GEOGRAPHICAL PROGRESS AND DISCOVERY. (AsiA.) 



397 



ancos of inquiry may be addressed to him by the Da- 

 lai Lama, and he may be also given some food. 



Polyandrism still prevails, though it has de- 

 clined to a large extent in the cities. The 

 people are very social, and fond of dining in 

 great companies in the saMangs, or hotels, 

 some of which in Lhasa can accommodate two 

 hundred people at one time. They drink a 

 fermented liquor from babyhood up, but are 

 seldom drunk. In summer they are fond of 

 picnicking under the trees throughout the long 

 days. Notwithstanding their social tenden- 

 cies, the citizens manage to pick up a comfort- 

 able living, chiefly by trade, and besides, to 

 observe the requirements that residence in the 

 holy city imposes. Lhasa is encircled by a 

 road. This is broad and well made, and de- 

 fines the limits within which all those must 

 reside who wish to make sure of a happy state 

 hereafter. This road is called Ling Khor; 

 within its circuit no blood may be shed, and so 

 the butchers and slaughter-houses are placed 

 without. The day is recognized as begun when 

 a loud report, as if from a cannon, issues from 

 the vicinity of the Amban's residence. This 

 happens about 4 A. M., and also at 9 or 10 P. M. 

 After the morning report the people are to be 

 seen in dense crowds on the Ling Khor, all 

 moving in one direction, as the hands of a 

 watch, as laid down by their religion. A 

 similar circuit is made by the devout in the 

 evening, to say nothing of smaller circuits 

 around Jhio (called Bar Khor) and other 

 shrines. At least, this is imperative on com- 

 mon folk. As to the great and wealthy, they 

 urge that their presence would only interfere 

 with the piety of the people, so they engage 

 substitutes, who, however, are rigorously re- 

 quired to circumambulate for their masters. 

 But, whether it is done in person or by proxy, 

 a careful reckoning is kept of the number of 

 circuits performed. 



Among the geographical problems sought to 

 be solved in Thibet are those relating to the 

 headwaters and water-sheds of the Irrawaddy 

 and the Brahmapootra. Inferences from the 



account of A K make it probable that 



the water-shed of the Irrawaddy is the Zayul- 

 Khanung range of mountains, and that the 

 Sanpou river is identical with the Dihang, 

 one of the largest tributaries of the Brahma- 

 pootra, though the river has not been followed 

 for its entire length, the upper portion having 



, been known as the Sanpou and the lower as 

 the Dihang, if the inference is correct. 



The roads of Thibet are infested with rob- 

 bers, known as Dokpas, or dwellers- in black 

 tents, who roam about in large bands, offering 

 to trade and seeking opportunities for plunder, 

 so that it is customary for travelers to go in 



I companies, all armed with spear, matchlock, 

 and sword. 



In January Col. Woodthorpe made a journey 

 across the water-shed between the Brahmapoo- 

 tra and the Irrawaddy, in the land of the Singpo. 



' Crossing by a pass 8,000 feet high, he entered the 



territory of the Bor Khamptis, on the northern 

 Irrawaddy, which has not been reached before 

 since Wilcox's journey in 1827 ; here he turned 

 back to avoid being detained by high water. 

 The land is well cultivated, and opium is raised 

 in large quantities. The capital is Pedan. The 

 silver-mines northeast of the capital are worked 

 by the Khamungs, a half-subject race. 



The latest report from Col. Prejevalski gives 

 accounts of his movements up to the 1st of July. 

 He could not enter Thibet over the Kerige 

 mountains, because the Chinese had blockaded 

 the roads and destroyed the bridges ; and the 

 horses could not cross by the passes. With the 

 exception of the Chinese, he found the people 

 friendly to Russia. He hoped to be able soon 

 to cross the mountains between the Keri and 

 the Chotan, and follow up the Chotan. 



Gold has recently been found on the Chinese 

 side of the Amoor in such abundance that the 

 name "New California" has been applied to 

 the place. The gold-fever has spread so that 

 several thousand workmen are already gath- 

 ered. They have chosen officers, have a strict 

 system of lynch law, and punish a revolver-shot 

 with 200 lashes. 



The opening of Corea to foreigners has been 

 taken advantage of by explorers, among them 

 the German geologist, Dr. 0. Gottsche, and the 

 English vice-consul, W. R. Carles. The report 

 of the latter gives many particulars regarding 

 the products and commercial values of the coun- 

 try, as do also A. W. D 's " Notes on Corea." 



An examination of the Malayan Peninsula 

 has been made by the engineer F. Deloncle, 

 who passed from Singira on the east coast to 

 the lagoon Tale-sab, separated from the Gulf 

 of Siam by the island of Tantalem, reached the 

 water-shed of the Luang mountains along the 

 river Klong Talung, and arrived by way of the 

 Tsang at the Bay of Bengal. His examination 

 of the rock-formations indicates the presence 

 of gold, tin, and iron-ore. 



Merchants interested in the Siberian trade 

 still continue their attempts to establish a prac- 

 ticable route by sea between Siberia and Eu- 

 rope, notwithstanding the ill-success of former 

 efforts. A petition sent in to the Government 

 by a number of houses interested in the trade 

 asks that all wares taken into Siberia through 

 the Polar Sea be made free of duty. Alexan- 

 der Sibiriakoff, who is constantly working for 

 the progress of Siberia, has interested himself 

 in these attempts to establish communication 

 by sea, as well as in the new route over the 

 northern Ural. In July he started from Arch- 

 angel in his steamer, " A. E. Nordenskiold," but 

 met with such compact masses of ice in the 

 Kara Sea that he was obliged to return in the 

 middle of August. His other steamer, the 

 "Obi," had taken a cargo to the Petchora, 

 from which it is to be transported by the new 

 route over the Ural to a tributary of the Obi. 



The project for concentrating on the island 

 of Saghalien the criminals sentenced to hard la- 

 bor in Siberia, is severely criticised, principally 



