NA TURE 



[November 3, 1898 



official reports. Mr. Lander's map differs in no essential I 

 particular from that of the Indian Survey, except 

 that he shows an error in longitude. His separa- 

 tion of the Ralcas Tal from the Mansarawar Lake 

 by a divi<nng ridge of some elevation cannot be 

 accepted as a final determination of the real nature of 

 that division, the continuity of which probably depends 

 on the amount of water in the two lakes. Evidence of 

 their connection exists, and in face of the fact that Mr. 

 Landor only partially traversed the dividing ridge, this 

 evidence cannot fairly be set aside. 



It speaks much for Mr. Landor's pluck and endur- 

 ance that he should have succeeded, with two followers 

 only, in penetrating some 200 miles along the high 

 road to Lhassa. Here a forcible conclusion was 

 put to his journey, and his opportunities as a geo- 

 graphical observer came to an end. But what was 

 wanting in opportunity for scientific research \va^ 



evaded the Tibetan outpost by escaping from hii 

 camp into the mountains during a severe snowstorm, 

 and wandered amongst the hills for some days 

 before he regained the direct road to Lhassa. Sj 

 constant were his encounters with bands of dacoit 

 on this much-traversed route, as to lead to a suspicioi 

 that these dacoits must gain a precarious livelihood b] 

 robbing each other. Their cowardice was, however 

 phenomenal (and in this trait of Tibetan character al 

 travellers agree), and the simplest demonstration o 

 resistance was enough to put them to flight. Graduallj 

 reduced to two followers, with two yaks to carry his 

 small equipment, Mr. Landor still pressed on eastwards 

 until he lost half his baggage in crossing a river. H« 

 was driven to a Tibetan encampment for food and fol 

 the purchase of ponies, and it was whilst negotiating th< 

 latter that he and his two companions were treacherouslj 

 overpowered and cruelly bound, under the direction of a 



, 2. — Liu^sing the " divide " between the sources of I 



more than balanced by the excitement (unexpected and 

 most unpleasant) of thrilling personal adventure in the 

 hands of the Tibetans ; and it is this which gives such 

 strong interest to Mr. Landor's narrative. He crossed 

 the frontier by the Lampiya pass after a preliminary 

 ascent of the Mangshan mountain. After reaching the top 

 of the mountain (22,000 feet) at night, and recording his 

 observations by the light of the moon, he witnessed some 

 extraordinary optical phenomena ; and then collapsed 

 under the pressure of sensations such as few travellers 

 have experienced, and from which we may venture to say 

 that none before have ever recovered. High altitudes, 

 no doubt, produce curious effects on the powers of vision. 

 ■On another similar occasion Mr. Landor observed all the 

 planets and stars oscillating in the sky with something 

 -of the motion of a swinging pendulum. 



From the Mansarawar Lake eastwards his journey 

 was one of constant difficulty and danger. He 



NO. I 5 14, VOL. 59] 



Tibetan official, who had probably been despatched from 

 Lhassa to prevent his further progress. If Mr. Landor 

 was in search of a sensation, he certainly found it now. 



The rest of his book is a lively description of his sufter- 

 ings and those of his faithful retainers during theit 

 forcible removal from Tibetan territory. One hardly 

 knows which to admire most — the supreme contempt for 

 his captors that Mr. Landor never failed to evince even 

 under the most harrowing circumstances ; the pluck and 

 nerve which he showed when face to face with death ; ot 

 his extraordinary athletic powers, as proved by his cling- 

 ing to the saddle with his knees when his hands were tied 

 behind him, and a heavy-weight Tibetan was pulling him 

 backwards with a rope tied round his neck ; or when, 

 triced up by hands and feet (as illustrated by himself^ 

 he was able to liberate one hand and loose the rop«S 

 which bound his servant's feet, whilst he still remained 

 suspended by the other. 



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