Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-20
THE HEART OF ASIA.
EXPLORED WITH MANY Diff
CULTIEs BY HEDIN, THE swEDE.
HARDSHIPS IN GREAT DESERTS,
Buried Cities Unearthed by the Scan
dinavian and Traces of Buddhist
Civilization Discovered Thirst,
Starvation, and Biting Cold.
(Corresponeence OF the pIanatch

III
STOCKHOLM, February advancing
civilization does not kill daring heroism.
1t never can die while men like DR.. Sven
Hedin, the Swedish explorer are born TO
make history Brief reports Of this in
trepid wanderers exploits have appeared,
but only now is 1t possible to present an
extended interview, together with an ex-
cellent portrait and a map showing the
course followed by DR.. Hedn in his ira
vels. which, after the most awful suffer-
ings, have enriched science with many
important discoveries.
In simple, earnest manner that was
far more eloquent than flights Of rheto-
ric, he told the story that follows while
seated in his study on the third floor Of
house in the Nora Observation-Disclosures
He is 30 years Of age. yet he has maze
three journeys OF exploration in Asia.
I'm the summer of 1885," began DR..
Hedin, in response to a suggestion that
he tell the story of his recent journey
from the beginning, II started for Asia
first to study the glaciers in the noun
tains on the earnest side of the Pamirs;
second, to search for the old Lop-Nor
Lake, and thus TO settle the controversy
between Prshewalsky and Richthofen;
third, to explore the Thibetan plateaux
from the point of view Of physical geo.
graphy; fourth, TO cross Asia from west
TO east. The fund for the expedition was
subscribed by the King and Emanuel No
bel, Of st. Petersburg, and some other
Swedes, and amounted to $1,000 Swedish
crowns.
STARTED OVER FOUR YEARS AGO.
II started on my journey on october 16,
1893, and proceeded via ST. Petersburg
and Moscow to Orenburg. where l bought
tarantass and hired five horses, and
with this equipage ] crossed the I<irghiz
Steppes TO Tashkent, changing horses at
each Of the ninety-four stations, and
covering the 1000 kilometres in nineteen
days. 1 reached Margelan, the capital Of
Ferghana, in February, and on the 22o
of that month started out for Kashgar.
II was the worst season of the year for
crossing the Pamirs, for the snowfall on
those mountains is heaviest in February
and March and the danger TO caravans
is very great.
1T took me five days 10 cross the Alai
range, proceeding south over Tengis-Bai
Pass, the height OF which is 1850 metres
In six days we reached the Kizil-Art
Pass, in the Trans-Alai range, and
crossed IL safely. 1t is H620 feet |
high. From Kizil-Art / travelled TO
the great salt lake OF Karakul. l |
wanted to measure its depth, which |
nobody has yet done. / believed IL TO be |
,ery deep. L was very successful, tor the
axe was frozen over, and we were able |
o move over the surface, so that i could |
elect places for my sounding expert
nents. The deepest place 1 found was 30
eet GEO IL metres). Then on to MurgaD,
where / spent twenty days With the Rus
ian garrison; then 10 Lake RanSkul,
which also sounded. Crossing the Djuga-
al Pass. in the Sarik-Kol range, enter
d Chinese territory. The Chinese COM
handler at Bulun-kul was very unpleasant.
lie gave orders that no one was 10 trade
yfth me, or give me fodder for my horses.
L last, however. persuaded him to give
ne permission TO proceed south TO Mus
ag-ata mountain. l wanted TO climb IL
I is Is 900 feet high. During that year 1
lade three different attempts to get 10
ne top but the highest point l reached
las 20 900 feet. On each occasion the snow
rove us back.
STUDYING THE GLACIERS.
June L lcluAhSa W -iAA2 Ne'b -eNNe~f |
nd spent the whole summer In camp
here studying the glaciers. j made topo-
raphical maps OF fourteen glaciers. Then
prepared for the journey through the
eSert.
II started from Kashgar on February
, 1885, with four Turk servants ana
ght fine camels. wanted to cross from
ne CyeIkand-Darya river to the Khotan-
arsa river over the Takla-Makan desert.
wished to explore this desert, which no.
ody had ever done. There were many
aends anent It amongst the inhabitants
! its coDfnes-stories of ancient towns
lried in the sand-and wanted to learn
there was any foundation for these
orics. entered the desert on April l0tn.
70 rad water for twenty-five days with
!. and carried II In iron tanks on the
,cks OF the camels. IL was all
md moving dunes OF sand. The
AVS were very hot, the nights bitterly
I'D. The air was full or dust ,
Re crossed the nrst half OF the desert In
llrteen days and came 10 region where
,ere were some hills and small fresh
ater lakes. Here I made my men MI
,e clsterns with fresh water for ten days. ,
"a then proceeded. all going well. On
10 second day after We had lett the