The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-01-18
JEREMIAH CURTIN VISITS THE
FAMOUS BURIATs.
He is Translator of Henryls Sienkie-
wicz's Polish Novels-Talks Of Future
Novels to be Published.

Among the passengers on the China
on route to the States is jeremiah cur
tin and wife. He is the translator of
the works of Henryk Sienkiewicz, the
/ famous Polish author and has contri-
buted in no small degree to the won
derful success of those novels in the
English language. Mr.. Curtin is on his
way to his home in Washington, ID. c.
/ from an extensive tour through Russia
and Siberia, most of his time having
/ been passed in the Asiatic part of the
/ Russian Empire. While in Poland he
saw much of the Polish author and
| from him learned something of the fu-
| ture plans and works in contemplation.
| AS the result of his travels, Mr.. Cur
/ tin Will publish an account of one of
| the least known and most interesting
| people in the world. This is the tribe
of Buriats in Asia, the last tribe which
retains the ancient religion of the Mon
/ gol race.
! Il met Mr.. Sienkiewicz in Warsaw
last May" said Mr.. Curtin this morn
| ing, and passed q month in that city.
He has a number of works in contem-
plation and 1 anticipate that his sub
sequent novels will prove even more
/ Interesting than did his earlier works.
The first book which he will give to us
| is sequel to QUO Vadis." This will
4 cover the reign of the Emperor Otho
/
which "Quo Vadis" is laid. An
other very important work which Sien-
| kiewicz has in view is an historical
InoVel based upon Napoleon's invasion
| of Russia. That campaign is of great
interest to the student of Poland as
there were $4,000 Polish soldiers in Ma
poleon's van guard and they took a
prominent part in the invasion. An
other novel will be an historical work
on the downfall of Poland. This viii
| treat of the last rising of the Poles in
which Kosciusko fell. There are also
novels of a psychological character
which the author has in contemplation
can not state the exact time when the
! first novel will appear.
From Warsaw L went to Vilno, then
! st. Petersberg and Moscow where
took the through train over the trans
! Siberia railroad which extends to r.
kutsk in Asia. | was astonished at the
character of the country from Western
! Siberia to Irkutsk. 1t is very good fer
tile land and while very little settled
there is room for a whole new empire
The land is rich enough. The country
| is on the whole picturesque. With few
| exceptions the construction of the route
was accomplished without much diff
Guilty By taking this Siberian route is
seSUred the shortest possible journey
around the world. 1t would be possi-
~
to go from Paris to Peking or Naldivos
took, and, with a line of steamers run.
ming through Hakodade straits off the
coast of Japan, to San Francisco swift
trains from the Pacific Coast to New
York and steamers from there to Eu'
rope, for one very shortly to make
the trip around the world in about 2j
days. Siberia gives Russia a world
position which is impregnable. The
railroad communication is with every
great nation in the world except Ameri'
ca and she has, moreover, command
of all the shortest routes.
while in Central Asia | found one
of the most remarkable people in the
world. These were the Buriats who
live near Lake Baikal. passed seVera
months studying these people and in
tend to publish a work about them
| had had such a book in contempla-
ton for some time and was able tC
secure much information concerning
them. Although Russian subjects they
are the last race to retain and prac'
tice the ancient Mongol religion, the re-
ligion of Genghis Khan. The rest of the
Mongols have been converted to Budd
hism.
This ancient Mongol belief is a very
strange one and bears many points o.
striking resemblance to the religion o.
the North American Indians. These
BuriatS are perhaps the only trlpe II
the world with perhaps one exception
who practice the horse sacrifice. l wit
messed this strange ceremony whil'
with them last summer. The horse Il
killed by wrenching his heart. Afte
death, the bones and a portion of tn
., flesh are burned, while some of the flesl
is eaten. 1t is a tribal sacrifice t
some of their various gods.
LAS to the future of Russia, l viii
! say that the natural geographical posi-
ton of that empire, the sturd
character of her people and tn
remarkable political judgment of tn
men who have the diplomatic direction
of the country would lead any studen
of Russia to expect great things of hei
The leaders of Russia know how t
take advantage of circumstances an
sieze their opportunities which is YER
high wisdom in the conduct of humal
ec.s...