The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-12-15
lQ Far Forthla7d
T1a-Diss q News 49, ssaseanae
V18AA
DIR. 1
The Great Explorer Reports On Hls
Work.

l6I dNO SAPiOISAp 10 odAC IAN SooAAN'
The report that he was lost in the
trackless wastes of the Cobb desert, In
Central Asia. was, happily, without
A letter from him, dated
at Yang Kohl, in Central Asia, in Sep
TENDER, has been received in Sweden.
A translation of this letter appears in
the Brooklyn Eagle of last Sunday. AS
in his earlier expeditions, in 1893 n
1896, he was all but engulfed in a bu-
ran, or sand storm, with his entire car
al He measured the velocity OF he
wind at eighty feet per second, which
was as high as his instruments regis
tered. Careful observations were TAX
en- at Lake Loppner, and a geographi-
cal problem, which has been a puzzle
for twenty-five years, he considers as
definitely settled He insists that the
arguments of the Russian g~eographers
are wholly disproved. On a hill near
Loppner he discovered the ruins of a
lost city Dr. village, including a Bud
dhist temple, with a large hosiery n
watch towers. The place showed ad-
vanced civilization on the part of its
inhabitants, and there were countless
evidences hat the region had one
been very fertile and had teemed with
animal and vegetable life. All the re-
search has been most amply repaid,
and he will bring back to civilization
stores of valuable knowledge.:He says:
after c%onquering the terrors of the
desert-sand storms, thirst and ex-
haustion, in true Yankee fashion, with
the aid of Ions of ice carried along on
camel back, I have returned to head
quarters, sound and we'll, with my
stores of manuscript instruments,
maps and Photographic plates unim-
paired" he writes, joyfully. 1.-THE lat
ter will be forwarded from Kaschgar
in November. At present I can give
only a hasty outline of my travels in
the Desert of Cobb. The amount of
work performed may be judged, how
ever, from the following list of my lit
erary output: Thirteen hundred close
ly written pages of travelling sketches
and observations; 12O pages of mete-
geological and $50 pages Of astronom-
ical journals; 300 maps, containing
much detail-material for a big atlas
Of physical geography. 1 have meas
'ured the depths of many rivers; also,
their breadth and length in $50 in
stances. Furthermore, I have made
daily records of the showings of the
Paragraph and thermograph; no mat
ter what the situation, we never neg
lected these instruments. OF photo
graphs and sketches. I have collected
several hundred. Altogether, I have
material for many volumes on terrific
ries which before me, no European foot
ever trod, and I touched upon the
routes of previous travellers only at a
few points.
"When I started eastward my cara
van consisted of five camels n as
many horses, one Cossack and four
Mussulmen. I intended to explore
those parts Of the Cobb desert where
the ancient Lake Loppner is supposed
to be situated. Part Of the way a mix
ed caravan of nine camels and two
men supported us. Leaving the north
ern slopes Of the Kurruktag mountains
behind, we descended into the desert,
and followed the course of a dried-up
river, known as Kum-darsa, or desert
stream; but, as the road was steep.
waterless and destitute of vegetation, l
found it necessary to send back to
headquarters the horses, one camel and
two men. Along the river bed were
forests of poplars and %bulrushes, all
dead, petrified and brittle as glass; but
in spots we found pieces of earthen-
ware and copper pots, testifying to the
fact that men once inhabited this re-
gion. There are but two GASES in the
desert, both situated high up in the
mountains. At the first, Jardenex-bu-
lax, we stayed three days, but found
it's water bitter and salty. But a mile
to the north. we found a natural ice
cellar, great chunks of ice broken in
pieces, az you see them unloaded in the
streets Of great cities. 1t occurred to
me hat it would be easier to traverse
the desert with a perambulating ice
chest: So we loaded two camels with
ice, carried in goatskin bags. and then
returned to the river bed and proceed
ed further east. The next oasis. Alti-
mosch- bulak, was supposed to be six
days away.
II had in my train the celebrated
hunter, Abdu-Rehim, the owner Of
herds of Wild camels appeared IN the
horizon he a able to enlighten me as
the nature, character and habits of
this animal, whose very existence vas
doubted by scientists up to a very few
years ago.
"Wild camels are found only in the
most barren and desolate districts Of
the desert; they invade the GASES only
at certain intervals. to Craze and
drink. They are tremendous Of size,
and have a beautiful black or brown
coat. When frightened they move
with the velocity Of the wind. Their
scent Is very keen; the wind being ia
vorable, the smell a caravan several
miles away. When their outposts. wise
old males that are on the alert while
the herd rests, give the alarm, away
they go, like clouds chased by a 'cy-
clone. They never turn or look back.
and do not halt until forty or fifty
miles have been covered"
T0rdenkjOld Monument Unveiled.
The Tordenkjold monument. in Nor
way. was not unveiled on Nov. 20. as
originally intended. The ceremony has
been postponed until May II.
Pi~nafore In Swedish.
The death Of Sir Arthur Sullivan re-
calls that Gustaf Wicklund Of svenska
Amerikanska Posten has rendered the
opera which made Sullivan famous into
Swedish, in this country and In Swe-
den. Mr.. Wfcklund has likewise adapt
ed Nerves opera, s"Mamzelle Nitou-