Three French travellers, MM. Bonvalot, Capus, and Pepin, have recently
reached India after traversing an unexplored Three French travellers, MM. Bonvalot, Capus, and Pepin, have recently reached India after traversing an unexplored district of Central Aaia. They appear to have made con- siderable discoveries, and were warmly welcomed by Lord Dufferin at Simla. If M. Bonvalot may be trusted, how-
ever, they were somewhat too fall of the spirit of modern science, which acknowledges few moral restraints on intel- lectual curiosity. M. Bonvalot writes to the Dilate stating that in crossing the Pamir table-land, the "Roof of the World," they were stopped by a Chinese official, who pleaded imperative orders from his superior in Kaehgar. The official was asked to tea, when, writes M. Bonvalot, " without heeding the laws of hospitality, I thrashed him with a stick, and threatened to cut off his ears if he did not supply us immediately with camels." It is conceivable that M. Bonvalot, who had passports from Pekin, had also distinct authority to "requisition" means of transport. If not, we conceive he will hear of this affair from the Chinese Embassy in Paris, and most justly. If the story, which we give on the authority of the Times' correspondent in Paris, is true, the next travellers who cross the Pamir will naturally find themselves the objects not only of deadly hatred, but of a distrust which will isolate them like lepers. We confess, however, to a strong doubt whether it is accurately told. Men of these travellers' type rarely do acts of the kind indicated, nor do we understand why the Chinaman did not avenge himself.
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