The sun., 1907-03-31
II

In 1877 Miss Bird received an offer o (
marriage from DIR. Bishop, who had been
her medical attendant and whom sh q
was ultimately to marry. Meanwhile, how
ever, she undertook a journey to Japan,
and reached Yokohama early in the sum
mer OF 1873 II is we'll known to the readers
Of "Unbeaten Tracks in Japan that the
authors aim was to come in contact with
as much Of ancient Japan as possible. To
that end she spent much time in remote
districts of the interior and her sojourn
among the hairy Amos" Of Yezo was
fruitful in interesting episodes and dis
coveries From Japan she went to China
and the Malay peninsula, an interesting
Journey described in The Golden Cher
sonese" There is no doubt that the books
which recount her travels in the East have
a Ioftier purpose and wider outlook than
those which had been previously published
They evnce a more powerful and accurate
apprehension of each nationality as the
outcome of a different equipment, environ
ment and development
On her return to Scotland she married
Dr. Bishop, but he lived only five years.
Near the beginning of 1889 she undertook
a journey through Tibet and Persia. At
Srina gar, whittier she had made her way
through the beautiful ravines Of Kashmir-
sometimes riding pony, sometimes driven
in a rough hill cart drawn by starved and
worn out horses, and finally by water
she planned an ascent TO the plateau Of
Lesser Tibet. Here she engaged two
servants. in addition TO worthless seis,
or courier. whom she had brought with her,
and received in exchange for big, gentle
Yarkand horse a silver gray Arab. untam-
able and mischievous, but tireless, hardy,
graceful and swift. She nlso had to en-
dure the escort of a brutal and ruffianly
Afghan soldier sent by the Mahara iah, who,
as she subsequently discovered, united the
pursuit OF murder as a fine art to his other
accomplishments. Three mules had 10
be bought to carry the tents, equipments
and supplies. It took her twenty-six days
to reach Leh, in the neighborhood of which
she spent nearly three months. A record
OF her observations in Lesser Tibet will
be found in Among the Tibetans," to which
the reader is referred for the story OF adj
ventures, one Of which nearly ended her
life. From Leh Mrs. Bishop descended
slowly to the Punjab. and it was not until
October II, 1889, that she reached Simla.
All through her Tibetan travels she seems
to have been deeply impressed by the self
sacrifice and heroic persistence OF 'tlfe
German Moravian missionaries, learned,
genial, cultured, who, whether teaching,
preaching, farming, gardening, printing or
doctoring, are always and everywhere
living epistles Of Christi known and read
of all men,"
She now entered on the Persian part of
the journey contemplated before she left
England. From Karaohi TO ,Bushire was
the first stage; from Bushire to Bagdad the
second. So far as her subsequent route
from Bagdad to Teheran lay In Asiatic
Turkey she had an escort OF Bashibazouks,
and after she entered Persia she was pro-
tected by armed horsemen from the robber
tribes that in the passes are accustomed
TO attack small caravans. Il was not till
February 20, 1890. that she reached the
Persian capital. From what she saw on
the way she became convinced that il there
is a more venal. devastating and diabolical
oppression on earth than that Of the Turk
IL is that Of the Shah. She found Persia
"A ruined, played out country, perishing
for want Of people. OF water. Of fuel and,
above all. for want Of security, crushed
by the most grinding exactions, TO which
there is no limit but the total ruin Of those
on whom they press; without a middle
class and without hope" In the early
part OF her journey from Bagdad to Kirman-
shah she recalls that Il never zee any women.
They have nothing to do and see no one.
II a woman Of the poorer class has occasion
70 go out to get food she puts on q black