The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-10
DR.. HED|N IS
HOME At LAST
Great Explorer of Asia Gets
Back to Sweden
LOADED WITH CURI0SITIES
Much HOnored by Gar and
the King.
LOADED WITH CURIOSITIES

| holm:
BY the merest accident your CORES
pondent happened TO be on the pier when
the steamship Won Dobeln. with sven
Hedin. the famous explorer. on board. ar
| rived at her dock. The steamer was about
six hours ahead OF time. having made
! the trip from 81. Petersburg in four days
Hence there was neither reception COM
mittee nor the usual noisy crowd of ad-
mirers and sightseers.
He stood on the bridge as the vessel
approached the pier. and II It hadn't been
for his well-known lambskin cap
and mustache the writer might not have
recognized him. For. DR.. Hedin has
lost about sixty pounds in his travels.
and no one would take him now for a son
of the blond north. so brown is his skin
/ He looks almost like a mulatto. But his
| handshake soon convinced me some OF
the old-time vigor stin remains in that
indefatigable body.
I'm very we'll" he said. "and so are
my loved ones. according to letters and
dispatches l found in St Petersburg. How
are our friends2"
On the way to his home he spoke en-
Enthusiastically OF the reception accorded
him in Russia.
They are almost as proud OF me as II
I was one OF them" he said. smilingiy.
Il travelled nine days and nights" he
continued without interruption. TO reach
st. Petersburg" he continued. and was
more dead than alive when l got there,
hut the kindness OF my generous hosts
made me forget my WEAKNESS
I placed myself at His Majesty's ser
vice. for I'm under the greatest obligation
to that kind and considerate and most
generous sovereign II il hadn't been for
the Cossack escort with which he pro-
vided me 1 would never have lived to
tel my story.
Further than that DR.. Hedin wouldn't
report on his interview with the Gar
except that Nicholas demanded a COM
plete epitome OF his route and scientific
achievements. When the explorer left the
palace the Car assured him again and
again OF his friendship and admiration.
And how long have you been absent.
all told?" asked the correspondent
Just three years and three days. In
which time covered $500 miles hereto
fore unknown 10 modern geography.
1T was the most dangerous OF all my
Journeys. Even no wit seems sometimes
impossible to me that 1 should have es-
capped the many dangers 1 old. All about
me my men were dying"
Sven Hedin brings wagonloads OF scien-
tifc collections. His manuscript treas
ures alonee fill several chests. The Won
Dobeln carried his collection OF 1000 pho
that he put them among his personal bag
gage. They comprise all sorts OF objects
OF outlandish interest-strange men and
women. plants. landscapes. idols. houses.
mountains. cities and villages
DR.. Hedin's contribution TO geography
will be an atlas OF some 1870 pages. every
line Of which he drew himself The
geographers Will open their eyes wide
when they see what I did-its all set
down with the minutest care.
AS the most valuable OF his finds DIT. /
Hedin regards his collection OF skeletons /
OF strange human beings and animals /
Some OF them were dug up IN the ancient 4
cities buried beneath hundreds OF feet /
Of sand in the Desert OF Gobi "Old (
Virchow and other scientists will be de- 4
1
Among the animal skeletons are the /
wild camel Wild ass and wild OK. called .
yak. also complete skeletons OF foxes.
dogs and the genus feline.
Then there are case after case full OF
bugs and lizards and other creeping
things among them the one lonely lizard
Hed.n found on the roof OF the world
after going without the sight OF a living
thing-animal or plant-for ter days and
nights
We were stu talking when royal
messenger arrived poste haste. asking Or
Hedin to visit King Oscar at the very
earliest moment. When the doctor re
turned he showed me a very beautiful
piece Of jewelry the King had given
Order u tfs Star OF the North. /
first class
His majesty listened % ne for three
hours. said Hedia. and conferred upon
me the dignity and staten Of noblensu
IN recognition OF ny services
So that your correspondent might rot
90 away eHpty-handed." Dr. Hedia al
loved him ~ take down the story q his
latest exploit
on the 7th q Nay. 1871. ! troke camp
at Ttarkhm and started directly for the
Thibetsn high plateau. Is northerrnost
part Being anxious 70 pass Unnotlced.
I took only a few nen with ne. bet
when We reached Lake Eoz-KoII. ze
caught ID win ny main caravan. con
sistinz of thirty nine cszels. thirsv
horses seveaty-dvs donxsTs and thirty
Ken These were ny reserves ard
ordered them AL 70 fan n behind and
Ealt instr-c-ions
The pTecsUtiou Wzs quite useless FOR
re greater part q tbs caravan s1crurnb-
- % ;hs climate ard TIE rest % The
ar arisands or EoldlsT-oTlg4sas.
TIE cod Sas intense . degrees Gel
'iGs being not unconnon- Sill later ne
endured sone q m most terrific rsiz
storms have ever zzet with. Th-T lasses
'0r taFz and dsys-it seszed il<e soe-
lsssion . cioctbuTEts-
when ze azziy reached Ire zelxhbor-
lcol 81 Lhasss. - Eere sally reduced
p bodily strs-z-h- bat II osr l.rze-s siklrE
Z the ere-1T hsdEt pgoTed sfrozE Go /
1r-nbsrs But here rss - 80 g.ttsax /
rnle6 tasr for IL sak. q Playing z-ac-
~
Wien Only three days march ero-z
ss c1Saszl Ss we're hsl.sS 81 &c rssz ~