The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-08-28


into exclamations of wonder and He kept gianc
ing from the rosary MeKim's face and suddenly
darted to him, took his head between his hands and
said few quick harsh words McKim stared at him
stupidity for a moment then answered:
'Annah."
did not know it at the time. but have since dis
covered that word for mother" of the Tuscaroras
and Six Nations is Annah." which is the the
Tartar word. But the effect the old
magical He fairly capered with excitement, and in
a moment came rushing TO and fired a
rent of questions, but I simply pointed Mc<im, and
then toward the east. at which he nodded several
times think I had unwittingly answered his ques-
tiOn
Suddenly Mczm began TO talk, slowly at first.
then rapidly and incoherently. The old dropped
his launches beside him and listened with the
most peculiar expression 1 ever saw upon human
face Wonder, interest, awe and fear chased one
another successfully his features, and all the
time there was the look of listening to a long
forgotten melody. At first 1 thought MoKims NUT
terngs inarieulate and meaningless, but pretty
recognized the fact that he talking to him
self in North American Indian dialect many of the
cultural sounds of which once heard unmistak-
able, and all the while the old Chinaman was listen
ing with the ecstacy of parent who, almost
trary his belief hears the voice of child whom he
has long believed dead
Soon, however, the talking ceased. ReKim moaned
and raised bloody hand to his head The old man
posted OF and few minutes later coolies
down with stretcheTs, and were taken up TO hut
where under the supervision of aged friend, some
of the women stripped bathed and then laid
OHsmattings. covering with hOmespUn blankets for
the evening chilly.
lay awake long time, partly from the pain of
my wound and partly because the affairs of the after
noon had suggested something TO my mind. and the
thought it out the more convinced became
that my theory possible if not probable one.
McFim had once told that his grandmother
TuscarOra squaw, and that he had been brought up
among the Indians In that case 1t was more than
probable that he had picked up or more dialects
which in his feverish and unbalanced mental con-
dition, his mind might naturally revert.
origin of the Indian tribes Of North America the sim
ilaTity of many words the system of counting;
their strong comparative anatomical resemblance as
well those of disposition, religions and system of
hieroglyphics. who had made study of phil
oOgy had told me that in eghty-three American
languages 173 words have the same roots both con-
tinents Could it be possible that some one dia-
lect had preserved its integrity Then the little in
cdent Of the rosary occurred to and that suggest
ed another train of thought. Our csDtoTs had not
paid any attention to the thing whatever except that
one OF them il through his hands apparently to
ascertain if il possessed any intrinsic value and had
dropped il worthless. But the moment the old
man had seen ii he had become violently agitated,
and, ! thought trife alarmed, for he had looked
around apprehensively. and that came to think
of it, he of entirely different type from the
rest of the crowd He seemed more of a Tartar or
Hun, which, however. made it rather difficult 10
count for his presence way in the southeast of Asia
This suggested another idea. had heard Of these
TOsaTies being found in Thibet and Mongolia, but
never that I could remember. in China Evidently
the rosary had some particular significance to the
old man that it had not to the others And the old
man was of a distinctly different type. Then I
called what knew about the early history of Asia. 7
remembered that toward the close of the twelfth
fury Tchinggiskhan the king of the southern
branch of the great tribe of Huns who had shared
in the great southwestern movement of the northern
Huns. down from the northern steppes of Mon
goiia and ravaged the country far and wide He
ran China TaTtary. India Poland. Hungary. Persia
and Syria Later his grandson Khan Khoubilai fin
ished the conquest of China, and for the first time
that know of, subdued that vast empire Khoubi-
lai's domain the largesa that existed It
reached northward 10 the deserts beyond the In Chan
mountains, westward into Cobb the Sandy desert;
eastward It touched the river Sao and to the south
Il formed the shore of the Yoge A hundred years
later Tchon Youen-Tchang founded the great Ming
dynasty one of the first acts of which was 10 excl
Tartars from their domain But the great south
ern movement of KhOubila would, I thought &C
count for the pure Tartar stock in almost any part of
the Chinese empire. Might it not be that some clan
had split of from the main horde army and being
separated and possibly cut of BY enemies. had re-
manned. or pushed southeast to strike wateT2
To trace McKim's Tartar origin was more difficult
but there were few strong evidences The rosary
given him by his Indian ancestes his dialect and his
undeniable physical resemblance to the MonEols.
called to mind early writer who had referred the
savage and larger portion of America to the north Of
Asia and the civilized families of Mexico and Peru to
ancient Egypt and Southern Asia The TartaTs who
inhabited the deserts north of the great wall of China
we're a nomadie, rowing race, and the geographical
conformity OF Boring strait would make eastern
migration perfectly possible Once having reached
the continent of North America they would naturally
their faces southwark finding no resistance and
rich and fertile country before them. The more
thought of the matter the more I became satisfied
with my theory. and finally having reached stand
still. fell asleep.
The murmur of voices awakened me- and, turning
over saw that the room was full of men who we're
arguing exctedly and occasionally casting Sowing
looks at McKim who was sleeping heavily But our
old friend of the evening before the most ex-
cited of the lot and apparently the most authoritative
for finally the tumuIt ceased and the Fabble poured
out. ,ried get up. but he shook his head and mo-
toned for to remain where I was. One of the
women brought me some food stew of chicken and
rice and a few slices of raw fish.
With the old mans permission. ! moved my
fbo bu amused v,,.-eolf