The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-30
ASIAN SAVACES IN A NOVEL.
~ ItPISRf rs >TORITN az ms
W. I\II RVS ~ >IRT RIt.
Book by Wald.mar nosorss Ot the Amer.
lean Museum ln lie Published Here
aud IN H,l..ia Odd Customs of the
rribr- ~! <Orihra.trrn Asia Described.

Trihr. u. Northeastern ASIA Dr.cribed.
4 tool; To be pLU,i,! cd in Russia and IN
New York "a 'hc early spring viii give in
the form Of novel som" inr"re-' iug de-
tail Of the lif" Of The uuriyiii2.i peoples
of northeastern Asa TIA" Russian manu-
script has already been sent e. that country
by ih- author. Wallemar Bogora- of the
American Museum II Na'ural History,
and a tId', ld'iou l. now being mad. here
for tie simultaneous publication ~ the
story III English IN New York.
Why Mr. BogoIa> chooses the novel
form for the stories h. has 10 tell Is hi
own secret. Tn" Information he acquired
in year of study among the mort heasteru
A-iatc- Is Interesting enough in Itself
wthouj requiring the aid of story. bu'
Mr. Bogora> has chosen TO put some of it
into the form of an historical novel
Mr. Bogura, LA, spent in all nine years
among the tribes WHOSE. lii. lie has made
his special study. lie ma teen in three
Siberian exp. ditiou-, Tor the Russian Acad-
envy of Sciences, the geographical Society
of -. Petersburg aud the Jesup eXpediti ion
OF he American Museum Of Natural History.
For nine months he was compelled to
live entirely upon fish. and for the most
part upon frozen f-h For two and one
half years h. wandered wi'h the LomadIc
people wherever their courses took them.
la thir;v-tve days he once travelled
SO miles in Behring Sea IN skin boat
IS feet long He was bound for point
wh-r. steamer touches just once a year,
and 10 miss il m-anr another twelve months
with the saNagr-
n" travelled from 81 Laurence Island
10 the man ldLd ard along the coast TO
AnaIyr Bay. In ru" Sj-foo' boa were
| eight persons and ten dog Going along
| the coast The boat was part of the time
towed by the dogs. This boat is now in
| the American Museum.
The Tchuktche-s, the koryaks. the
EsuuimauN, the kamc haual The Iamus
| the Iukaghir. the kuris and the fungus
were The peoples among whom Mr. Bogoras
lived and lac has called his book Light
| Tribes. His experience with these people
| caused him to revise some of his ideas
| acquired III the schools Of civilization.
Savage life Is az complicated as civilized
| life, h. said in spca king OF his experiences,
80 We have nothing to boast Of in that
| respect. We have been wrong in speaking
| of the simple life of the savages
| For one thing, these people have had
| hundreds Of years, probably, in which TO
| work on, their progress, while We have
| perhaps 500 Of development behind Us.
| civilized people are bound by narrow
| paths because they want 10 be conventional
| all alike. The savage life II more pict-
| uresuue, for each individual Is free 10 do
| a. he wishes.
There are flfty species of game where
| they live. and these people can tell from
| track in the snow whether the animal
| which has passed was male or female, il, =
| age. its state of fat. and many more de-
| tails They discern eighty different shades
| or hues in the different reindeer, whereas
| 10 EUROPEANS the fur Of all reindeer appears
simSly gray gray. ,n,, .. much -, Chin, ..
| these tribes know Of spirits, that is, of he
| spiritual existence. And they are ro-
mantle and highly sentimental Romantic
| love exists among them. Men and woineu
| will Kill themselves for love.
| They haN . occasional human sacrifices.
| an individual sometimes coming 10 the
| conclusion that he must offer himself as a
sacrifice for his people if things have gone
| wrong with them Tor a long period
tiVili2ug influences are now at last
| making some Roadway among those peo-
| plies. MIR Bogoras said, and along with
| them 60 Couta gious diseases which hay.
| wrought more havoc among the natives
| than their wars used 10 do He said thai
! whilc lie, dweh with the people between
| kamchalka and Fact CAPE and between
| East Cap" and Prince of Wales Cape in
| America measles IN siN months carried
! on our-Qualter of the population.
| VII. BpSOlas opens Ills doom az u RIedl
| fair on the banks of the River Anapka,
| which ~ Cuus.Crateu to the chief sea-god,
| the great holy lobster, Anvil II l. clear
| that civilization was not a pioneer in the
| appreciation OF IN" lobster
| AVVi j. n lover of peace ami he forbids
strife wthinl his ldonlain. which includes
| the hanks Of his sacred river. The people
! therefore, of the several tribes may Congre-
| gate in peace ON these banks. and so they
| hold great fairs thor" for barter and AMIGA
| hlv Celehral ion.
| once in Will" figh' takes place even
| within the sacred bounds. hui the ven.
| geauce of Avn - dreaded, sacrifice j.
| likely 10 Toe demanded bN the outraged
| god il his peace has been disturbed, and So
| the fights there are rare.
| No drIuh l.. sold az these fairs buI Their"
| il always q special tent in which peopl.
| may 20 and cat an intoxicating mushroom.
| which answer, all the purposes of alcoholic
| ichIia ion Then Il disagrecaba person
| il likely to hr Cail.d mice eater or IT,.
| son of mouse eater, ana trouble may
| follow.
| The mic. eaters were Of old the most
| dotested till" among peoples none too
delicate themselves, and their descend
| ants are still disiked. Once in a while
| il food il very scarce a NOUS. il eaten
| nowadays and then IL a sharp eve has
seen IN" meal srrreptitiously, there may
| be- dlragreran" echoes az Il later time.
| Il saw YOU eat mouse lasi winter"
| is a terrible thing To SAY
| The mice are eaten raw by the way
| The people reason; "Ih" foxes eat the
| mice WHY shouldn't We" The spirit of
| brotherhood with these -avagcs extends
| 80 far.
| Al the fair with which the "Eigh, Tribes"
| open "a shamah. or wizard, or medicine
| man. goes 10 the special tent, sings the song
| of the mushroom and proceeds To get salts
| factorlly intoxicated. Mr. Bogoras SAYS
| that ne has seen such scenes The sha-
| stlirItS and thnZ hin, 10 a.,
| stunts with knives. six Of which he carries
| about him for the treat ment of his pa tents
| His nephew, who has seen him under
| tn" mushroom Influence before keeIs ansy.
| on him and when he gets too lively takes