Gobi or Shamo: A Story of Three Songs (1889)

This volume is an intriguing work of fiction set in the great desert of Gobi or Shamo. In an old Greek monastery, Mavrones discovers a manuscript that talks of a race of Greeks that have been stranded in the Gobi desert for hundreds of year. Wanting to seek out the truth of this tale, Mavrones gathers a party and sets out on a trek to the Gobi. The group comes across an oasis of mountains, a lake and stream. They follow the stream, almost going over a waterfall, only to be rescued at the last moment by Trench, an Englishman who is the ruler of a barbarian race, the Sanni. Trench tells them the Hellenes really exist, leading a utopian life further down the valley. The explorers search out the the Hellenes, who, upon having strangers in their midst, hold a council and allow Mavrones’ group to leave. After a long journey, Mavrones’ party finally reaches the civilized lands of British India.