Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-01-21


several times that sum.-New York
Sun.
ENTERED LHAssA.
Three Japanese Said to Have PEN
etrated Mysterious City.
The sacred city Of Lhassa, the capt.
tai city Of Thibet, hitherto a forbid
den city to all foreigners, has been en-
tered recently by three daring young
Japanese explorers. They are Capt.
Yoshiteru Martha, Hiroshi Nomi and
Keikai Kawaguchi, a Buddhist priest
Of Honganji Kyoto.
Capt. Y. Martha is promising young
soldier and son Of Samurai Of the
Satsuma clan. He went to China sew
eral years ago, staying in that coun-
try for several months while he was
preparing for his arduous expedition.
After many dangers and hardships hs
succeeded in reaching Lhassa, having
taken several years to accomplish his
self-appointed task. He stayed in the
holy city for eighteen days and then
returned to japan, about two months
ago. About the same time that Capt.
Narita visited Lhassa Mr.. Hiroshi
Nomi reached the interior Of Thibet.
There has been no news from him for
some time, and he Is supposed to be
on his way home. He Is very young
man; but brave and cool and quiet in
his ways. Mr.. Keikai Kawaguchi the
third Of the Japanese explorers, had the
hardest experience. He went by way
Of the Himalaya mountains and suf-
fered severe attack Of snow blind
ness. He was totally blind for some
time; but has entirely recovered from
this mountain disease. Once he was
mistaken for robber by the Thibe-
tans, who came near making him pay
the penalty, which is in Thibet to put
the robber on horse and then shoot
him. Mr.. Kawaguchi, who is a Budd-
hist priest, at last succeeded in reach
ing Lhassa and Is still residing in that
city.
These achievements, remarkable in
themselves, are significant in another
way. In the first place, they show the
tremendous energy and indomitable
bearing Of the japanese. 1t will be
found in the case of others who have
tried to reach Lhassa that they were
men who had fitted themselves by long
study and experiences for the attempt,
and who made the final effort under
the most favorable conditions possible.
All Of them, with one or two rare ex-
ceptions failed lamentably.
Missionaries who have won the con-
f1dence Of the Thibetans, and who have
learned their language, failed to pene-
trate even to the vicinity Of the sacred
city. Some succeeded In getting with
in days march, and were tortured or
turned back or killed. Even the most
accomplished explorer Of modern times
Sven Hedin, the Incompatible swede,
who had fitted himself for his work by
years Of study and travel, could not
pass the Thibetan guards that pcotnc-
ted the sacred precincts Of Lhassa. Yet
the Japanese, young and untried ad-
venturers, with the exception Of Capt.
Narata, who prepared for this expedi-
ton by living in China for several
months, succeeded in attaining goal
that has been denied to the most dar-
ing and experienced travellers in the
world.
But the chief significance Of these
remarkable achievements is the relation
of a new force and energy in the
world Of action. It reveals an awaken
ing in Japan such as occurred In Spain
when there dawned upon her early
greatness, and when she was preparing
to send forth into the world her Cortez.
Pizarro, De Soto, or IN England when
Drake and Howard and Hawke led the
way to the glories Of England on sea
and land and transformed her into
world explorer and world conqueror. 1t
reveals the birth Of tremendous nation
al energy and an indomitable national
spirit. Japan is. no longer group Of
islands, collection Of people; but
nation possessed by fiery national
spirit. These things reveal 1t just as
it was revealed by the greater things
Of the war with China, and by the
splendid heroism Of her soldiers in the
advance on Peking, and by their more
than splendid chivalry and courtesy to-
ward the conquered Chinese.
We must now look to Japan for the
Skepes, Burtons, Magellans, Living
stones, Cooks, Marco Polos. We find
some Of these hardy and daring ex-
plorers penetrating into portions Of
China forbidden to foreigners for GEN.
turies; we. find more Of them passing
the cordons Of Thibetan guards around
Lhassa, and calmly residing within the
holy limits Of the capital Of Lamaism,
unshaken and unafraid, while the Eng
lish explorers still find the Himilaya
the bound Of their explorations from
their neighboring possessions in India;
and we may soon find in them the
same nonchalance with which they ad-
vanced to the walls Of Tien-Tsin and
Peking under fire, scaled the walls Of
Ping-Yang or sank the Chinese war
ships in the harbor of Wei-Hai-Wei.
A new nation has been born into the
world.-Japan and America.