The times., 1898-12-11
Asfn.

In two bulky volumes and lIuSiratea iEoli
photographs and sketches made by the
author 1t will almost Inevitably be COM
pared with Henry Savage Landor's I'm
the Forbidden Land" Both books deal
with region nearly unknown, and are
monuments to the intrepidity and deter
mination of their authors; but there the
resemblance ends Mr. Landor is the typi-
cal Englishman; daring, resourceful, rest
less, contemptuous of the native races
among whom ne travels, brave to
the point of foolhardiness, and sound
ing the personal note almost incessantly
in his story. Dr. Hedin is as truly the
typical Scandinavian; cautious. accurate,
patient, far-sighted, full of dogged de-
termination. and exhibiting on occasion
courage s great as that a Landlr. Tn re
is very little of Hedin's personality in this
book He tells of his route his servants,
his discoveries-mainly his discoveries
and his adventures, but very little OF
himself One must read between the lines
to find out what the explorer is like; he Is
only intent on telling us what Central
Asia Is like.
An interesting fact in connection with
the Swedish explorers journey is that
he originally planned to go to Southwest
ern Tibet, the very region where Mr.
Landor met with his melancholy advent
ures Then he heard that Dutreuil de
Rhins and Littledale had gone to very
much the same places which he intended
to visit. and had failed to reach Lhassa.
Thereupon he decided 10 shift his ground
to those parts of Northern Tibet which
were still an unknown land His idea
seems to have been not so much to go
where no white man had been before him
as TO add as much as possible to the lore
r-..sa1aa md ma
as possible that he would live to publish
the result of his observations. 1t might
be said that Landors explorations are of
the more Importance from a political
point of view. while those of Hedin will
be of greater value to the scientific world.
Dr. Hedin sums up the scientific work
which he determined to do under the fol-
lowing heads:
The construction Of a typographical map of the
entire route trayersed. The determination OF
geographical ATTITUDES and longitude wherever
possible The determination of fixed attitudes with
the hyPsometer. Or boiling point thermometer and
three aneroids. and the indication of them on
the map.
Geological Investigations the sketchins of pro-
files and contours, and the collection of petro-
logical specimens
Archaeological researches and measurements of
the peoples come in contact with The pho
tographng Of various racial types. Study Of the
religious beliefs Of the semi-savage tribes and
their mode of living. etc. Linguistic studies
Archaeological researches The description
measurement. and sketching Of the ruins of note
worthy towns, burial places, etc
THE photographing OF towns, places of geo
logical interest, etc
Meteorological observations. Periodical deter
limitations of the temperature OF the atmosphere
of the earth. and OF river and lake water; asceE-
tanning the amount of moisture in the atmos-
phere. the direction OF the winds, etc
Hydrographical Investigations. The depth of
lakes the volume of water in the rivers together
Nil AZ different
the year, the velocity of currents, their direc-
ton, etc.
The collection of plants, particularly algae.
The keeping of diary during the entire period
Of the expedition
Starting from orenburg Russia, TO the
north of the Caspian Sea, DR.. Hedin
crossed the Kirghiz Steppe, traversed
Eastern Turkestan and Mongolia, cross
ed the western part of the Desert of Co
hi and made some archaeological discov-
cries. explored Northern Tibet and went
home through Siberia. The expedition
was not continuous, but was broken up
into several journeys. 1t began on No
vember II. 1893. and ended March 2, 1871,
when the explorer reached Peilin.
Most of the scientific data of technical
interest have perforce been left out of
this record. there being an enormous
mass of material from which t. -,iect.
The book is full of interesting informa-
travellers adventures and descriptions of
the countries through which he passed.
and the appearance and customs of the
inhabitants. The style of the book Is
somewhat like that of Nansen's Earth
est North" English and American read
ers owe a debt of thanks to the translat-
or. ]. T Bealby, B. A, and his assistant.
Miss e. II. Hearn. The work is dedicat-
ed to the Prince of Wales
The first volume contains after the in
PRODUCTION, accounts of the authors win
ter journey over the Pamirs, his eXplora-
tions of the Mus-tagh-ata and its gla-
ciers, and his expedition across the Takla-
Makan Desert, the western extension of
the Desert of Cobb. The second volume
comprises accounts OF four expeditions
a summer trip to the Southern Pamirs
an expedition across the Desert OF Cob
to Lop-Nor, and Journeys through North
ern Tibet and Tsaidam, and from Tsai-
dam to Pekin. For these journeys he
had prepared himself by several years
study of the geography of Central Asia
at Stockholm and at the University oi
Berlin, under Baron Won Richthofen, tht
celebrated authority on Chinese geogra.
ply: by two journeys to Persia and Cen.
tral Asia during the years from 1855 tc
1891; and by some knowledge of the most
important languages of the region.
One of the earlier adventures of DR.
Hedins journey was an attempt TO climt
Mus-tagh-ata, the loftiest mountain OF
the Pamirs, and one of the loftiest in the
world. Ii is the eliminating point in tbs
chain of Mus-tagh, or Ice Mountains IL
Eastern Turkestan. The explorer gives
picturesque description of 1t. and adds on
or two of the Kirghiz traditions concern
ing Ii:
The unchailenged pre-eminence of Mus-tagh
alta over the peaks which cluster around it
proved by its name, which means the Father O
the Ice Mountains. And the name is very ap
propriate; for truly, like father, ii lifts IT
white lead among its children which in thei
turn, are all clad in white robes OF snowy purit
and sheatEed in breastplates of ice. The silver
sheen OF the great mountain flashes like the glear
OF Lighthouse to vast distance across tn
desert ocean Many a time have l gazed won
derinely upon il from afar off, Many a mont
have wandered on its rugged fanks. Many
night and many 4 day have | been spellbound b
the weird mystery of its fascinations.
Whenever the Kirghiz pass it. or first cate
sight OF IT IN the course Of journey. they IA
upon their knees and say their prayers. The
declare that it is the ABIDE of threescore and te
saints. Nay, they assert that it is one giganti
burial mound Of saints. Within its il
terror dwell, among others, the souls of Nos.
and Ali. the son-iilaw and nephew of ii
prophet Mohammed. When Ali lay at the poir
of death he prophesied 10 those about him ths
as the breath was gone out of h
body white camel would come down froi
heaven aud carry him away. As he said, so
came 10 pass When he dead the whit
camel appeared, took the holy its bacl
and hastened with him to Nus-tagh-ata. III
Kirghiz firmly convinced that Moses sol
also abdes in that mountain; and for tn,
reason they sometimes call it Hazrett-i-Musa,
the Holy Moses.
The Kirshiz tell further. that on the top