THE UNMAPPED AREAS ON THE EARTirs SURFACE 253 



enterprises undertaken by any State, has been comjileted, and is 

 being rapidly extended over Burma. Ikit I need not reniin«l you 

 in detail of the vast changes that have taken place in Asia dur- 

 ing these years and the immense additions that have been made 

 to our knowledge of its geography. Exploring activity in Asia 

 is not likely to cease, though it is not to be expected that its in- 

 hospitable center will ever be so carefully n)ai)p('d as have been 

 the mountains of Switzerland. 



The most important desiderata, so far as i)ioneer exploration 

 in Asia is concerned, may l>e said to be contined to two regions. 

 In southern and central Arabia tiiere are tracts which are en- 

 tirel}^ unexplored. It is {)robable tliat this unexplored region is 

 in main a sandy desert. At the same time it is, in the south at 

 least, fringed by a border of mountains whose slopes are capable 

 of rich cultivation and whose summits the late Mr Tlieodore Hent 

 found, on his last and fatal journey, to be covered with snow. 

 In exploration, as in other directions, it is the unexpected that 

 happens ; and if any traveler cared to face tbe dilliculties — j)liys- 

 ical, political, and religious — which might be met with in south- 

 ern and central Arabia, he might be able to tell the world a sur- 

 prising story. 



The other region in Asia where real i)ioneer 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 

 been run across Tibet by Russian ex])lorers like Prjevalsky, l)y 

 Rockhill, Prince Henry of Orleans, and Bonvalot, by Bower, Lit- 

 tledale,Wellby,and Malcolm. From the resultsobtained by these 

 explorers Ave have formed a fair idea of this, the most extensive, 

 the highest, and the most inhospitable plateau in the world. A 

 few more lines run in well-selected directions would probably 

 supply geography with nearly all she wants to learn al»out such 

 a region, though more minute exploration would probably hir- 

 nish interesting details as to its geological history. 



THE FOUniDDKN ( ITV 



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

 the south of the parallel of Lliasa is almost a l>iank on the niap. 

 and there is ample room here for the enterprising pioneer. Tlie 

 forbidden city of Lhasa is at present the goal of several advent- 

 urers, though as a matter of fact we cannot have mudi to learn 

 in addition to what has been revealed in the interesting narra- 

 tive of the native Indian traveler, Chandra Pas. The nnigniti- 



