The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-06-23
ferent nations to it's borders.


one who has given the most sat-
isfactory account of his ex-
plorations is DR.. Sven Hedin.
Early in 1907 he started diagon-
ally across the country and to
the amazement of the scientific
world, discovered here a range
of mountains two thousand
miles long and but little lower
in height than the Himalayas.
The surprise of this discovery -.
is greatly intensified because
of the fact that the country
had in some parts been travers-
ed but neither the travellers
nor the Tibetans themselves,
realized the extent and import
ance of the range for this sec
tion of the world is chartered
as a comparatively level coun-
try Since this range of noun
tains must be added to the gen.
eral knowledge of the world
and placed upon the maps Of
the new Biographies, a definite
name must be given it and Dr..
Hedin suggests that it be call
ed Min Chen Tangla, the
name given by the natives to it's
highest peak.
His journey through this
strange country was not accom-
plished without many difficult
ties for when he had but half
of his work completed he re-
ceived many letters from Chin
ese officials commanding him
to leave their country at once.
A designated route was given
him and he started for l ndia
accompanied part way by Chin
ese guards. When these guards
returned to their homes, DR..
Hedin took advantage of his
liberty and varied from his re-
strictions by ascending the
mountains he had just discover
ed. Here he was driven back
by a band of armed men and
on his descent he discovered
Shuru Tso, one of the largest
lakes in Tibet. He next eX-
plored the tributaries of the
Brahmaputra river ascertaining
that they did not have their
source in the low land regions
as was hitherto supposed but
was formed by the melting snow
and ice of three immense glac-
iers.
From here he entered India
and by special request of the
Hindus he had the privilege to
explore the most famous as
we'll as the most holy lake in
the world, Manasarowar, which
has been celebrated in religious
hymns since the time of the
Nedas and which the followers
of the Saueas consider the
home of the gods. This per-
fectly round lake stretches out
between two eternal Snow-cap-
ped mountains and like most of
the lakes in Tibet is likely to
become salt. Many days and
nights DR.. Hedin spent in eX-
amining its contour, probing its
depths, studying it's shore foun-
nations and terracings left by
the water. The information he
has given us of this obscure
country will very naturally
change the face of the map of
this section of Asia.
The other successful eXplor-
ing expedition OF the past year
is the one directed by Lieuten-
ant Ernest II. Shackleton of the
british navy, whose discoveries
in the regions of the South
Pole are the most brilliant
achievements recorded in the
ice zones. In spite of untold
sufferings and difficulties, he
penetrated the ice fields and
reached a point within a hun
dred miles of the southern axis
OF the earth.
For the last seventeen years
expeditions have, at various
times, been sent out by Euro
pean natives to ascertain wheth-
er or not the south pole is stu
ated in the midst of a great
continent. Within the last few
years eight expeditions have
been exploring the Antarctic
Ocean but it was given to one of
the smallest of these, the COM
pany led by Lieutenant Shack
Teton to practically prove the
existence of an Antarctic conti-
nent. He has surpassed all
others in that vast wilderness of
snow and ice and on January
9th last, was ninety-two miles
nearer the southern axis than
Peary's closest approach to the
northern. Lieutenant Shackle-
ton made two very radical
changes in his means of trans
portation. Instead of dogs, he
used Siberean ponies whose flesh
became very useful when ra-
tions were short. While for
the carrying of food supplies he
used automobiles. However
the automobiles could be used
only on broad expanses of glac-
ier ice, no doubt future explor-