New-York tribune., 1906-12-04
Literary NesOa
and Criticism
"a Reriess of Early and Late En-
pIorations in Tibet.

-spr THE MYsrERIoUs. By Colonel 81 Sir
Th91'sSw VIII coIored map and thirty-eight illus
.~s+ions svo pp xiv, S5e. Frederick A Stokes
Company
--s~rRx TTEEr AND THE BRITISH BoR-
VIZ 1NT0 THE SACRED COUNTRY OF
THE HINprs AND BJDDBIiSIs; LISTS WI Win "a an
ems Of It's Peoples. BY Charles A. scherring.
A. Il g. F R. T. e. s. p'scr5 pesccff6ing Sy an n At t.
Tempt 70 Climb SgTis ma ManGn2a Mish l5,s ye
frstsons. Royal Svo pp- xvi ss1 Longnans
-s. volume OF literature that has been put
,,-.b about Tibet during the last few years has
-. far 10 dispel the atmosphere OF mystery
s-.t has for the last two or three centuries en-
.lo,ss that forbidden land. Yet there is stiu
nor that IS imperfectIy understood IN regard
:, tbe country, Of which not the least important
= outsiders are its commercial possibilities. its
.,snsble trade routes, and its effectiveness as
hr1er state between India and Russia These
=. tbe considerations kept principally in view
= roiorel Eoldich IN his present work, which
a. =, its main plan. q review Of the history,
.sorrsnhv and physiology OF Tibet as revealed
= +ba records OF the adventurous explorers OF
-,s natsau up 10 the time OF the recent British
,,vss,or. supplemented by the results Of the
-,.-a,v scientific expeditions which were the out
-. n the YoUnghusband mission. The au-
.ho-,s conclusions are that the plateau does not
.-ors g satisfactory passage for an invading
--,v that II has a trade capable Of profitable
s.-slopunen-. and that the most convenient route
s-,r, India VII undoubtedly be one that will
..uovv The course OF the Brahmaputra- Al
.s,neh this Is the only entrance that has not
bs,n consecutively explored, Sir Thomas is
,,,vinced that II does not present difficulties
+ba; cannot be overcome by modern engineering
enterprise.
,.s summary OF what has been written about
-rset from the time Of Herodotus 10 the present
av The amusing fable related by the father
= history" that gold was extracted from the
..--b n the territory northwest Of India, by
ARE Of gigantic ants, has received plausible
sv,leneriou n later days by the discovery that
he Tibetan gold digger, euveloped in q thick
Fsck blanket. works on his hands and knees,
often using as a digging tool the horn Of the
Tibetsn antelope. At q little distance group
=, these surface miners resembles nothing so
ruch as a colony Of huge ants. It is even the
custom Of the men TO sleep IN this curious atti-
tude TO which their underwriting and poorly
peid toll has accustomed them
Not the least entertaining and valuable chap
tsrs are those devoted 70 the adventures and
accomplishments Of the native Indian surveyors,
who, Il various disguises, secretly and in i'm
rinsut peril. mapped out the country. investi-
gated Us resources and reported on its politics
for the benefit Of the Anglo-Indian government
Thus the Pundit Main Sing. travelling as a pill
grin. carried within the inevitable prayer wheel
long strips Of paper, on which he recorded his
bearings and distances, Of which he kept track
by means OF the beads OF his rosary. The
prayer wheel was made 70 cover observations
with the prisnatic compass for bearings, whilst
tie rosary checked OF the PAGES BY hundreds as
be went"
NJ sche-rsng. the Deputy Commissioner Of
Araors, has written a highly instructive and
entertaining account OF an expedition lately
made BY him and Mr.. LongstaH into Blot and
Western Tibet the Buddhist and Hindoo Holy
Land T-aveIllng as government official and
subsequer- 70 the signing OF the treaty by which
the country was opened UP TO such investigation.
The author was accorded hospitable assistance
by he TIbetan people and their local governors,
an6 so was able 70 devote more attention 70
the ethnographical features ot the region than
we're IS previous explorers, whose books are
largely records OF its geographical character
slc o. har5shius encountered. He introduces
Is 10 The almost naked Rawats Of Katyur, an
aboriginal race whose pride in their royal an
cesr-y III accords with their primitive sud
squaId surroundings. who catch fish with their
fingers game with snares, and are so particular
about the water they drink that they never waste
any Of IL IN external use. The Bhotias are q
curious 1Eorgol race, closely resembling the jap
anese in their habitUal cheerfulness. especially
marked among the women. Although Of Tibetan
origin, they are not polyandrous, and their re-
Agion is remarkably free from the extrava-
gances and deronoIogy OF Lanaism.
Nr. scherrLng has many enhancing tales TO
tel Of the legends that cluster around the ma
testic mountain, Tise, or holy peak Of Kailas,
The Buddhist and HiDdoo Olympus. and Of the
strange practices OF the pilgrims who flock
thither and TO the sacred lake Of Mansarowar.
There is a pretty story OF the earth and a raja,
who was the incarnation OF Vishnu:
She went 10 him cne night as z woman, and said.
have not seer man beautiful as you, ana 50
come 70 yea. seems your beauty nave leIL al
other ru1as nv former husbands, for tney nave
asce-ce1 l. old 10 paradise tSWsrSal, pQl L
-ls-I s-ll young. 7 W.. have yoI Tor my nus
hand He said, IF / Gle my wife must burn on
my dea-E sltlee she replied, ~ men l.. loo'
become C.G. 7 VIII burn with you as sutJee- how
ever when the Taja reached ole age and the tl-Ie
q 1.s death a-urOacleC, the earth WGE SUN, as
ever. young and refused 70 die as suttee. on tLis
ne ra5a pursued and caught her al Man stlr5-
var. alC decapir4Le1 her but behold she could nor
Gle. Tor the earth must needs be ever young