The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1909-03-04
TIDlNCS FROM
SCANDINAVIA
News Of General Interest
from Three Countries.
HEDIN'S FIRST LECTURE

Explorer Points Out the Most Import
ant Results of His Journey into Cen
trail Asia to an Audience Which In.
cIuded King Gustaf and the Royal
Family and Members of the An.
chronological and Geographical So
cieties.
SWEDEN.
DR.. Sven Hedin, the famous explor-
er, delivered his first lecture before a
large and distinguished audience,
which included King Gustaf and the
royal family and the members of the
Anthropological and Geographical so.
cleties, on his travels in Central Asia.
The president of the Swedish Geo
graphical society, M. Montelius, the
royal antiquary, announced at the
opening of the lecture that the society
had raised a fund of 10000 crowns, to
be known by the explorers name,
which would be devoted to geographic
cal research. On DR.. Hedin was also
conferred the Wahlborg medal. In
the course of his lecture, DR.. Hedin
emphasized as the most important re-
suits of his last exploration that he
had discovered the source of the Indus
and drawn up a minute map of this
region, and, further, that he had
passed through the -Himalaya
northwest of Shigatse and penetrated
to the holy lakes of Mansavora, where
he found several mountains hitherto
unknown besides a great and never
hitherto visited lake, the greatest of
the whole system. He had also estab-
]ished the real direction of the source
of the Bramaputra, and he showed that
the branch which until now had been
regarded as the source, was only an
aft1uent. Finally, he had explored the
TranS-Hlmalaya both east and west.
Parts of both were previously known,
but not the connection between them.
He had succeeded in solving the prob.
lem of these mountains, which differed
in character from the Himalayas. In
this connection it is also of interest
to note something regarding the ex-
plorer's finances. During eleven trips
into the interior of Asia, he has ex-
pended something like $4,000 crowns.
His last trip cost him more than 1885,.
600 crowns, of which Hedin himself
contributed the amount of $4,000
crowns. The contributors to his last
trip were the following: King Oscar,
10000 crowns; Emanuel Nobel, 5000
crowns; F. Lowenadler, 10000
crowns; Consul Oscar Ekman, 10000
crowns; Robert Dickson, 10000
crowns; Mr.. Ruffer, a Scotch mer-
chant, $500 crowns, and William Ols-
son, 1000 crowns. Mr.. Ruffer is en-
tirely unknown to Mr.. Hedin, but this
generous Scotchman sent the explorer
this sum of money out of pure SYM
pathy and admiration for his work. Re-
garding the publication of Hedins
scientific works, there have already
been many who have evinced great in
terest. The riksdag has for this pur-
pose made an appropriation of rs 900
crowns, but it will cost all of this and
a great deal more to publish them. The
plucky explorer is about 10000 crowns
worth in debt but he hopes through
his publication and through lectures
to be able to clear up this amount and
get little something over. He has
been offered handsome money for his
lectures both in the United States and
England and he will no doubt now
have splendid opportunity to make
some money.
The Swedish Export association will
this year make an attempt to secure
better control of the export of lingon
berries. From many sections of the
country there have been complaints
against the berry pickers, especially
in Smaland, where they in many in
stances pick poor class of berries
and give poor measure. The associa-
ton will endeaVor to correct these
evils and will, if possible, see to it
that class of first class berries are
exported and the correct measures be
made. The lingon berries are in great
demand in the American, ENGLISH and
German markets and it is an industry
from which hundreds of farmers Sc
cure good livelihood.
The preparatory arrangements for
the great international hunters ex.
hibition which will be held in Vienna
in 1910 are now under way and Swe-
den has already been invited to par
ticipate. A committee has been an
pointed and the Swedish exhibition in
this line is going to be an elaborate
one. Fredrik Bjorlkenstam has been
appointed commissioner for the Swed-
ish exhibit and will leave for Vienna
this month to make the necessary ar
rangements for Sweden's exhibit.
Both chambers of the riksdag passed
a bill Feb. Is, poviding for universal
suffrage with proportionate representa-
ton in the parliament. All the in.
habitants of the country over twenty.