The preparations for and first leg of the amazing 1930's Trans-Asiatic trek by motorcar from Beirut, Lebanon, east to Peking, China, then south to Vietnam and back again has been detailed in previous articles in this blog (1: Sat., Dec., 28, 2013, "Getting Ready for a BIG Trip," and 2: Tues., Jan. 14, 2014, "The Original ATVs"). We pick up news of the group as it leaves from Srinager, a city in the extreme northern part of India on July 12th. Mr. Maynard Owen Williams, Litt.D., the author, reports that this section of the route north through the Himalaya Mountains "presented greater hardships and perils than any other portion of the scientific Expedition's route" (First Over the Roof of the World by Motor: The Trans-Asiatic Expedition Sets New Records for Wheeled Transport in Scaling Passes of the Himalayas, National Geographic Magazine, March, 1932, p. 321).
The supplies for a trip with two long motorcars, which actually looked like the front of a Ford Model-T truck and the back of a tank, necessitated carriage by 150 horses! They had to carry not only food, tents, beds, cameras, and supplies, they brought along spare parts for the heavy vehicles. Roads, the few that existed, might be blocked by avalanches and landslides. They had to be repaired before the motorcars could pass. "An army of coolies tugging on ropes provided insurance against disastrous side slips" down the mountain passes (photo caption, p. 327).
Reality check: there were no bridges built to withstand the weight of these large, solidly constructed motorcars. To cross the bridges, the cars had to be unloaded and, at times, partially dismantled. "Thus the collapse of a bridge would involve no risk of life" (p. 330). Many rivers had to be driven through, if they were shallow, or have the equipment floated over them, if they were deep.
Another hardship was the quest for fuel for cooking amidst the mountainous rocks. "In the Himalayas firewood is sometimes more valuable than gold" (p. 337). These so-called "roads" through the mountains were so narrow that the author labeled the photograph of one portion, "Hanging to the cliff by an eyelash" (photo caption, p. 343).
A rock valley between the snow-covered mountains marked the place where "China, India, Russia, and Afghanistan impinge upon each other" (photo caption, 344). It is truly near the top of the world. I cannot imagine a place more remote. The population was not great, but there were many villages along the way. Mr. Williams described the tribesmen as "a friendly and hospitable people and, although they have little to offer, are generous with what they have" (photo caption, p. 345).
Although I had seen photographs of the yurts, or round felt huts, in earlier National Geographic Magazine articles, the ones in this account showed close-ups, and the process of felting from yak fur. The yurts are sturdy, waterproof and portable.
The physical perils of crossing the Himalaya Mountains cannot be overestimated, even in our own times. "In preparation for crossing the Kilik, 15,600 feet high, we tested our oxygen tubes, submitted to blood-pressure tests, and filled our pockets with dried fruits and sugar . . . We had left India, entered China, paralleled at close hand the Russian frontier, and crossed into Afghanistan, all within thirty hours" (p. 349).
Mr. Williams and his fellow travelers came to greatly respect the native nomads in these mountain regions. "These people have not surrendered to civilization . . . One feels that they live beyond the reach of the artificial world. Free with their herds, their horses, and their vast smokeless horizons, they love the virgin earth. Formidable horsemen, they won our admiration" (p. 355).
The voyagers also learned the value of the yak: "It has the head of a cow, the tail of a horse, and the grunt of a pig. . .Its meat and milk are food and drink and its dung a fuel. It is a beast of burden . . . and a household companion. . . It seemed to be able to do everything except lay eggs" (photo caption, p. 360).
The heavy motorcars were abandoned in the mountains. Finally the group reached the plains. They were elated to see fields of corn, cotton, hemp, rice and melons. . . but most of all, trees Their destination of Kashgar was reach on September 19th. Their Chinese hosts welcomed them with a grand banquet.
The author ends his account of this part of the journey, "It was almost with regret that we set out on our delightful ride across desert and oasis to where our comrades, with four cars, larger and finer . . awaited us at Aksu. . . The essential thing was that we were safely over the mountain wall before winter's blizzards set in, happy to be in Central Asia" (p. 363). To be sure, we look forward to reading about the rest of this incredible trip across half the world!
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