ACROSS THE ROOF OF THE WORLD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144198, 15 September 1913, Page 5

ACROSS THE ROOF OF THE WORLD.

AMAZING JOURNEY. BY TWO ENGLISHWOMEN. Ono of the most extraordinary holiday trips erer undertaken by women travellers was described at tho Lyceum Club, London, last month. It was a rido across tho roof of tho world—that part of tho Himalayas which separates India from Eastern Turkestan. Tho two travellers . were English ladies—Miss E. G. Kemp and Miss M'Dongall, a well-known Chinese explorer. They set" out in May of last year. Miss 'Kemp told the story of tho, adventure, in which they were unmolested. ‘‘Was it worth while?” she was asked when sho had thrilled the ladies with stories of nights spent under Uio stars thousands of feet up in the great solitudes. WORTH WHILE. “Well,” replied Miss Kemp, “I think it was. There comes a time in our lives when it is desirable to broaden our interests. What struck' mo thero in those solitudes was tho wonderful solidarity of human nature. We felt that we were all essentially one. 1 think it quickened our perceptions; gave us a new poise, and a greater capacity to take a broader view. I think it was worth it.”

Miss Kemp described how they crossed mountain passes which had never before been trodden by win to women travellers—and owing to the proposed building of now roads would probably never bo used by white women again. They met a Saint of Tibet. They conversed with him, made a sketch of him, and told him the latest news of Tibet. They visited monasteries filled with figures of local saints and devils and scrolls of many colours. One of the most interesting of their sketches'shows monks preparing themselves with masks to perform the Devil Dance. THEIR CARAVAN.

Those two ladies,’ with tho smallest possible caravan, mot tho caravans of sportsmen—large and elaborate affairs with long trains'of ponies carrying the heads of animals. They discovered that the natives on tho road were as keen as tho sportsmen themselves, and that the solo topic of native conversation was tho largest gamo bag. In Lch they were received at the King’s palace, and provisioned themselves for tho most arduous part of their journey. They took with them a cook who, when at home in Leh, was also a pillar of tho Church, a doctor’s assistant, sportsman, hymn writer and general handy man. Ho spoke English, and Miss Kemp was loud in hor praise of his service. men servants, interpreters, eight ponies to carry tho tents, and two yaks—tho latter tho stately chargers upon which tho ladies rode—completed tho caravan. 18,000 FEET HIGH.

They started in tho direction of the Paugong Lake, noted for its brilliant colour, and ascended to a height of 18,000 feet. For one month they lived away from civilisation. They passed largo monasteries, and villages of poor hut charming people. Tho wonwn dressed in lamb’s-wool head-dress, with turquoise and silver ornaments of great value. They lived in dark houses, which tho domestic animals shared. On this huge ridge of the world they discovered kerosene tins in nso for everything except carrying oil. Leaving native villages and kerosene tins behind, they climbed over glaciers and up precipitous mountains, forded dreaded rivers, and explored gorges that had never known the presence of white women. Tho way across these heights was strewn with carcases of horses, and tho perpetual symbol of death was tho raven, always circling around tho travellers. They suffered terribly from headaches, and adopted chlorate of potash as a cure. In Turkestan they were welcomed with great warmth by Britishers and Chinese alike.