New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-12-13
TWO WOMEN EXPLORERS
Their Hardshaps and Experiences IN
Siberia During Trio Years.


eut moment who have probably seen more strange
peoples. travelled more strange roads and expert
enced more hardships than any other women OF the
civilized world, unless # be Mrs Peary
They have travelled fifteen thousand miles
through Northern Siberia during the last two years
They have travelled by boat. raft dog sledze
horses and reindeer They have travelled for two
DAYS st time without progressing more than a
mile IN advance. threading their way in and out
among the tTeacherous bogs Of q subarctic sum-
r1er One Of them travelled hfty-six days once
without seeing q human being outside of her own
party. The other lived without her companions for
fourteen months in little native village.
These women are Mrs Bogoras and Mrs Jochel-
son. who accompanied their husbands two years
ago On the North Pacific exploring expedition sent
by Norris K Jesup, president OF the American
Museum Of Natural History.
This expedition was dispatched for the purpose OF
settling the question of prehistoric communication
between the primitive Inhabitants of Northeastern
Asia and Northwestern America. It settled this
moot point definitely From Behring Strait to
Fornosa they found tribes OF Indian stock, dis
-incf from the Monaghan stock. and resembling
American tribes far south as British Columbia.
Whole stories were found among them. Identical
with folklore tales OF American tribes long since
discovered and published BIZ ethnologists. Not
ony thread Of similarity is 10 be found running
through both. but whole episodes identical TO the
smallest details strange illustration of the per-
sstence of folklore tales since IT is probably thou
sands Of years since there has been any COMMUNE
cation between native of the two continents.
SIBERIAN METROPOLIS.
M and Mrs Jochelson travelled together, but
while Mr. Bogoras pursued his explorations down
The Pacific Coast ana through the Interior TO Mrs.
Bogorax alone was intrUsted an important past Of
the work
From point on Behring Strait this pIucky Rus
siar woman pushed three hundred miles inland,
snd took UP her residence in village called Mar
cuva inhabited by Russianized Yukaghirs, a sort
not strike the civilized mind opulently populous,
having muster roll of thrty-five log houses it is
e veritabIe metropolis in that section. Marcova
girls are regarded as city bellies far beyond the
Arctic Circle and people come not only hundreds
but thousands OF miles to trade at the five fairs
held annually at this great centre OF commerce It
was therefore q good point for Mrs Bogoras 70
open q store for trading with the natives Her
store was nIled with boxes which had been trans
- ported from the coast by three Cossacks under
her SUPERVISION In the boxes and
bacco iron pots and kettles. knives, beads and
canned food.
Tea and tobacco are the prime favorites Of the
North Siberian palate The unit Of value is the
brick Of tea. containing TWO and half pounds. all
trade being in barter This brick OF tea varies from
50 cents 10 g in money value. according to dis
lance transportation is expensive, about 20 cents
pound.
Mrs Bogoras did a thriving business, and when
the year was over her hundred boxes were
there indeed but inside OF them. instead Of pots
and pans and tobacco were some eight thousand
articles for the American Museum Of Natural
History. There were garments and emoroderles'
weapons and utensils. botanical and geological
specimens.
Throughout all the surrounding country mean
while Mrs. Bogoras had been set down as crazy
woman This was perfectly plain, said the natives
Other traders who came with tea and tobacco
wanted furs in exchange. She wanted no furs-
she did rot even want good. clothes: she paid
fer old rags. Why. she would give good new
iron kettle which would last lifetime for an od
ciay not Oh there was doubt about It, the
white woman was insane. Nevertheless. they were
oui-e willing TO trade off their old clothes and
the result Of Mrs. Bogoras's commercial enter
prise viii form a valuable feature Of the museum
collections In all. the expedition brought baCA
fifteen thousand articles.
ONE THOUSAND VERSED POEM
Mrs. Bc=oras found other and more interesting
occupations during her long winter visit THESE Rus
sisnized natives have an enormous verbal ut
eFature which has been handed down by WORD ef
mouth for centuries. Part of this literature IL
musical and consists Of long poems, sometimes con-
1sning as many thousand verses WHICH al
sung The curious thing about these songs Is
that they were sung by the people IN hussla siA,
seven. eight ana nine centuries ago oolie %
them relate to the doings Of Vladimir, the SAINT
under whom Christianity introduced into hus-
sis In -he tenth century They form cycle or
folksong like the Scandinavian Eddas ana just
the Eddas died cut in Norway, but nave Deeh
kept alive around the resides OF Iceland so THESE
old songs long since persisted IN Russia nave SNt
Eived in these far OF Siberian wllds-
These natives first came in contact with Rus-
slams 80 years ago. But these Russians were ine
descendants of ernigrants or pioneers VINO hdu
broken off from Russia $50 400 years oeIore' ana
had been slowly pushing eastward ever since Inc
songs they sang were those their ancestors had
sung in Russia three four centuries neiore- AS
they reached the native tribes and internarrieo
with them they taught them the old songs ana
~ att Ia
not KNOW what thew are singing about They 90
hot know what a knight Is, or q h4ie, 49,
- Z. - l....a