The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-28

Houseboating on the roof of the world
fieet-footed savages for occasional neigh
bors. tigers providing nightly concerts. and
wild boar meat to keep the specter of
vegetarianism away-an explorer must
make the best of everything.
The good ship Kanhyn, selected to carry
me to Lopnor countrp on the broad back
of the Jaskent-Darja, served as a ferry at
Lajlik, East Turkestan until native car
penters, under my direction, turned her
into a spacious houseboat, where subse-
quently the most comfortable three months
of all my Asiatic experiences were spent.
At the PROV / built a deck and above it
reared my tent-study-its main piece OF
furniture, as is fit, the writing desk, con-
structed of several large packing cases.
This served as my lookout during the 200
mile trip Nothing escaped me there, no
sandbank, curve or other feature on land
or water.
A Photographic gallery, made of planks,
occupied the center of the boat and adj
joining was the dark chamber, formed by
black quilts and rubber covers. The neces-
sary water was supplied by pail on the
roof, which fed the samovar, the i'm
promptu bath for the plates. At the rear
of the boat were the baggage shed. serv-
ants hunks and a brick fireplace, marking
the cooks sphere of usefulness. But /, too,
often sat there during the cool autumn
nights and evenings. Our very extensive
stores filled an auxiliary boat guarded by
the assistant cook. Aside from flour, rice,
grapes, melons, pears and stock of con-
serves brought from Sweden, we had a
number of live sheep and chickens. When I
walked out there among my goods and
chattels / felt as If / were in my own
farmyard. AS companions / had several
dogs. 1 also commanded a small English
rowboat for occasional accommodating pur-
poses.
On the eve before our departure invited
the entire native population to a grand
sppper-there was tea and rice pudding for
ali corners and plenty of both delicacies;
also the identical band which serenaded
me in 1895. when 1 started on the fateful
| desert trip. where death by thirst and ex-
haustion killed off my caravan. Their mu-
sic was as melancholy to-day as then, and
the bare-legged dancing girls had lost more
OF their comeliness.
On the morning of Sept II marshaled
my caravan of sixteen camels and as many
horses. placing Sshn and Tjernoff, the
Cossacks given me by the Emperor of Rus
STA, in absolute command. Excellent fell
lows, these, alike capable of surveying land
and sea. storming a battery, contending
| against a savage tribe or of acting as
scouts. spies diplomatic representatives.
| My orders were that they proceed via
Axiom and Korla to a certain spot on the
| lower Tarin, where expected to overtake
| them.
| i hO3tmen. N
ferry by long poles and keeping her from
| drifting shorewards. Island Bay, my old
| body servant, as usual looked after my
! personal comforts. and, taken altogether,
| my houseboating trip the roof of the
| world opened under most favorable aus
| pices. 1 had reason to congratulate myself
| on having chosen that idyllic mode of
| travel.
To live on a mighty river, observing its
manifold life. it's rise and fall. the capri
cious zigzag lines it cuts into the ever
changing landscape. was a great boon to
| a man like me, used to travel on horse
back, or to look upon strange worlds from
| the rocking back of camel.
| Here was all peace and restfulness. The
| current shouldered most of the work and
had little else to do but sit at my desk
| sights they came to me; it was like occupy
| ing orchestra box and viewing a series
| of panoramas painted by artists brush.
| Moreover, was always at home. travel
| ing, as it were through the interior of un.
| known Asia like a snail, house strapped on
| lack. On hot days 1 used to take off my
| clothes and take a header from the top
| of my writing desk-did explorer ever have
| n better time? And, no matter how busy
might be, there was always room for the
| dinner service among field glasses. COM
| passes, surveying apparatus and what-not.
| The meteorological observatory was estab-
lished on the roof of the cabin; there bara-
graph and thermograph told eloquently of
| changed seasons and other terrestrial af-
| fairs.
| We had scarcely proceeded twenty miles
| when we touched bottom-stranded in un-
| peopled Turkestan; but 1t was only a joke
| The boatsmen jumped in, head over heels.
| and soon released us, but the incident
| taught a trick in admiralty. After that
| let the auxiliary vessel go ahead to warn
us against approaching dangers. BY the
| way, kept track of everything that hap
pened during our long journey. but soon
| tired of noting down accidents of the sort
| described; they were altogether too numer-
Gus. We must have foundered at least 300
| times. We travelled by day only; when
| night came the men went into camp on
| shore, keeping up a big fire, while 1 re-
| manned on board.
In the neighborhood of Kottekdil, sue
------------------