The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-10
Russian Power Reaching After China.

In November. 1870, Lieut.. Col. PREVAIL
sky undertook the scientific exploration Of
northern China. This expedition, prose-
cuted at the joint expense of the Russian
Geographical Society and of the Ministry
OF War, covered q period of three years,
aud furnished matter for q voluminous
work, OF which the first part has been
lately published at st. Petersburg. The
collections formed during the journey in
Guided two hundred and thirty-eight spe-
cies of birds, more than sixty distinct sorts
of quadrupeds. reptiles, and fishes, n great
variety OF insects, from FIVE to six hundred
kinds of plants, and specimens of minerals
from every section of the vast region visit
cd. The typographical and meteorological
observations pursued throughout the en-
tire march are likewise Of signal interest
and value.
The novel and difficult part of PREVAIL
sKY's route began at Urga, the capital OF
the northern Mongois. Urga stands on q
continent OF the Orchon, and consists prop
erly OF two distinct towns. one being ex-
clusively tenanted by Chinese trades-folk
and functionares, who are prohibited by
law from bringing their families to the
frontier, or forming permanent settle
ment. The Mongolian city is known to all
nomads under the name OF Da-Kuren, the
"holy camp-ground." II contains numer-
GUS Buddhist monasteries and some
| spacious palaces belonging TO the Kutucha,
| the earthly representative of divinity and
the third person Of the Buddhist hierarchy.
| Around these massive edihces are pitched
the felt tents of the nomad population;
the streets swarm with beggars and dogs,
and, like those of all MonSol and Chinese
| towns, are diseustngly filthy. II is worth
noting that at Urga, and, indeed, through
out northern Mongolia, tho circulating
medium is tea.
From this point TO Kalgan, n distance Of
some seven hundred miles, PRzEwALsKY's
march lay through the desert of Cobb,
which stretches obliquely over the plateau
of upper Asia across thirty meridians.
| The surface of the waste u billowy and
uneven, although perfectly nat pains,
| covering perhaps q dozen miles are not
uncommon in the middle section. The soil
is coarse red gravel, mixed with small
| pebbles OF various stone, as, for example,
agate. Flying sand, tho scourge of ART
can and Arabian deserts, Is only enooun-
tered to the south. Areas wholly desti-
tute OF vegetation are rare on tho road to
KalGan, but the thin, low grass does not
hide the dun-gray earth. This route IL
rendered practicable for tea caravans by
occasional springs, and comedies with a
post road nominally maintained by the
MongOls.
The desolate tracts OF the Mongoliau
plateau are girdled on tho southeast by u
belt OF grass land some hundred and
thirty miles broad. These steppes are
ranged over by numerous herds belong
ing to the Hachars the extreme frontiers,
men OF China proper, who are distributed
under eight standards aud assume by
turns the protection OF the border
Through tho continual contact of thi
race with the Chinese, the character al
well % the type of the true Mongol hai
been modified to its detriment, having
lost the Aongolan good nature, and &c