TWO YEARS' EXPLORATION IN CENTRAL ASIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2399, 22 February 1900, Page 60

TWO YEARS' EXPLORATION IN CENTRAL ASIA.

A representative of Reuter's Agency has had an intervieAV Avith Captain Deasy, who has just returned to England after & Iwo years' .expedition in Central Asia. The commencement of a journey of which this really -forms a part dates from a year previously. The Avhole history of the journey is one of much suffering and hardship, brought about by the climatic conditions : but the explorer's sufficiently hard task was rendered much more hazardous by the persistent and continual difficulties placed in his way by the Chinese authorities, and this notwithstanding the free ihat Captain jDea-y had first obtained the requisite permission from Peking. Speaking of his journey, Captain Deasy said: — " I left Sri'nagar in September 1897, accompanied by Mr R. P. Cobbold, avlio Avent with, me ?b far a& the Pamirs, whence he proceeded to Kashgar. My party included a sub -surveyor and an orderly kindly lent by the Indian Government, a collector, and a number of ponies and mules in charge of four Pathans and some Argoons. I travelled via Gilghit, and through the picturesque Hunza Valley, over a terrible ro.xd to the Taghdumbasii Pamir, where [ remained surveying for some weeks Avhile photographing on the snoAV-covered mountains, at, an estimated altitude of about 16,000 ft. My hands Avere frost-bitten, but fortunately no permanent serious consequences ensued. Every day while Aye Avere on the Pamirs — in November — strong biting winds Amh very low temperature sprang up at the same hour, and I Avas forced to leave my tent, Avhich was pitched in the valley, long before daybreak, in order to reach the observing stations shortly after daAvn. The approaches to these stations Avere very steep, and covered Avith loose shell and stones. After a feAV weeks I sent some of my men to report on the condition of the tracks leading to the Yarkand River, three or four marches distant.- Up to this time all the Kirghiz and Tajiks I had met on the Pamirs were perfectly friendly .and Avilling to help me, out as soon as they became aware of my intention to proceed to the Yarkand River they put every possible difficulty in my way. They also said that the road was impassable oAving to earthquakes. "My men haA'ing returned and reported that there Arere tAvo feasible caravan routes to" the Yarkand River. I eventually started and reached the river, striking it in the Avest end of Raskam. From this point 1 Avas anxious to go down the river and explore a portion of the country Avhich had neA r er before been traversed. Two days before Christmas I camped in those regions at an altitude of about 16,000 ft, under the most trying conditions. There was neither fuel nor Avater, and the glass Avas beloAV zero. On the folloAving day Aye went up another 1000 ft, Avhere some surveying Avas done in the teeth of a very strong wind. A portion of this, as of al], our climbing, Avas clone on the back of a yak : but after a certain time the gradients became so steep that the saddle would slip off the animal, and riding was out of the question. Then the journey would be continued up the mountain side by simply hanging on to the yak's tail. But coming down these mountains Avas much more difficult than climbing up them. They were very slippeiy, and a sprained ankle under such conditions Avould have been serious. No animal but a yak could keep its feet at all. ."A large quantity of our luggage had to be temporarily abandoned, and Aye had to bivouac on the open mountain side. Owing to my assistant being doAvn Avith dysentery, Aye next went to Yarkand. In this dirty, tumble-down town the only Europeans are lavo SweduJi missionaries. Here the officials were courteous to me, and a native guide avlio had misled me Avas promptly sent for and beaten by order of the Amban. I Avas iioav anxious to return to the Yarkand River, and to reach the unexplored parfc : but a combination of melting ice on the river and a snoAv block on a high and difficult pass prevented me doing so, and I had to return to Yarkand. I then determined to prolong my journey, spend the summer months making a detailed survey of the mountainous region in the north-west of Thibet, and return in the winter to the valley of the Yarkand River. "On reaching Polu, at the foot of the Kuen Lun Range, I intended to go direct to the great Central Asian plateau, but the Chinese proved obstructiA-e. The route was unknown to any of us, and as no assistance was available, I visited Kiria to obtain from the high Chinese official there the facilities needed. Although 1 obtained the requisite permission, the Chinese barred to me the short and direct route, compelling me to make a long and tedious detour. . . . Although the obstructions of some of the natives, no doubt under the orders of the Chinese, made matters much harder, they had one good result, :>»■ we were able to explore a much 'wider region, OAving to the detoui^ they compelled us to make. The tracks in this part of the country Avere much Avorsc than ever ; in some places they were only 6in to Sin Avido.

"We subsequently proceeded by c socalled desert crack to Koshgar, and once more started for Polu. After leaving this place, and while proceeding along the Polu Gore, Aye experienced the greatest difficulties of the Avhole journey. We were very sfcortbanded, and were travelling through a

veiy narrow and exceedingly difficult rocky gorge at an altitude varying from 8000 ft to 16,000 ft, and for four days Aye had to proceed through incessant and heaA r y rain, this being followed by blinding snowstorms at the higher altitudes. It was generally impossible to erect tents or any shelter, and Aye had to sleep Avherever any very slight shelter was obtainable — by the side of some rocks or in small AA-atercoursies. While loading up an animal at the edge of n precipice a rope broke, and one of my Glen fell into the gorge beloAV. His mutilated body Avas subsequently recoA^ered. By this time all of us Avere thoroughly exhausted, and I decided to return to India, where soon after my arrival I had to spend tAvo months in hospital."