A LUCKY EXPLORER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2929, 4 May 1910, Page 75

A LUCKY EXPLORER.

M. Paul Pelliot, the explorer archaeologist, who has just been honowed with a prize by the French Academy, has told a curious anecdote of how he secured the most valuable part of his booty, consisting of some 6000 manuscripts of the Nestorian period. He bad heard that a Tiaotist priest in the neighbourhood of Twtangwan, who was living in a cave, had, in digging through a wall, onfitte upon an immense quantity of old relics, statues, and manuscripts, which had evidently been hidden away there centuries ago, and were in a remarkable state of preservation. But the natives did not attach much importance to the discovery. It was a great distance from the place where the explorer was staying, but he resolutely undertook the journey tkrovigh what was to him an entirely unknown district. There were no roads whatever, and he simply had to travel along at hazard to

find the At last he found th« priest, who received him very kindly anfi was quite delighted that a total strangei should come to visit him. Of his manuscripts and ancient treasures, however, ha thought very Jittle. He showed them to his visitor without any hesitation, and was surprised at his idea of carrying .some of them away. "Take ffha>> you like, he said, "but do not let the Government people know what you are carrying. They might think that it was something' precious." M. Pelliot promised to be very discreet. He spent a month in the hermit's cave, examined all the maxiu* scripts, and selected about 6000, which he 1 stowed away with his baggage, and safety got them to the nearest seaport. The manuscripts have been made over to the National Library in Paris.