The Western news., 1907-11-13

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Time was when Africa was called the
Dark Continent, partly because so lit
tie was known Of It's vast interior, and
the maps furnished by the cartograph-
ers took SO much for granted, when
they did not absolutely misrepreSent
the country. But the Dark Continent
now is fairly we'll explored, and parts
Of Its interior are as we'll charted as
many places nearer home. But Asia,
even now, centuries after Marco Polo
traversed 1t, seems to contain much
that Is new, because 1t Is so little
known. That part Of the continent
which lies along the Hlmalaya and on
Its crest, has been so little travelled by
moderns that until the British entered
Tibet by force recently the country
practically was an unsealed book to
the outside world.
An adventurous Engllshman, David
Fraser who represented the London
Times in Manchuria during the Russo
japanese war, has just finished one Of
the most remarkable Journeys ever I'M
dertaken In Asia, and has brought back
some most alluring photographs and
an entertaining tale Of his experiences.
Fraught with Excitement.
Even in the remote East, where civ
ilization still is of the most primitive
pattern, 1t is not impossible to take
Journey without having any thrilling
tales OF danger to tell. The people in
the interior of Asia are as rule pa
cifc, and the traveller who does not
make himself offensive to the natives
generally arrives at his journeys end
without serious difficulty. To imagine
there are no natural dangers Is, Of
course, erroneous. There are; for to
climb some Of the highest mountains
In the Himalaya range is itself an
an experience fraught with excitement,
and, at times Of positive danger. Mr..
Fraser, indeed, nearly lost his life in
attempting to return by way of In
dia, through a pass blocked with snow.
The regions In which he travelled are
generally held to be the widest and
most inhospitable In the Eurasian Con-
tinent, but the traveller, who had as
companion British officer, succeeded
In making his remarkable trip without
any serious mishap.
After the close Of the war Mr. Fra
ser decided to make a survey Of the
interior of Asia, in the little known
regions of Chinese Turkestan, Tibet,
China, India, Russian Turkestan and
Persia. OF these, perhaps, Chinese Tur-
kestan is the least known to the outer
world, although Persia, beyond the
chief cities. is almost an unknown
quantity to the average person, even If
the latter affects to be experienced.
Tibet has been entered by several trav-
elers during the last decade, notably
by Sven Hedin. The Tibetan war, IL
the conflict may be SO dignitied,
brought that hidden country to the
front, and many Of its pecullarities
have become familiar, although Mr..
Fraser found there was still something
to learn there. Russian Turkestan has
been visited, along the line Of the Rus
sian railway advance, and. consequent
ly, is not altogether an unknown coun-
try.
In the course Of his wanderings
through this high region, where for
months at time the traveller was at
an altitude Of a mile or more, MFR.
Fraser crossed the Himalaya three
times, and also made journeys across
Alai. the names of some of which are
unfamiliar to most readers. He used
some Of the most remarkable modes Of
conveyance. Through Chinese Turke-
stan he had to rely on camels In Tibet
the homely but entirely efficient yak
was used, and In parts of his tour he
made use of donkey caravan. In
addition to these means of transpor-
tation he also covered 500 miles on
foot.
Some of the ground covered by Mr..
Fraser has been traversed by one or
two other travellers during the last few
years, but the part Of Tibet in which
he wandered may be said to have been
never trod by Europeans He was
much impressed by the hill country OF
Sikkim, a small State north of India
which nestles at the foot of the Him.
alayas like a pass through the great
mountains. At one side lies Nepal and
on the other Is Bhotan. Beyond lies
the weird and mysterious country OF
Tibet.
One of the Worlds Marvels.
The Sink country, he relates, IL.
probably one of the most marvelou:
regions in the world, presenting, as Il
does, in close proximity the rich lux
uriance Of tropical vegetation and tn,