UNKNOWN REGIONS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 722, 22 January 1910, Page 15

UNKNOWN REGIONS.

,;•;•' SVEN HEDI.N'S'TRAVELS.■■-.,,•■.'.;' :[■. ADVENTUKES: IN TIBET.' ':'. ■■': ■In a; review if Svcn HedinV new book entitled \ r'TranSs-Hiriialaya: •. Discoveries and Adventures .'in Tibet," tho'■ "Glasgow Herald" states:- .. ' ' :^.The . journey, which'. is here; described■ is the. third, which the author has made in these regions, each having occupied;from two 'to three'ytors, and'the. present one was undertaken'primarily, as he fiays, to provide the 'means of describing the'.in-' .'ternoi.' 'structure of Tibet, its mountains tmpV:valleys,: its .rivers and lakes.. At bimla he-was inet. by the news that the British Government, refused to allow him to enter Tioet trom that side, and he was therefore obliged to ■ go. to Srinasar,; and from there started in July, 1906, for Loh. Ilore horses were obtained, nien engaged; and forage and provisions purchased, eri'abling'.the ' expedition to make -a iinal start for , Tibet on August'.l3. .Entering North-Western Tibot by crossing the Karakoram Rang 6 of mountains, •■ Sven. Hedin turned eastwards between this range and that of Kuen-lun, 'which lies roughly parallel to it and to the' north-, 'ward. , . Here was .level country at an altitude of over'. 16,000. feet, "the floor of an ancient lake hemmed in by mountains. Travel by this time was becoming severe, and the season .was far advanced, sojthat storm.ahd snow were frequent; the horses top were becoming-worn out by>the incessant marching... The perils of marching and of .crossing high (passes in the.biting, winds of; the..Tibetan . plateau..were v a.t times varied by other, dangers, and on the waters', of -Lake Lighten ; Sven '■.. Hedin-'and one" of his 'men were- caught'in' a'.' storm when out ..in an''open boat measuring the depth:'of |the ' lake; and/were. 'in great 'danger of being drowned;' '"."■. ..

■The' caravan .was now' heading southwards; towards the';',vall«y..-.of the.Tsangpo'. or the upper reaches of the Brahmaptura Eiyef, 'whioh/here flows from'.west to eastVbe.twijen the Himalayas 7 arid' 'thesouthern..jjimgesi of. Tibet;'.' the town 'of Shigatse.; was" the'' objective,' and it now became :, of,' importance■.-' to arrive:.there before the-number of transport became dangerously;re3uoed.- Fortunately: in the .midst: ;of,, the plateau, when :still more;than .a month from ':■ Shigatse, . a oamp ... of ;.: was . encountered,. vwhe'fe five .sturdy-yaks were ; purchased; thus'lightening .the load of,-the hon-ses. Though-, transport/'difficulties'.-.were. thus eased/a new'obstacle.'npw:arose in shape; ;of the .'peremptory refusal of.;the '.Goyer-nor'-of - the NakfanngV district to; allow .the expedition':,tq: move through 1 -his: region:, ■Ifter long '■ colloquies. the^Gpvernor : sud-' derily; changed his; attitude: and. allowed .'Sye'n ■ Hedin; ,to,jproceed,":stipnlating* .how-, ever)''thnti-he^snuit. quit ■.■Naktsanßi.'teri. ritory.'..by',.Hhe 'shortest: [ pbseible .route. .Availing , , himself, of '.this -permission,;, he pushed'.'.on;its rapidly" as: possible"across the' great sodtherfi barrier "of .the , ■ -Tibetan' plateauj ■■ the; group chains .fpf;;which.he:'proposes:the name : of Trans-:. Himalaya;';'-to distinguish ;!it: ifroni". the, ; HimalayaiJ-range, which: lies roughly. ,parallel''.''to''-it' : \on'T.'tlie';..sputh; ; ;>. , while.-;.the , Tsangpo■or;Brah'maputra:.Eiver. flows: betiieen. :~ Suoh.of, the passes as ;'hiive ■ beeii 'traversed by,'oxplorers,areVat.:altitudes of: 18,000 'and 1 '19,000', feet '.with: neighbouring, peaks rising 5000 'and: 6000 'feet higher

