Abstract
THE Russian Geographical Society has received fresh news from M, Grombchevsky as to his attempts to penetrate into Tibet from the north. In the autumn of 1889 the expedition explored the Uprang, a tributary of the Raskem-daria, tried to enter again into Kan jut, and, having failed to do so, explored the tributaries of the Raskem river which flow from the Himalayas. On November 21, M. Grombchevsky, accompanied by two men only, crossed the Kara-korum Pass, and went to the Pahnu mountaineers, who live by sheep-breeding, and suffer a good deal from the Kanjut robbers. On December 7 the expedition was at the small fcrt of Shahi-dulla-hodja; the winter had come, and the thermometer fell in the nights to – 20° Celsius. Nevertheless, M. Grombchevsky, with two men only and a guide, explored the passes leading to Kara-korum across the Raskem ridge. The tent had to be abandoned, although the temperature was – 35°, and the party was soon obliged to return. On January 7, after having followed for some distance the Kara-kash river, the small party began its ascent of the steep slopes of the Tibet border-ridge. The plateau itself proved to be a desert, 17,000 feet high, upon which a few yaks, Kulangs, and mountain sheep were grazing. A very high ridge, called by M. Grombchevsky the Yurungkash ridge, was crossed, the pass receiving the name of “Russian.” But the horses of the expedition were quite at tenuated, and on January 13 the party was brought into a perilous condition by a frightful snow-storm and a temperature of – 27°, without having either a tent or any kind of fuel. M. Grombchevsky was compelled to return, marching all day long. After having made another unsuccessful attempt at crossing the Hindu-tash Pass, the expedition went to Kilian. and thence to Polu, thus connecting its surveys with those of Prjevalsky. A telegram received from New Marghelan, in Russian Turkestan, announces that the explorer and his men have returned safely, and are making new schemes for further exploration. A map, annexed to the last issue of the Izvestia of the Russian Geographical Society, embodies the surveys made by M. Grombchevsky in 1888 and M. Grum-Grzimailo in 1887.
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Geographical Notes. Nature 42, 209–210 (1890). https://doi.org/10.1038/042209a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/042209a0