Evening star., 1901-04-15

emily from his companions except In his
more intelligent face and in the greater in
terest with which he noted everything
about him. But open his prayer barrel,
which he piously twirls when he comes to
some particularly dangerous spot. and
there will be found in it, instead of scroll
with the Buddhist prayer "Om mani pad
mi hom.' notes of the journey after the
boundary was crossed, observations With
seXtant and compass, and simple route
survey showing the length of each day
march. the relative position of the prom
inent peaks, the course of the streams and
their approximate breadth and depth.
Examine closely his rosary, and one would
discover to his surprise that, instead of the
orthodox los beads. there were only 100,
and that he dropped one at every 100 steps,
which were uniformly two and a half feet
long. If he were watched carefully he
would be seen to steal from camp at night,
when all else We're sleeping, If biting wind
freezing cold and driving snow permit with
his box and tea bowl. Taking from beneath
the false bottom Of his box a few 1nstru-
ments and pouring some quicksilver into
his tea bowl for an artificial horizon he
makes an observation of some star notes
the condition of barometer ana thermome-
ter compares his chronometer with his
watch and then goes back to camp to
write up his journal and at length to sleep.
Years after the traveller might see TINS
same man at the great trtgopometrical
survey In Calcutta reading to an English
officer his journal. explaining his observa-
tions and route survey, and narratlng ms
ddEentureS-ln one instance tUeSc liiCluucu
a seven-years' slavery in Tibet. He asks
who he Is, and is amazed TO learn tnat ne
is only schoolmaster in little lima
layan village in the district or kumaon.
What is his reward for these year-lonS
tolls sufferings and dangers, this daily
risling his life in an attempt to add TO the
worlds knowledge? A little piece OF lana,
possibly small pension, and, Whlie ne Is
| able to serve oblivion. But soon the scien-
| tific journals will be fun OF accounts Oh
| the wonderful journey OF the native Indlah
| explorer, the great extent ana mafSeieus
accuracy of his survey, his pluck ana en-
durance his fertility Of resource and, above
all, his single-hearted devotion to the cause
of science If his services are publicly rec
ognized by some great society, with the
| names f-wssld-renowned explorers. we
| read merely 1.-The Pundft employed by
| Captain T. G. Montgomerie-a gold Watch'
! for his route survey In Great I1bet
! It was In 1861 that the successful opposl-
| tion of the Tibetans to the exploration OF
| the trans Himalayan region by europeans,
! as well as the fact that Indian traders were
permitted to travel Ireeiy otea u,;th he
great trigonometrical survey or INDIA the
expedient Of employing native surveyors.
The village schoolmaster, Main Singh,
| who had been In the service ol 1nc p.o.ne;s rs
| SchlagintWeit during their explorations IN
| Kashmir was the first man to receive the
necessary training for the work. Al tne
| headquarters Of the survey ne was tausnt
| the use Of the sextant. compass, &c. TO rec
| opnize all the larger stars, to walk with
| PAGES of uniform length, and to make
! simple route survey. When these thfhes
had heen sufficiently acquired he was sent
| to explore the Tsangpo from It's source 70
| India If possible, 1t was 1850 DeIo:e ne
| succeeded in establishing himself IN Ilpet
| as a trader desiring to buy horses ana at
! the same time as pious Buddhfst TO 90
| homage to the Lhasa Lama. Ills lhstru-
mental equipment consisted OIL large sex
| tant, two box sextants, prismatic ana rock-
| ct comnass thermometers for observing
| temperature of air and OF boiling water,
| pocket chronometer and common Watcn,
| with apparatus, the latter reduced as much
! as possible.
After numerous adventures he finally
| reached Lhasa where he mad an interview
| with the grand lama. whom he described as
! a fair and handsome boy or about thirteen
| years of age seated ION a throne slx 1eet
| high, attended by two OF the highest
priests, each holding punoie OF peacock
follow the course of the river only to the
| neighborhood Of Lhasa. some six hundred
miles Nor did he succeed In tracing IT
further in a second journey made seven
years later-a journey memorable, however
from the fact that he made a route survey
| of 1, ,319 miles, /, 200 of which were through
country never previously explored, and took
497 observations. During all this time he
| was known to the scientific world only as
the 'pundit." but the suner,ngs OF tnis las,
| compel him to give up his connection with
the survey his name was disclosed. He has
been followed by others. among whom those
| known as Ak, D-m-g. ana IL. have
| ACCOMPLISHED the most in trans-Hfmalayar
| EXPLORATION all men Of like courage, endur
| ance and animated by single-minded de
| yotfon to their duty. But none has sue
ceeded as yet in tracing the Tsangpo's
course through the mountains to Assam
But there are indications OF change o.