s, at all events, would account
for the remarkable diminution in bulk undergone by the waters of that
stream as they proceed southward, which could not but strike an
attentive reader of the Russian explorer's narrative. We have not space
to reproduce all the arguments which Von Richthofen adduces, but the
more important are these:--Prejevalsky's lake was fresh, whereas Lob-Nor
has been called _The_ Salt Lake, _par excellence_, in all ages; Shaw,
Forsyth, and other authorities, report that the name Lob-Nor was known
in those regions, whereas Prejevalsky found no such name applied to his
lake; the Chinese maps, of the accuracy of which Von Richthofen has had
repeated proofs, represent Lob-Nor as lying more to the north-east, and
call two lakes lying nearly in the position of those discovered by
Prejevalsky, Khasomo, Khas being the Mongolian for jade, a famous
product of Khotan of which mediaeval traders from China went in quest,
passing by these very lakes _en route_. Another important argument is,
as we have mentioned, based on the bulk of water discharged by the Tarim
at its mouth. Von Richthofen's theory presupposes that the Tarim River
has altered its course, and that the main rush of water is now
south-east instead of due east as formerly. The whole question is well
worthy of further investigation, and it is possible that Prejevalsky,
whom a recent telegram from St. Petersburg reports about to return to
Central Asia, may be enabled to elucidate it. He will return to Zaissan,
the Russian frontier post, and thence endeavour to make his way into
Tibet by way of Barkul and Hami.

"It is, however, certain that he will encounter great, if not
insuperable, obstruction, for we learn from private advices from India,
that the ill-advised publication in the Chefoo Convention of the then
proposed mission to Tibet has resulted in the issue of the most
stringent orders to the Tibetan officials at all the various routes and
passes to allow no European traveller to enter into the country on any
pretext whatever."

Having stated the view of Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen, which is
endorsed by the high authority of the _Athenaeeum_, and which bears,
moreover, conviction upon its face, it is but fair to give the vital
portion of Colonel Prjevalsky's own description. The _Geographical
Magazine_, for May, 1878 Contains _in extenso_ the report, and the
sentences here quoted are from that translation.

"At a distance of fifteen versts f