./ 'At, ShignfsS-:'&e ';.:! author's .'.difficulties ■ were!- greatly,' diminished'. by : - hie Chinese passport for Easter- Turkesatn/whiohhe, had , obtained when .entry; ftbin.'lndia.jvas denied; to.'him. , .' He, was' not dhly all??"' >ed;.to' attend;;this. greatest, of the , .Liundist. ;bnt'was'.put'.in charge.of. 'n-'spepiaTahahi-•'.berlain-.':"of'.iiHe"'Tashi; Lama'" ajvd-given ~a' special' seat; ; The: description .of the' cere--1 monies,' : the,;musio',..the i qanc6s ■performed,. ■ the'maskssworn,"etc;,' ( ar4- of 'thegreatest s-heviwas ':■ received,', in ■ audience';by -the!-TasM.' Lama himself,' , the ,'hoHekt- man''ip;.Tibet;".'p;The;ißtay.' , in- Shi-. Kats^enables'.a'ni'inte'rcstirig: account':of: Tibetan mannerg.Va'ndioustoms:'to'be,-in-troduced, ' as" .well '■'.■ as ■'■ details ■■ of . their SanwVJpd'. 'sketches. afe^ndded : v.of.j\the 'vffifou^&TSes , oft nien' ahdAVomenf.wiicW ■• Biffi JltCipipelwon , ' pfJthiS.'rehqtfctandinteresting city';: .'; ■■!'':■'.■ '..':'-V'i;"y'"-- ■■''•■i'-v-v ■.Leaving ■.Sh'igatse ;'iri ! April frith; an. es.corti.: the, author /marched, westwords, to -where;';a■ large- 'tributary/■joins;'theJßrah-:, niaputra,.'and' then-again turned -north-' .ward into ■ tho yTrans-Himalayan ranges 'and: visited the-monasteries;., in- the,;.!!}'- , : ohu .valley. \ : ''At:;ono. of''these'was'a; cave .in;; , .which..',a\;laina up', and, completely' cut'off' from communion .with'the,outer -world.'■;.-The ■hermitogo.is:built over- a .spring, and. contains an ■ .mont:five ;square;,;but-.without' either'.wiridoTr: or .dopr,' a spring'bubbling] up'in the- floor furnishes him with dirak; a,:;bowl-;pf -.foodyis,' : pushe3fdaily. into ,a ■small: tunnel,::with -p. piece 'of; tea>". a piece offbutter,v.endusome. sticks-Tof firewood every : sixth dayi ..But;f or thorJaint light ;whiclr can .pass in; by -the , ;chimney he is •always" in darkness;,: If, the daily bowl ;of :foodris .untouched": it : is .•concluded ; : thdt :.thelama\is : ill;.. if six'/days pass and .the f()od : :is still .untouched,' .the monks, conclude that \ ho is dead, and.thq.ontra'nce ■is.brokeh open.-V Three, years ago a .lama: died after ■'. living twelve, years 'in darkile'ss,:and/ljefore;: him .'.another:: had .spent i'orty years'; in such ;solitudc. : ;' ! r\' ..'.-'•.' '■■■ Turned^Back,; : :,!;v;' ;i;/.ir;'.v;;\;\i;; V' :; Passing- northwards; a; now , ';attempt was made , .to.visit the sacred lake of Daiigra-yiipi-tso,,'but horsemen,;of 'the .Governor ofJ.Naktsang , - had:- anticipated 'such ; : a possible 'attempt. ;and'.'.absolutely • barred .the .way. ,;■ So alterV having again - traversed -.the mountain■■ boundary; of; South Tibet the expedition to return.to'the I valley ot the Brahmaputra,'butmuch informationf jhad;,been'gained : and many

miles.;of..unexplored country.had been '.traversed. :■- -\'.•■■■y-(^,^ •■]:.:'■ ■"'.: ■;-:■: '■ '-■ ■;,..■:■

: : At.\the.. besinning of; June,'. 1907, Sven' ;Hedin:suffered.the severest of.all his misfortunes in'.'.tho .death;of : '. his'..■'. caravan leader, Mohammed'lsa, , who died.from an : attaqk;of 'apoplexy,.-Writing -of him, ho' says.-—'"During all 'my journeys..' I •-■had nover-had a more efficient,■;■'. experienced, .and ■ faithfiU' carav'ah;. leader; ho'.: : had maintained a discipline :in : the. caravan, been: o-. father to- the ~men,,■••■and"'; had treated ■ the natiyes with prudence ' aiid tact." And'- not.his last employer alone, deeply;, lamented , ;' his..-death;,j.Young-husband,:"' O'Connor,"* 'Eawlings,' "Eyder,. and: others;,'• with: all'; of '.whom' he hud travelled, regretted: tho untimely ■,end of the trusty, carhyan leader.. ■■ ••■.'■'.:•,. ■'.; .

