The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-07-06

.s.rrh~- ,h., h. 90 l~d 10 project inc
sorh NV p~ahlish~d ". tells NJ
preface ths, whom. --sersl years ago No
t-xan To make preparations TOT q fon,"~'
thru'lxh china. S,l-.ris AMI ten'rsl N-"s'
tn rullsrt inflammation CONCERNING IN" ''h
a. Rms - N. region during III" fs'la'
p~rlnd. he found II d,ficult 10 obtain -0'n
preliminary comprehensive ~kno~l"igr Z"
tho country a. would Assure q maximum
- profit Z, vas In the enor' 10 c"Il'r'
such Information ihat m. thought OF pre-
Aring %" present volumsS was suss"-,'d
Nov that he has travrrsed the principal
T"r,iuns ~ the country d.-cribed, and has
seen with hts o~n eyes N. land th" est-''ns
varissi populat ions and the numerous rr-
mains ~ ancient civilizations. III" irnp"''-
su-~ and interest ~ To. subject hsv- ben
greatly -nhanc'Si In hi- own mimi. ana ms
ability To- understand N. facts has h'~'n
corr-~pondirgly increased.
az the tw-niy-eight chapters ~ 'hl-
work, no fewer han nin" are devoted '" an
account ~ the geography, climate. Y" logS
and natural history 81 IA. SECTION 81 w"
glois under review There - n CONCLUSIVE"
reason Ter considering at such length ih'--'
asIsc's uf the subject. Thu physical con
dat uf AHlai,c Russia arr unique. lheN
hav" both muuldcd h- past 'tNtlilaii'h-
ana shaped 10 a large dsgrre IA" i"r'"~
determining ,ts future. The author points
out tia, the region uf ia" taucaru-, ID"
ard area c"utnng III III. closed basin "i
the caspian and Afal Seas, the vast dram
az" ha~in tributary to the Arctic Ocean
and IN" splendid nav lsabl. river systems
! upon the Pacific cuas, bordering upon
japan and ,hina IAN h- appreciated ~
their full signihcanc. only ~ detained
study ~ connection with IN" general
g-ologrsi facts and the remarkable Cllinai'c
condition. nf the country ~ Intimately,
indeed, are IA. physical conditions ~ IN"
country related 10 the historical develop
men, that 'hr last three chapters would
logically have fnund a plac" IN ia" history
! 81 the conquest and IN. account 81 III"
colonization But. for fear ~ di-maying
the general reader with too much -rience
al IA. outset th~y wpr" deferred. ~ a sort
~ apy-ndlN. TO the end In view, however
~ ~. fact hat the climate, the geology
and the natural HISTORY - Asiattc Russia
ia additi ION Ia l-'ng extremely Interesting
IN ,hem-rlNes. have teen such patent
factors IN determining the HISTORIC develop
IN ent 81 the resident populations, froi'
Wright believes that most readers VII
| turn hack from the p~-russl 81 IN" chapters
relating 10 'ho~' subjects to further study
Of he chapters dealing with the al
r..ources, the social con dit ions and NJ"
history ~ the p'gion
| Why has Central Asia been such a dts
,urtins factor IN the progress ~ human
vents Why have the movements ~
population from this rsdistins centre pro
foundry affected from tn. earliest times the
history II the world' Our author thinks
,ha, much welcome hight Is shed upon thu
I problem nv an examination ~ the physical
! condit IONS fully -et forth in The book before
"a. The irrigated belt about the has" of
the Tian-Shan and Hindu kush Mountains
seems Ia have been admirably adapted Tor
the breeding place - nations. from whose
subsequently oN-rcrowded lea, Their" should
b- pushed outward the lines Of colonization
There IN. lofty mountains not only CIV"
variety To the scenery and To the CONDITIONS
~ life. hut 10y condensing IN" mois'ur" ~
the clouds and retaining u for a Will" IN
glaciers and perpetual snow fields, hnalIN
L., /, dow IN due mea-ur" 10 meet the wants
! o. he t..ming peoples, which. in III" midst
~ perpetual sunshine have grown ny w
dependence upon irrigation In ancient
! times. however. the region Wa much mon"
su,,.ad IN the evnIut ION and maintenance.
~ a dan~n population than " l. now Prof
Wright would account for ~" greater
density of IA" population 81 central Asia IN
! former day-. partly hv a change IN social
and political conditions. hut partly and Trr'
hapS more largely. Nv IA. phvrical change
Indicated hv clos" ~tudv IT the geology
! ~ the region. and hv ~" climatic chang'-
affecting the distribution ~ plants AMI
ANIMALS He j. inclined - think that tho
former greater rainfall dependent on g~olus
lc,l conditions. and profoundly affecting
IN. CLIMATE. l. tho KEY to "a" p~uzlllng hl-t"r'
zeal problem
Prom A sentence IN ~. preface n APPEAR
,hat Prof Wright accepts ~" hypothesis
nov disputed n No, di-rreiitet. that the
fir, .p.aker- ~ M" European Ian.
euagrs migrated from he region about
the base of tho Tiar-Nhnu and Hindu ku,h
Mountain. Tn. results ~ m" migration.
from Central ASIA a." seem today. n" -sv-
IN m. tinns - Russia. IN Tho Magyar Of
Hungary. IN the Turks on th" Brsph"rI-
IN tho Monaghan rn""s ~ fasi"rn Asa
and in the Red Indian~ ~ America fuund
1 from BslflNR NI'NI TO H'ag'Hll" ~ WI
a. ~ the Widespread irslu- Ntaic language
and in the still NOR" widely disseminate
Iryan Tongues On" naturally turns 10 Ne
thirteenth chapter To- 500 What r"t~"n- 'h'
author giv.~ f"r adh"rng q" III" 'h""r,
that The original tryan ,"n're - Ia H. furuc
IA Central Asa On page -, We rad A.
the southeastern PARTON ~ IN" Arai
p Eastman oppression j. almost exactly IN 'h'
ccntr. ~ tho eastern continent. =" there
L. much tn ha -aIi IN favor ~ IN" theory
tina, 4, - near The centre from which the
human race originally dispersed itssl'
oycr the surface - IN" earth In that Cas.
the Monaghan trls- which nov ocrurN
the area ar. tu IT, lookrd upon merely a.
lony-t,mc Wanderers m the Past who n
last returned To- their ancestral home. But
IN fact, there can ls' hut little doubt that
In nrrhi-toric tim--. the Aryhn languag.
who's. dialects ara nov spoken Throughout
Eurnp.. and - which l~long the clas-ica
uersturcs II Gr"ec" and Rome. a. vel
a. that ~ IN" ancient Sanscrit invaders %
India. was de,"loT"d somewhere IN 'h'
great tral-Cs-pian ha-in Thu is indicate,
hy I'M. ron, Noris which are common {,
AnsIo4saSon. Latin. rre-.k. SlavonIc. Per
sian and Ssn-rrit. and which. a. the Sam
tim. ,,ppI, tho Condit ions Of ~. sAisiin.