The San Francisco call., 1897-11-05
DISCOVERS NEW
WONDERS IN THE
WlLDS OF ASIA
Returning From Explorations Dr.. Sven Hedin
Brings Stories Of Buried Cities, Great
Bodies of Water and Other
Marvellous Finds.

BOSTON, Nov. A Stockholm special
says: The most astonishing contribution
to science in many long year was con-
tributed by Dr.. Sven Hedin, young
Swedish savant, who has just returned to
Stock holm after four years sojourn in
what have hitherto been considered mac
cessibIe portions of Central Asia. The
facts which DR.. Hedin brings back are
so marvellous as 10 more than astonish all,
and utterly upset cherished theories of
many savants.
The explorer found buried cities OF
which the world had never heard. He
learned of the existence OF great bodies of
water OF which even the most learned in
the science of geography never dreamed.
He found great herds OF wild animals, he
saw thousands and thousands OF camels
without owners. he ascended to heights
hi herto considered beyond the reach of
man, and he en- countered q catalogue of
dangers which make one shudder to
near os.
: DR.. Hedin headed an exped ition OF which
Ie.was the only European. He was backed
b, King Oscar of Sweden and a number
OF Nher wealthy persons interested in ex-
| ploNtions. He was absent a trihe less
thantour years, and though the outside
world9as not learned OF it to any extent,
he was stccorded almost as royal a recep-
tio2 in Sweden as was DR.. Nansen. 1t is
| possible t,r many Europeans to now pene-
trate the district through which Hedin
travelled, ami it will likely in time prove a
find of trsm,ndous importance to COM
merce- Sixty'wo times be had to defend
his fe against Inhabitants of that section
of Asia through VIII ch he travelled, who
not only sought TO kill him to obtain pos
session OF what he had. but because they
objected 20 outsider learning the nature
of the country.
The inhabitents he found were fierce
and warlike. The majority of them
claimed to be utterly ignorant of the
great nations Of the worlS, and declared
that no force could be brought against
them so strong they could no, conquer it.
They spoke a language SQUIRTING like
com bination of Russian and Chinese,
though nowhere did DR.. Hedin fad mix
ture of blood. Iu appearance thi, people
showed traces of Tartar origin, and
the explorer believes they are descended
from the same families that bred the
present in a bitants of the Russian stepIes
One thing the doctor noticed, and that
was that the women of all the tribes were
exceptionally beautiful and were treated
by the men with exceeding respect. DR..
Hedin left Stockholm in October 1898.
Through the Kirgis steppe he went to
Tashkend, and during February. March
and April, 1894, he marched over the
Pamirs, whose northern plateaus durin e
this season are buried In snow.
In 1895 DR.. Hedin investigated the
country between Kashgar and Tashk end
rivers and on April 10 he left Merket to
cross the dreadful desert OF Takla Makan
to the KhoIan River, a task which no.
body had attempted before. The caravan
consisted of four men and eight camels.
1t was thirteen days before water was
found, and almost all the caravan sue
cum bed. Only DR.. Hedin, two men and
one camel reached the Khotan River, and
most OF the baggage was lost.
Dr. Hedln was obliged to return to Kash-
gar and sent to Europe for new ms ru-
ments. BY October he had crossed and
mapped out five different routes through
the nigh and difficult mountain ranges lini-
ltlng the Pamirs to the east In these re-
glons very Important discoveries were
made, especially two old towns, now
buried IN lne moving sands, with many
paintings and sculptures, proving the ex-
istence OF high culture in ancient times.
Wild camels were found in great num-
bers. Ony two days were passed without
water. Then the doctor continued down
the 1arlm, the com plicated river system
OF which was mapped and thence to Kar-
asian, horia and Lake Lobnor, the posi-
tlon OF which was finally determined.
With fifty cameis, horses and asses, ten
men, three dos and twelve sheep. he
crossed the northern highest p.ateau OF
Tibet in two months. Not a single human
being was seen. put every day out the