Thibetan Exploration.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 16, 20 January 1904, Page 4

Thibetan Exploration.

l>i-. Sveu Media's twelve years' attempt to reach l.hassa is of interest just now. One oi Ins joiu.ineys occupied three .years. The doctor did not reach that city of holiness and diit, but his failures will rank with ain\ successes on record in the way of travel. His experiences are the mole interesting in the light of our presvivt complications in the Chum'bi Valley. Should it he Col. Yuun-gihusWnd's foirtime to be the lirst Western emissary to the (Irand Lama, he will doubtless have a woixl of giatitude for his Swedish predecessor. At Merv the doctor met the Military Uuvernor, and the chance seemed too bright to be lost. "I asktd him to give orders to uncouple my carriage," he writes, "aid hang it on the lirst traiia that ram do win to Kushk. . . . But the colonel smiled siignilicamtly, and tiaking out his [Kickiet-lxHik, drew forth a tele-gleam from the Minister of Witir, which he read to me. 'ln case Dr. Sven llodin sliiould contemplate going to KuMlik, please inform him that the line is closed to all travelleis.' " The doctor's outfit includul a purse (when exchajiignd) 01 17 stone Wi-ig'ht of Chinese silver, ronil a selection of light liteftiture. We wonder whetlier the levity of t'he o.:e pai eel cou'iiteilrlalmiccd the griuity oi the other. Three ciiimeras were packvd awuv among a mass of scientilic iiistruineints, lil'ty - eight pairs of spectacles, and a musical |yox which wuiv to stagger Asiatic lium'ainit.v. So across the Caspian, en aig'avn tiluoi.'gii Siimarcuiiid and 'la.shkt'i.i.l, over the passes of Kashg'ar, and there began the journey proper. 'the lirst stagi! of the journey was a winter trip of 000 miles down tto Tariiu, Hn> ,-iver wlyivli skirts the central desert of Eastern Turkestan. Then the route was one enUu ' l l " <-° Eueoiwana, the Chur-k-hlik-s.i, and in tl.is regu'on (one of tht' most fertile possible from the cvi-'jiru'r's point of view) he found a joung Lama willing to help him tonva.d, pcr.ett luini in the lan- ?.'■"«■', and do ereryt-hing jiosß.|t/le to (help l/i-iii in entering l.hassa. This piomise the young priest kept, «ven to the extent of loaing caste and promoliio-ii, and himself practically exiled at the end in a Kalmuch monastery in Astrakan. The news oi the caravan's anival preccaua it, uinj sallies of native cavalry served to put thu travellei-s into the proper disposition f m - wmcountl e"i „ , Tl- ThiS WUS Kaa »i l », he Loiifoo ol NakkcMi, ami a a el . prelnntinary formalities meant to be coffhy a ppstui-aho'n was wwstti-l •_ he"ia!;r X ' l c , H t e * l, ™» 01(i «'«." v -*"*•„ "< th '''ffard to- von \oii will not g() to i !„..„:„ ,: ' ' " aUj across »> \V a L«ck L'aek to vcyui. i ~.,,ii, , " go swer to th- ... , .^ ,a,lt ''' S ' laanes 1 ,-td ~- ; ? " lai "' l "'^liishors•e mlw,:, i'/ SU ' ,J he cmM ™t outside,o" '°' i W " Ut *«I'IH««1 outside tlw bou-nduries of his own Prince. Shayiur (008 of tl.. c s- ««* ftndea) replied : "Oh, so ~ that country <ioes not , wloog ' to h ° ™* I-W tl,en ; itta, *to CI IT,' . , U " s K grew ane-rv »aV"oi' utl r;' swc ' ,eesco, - t^,^k " pait oi their way to U.h. The, commenced aa.other weaj'isoine jourKey across the hi e p„h«riKls, through a (ri-oup on lakes, and across the desert M,- Littkdale traversed in in IS'Jo. But the jurisdiction of the Lama puwucd them even here, and the Bombo of Kudok detained them ten weeks uhniig with a Coss-aek carai-an, until lie hwi sent to Lhas-s-a tor oideis, wii-ich finally terminated in expulsion.