Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-05
Return Of Scientists to Washington
With Valuable Collections.
DONATION OF CHINESE FIREARMS
One Thousand Pieces of Century
Old Pottery From Arizona.
ALASKAN MOOSE ANTLERS

The season has arrived for the return of
all the expeditions, composed of scientists,
archaeologists and anthropologists, respec-
lively, sent out early last spring by the De-
partment of Agriculture, Smithsonian In
stitution, National Museum, fish commits
sion, bureau of American ethnology and
the geological survey, and, as a result, not
a day passes without the return of some
one of these scientists, and the receipt Of
large and interesting collections, the re-
suit of the field work during the past sea-
son. The work of preparing, labelling, clas-
styling and placing on exhibition the ma
terial thus gathered will be done during the
winter. The first of these collections ar
rived last Saturday.
What is, perhaps, the most interesting of
all of the first collections thus far re-
ceived reached the National Museum yes
terday. This is a collection of firearms,
donated by Colonel w. II. Carter of the
United States army, at present stationed at
the arsenal in this city and who lately re-
turned from China.
From Old Chinese Arsenal.
This collection, numbering some 1,5OO
guns, Colonel Carter secured from the old
Chinese arsenal in Tien Tsin, China, at the
time the allied forces took possession of
that city, and, in the minds of the museum
officials, the donation is of unusual interest
and Importance.
Several years ago DR.. G. G. Maynard,
curator of mechanics, established in the
east hall of the museum a collection OF
guns, &c, the purpose of which was to
show the progress of invention in firearms
from the twelfth to the twentieth century,
beginning with the earliest crossbows and
harquebuses and ending with the latest and
most improved Mausers, Kraig-Jorgensens,
Martini-HenryS and Winchesters. The COL
md nj
Carriers contribution is welcomed for the
reason that 1t includes old, rare and out OF
date guns, from which DR.. Maynard will
be able to secure much that is lacking in
the east hall collection.
The Chinese government. 1t is stated, has
at all times been very closefsted IN the
matter of purchasing improved arms, and
at the outset of the war just closed with
the exception of one or two well-euuipped
stations and wel-armed and up-to-date
regiments, her arsenals were perfect curl
osity shops, being filled with everything
from blunderbusS of the time of Column
bus to a few modern Mausers, while her
troops bore every kind of equipment from
bows and arrows to the latest Colt revolt
vers.
The Chinese are not at all choice, 1t is
said, in the matter of firearms If gun
will shoot that satisfies them, the manner
in which the gun shoots being a matter OF
small consequence.
The collection donated by Col Carter is
therefore of character most unique
Star reporter stood by yesterday while
the collection was being unpacked and
watched the museum officials as they re-
| moved from the excelsior Mausers Kraag-
Jorgensens, Winchesters, breech-loading
shotguns, etc, side by side with old En-
field rifles. Burnside & Green carbines,
the Kind used In the civil war in this coun-
try; old Hudson Bay f1intlock muskets and
some others that were evidently strictly
original with the Chinese.
OF Great Length.
One gun measures exactly twenty-three
feet in length. Four men were required
to hold 1t while fifth did the aiming and
shooting. The Chinese evidently reasoned
that the longer the gun the more powder
it would hold and the farther it would
shoot Another gun measures eighteen feet
in length. The stock of this one is painted
bright red 1t is hammerless, and 1t is
said when firing it three men would hold it,
one man would aim and fourth, when all
| was ready, would strike the cap with a
small hammer which is attached to the
stock by a chain and hook
Other guns Of this collection resemble
the old Kentucky squirrel rifle; others still
appear to be of Persian or Turkish make
In short, nearly every variety of gun. from
a matchbox to a repeating rifle, may be
found IN this array of war implements,
from which DR.. Maynard will be able to
fill UP the gaps in the collection he is form
Ing to show the history and progress of
shooting irons"
sojourn In Cliff Ruins.
DR.. Walter Hough of the department OF
archaeology, National Museum, has Just
returned from a sojourn Of five months
among the cliff ruins and canons Of north
eastern Arizona. His large collection
reached the museum Wednesday, and the
work of unpacking, classifying and plao-
ing the objects on exhibition is now in pro-
gress.
pieces of pottery, the work Of the, prehis-
toric cliff jewellers, which Dr., Hough un-
earthed from the ruins In the region men,
| toned: and. also, a large number of stone
axes. celts. pipes, arrowheads, etc., the
work of the same people. The surprising
thing about the display is that the pottery
vases, jars and ollas. as they are unpack-
| ed. look as though they were brand new