IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| History of the Expedition in Asia, 1927-1935 : vol.3 |
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Citation Information
On November ist, NORIN returned from his search for AMBOI,T. In the meantime, in Tsaidam, he had added several fine sheets to his wealth of maps. I now had around me all the Swedish veterans from the spring of 1927, as well as all the members of the new expedition — once more a real Swedish headquarters on the eve of our departure on an endless journey.
The Mongol TSERAT, who had for several years worn the Swedish gold medal for his loyalty and efficiency, and in the meantime had learned to handle a car, now re-entered our service as guide. On the way from his home in Inner Mongolia he had been attacked by robbers who had stolen all his personal belongings. He had made his way to Kalgan half naked, and in an extremely destitute and enfeebled condition.
Before NORIN returned on November 9th to Peking, we agreed that he should stay there until he had supervised the first stages of the work on his maps, which were so important for the motor road through Mongolia. His maps from the summer of 1927 were to be reduced and compiled at the Geological Survey. NORIN was then to go home to Sweden for some months, but be back in Peking in time for our return, which we calculated would be in eight months.
EARLIER CAR-JOURNEYS TO THE INTERIOR OF ASIA
We were by no means the first to travel westwards across the Gobi Desert in cars, and justice demands that a few words be devoted to our predecessors.
In the year 1919 the head of the Russo-Asiatic Bank in Urumchi, SvvoROV, set out westwards from Kuei-hua with seven cars. He followed the great caravan route to the south of Beli-miao, which was easier travelling than the route we intended to take, but more bandit-infested. This route, called Ta-hsi-lu (The Great Western Route), ran to the north of Murguchik and Unyen-usu and into Outer Mongolia through Dzasaktu-khan to Barkul. In the course of this journey SvVOROV lost all his cars but one, a Packard, that was still being used by Marshal YANG in Urumchi in 1928.
During his great and celebrated expeditions in Mongolia, Roy CHAPMAN ANDREWS employed cars the whole time; and in 1928 he advanced westwards to a point 28o km to the west of Beli-miao, but was there obliged to turn on account of the difficult nature of the ground.
In July 193o GEORG SÖDERBOM'S two brothers GUSTAF and JoE drove westwards with our chauffeur TSERAT in an eight-cylinder Cadillac, that had been purchased second-hand in Peking for 245 silver dollars, from Kalgan through Sunit and Dur-bet. For three days they drove on the territory of Outer Mongolia to the north of Alakshan. At the Edsen-gol JoE was left behind, and afterwards entered our service. Their petrol supply gave out here, but GUSTAF SÖDERBOM plundered one
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