The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-10-31
IN THE ruRNEsrAN DESERT
Remarkable NtyAstilNp WrougNt
Thtrt by Ouung Sands

J 4 NUNN ANllA NNNS.
DR. NJ \ S,cin is returning O. India
;hiS week after making a prc.
imwlN arrangement ot thc remark.
able Hujs NrousN, 90 ljght DURING his
risen, expedition lu Ch,ucst rurkcS ,ap
| Nr S'c,n SAYS.
"a fuU .uvoS .jgl,au " the sculp.
! ,urJ, srrSco iS.uUDg objects W iu.
/ duS;1u art and SvN,s, etc. Wh,vh WVp'
! lug ouy " ;hc tCNH,cS ana dwelling
[ houses 90 Sand-huv.vd sizes VIII b,'A u
. "a rt>uSCi,S,c The Civilization Og a rS-
/ gion NhicN HAS played aO impArtap,
| part tn history As the link NstWcva
| ancient Cbut ANA india and the clSSs,.
I ca, Wcs. Now soy the hrs, umc have
/ been hrougl, 90 ugW S'uc ASPECTS ol
/ the everyday lie, the homa industries
AMI arts ~ ,1v inhabitants 10 ,N1 VII.
lagcS and settlements W chinese Tur-
I k5StAn which were abandoned Ia the
l 1rly centuries after the oygtnpaE "
/ the Christian era, and have S0Vc Octu
I yugjci uu4cr moving sand duprS, As
showing the extent O. Whlcl the dcs-
[ trt has advanced ! may say that some
I " he settlements tNclvatcd are
/ situated fully \ hundred niles beyond
I the edge " the 7rCSen. cultivated arra.
The great Utc,rSS dcS rt is naturally
regarded with muvA superstition by
the people Who live IN the scauty SET
Elements along thr dNscr, Nigc, ANA ,he
diticuay ot carrying sufficient supplies
and wa,er has luckily kep, The native
treasure seekers fram sting and also
exploring the more d.scan, and also
more AuCieu. ruptd sites which have
now been systematically explored for
,ae mrs, ;ime under toe auspices W
the Indian government
No doIht can hc entertained thar
ne inhabitants o( these plrcts Wert
In possession " culture mainly de-
rived from india. an3 tha, ,hcy werc
BuidhiS'S My excavations 80 20 prove
that their culture VAS a.gAly advanced,
and .hl, the arr influences W Greece
and Rome vecr tc,J even "A; that great
distance gr'm the center Hho,JN Is,
I should say. uhou, hdlt way between
Pek.n ana Western Europe. Possibly
ha mos. striking excavations | made
We're az \ size in the heart " the dcS-
er, north NJ N,ya, where one settlement
was expose a. covering Wlt6 SIS scattered
dwellings, ani Sl1n.s AN lrra ~ about
six m les by four Un. dAgsng began
all that was visible were wc,nl-llokng
rows ~ bledChei timber p,r,ts pro-
Jec,ng IN various places Ike the sy1me-
work " a wrecked ship from between
tn sand dunes Even with all the in
y=reStnS work az hand ,ne utter iesa-
hti0u of the place made i,seit lei,
most keeuly during a prolonged stay,
and the uncanuy surroundings specially
Affected INV people
"Ot special interest were the refuse
heJpS wh.ch We unsarthel near some
ruined houses once apparently renamed
by village 0ttiyiIl-k,nds ~ 'wIS,c-pt-
per baskets. containing hundreds 1f
documents. beautifully written On
wooden ,1ole;S. and carefully tel AMI
sealed owing 90 the prrscrvlt'vH tA-
ture u the sand many ot these were
n Splsniid cnnlition-tAe Ink a. black
and the seals and strings as pertec; As
II hey were only q few weeks old
As these documents arr IN a known
Indian script, their displacement can
be expected % reveal IN a fascinating
manner many ~ the details " the an
Glen, village LIE. But % VIII bp 4 task
requiring years % close stndy. as In
In lila .tsa.f the materials available NJ
this earl" script have 81 ,lr been very
scanty. At sights less ancient w, Clso
found paper documents In Slnskrt. |
-h.neSs. and also Ih'e'ian manuscripts.
In none ot the excavations dd | hnd |
any unknyN1 Characters. R1uni most |
" the sind-ouriei houses NrrH Drought |
,r ligh- ca-'Illy planned Nt,ir gardens, |
Wiin avenues 't trees. tenced lanes. |
lrcaaris' ana $50 t'riA lt Wi' truly /
As 11i'h'ng on clearing away tA1 sanl |
10 ma uni'r IN" shriF'A.i hriges /
heaps ~ dH'i .~lT-s Just as they had /
fallen in ages gone by. Tn sirdsns
We're much in- sam" .n character AS
nose SUI -' n" i|uai 10 Iu'NHsiAn t'-
lay. TIE trees We're mostly P'p'rS
nj peach mulberry. a1i npr'c't trees
There IS M evidence '11i hes places
We're aoand mel owing o. any -udirn |
'aiAS'r'pA', but their gradual i-+"r-
zen Wa rV. l"nly due 'l tAt iWp'-'.-
'lty ': continued irrigation, 'lu'"i py
he advance W % slnL
w NE articles ~ real value "tT''
1r r.iIrr, removed lN their possess r..
ve t1ull in The dwelling p.a' miay
l0u-eho.l implements ot small value,
urh as p.'"nt'rk- m'use'rlps. boots.
hair s1o"mak"rs' lasts. ric. ln .h'
u.n't temples We found g -rt ~ mn
Intentional exhibition ~ 'h' 3br''s "
hose remote asrs-t'r IN front ot some
7 'hs ldl's We're heaps nf torn sAreis