TKAXSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 703 



fatal journey, to be covered with snow. In exploration, as iu other directions, it 

 is the unexpected that happens ; and if any traveller cared to face the difficulties — 

 physical, pohtical, and religious — which might be met with iu Southern and Central 

 Arabia, he might be able to tell the world a surprising story. 



The other region iu Asia where real pioneer work still remains to be done is 

 Tibet and the mountainous districts bordering it on the north and east. Lines of 

 exploration have in recent years beeu run across Tibet by Russian explorers like 

 Prejevalsky, by Rockhill, Prince Henry of Orleans and Bonvalot, by Bower, Littledale, 

 Wellby, and Malcolm. From the results obtained by these explorers we have formed 

 a fair idea of this, the most extensive, the liighest, and the most inhospitable plateau 

 in the world. A few more lines run in well-selected directions would probablj- 

 supply geography with nearly all she wants to learn about such a region, though 

 more minute exploration would probably furnish interesting details as to its 

 geological history. 



The region lying to the north of the Himalayan range and to the south of the 

 parallel of Lhasa is almost a blank on the map, and there is ample room here for 

 the enterprising pioneer. The forbidden city of Lhasa is at present the goal of 

 several adventurers, though as a matter of fact we cannot have much to learn in 

 addition to what has been revealed in the interesting narrative of the native Indian 

 traveller, Chandra Das. The magnificent mountain region on the north and east 

 of Tibet furnishes a splendid field for the enterprising explorer. Mrs. Bishop 

 recently approached it from the east, through Sze-chuen, and her description of the 

 romantic scenery and the interesting non-Mongolian inhabitants leaves us with 

 a strong desire to learn more. On the south-east of Tibet is the remarkable moun- 

 tEunous region, consisting of a series of lofty parallel chains, through which run 

 the upper waters of the Yangtse, the Mekong, the Salwin, and the Irawady. This 

 last-named river, recent exploration has shown, probably does not reacli far into 

 the range. But it will be seen by a glance at a map that the upper waters of the 

 other rivers are carried far into the heart of the mountains. But these upper river 

 courses are entirely conjectural and have given rise to much controversy. There 

 is plenty of work here for the explorer, though the difficulties, physical and 

 political, are great. 



But besides these great unexplored regions, there are many blanks to be filled 

 up in other parts of Asia, and regions which, though known in a general wav, 

 would well repay careful examination. There is the mountain track between the 

 upper Zarafshan river and the middle course of the Sarkhab tributary of the Oxus, 

 and the country lying between that and the Oxus. There is the great Takla- 

 Makan desert in Chinese or Eastern Turkistan, part of which has recently been 

 explored by Russian expeditions and by that young and indefatigable Swedish 

 traveller. Dr. Sven Hedin. It is now one of the most forbidding deserts tn be 

 found anywhere, but it deserves careful examination, as there are evidences of its 

 once having been inhabited, and that at no veiy remote period. It is almost 

 surrounded by the Tarim, and on its eastern edge lies Lob-nor, the remarkable 

 changes in which have been the subject of recent investigation. As readers of 

 Dr. IS^anseu's ' Voyage of the Fram ' will remember, the Siberian Coast is most 

 imperfectly mapped ; of course, it is a difficult task, but it is one to which 

 the Russian Government ought to be equal. China has on paper the appear- 

 ance of being fairly well mapped ; but as a matter of fact our knowIed"-e of its 

 mountain ranges and of its great river courses is to a large extent extremely 

 vague. All this awaits careful survey. In North-eastern Manchuria and in many 

 parts of Mongolia there are still blanks to be filled up and mountain and river 

 systems to be surveyed. In the Malay Peninsula and in the great array of islands 



in the east and south-east of Asia — Sumatra, Borneo, the Philippines inuch work 



still remains to be done. Thus for the coming century there will be abundance 

 of work for explorers in Asia, and plenty of material to occupy the attention of 

 our geographical societies. 



Coming to the map of Africa, we find the most marvellous transformation 

 during the last sixty years, and mainly during the last forty years, dating from 

 Livingstone's memorable journey across the continent. Though the north of^Africu 