The ■Sources 'of treat Rivers. ,-<}S' : - ■■'■ The. route .now,.lay, 6teadily ; in .a north-; westerly:■'direction, alorig-.tho Tsangpo or Brahmaputrai' ever idrairing/ nearer ..to its source, : and those: of :tho."lndus and ithe ; for these .threo great rivers of India ill.'rise'to the north, of. the Himalayas vrithin-a. distance^>,of' oighty -.miles': o£ one'!anothev; .-■■■, ! - ••.',''■'•.'• ■'. , ' .' v • one ■,;: .another;,, : The ; . route which tras followed .diverged .'now ..and-again .'.from tho river, but on. the whole there, was no: exploring'.'of the great' ranges which 'I'he!-'authorities', coinmand y that: he ehould proceed" to Gartok direct was eyadr ed by -letting the main caravan continue on its way and by.''the: author making a diverging trip to;visit.the course and .to : return. later ; .to the; line.: of. inarch. This was successfully carried out, and the rour main ; springs, situated at an'altitude of 17,000 ft. above, tho sea, , which constitute the source ofthoriver in the'heart of the Trans-Kimalayawere seen, thus completing the three.sources of the Indus, the Sutlnj, and the' Brahmaputra. ■ Thero: still remainod regions to bo explored, and-to explore them tho anUior wasdetermlned-inepite' °f all opposition. Starting again, the route this time lay to tho west of that previously taken, but after. some ' 150 miles it-turned sharply eastwards and: crossed the earlier route, thus taking •■ a ■ lino into ' tho Tibetan plateau .to the south and west of that originally followed. The personnel of this caravan, too, was completely different, tivo trusty men only of the formor oxpodition being included, and' for the greater ' soqurlty Svon Rodin himself truvellcd in disguise. Early in this journey a terrible snowstorm, lasting for a fortnight, cost tho Htos of many of the mules and horses,'while the sorlous nature of the caso was heightiinod by the noglect: of tho caravan leader, who had hot taken, the full amount of corn that ho had been told! Aftor many trials: the caravan reached pasturage by thai lake of Shomentso at an altitude of nearly 20,000 ft., and nntolopes woro met with, who furnished flesh meat. ~ •'■■"■' . . ' .

Trans-Himataya. Soon nfter this the mountains pf'tho Karakoxam ranee, wera left and the

route -led ■'out . again on- to the open plateau of: Tibet, lying 15,000 feet nnd 16,000 feet above ' tea level, anil tiposed in its-vast expanse to ..thp-'Kttpr storms, ffo:>mtho>nbrth;' nor. were theie wahtiuß on tho present occasion, 'and days; of storm nn(l biting winds accompanied tliem for many "days. : ■ Again: the Trans-Himalayan ranges were entered, again considerable , risks Were run : in evading thoinquiries 1 of local chief tain's,-but' the pfosimity of a fonnldable band.- of .robbers .''no\v- increased their apprehenBut.it was the : opposition of local authorities which again checked his advance, though , not until r he had almost reaohed the .Brahmaputra valley; again he was detained, and, putting off his disguise vainly .endeavoured to induce them to propose some. alternative; to retracing his own'steps-. . For this '. he absolutely declined to do, and niter muoh disoussion he 'at' last obtaining' permission to. return nbrthwards-by, a more easterly route' than, the .one by. which he had come, and . in'". this , , way. he. would cross the Trans-Himalayan ranges for .the' seventh time Rt'a new point.' Sven Hedin ■on this: oocasion separated from the..mV jority -,of his ooravarii and, taking five men and new guides with him, pushed northwards' across" two ranges of the Trans-Himalaya.. ■;After,■: orossihg.. them the' route lay more westward n«ar the -.southern . limits 0f,.; the: inner "plateau, .from whence in June, 1908, having joined the second pari of his caravori, the whole returned to.thc.lakes by whichihe Sutlej rises, and 'so , terminatedyhii.wanderings in: unexplored Tibet;'. , , : ; '■ ■ ' ''.■.'■ "•" ■