The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-21
MORE MYSTERIES OF ASIA.
SWEDISH EXPLORER. SVEN HEDIy.
TELLS STRANGE STORIES.
4 Tribe Whose Women Are All RE-
markedly Beautifully nearthtng
of Buried Towns-Eviaence OF
an Unknown Race OF People.

TIE most astonishing contributions 20
science II many a long year are eaatFlo-
uted by DR.. Sven Hediu. young Swee-
Ish sayaag. who has Just returned 10
stockholm after a four years so5ourn II
what have hitherto been considered in
accessible portio2s 81 Central Asia. The
facts which Or. Hsdin brings hack 10 Us
are 50 marvellous as TO more than astonlsh
and they 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 waIar
Of which even the most learned in the
science or geography never dreamed lie
found great herds Of wild animals. he saw
thousands and thousands OF ea.neis with
out owners, he assembled 70 heights hith-
eric considered heyenG the reach Of man,
and ne encountered "A catalogue Of dam
gers which make one snudGeF 10 hear OF.
DIR. Hedin headed an expedition OF which
he was the only European. which was
backed by King Oscar OF Sweden and a
number OF ether wealthy persons inter-
ssted IN explorations. He was absent 4
tribe less than four years and though I
suppose the outside world has not learned
OF 1t 70 any extent. he was accorded al
most as royal a welcome in Sweden as was
DR., Nansen himself. Indeed, Ii is a ques-
ton II the facts which hs reveals 10 The
world are OF not vastly greater import
ance than those told US by NanseT 1t IL
possible for many Europeans IL now pene-
tr4te the district through which Hedin
Travelled, and IL is likely in time 10 prove
fiad OF tremendous Importance 10 COM
merce.
The information here given has been
rather guarded from the public for the
reason that Or. Hedin proposes TO leave
4 er4.s ne b - ~
TWO times. he told me- he had To defend
ms life against the inhabitants Of that
section OF Asia through which he tTav-
eled. who MOI only sought to kill him to
OBTAIN possession OF what he had but be-
cause they objected to outsiders learning
the nature OF the country.
The inhabitants. he found. were fierce
ana warllke, and processing allegiance 10
none beside their chiefs. The majority Of
them claimed 10 ne utterly ignorant OF
the great nations 81 the world. and de-
clared that no force could Ire brought
against them so strong they could not
conquer IL. They spoke a language aerte-
thing ike combination of Russian aud
chinese, though nowhere did Dr. Hedin
Ind traces of a mixture OF blood In ap-
pearanee these people were distinctly Tar
tarie, and the explorer believes They ara
descended from the same families that
bred the present inhabitants of the HQs-
sian steppes
One thing the doctor noticed. and that
WAS that the women Of all the tribes Were
exceptionally beautiful. and were treated
oy me 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 civ
fiization and lis ways. women held place
so near akin 20 that she maintains In the
civilized word
DIR. Hedin left Stockholm in October.
l&9. Through the kirgis steppe he went
20 IdshSent. and during February March
ana April. 1894. he marched over The Pa
Mrs, whose northern p,ateaus during this
season are buried in snow He had JUST
begun 10 study the glaciers OF the xigan-
tic mountains of Mus-tag-ata when he
was obliged by an attack OF iritis 10 co
TO hashsar. In June. October, 1894 we find
him again on the Panirs. and this tiue
ne completed his Investigations of the gta-
ciefs. -Four times he attempted 10 ascend
the 2o.@s-fooi mountain Of the Mus-tag-
alta, but only reached s0lsae feet. After CO.
Ing west 10 Lake fshik-kui he passed the
winter at kastear, arranging hts geolog-
teal collections. maps and annotaions
In ls'5 DR.. Hedtn investigated the coun-
try between the K8shga- and Tashken,
rivers, and on April 10 he left Merket IN
cross the dreadful desert OF Takla- Aiakan
10 the khotan river. task which nobody
had attempted before. The caravan con-
sisted OF four men and eight camels. Tn
III April p they could get water by dig
gsng, but eastward nothing but sand dunes
were 10 be seen. ana Or. Hedln ordered
his men 10 take water supplies for ten
days. The natives. however took only
four days supply. IL was thirteen DAYS
before water was found. and almost ali
the caravan seceumbed. Only Or. Hedir.
two men and one camel reached the Kho-
tan river, and most of the baggage was
lost.
DR.. Hedin was obliged to return %
hashgar and send 10 Europe for new in
siruments- BY October he had crossed
and mapped on Ave different routes tho
high and difficult mountain ranges limit
ing the Parnirs 10 the east. ON December
u, 1895. he left kashgar for the last time
went 20 Tashkent ard Khotan descend
ed the khotan river three DAYS continued
through the desert eastwards and fol-
lowed the keFia river 10 its terminus in
the sands. whence The desert was crossed
10 Shah-yar on the Tarim
In these regions very iraperfan. dtzeov
cries Were made. especially two old towns
now buried In fhs moving sands with
many paintings and sculptures nroyiny
the existence of high cIiltura in ancient
times. Wild eamels were found IN great
numbers. Only two days were naSxet
AFst0F
tied down to Tartm, the complicated river
system az which was ma ppef, and thence
to ksrashaH. koria and Lake Lob-nor. the
position of which is finally thus ascer
tanned
From Lob-nor Or. Hedtn returned %
khotau at the end Of May fsea Here he
rested for a month and then went %
Tibet. crossing the EwTni41n mountain
range by a new path south OF the kogra
gold fields. With fifty canels. horses ard
asses. ten men. three 6oRs and twelve
sheep ne crossed the Northern highest
plateau OF Thihet Ia two months. Not a
single human fse5ng Was seen but every
day our Traveller found great herds %
Wild horses and yaks.
All this unknown region was scientific
ally investigated. -Four large and nineteen
small salt lakes were discovered. th.. la~r-
est ore So considerable In extent fha: tfa
caravan want four DAYS along its shores
As mos. OF the animals suecumbed n;tss
Dy little. tie caravan made for T~ohaH-
col C'T0khai. and found the first Mongois
Or. Hedin then went through al Tsaidarn
ard north Of hokonor 70 Shining. whare
he VAS Hospitality received By the Eng
hsh missionary. Mr.. Ridley. In Tsaidara
the caravan was threatened by attacks 81
Tang1E; robbers bur all vert we'll ard In
Shining the Moaammedan rebellion was
Just finished.
From Ltaugchoo DR. Hedln crossed the
ALASKAN desert on "A new route making
a curve via Fu-na-fu and down 20 Ming
sha. where be- met with Swedish n1le-
ssonaries- Through Ordoa Ne went auick-
Is TO Pad-tu tBsuful and thence via
kwei-hws-chuuE 20 PAking which -
reached on March !. 1897. af5sr very
hard winter journey. He rested only
twelve days I'm Peking shen nr returned
;hroagh Mongofta via J-rEz 20 KGsshta art
Esa~ -