PLAN AND OBJECTS OF JOURNEY 25 
had not hitherto been travelled over, and it was not until 
I reached Ordos, Shan-si, and Pe-chi-li that I enteied 
regions which have long' been well known. Between 
Peking and Kiakhta I travelled through Mongolia proper, 
and afterwards hastened homewards through Siberia. 
Of other discrepancies between my orig'inal plan and my 
journey as actually carried out, I will only mention that at 
the last moment I decided to go alone. This was partly 
for the sake of economy, and partly because I did not like 
the idea of being involved in dangers and hardships which 
I could endure myself, but in which a companion might 
not have cared to risk his life. 
Moreover, instead of making one continuous journey, as 
I had originally intended, I found it advisable to break it 
lip into several expeditions. This was rendered possible 
through the boundle.ss hospitality shown me by the Ru.ssian 
consul-general in Kashgar, M. Petrovsky. He has since 
been specially honoured by the King of Sweden and 
Norway for his invaluable services to my undertaking. 
After crossing the Pamirs in the winter and spring of 
1S94, 1 employed the summer and autumn for a new 
expedition into the east and middle Pamirs, Kashgar being 
nty point of departure. In the spring and summer of 1895 
I traversed the Takla-makan Desert and the north of East 
Turkestan ; and finally, in the summer and autumn of the 
same year I made a third excursion into the southern 
Pamirs. In the same way I subsequently made Khotan a 
new base of operations, leaving there in the beginning o 
1896 for my long journey round East Turkestan to Lop-nor. 
It was only when I left Khotan in the end of June 1896 
that I really burned my boats behind me, cutting off every 
connection with the West until I reached the extreme East 
— -Peking. This arrangement made the journey longer 
both as regards distance and time ; but, on the other han , 
the results were much greater, and after each expedition, 
thanks to the Russian post, I was able to send home my 
collections. I do not think I am wanting in modesty, i 
say that I now look back with satisfaction on the many im- 
portant geographical discoveries made during this journey. 
