National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

tal, where a series of examinations were made. From these it appeared that I was suffering from a tumour on the spinal marrow, and this had to be removed. After much deliberation it was decided that I should go to Dr HARVEY CUSHING in Boston, the foremost surgeon of our time for diseases of the brain and the spinal cord. It was a matter of a rather serious operation. The arches of at least six cervical vertebrae were to be sawn off and the spinal cord exposed to enable the removal of the tumour. Dr CUSHING was said to prefer working with a local anaesthetic in order to be able to speak with the patient during the operation. A period of convalescence of three to four months would be necessary.

What I found hardest of all was having to leave the expedition, which had now been further reinforced, for in the course of the spring The Royal Academy of Sciences in Stockholm had appointed the two geologists Dr NILS HÖRNER and GERHARD BEXELL as members in my expedition for work in Sinkiang. Together with BERGMAN they travelled across Russia and arrived in Bakhty on May 7th. NORIN, who was at home in Sweden on leave, was also soon going to return to Sinkiang.

NEW ATTACKS ON THE EXPEDITION

On May gth fresh storm-clouds seemed to be gathering over the expedition. Professor Sm came to visit me to relate that »The Society for the Preservation of Antiquities » in Urumchi had sent three telegrams of similar wording to the Nanking government, the Governor-General in Kansu and to the society of the same name in Peking. This telegram was to the effect that our expedition was both harmful and dangerous, that the Chinese members were our accomplices and that they were in the service of a certain foreign power on whose behalf they were spying out the defence-works of Sinkiang. Further, that we were only ostensibly engaged in scientific activity as a blind for our political and military espionage, that we had smuggled arms and ammunition into the province, that by digging up old Mohammedan graves we had irritated and excited the population, and that revolts and riots were to be feared if the expedition were not forced to leave the province. And finally, that we were robbing the province of the precious antiquities that we had dug up and exported.

Professor Sm was as ignorant as we others of any society in Urumchi with the above title. Presumably it had been founded after the government's categorical order to CHIN of March 13th, granting us full freedom in every respect. This mysterious telegram had come as a reply to the order of the government!

Stu and Liu Fu of our committee sent off telegrams of strong protest to CHIANG KAI-SHEK and to CHIN SHU-JEN. In addition, Sm sent a personal telegram to the

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