The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-21

| tons In Mid-Asa the world has been IN
terested in the exploits of explorers like
those of Younghusband, James Rockhill
Littledale and Sven Hedin, who have
found something new even in that old
continent The twentieth century will not
find Central Asia so difficult OF access as
il was during the nineteenth
| The Great Siberian Railway will afford
many a startling place for explorations
10 the south and the fifth part of the
Asiade continent which lies between Lake
I Baikal and the Himalaya range furnishes
a very large field for them. Sven Hedin
has made a brilliant record in traversins
the heart of Asia, and il would be sin
gular If his successful exploration should
not stimulate others TO emulate his hardi-
! hood and daring. Tibet has long with
stood the attempts of travellers to pene-
| trate 1t for a systematic survey. Our
knowledge of the country. though on the
whole considerable has been gained fur
lively and by snatches or short rushes,
and resembling some what the manner in
which Europeans during the early part OF
this century endeavored TO reach the In
terror of Africa. Malaria and savage man
| opposed them everywhere just as the ieal-
ousy of the Chinese and superstitious is-
norance of the Tibe taus oppose modern
| travellers. Perseverance will conquer in
the end-and both Tibet and China will
have to yield Arabia and Persia await
| the Wallins, Palgraves, BuTtons and
Doughtys of the future. wise and tactful
travellers accomplished in the languages of
Oman and Aim. learned in Oriental his
tory and saturated with eastern lore The
mission of such will be to resurrect the
dead past delve among old ruins revive
the forgotten histories and forecast the
methods by which those venerable races
may be brought into touch and commu-
Mon with the busy world which abhors ex-
| clusiveness.
There are many tracts in Australia still
unknown but these may safely be left for
the Australians who have shown them
selves peculiarly qualified in every way
| to solve all geographical questions affect
ing their interests.
Those of the twentieth century who
may be inclined to explore the icy re-
gions will have ample chance to test their
powers. The last half of the nineteenth
century has been exceedingly Indifferent
TO polar lands and seas, though we are
not altogether without splendid examples
of what we could have done had we been
so inclined Kane, Mares. Greeley, Peary,
Nordenskiold, Virgins, hansen and 9TH
ers have done marvelously well, and the
map shows only too clearly what terri
tory we have gained from the once I'M
| known north. Still a vast region remains.
| North of the 60 degree parallel of latitude
lies Greenland, Baffin Land, Northern
Canada and Alaska which contain large
blank patches. The last years of the cen
fury have witnessed a growing interest in
| the northern extremity of our globe, and
we are yet in doubt as regards the fate
of poor Andree and his companions. In
1900 we shall probably hear of the depar-
ture of an Antarctic expedition to explore
that vast circumpolar area extending over
30 degrees of latitude which lies in the
Southern hemisphere.
In this necessarily brief sketch of the
explorations yet to be accomplished by
the bold spirits of the coming century it
must not be imagined that l have included
all the tasks that must engage explorers.
Hundreds upon hundreds will find ample
work in correcting. revising and refining
the hasty work performed by pioneers in
Africa, America, Asia and Australia, I'M
til the highest point of accuracy and pre-
cision has been attained. There are signs
that the world is getting impatient with
sloven and inexact work and expect SUI
perior merits in the explorers of the flu
ture. This is but natural. after being sa-
tiated with novelties and another reason
is perhaps that the increase i'm the number
of geographical societies has been so great
that the geographical public has become
more learned and fastdious in its tastes
and requires the best that can be obtained.
As the societies are so willing to coach
intending explorers and prepare them for
their tasks l have no doubt that such men
as they need will be forthcoming and as
amply endowed with physical powers and
mental fitness as any who ever ventured
into the unknown. Henry M. Stanley.