HONOURING AN EXPLORER.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12497, 25 March 1909, Page 4

HONOURING AN EXPLORER.

That the Japanese can appreciate thedauntless courage of the scientific explorer has been, shown by the magr, Jiiticent reception given in Japan : "to ' Dr Seven Hedin (says the Melbourne "Argus")- His tour was a triumphal; progress, through the empire, such ds no foreigner has ever had before. A brilliant fete was organised in his honour by the Geographical Society,at which a fine speech was made By the Vice-President, Baron Kikuchiy the foremost savant of Japan, who speaks English^ fluently. More remarkable still .was the fete given by twelve generals, under the presidentship of General: Oku, 70 years old, "stern. grey-haired,crabbed, dry, and bearded like some old tree-stemi" The victor of Nan-shan spoke slowly, with many long and significent' pauses. But he roared like a lion. ' '''One might have thought that he was commanding a division on a field of bat- , tie instead of talking .to a dinner party of 20 gentlemen." But what impressed the explorer most of all was the demonstration by 4000. students, I whom he addressed in the open air. His speech was translated by Professor Shuga, and when he went down and shook hands with the nearest of them they pressed on hhn and 'screamed "Skal" (the Swedish equivalent of Mbanzai") with all their might.* It was much the same at the other uni- : versities, and at Nagoya, where he lectured to 1200 people in the middle ' of the great hall of ■ the temple, and beneath the gaze of the. eternal Bud dha, meditating' dreamirtg with halfclosed eyes. ( Where ever he weiit the explorer of Tibet was accompanied by' a permanent staff of distinguished; scientific men, and ho was loaded" with costly presents. . Dr Hedin was struckby the fact that the Japanese make' very little of -the heroes of the war, whose names are in the mouths; of all Europeans. If one expressed pro found admiration •_ for them hardly' anybody agrees, for it. is held that! they only did their duty. It .was.; however, admitted that when' Ad-: miral Togo dies i a Shinto temple will be raised for him. If you ask .ah educated Japanese whom he considers, their greatest man -Togo is' seldom mentioned. . Sorng incline to 'Prince Ito, others to Marshal Yamagata; others to .Count Okuma. The . grta't men of the war— Oyama, Oku,Nodzu, Nogi, Kuroki, Togo— are regarded as having been only tools in the hands of Yaffiagata, and . as having merely carried out his . instructions. Dr Hediiv declares that Japan is among the precious of all his memories, of Asia. It is a country "where tevSf.y man goes to work silently and dutifully and the .Wdmen smile even when the rain is Coming 'down in streams from the dull grey heavens." 'They are a people who believe in. tliemselyes, their own greatness, their own future ; a people steeped to the marrow .'.... in loyalty, sense o fduty, perseverance, and patriotism ;' a progressive and industrial people, awake, intelligent, and well-informed in all the ways of life.