DR. STEIN'S EXPLORATIONS IN CENTRAL ASIA.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12498, 26 March 1909, Page 4

DR. STEIN'S EXPLORATIONS IN CENTRAL ASIA.

j On his arrival hi London oii the 25th January, Dr Stein described to j Router's representative his expeditions in Central Asia, involving three years' travel, and the covering of ten thousand miles in some of the wildest and bleakest regions of the earth's surface. By a curious irony of fate, tho explorer received his only serious injury on tho very last day of his work, when engaged in surveying an unknown range at, an altitude of over 20,000 ft. After this accident the explorer had an arduous mountain journey of eighteen days beforo ho could receive medical assistance. He tli6n underwent an 'operation, from the result of which he is. still lame. Among other^f acts he stated: — _ ''One of our most profitable finds was the exploration of what lias proved to be a treasure cave, literally crammed wnth ancient manuscripts, paintings, and other Buddist remains. These had been deposited and hermetically walled up in a, side chapel of one great Buddist sacred cave. Here I found the whole of a. large temple library, with other valued relics, which had been deposited there towards the end of the tenth century of- our era, evidently to save them from a threatened barbarous invasion, and which haye ever since remained absolutely protected both against men and the ravages of the desert. The manuscripts which we recovered from their imprisonment of centuries frequently dated in their oldest portions as far back as the first century after Christ, but owing to the great mass of the records it was quite impossible to.' make a thorough examination.'. The books were done up in, bundles, and were practically as fresh as when deposited. The number of manuscripts exceeds 4000, and as far as can be told, are approximately in about seven different languages. The way in which this great treasure was recovered was one of romantic interest, and was only possible through the exercise of the greatest secrecy. Afterwards came a hazardous march right through the Taklamakan from north to s.outh, during which the endurance of all of us was put to a very severe test. My camels had to march for nearly two weeks without water, and practically without food,, and this alone enabled iis to arrive safely at the point where tho Earim River dies into the sands. Great. regions' 1 of dead river courses, which the river had formed since early periods, formed perhaps the most dismar ground which it has ever fallen to my lot to visit. Imagine "hundreds of "square miles covered with-absolute-ly dead, dense scrub and by the gaunt skeletons of great poplar and other trees which had been left behind by. the ancient courses of the everchanging river. It was a veritable tropical delta, stricken with death, andth.? dead and leafless foreste, with no trace of life except- the tracks of wild camels, made a scene which can never be forgotten."