A REMARKABLE CAREER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LX, Issue 9345, 16 April 1909, Page 3

A REMARKABLE CAREER.

EXPLOKATION UNDER DIFFI-

CULTIES

Mr J. W. Brooke, the youug Euglish explorer, who was recently murdered by natives iv a remote part of Cliiua, was a man oi' a type that the Empire can il! afford to lose. On leaving school at. the age of nineteen, he volnuteerecl for service in South Africa, and saw a good deal of fighting Lord Roberts recommended him for a commission, ami Huddersfield, his uative town, gave him a public receptiou ou his return. He joined the 7th Hu-ssars, but barrack life iv England did uot suit him, ami befor? long lie was off again to Africa in seacli of adventure. The East African Syndicate gave him a commission to lead a mining exploration expedition round Lake Rudolph, and \vi h three other white men he plunged into the wilds and was not heard of for s?me time. The party returned safely, after en-* daring terrible privations, with very valuable iut'ortnatioo about the region they had explored. Returning to Euglaud, Mr Brooke improved his equipment for exploration by studying surveying and engineering, and then went out to India with the intention of entering Tibet and clearing up two geographical mysteries. Forced to re= turu by the Indian Government when he made his attempt from India, lie went to Shanghai and struck inland, accompanied by only one companion, a Shanghai '' boy.'' Iv the face of great he succeeded in neuetrat-

ing to within 200 miles of Lhassa, when he was forced by armed Tibetians to return. After a visit to Japan, he returned to Shanghai to make an attempt to get through Southern, China to India. It was iv this attempt that he lost his life. "Lolos tried to steal rifles. Fight ensued. Brooke finally overcome"—so ran the message announcing his death. What a pity it is that so fine a spirit should have fallen in such circumstances '