. Olufsen and Phiippsen are
the names of these adventurous traV-
elers says the New York Herald
They have been for some years ofhcers
an the Danish army. and are widely
known as men of courage and dlscre-
Tion. Consequently when they started
on their expedition the general DeleI
was that if anything strange ana hlth-
erto unknown was to be found IN the
Parnir region they would surrey ma
it.
That this belief was we'll founded was
clearly seen upon the travellers return
from Central Asia, which took place
few days ago, after a sojourn II some
months in the Asiatic wilds.
The country toward which they had
set their faces is a vast tableland,
which has an average hight of l2OOV
feet 1t is 200 miles in length and from
120 to 100 miles in breadth. 1t is geo.
graphically known as the Pamir Plat
eau. but is better known under the po-
etic title of "RCof of the World, oelnS
formed by a conjunction of the lima
layas and the THAN Shan range II IS
fringed by a rough horseshoe OF mount
ain ranges and is intersected by many
snowy ridges and shallow trenches.
Very picturesque, though rather mo-
notonous is the landscape. Ii coIlslslS
of a series Of tent shaped, glacier coat
ed mountain nights, upon which marc
Nv any verdure grows, and from Whlch
the forests have been shorn by the plt-
tier frosts and winds. Between these
gaunt, bare ridges are many desolate
bituminous lakes, and as far as the
eye can see the icy grasp OF winter
seems to hold sway.
To this unpromising land went the
two Danish officers. They knew Well
that the task before hem was no
pleasant one but they faced it bravery.
They knew that other travellers before
them had suffered greatly in the Pamlr
region, but they knew, too, that from
the days of Marco Polo down to our
own time wonderful stories have been
told about the extreme fertility ana
beauty OF a small section of this region
and they may have been spurred on IN
the hope of finding a genuine FL Dorado
in the midst Of these inhospitable
WASTES.
They passed through much Of the Pa
mir region, and found it, as usual, un-
inhabited In a country where there IS
winter for rine months of the year and
cold weather for the remaining three
months it is not easy to sustain life,
ard even the most rugged human be-
ings prefer less rigorous quarters. Con-
sequentIy in this portion Of the ice
bound land only wild sheep are found
except in summer months when a no.
mad shepherd may be seen here and
there.
Beyond this unpleasant and unin-
habitable land. however the travellers
found a more desirable strip of coun-
try It apparently lies northeast Of
Kashgar and 1t is said to be remark
able for it's fertility, especially when
contrastad with the surrounding terri
tory.
We are told that it fattens many
fi0cks of Kirghaz sheep, COWS and
horses: that il contains many gardens
well stocked with apricots, peaches, and
apples; that it's fields are sown with
maize barley wheat, melons, and GU
cumbers: that its lakes and rivers are
stocked with water fowl, and that the
principal other birds are yultures, jack
DAVIS, ravens, magpies, and cucloos.
1t is presumably in this favored land
that NM, Olufsen and Philippsen saw
the remarkable sights of which they
have spoken since their return to st.
Petersburg We are distinctly told that
they MADE their principal discoveries
on the Pamir Plateau. and all attain
able evidence seems to show that they
could not have made any such discov-
cries except in the most favored sec
aion Of the Pamir region.
They certainly tell us of wonderful
sights. High up on this tableland they
found a unique race of men. Not only
are they fire worshipers, but they are
also much smaller than the average hu-
man being. OF civilization, as we un-
derstand the word, they have apparent
1y on conception, being in all respects
as primitive as the most savage tribe
AssuredIy peculiar race. and yet there
is a plausible explanation of their pc
culiarities.
Traces of fire worship may be OBJ
served throughout the entire orient ard
even in civilized Europe. BOnfires are
still lit on ST Johns eve, and this old
custom is said to be a relic of fire wOr-
ship Again, in an extremely cold coun-
try like the Pamir region one would
rather expect 10 find dwarfs than
giants. end in a country so far from
civilization one could hardly expect the
people to be civilized
But the Danish travellers tell us still
more curious things. 1t seems that in
this strange country the animals, as
we'll as the human beings, are ludic-
rously small. Thus, the donkeys. which
are used as beasts Of burden, are
scarcely larger than dogs, and the OK
en- are never larger than ordinary foals.