Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1907-11-16

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Time was when Africa was called the
Dark Continent, partly because so lit
tie was known of its 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 well explored, and parts
of Its interior are as well charted as
many places nearer home. But Asia
even now, centuries after Marco Polo
traversed Ii, seems to contain much
that Is new, because 1t Is so little
known. That part of the continent
which lies along the Himalaya 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 IN
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 a
journey without having any thrilling
tales OF danger to tell. The people In
the interior of Asia are as a rule pa
cinc, 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 pass blocked with snow
The regions In which he Travelled are
generally held to be the widest and
most inhospitable In the Euraslan Con
tinent, but the traveller, who had as
companion a British officer, succeeded
In making his remarkable trip without
any serious mishap.
After the close of the war Mr.. Fra
ser decided to make survey of the
interior of Asia, In the little known
regions of Chinese Turkestan, Tibet
China. India, Russian Turkestan anC
Persia. or these perhaps, Chinese Tur
kestan is the least known to the outel
world, although Persia. beyond tn,
chief cities, Is almost an unknown
quantity to the average person, even 4
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, /
the conflict may be 30 dgnfied
brought that hidden country to tn
front, and many OF Its peculiartie
have become familiar, although Mr.
Fraser found there was still something
to learn there. Russian Turkestan ha
been visited, along the line of the Rus
sian railway advance, and, consequent
iy, is not altogether an unknown coun
try.
L In the course of his wandering
through this high region, where 70
months at time the traveller was a
Fraser crossed the Hlmalaya tire
times, and also made Journeys acros
the Karakorum, Kuen Len, and tn
Alai, the names OF some of which ar
unfamiliar to most readers. He use
some OF the most remarkable modes @
: conveyance. Through Chinese Turks
: stan he had to rely on camels In Tlbe
] the homely but entirely efficient va
o was used, and In parts OF his tour h
e made use of donkey caravan.
addition to these means OF transpol
I tation he also covered 800 miles o
q foot.
, Some OF the ground covered by NJ
Fraser has been traversed by one G
two other travellers during the last fe'
years, but the part of Tibet In whic
t he wandered may be said to have bee
e never trod by Europeans. He We
much impressed by the hill country {
s sikklm, a small State north OF Indi
which nestles at the foot Of the Hin
e alayas like a pass through the gres
mountains. At one side lies Nepal ar
IS on the other is Bhotan. Beyond III
o the weird and mysterious country
Tibet.
One of the Worlds Msrve1s.
q The Sink country, he relates, e
l. probably one OF the most maryelol
regions in the world. presenting, as
Ia does, in close proximity the rich lu
urianoe Of trspsesl vegetation and Il