The herald., 1897-11-03

entrenched themselves a regular fusil'
lade was opened on the caravan. which
was at the time making its way out o.
the village. Several animals were shol
dead, and NJ. Dutriel de Rhins fell NOR
tally wounded. At the same time Thi'
betans from the neighboring villages
we'll protected behind natural walls and
barricades. kept up a hot fire on the
travellers. The made a desperate stand
so long as their ammunition lasted. but
when their rifles became silent the Thi-
hetans rushed out Of their entrench-
ments and, armed with spears and
swords, made short work Of the explor-
ers. The few men of their escort who
had not been killed ran for their lives.
leaving the Europeans alone. NJ Du-
triel de Rhins was left unconscious on
the ground. being afterwards thrown by
the natives into the river, while M. Gre
nard. his companion, was made pris-
oner. The latter was subsequently ex-
PEELED from the district in penniless
condition, without provisions, baggage
or other clothing apart from what he ac-
tually wore.
A TERRIBLE JOURNEY
The famous American traveller, w. w.
Rockill, was less fortunate. Starting
from Pellin, he Travelled through Mon
golia, and entered Thibet. passing south
of the Koko-nor lake. His animals of
transport We're a great anxiety to him,
and all his horses, mules and donkeyS
Succumbed to cold and starvation.
mot one," he says, reached the jour-
ney's end. Not tree, not a shrub any,
where. Here and there black tent and
little flock of sheep. huddling together
to escape the fierce, incessant west
wind" His description of crossing the
pass leading to the basin of Tsahan-
ossn is worthy of note. 1T took two
days." he recounts. Ito cross the pass.
snow hiding the jagged rocks over which
The snow was deep on either side to
some 5000 feet below the summit, soft
snow hiding the jagged rocks over which
we stumbled; horses and men often dis
appearing between them"
At Shang, Rockhill met with much cp-
position. From that point his troubles
began. His horse was drowned in cross
ing the Yokure river, he himself nearly
sharing the same fate, while his two
Chinese servants, disgusted at the tel
rible hardships they had gone through,
decided to abandon him, at the same
time spreading ill-natured reports re-
garding the foreigner among the ma
tives. The Thibetans accused him of
being capable of producing out of his
little instantaneous camera a whole
army of soldiers while his prismatic
compass. they contended, enabled the
American explorer to detect hidden
treasures in the earth.
From Barong the caravan had to pass |
a horrible morass, in which they
waded knee deep for a whole fortnight |
through mud and water Sometimes |
they met with dangerous drifting sands. |
was slow and rough, the pro-
visions giving out across the deserted |
parts of the country, and when the
party reached the Damro-T Tso lake inter-
ference again began on the part of the
Thibetans. Soldiers by the hundred, |
armed to the teeth, barred the way of |
the travellers, and their chief would lis
ten to no reason or argument.
FORCED TO RETREAT
You must go back whence you came"
said they, "the laws of Lhassa cannot be |
disobeyed. Mr.. Rockhill's Mongol and |
Chinese servants and followers became
at the sight of this
martial display of long matchlocks big
swords, and bows and arrows, and re-
FUSED to escort their master any furth-
sr. Nothing. accordingly, was left for
Mr. Rockill but to yield and, breaking
up his camp in the Namru valley, he
began his long march eastwards, leav-
ng unrealized the dream of entering
he sacred city of the Lamas Travers-
ing the Chamdo territory and the Cham
lun, or Draya, his expedition at last
reached Batang, in Chinese territory,
On September Is, from where it contin
ued in comparative ease towards the
coast.
For two months" Mr.. Rockill re-
lated to the Royal Geographical society, |
I'VE had lived soaked by the rains and !
blinded by the snow and hail, with lit
tie or nothing to eat. and tea as our only |
beverage
Yet another well-known and able
traveller has been at the head of two !
well organized expeditions into Thihet.
This was Mr.. Littledaie, who was ac- |
companied by his courageous wife in his
perils and discomforts. Their caravan |
of 250 animals. carrying pro-
Visions OF all sorts, and the expedition |
was moreover well provided with mon |
ey, very important factor in Thibetan
travelling, as among the holy Lama |
bribery seems to go a long way The |
party encountered very much the same
difficulties as previous travellers in |
Thibet, and crossing over high passes
invariably led to the loss of donkeys and |
horses.
AS the Europeans advanced farther
opposition was met with, and unluckily. |
In going over the Goring-La pass, the |
donkeys carrying the provisions re-
mained so far behind that the difficulty |
Of proceeding among the dangerous
crevasses of the glacier were increased
to such an extent that all idea of rush
to Lhassa had to be abandoned when the |
explorers had reached within two days
forced marches of the place. Over 1000
men were camped around them, and all
the bridges had been destroyed to pre-
vent their progress. Moreover, Mrs.
Littledale, who had so pluckily with
stood all the privations and sufferings
of the expedition, became so alarming
ly ill as to arouse grave doubts as to
her recovery
A JOURNEY OF 1900 MILES
The Lamas remained firm in the de-
Of Back you go the way
you came,' and nothing would make
them change their minds. On August |
70 the caravan started on it's way back