The Washington herald., 1907-12-29
DR.. Laufer Resigns Post at
Columbia University.
TAKES UP STUDY OF PEOPLE
He VIII Organize n Department of
East AsIatic EthnOIOsy for Field
Museum I'm ChicaEO-EXpedItiOn
Will BE Sent To Africa, south
American, Tibet, and Elsewhere.

Columbia University. has resigned his
post and will go 70 the Field Museum OF
Natural History. in Chicago. 10 organize
a department Of East Asistic ethnolOgy.
ike the department. Of the same subject
az the American Museum Of Natural His
tory. OF this city, but on larger scale.
Fully one-half OF the Field Museum VIII
be given up 10 anthropological subjects.
and special expeditions have been sent
or wiz be sent 70 Africa. South America,
Polynesia. and Eastern Asia. The last
expedition viii Be in charge OF Dr. Laufer
himself
Although Or. Laufer is stnl a young
man. Asiatic research is not new 20 him.
He has made two extended trips 10 dif-
ferent parts OF Asia His first. taken
some years ago. was TO Siberia. where he
studied the comparatively little known
tribes Of the Amur River and Sakhal;n
Island. Later he spent three years in
China. penetrating districts where the
white man had been seldom seen, and
acquiring information on the intimate
social and Industrial life OF the inland
peoples
Dr. Laufer not only speaks Chinese flu
emily, but reads IT, and Tibetan. and a
number Of the dialects abounding n
China. He has translated numerous WORKS
IN Chinese. and has a large library Of
Asiatic literature. including books 80
years old
Ny plans are stiU somewhat vague
he said to-day. but 7 shall start for
China as soon as possible. and I expect
20 spend three years IN the country.
mostly IN the northwestern section. along
The Tibetan frontier II IL is possible I
shall cross into Tibet do not expect 10
take, assistants with me I have found
that II IS less wOrry 10 travel alone. and
with as few servants as possible OF
course. It throws more work on ones own
shoulders. but I prefer II.
Travellers safe in China.
There IS no danger in China for t-av-
elers. II Is much safer than many streets
in New York. The roads are not always
good. but can you say otherwise OF any
country? prefer 20 travel on horseback,
+ using one OF the native ponies. and there
/ are also mUIe-carts and the YAK. a worthy
bovine on. travel IS not 50 difficult though
+ q is slow. Sometimes the authorities at
tempt 10 fOister guard OF soldiers upon
F travellers. but I always avoid that when
7 can help H. They have 10 be looked
after as much as servants. and always
! expect tips. IN fact. the tipping system
+ is worse in China than here
In the part of China 10 which I hope
( 20 penetrate there are several highly In
I teresting and practically unknown abO-ig-
inaI tribes-tribes that antedaJe the Chi
uese. Nobody knows how long they hays
/ been there. When the Chinese came they
found them in possession In many t.
I spects they differ radically from the Chi
{ nese. They have an alphabet instead Of
| a system OF ideOgraphS. and in tie place
I of Buddhism they have q species OF nC-
/ tUTe worship. They are not completely
Z civilized. One tribe, the LOO-ioos. live In
I q reservation and DO rot permit the Chi
/ nese or other foreigners 20 intrench upon
+ them.
To study Folklore.
4 Much interesting information can be
/ gained. 7 am sure. from a study Of th-
folklore Of these people Il viii form
/ satisfactory basis for constructing the-r
I history. That IS one Of the things 10
/ which ! shall pay special attention while
I I am among them. shall take down
Z verbatim reports Of their legends and
myths and poetry, OF which they have
I marvellous store. BY using this material.
/ YOU see. We can construct their history
/ as they know il themselves
/ 1t is not so difficult 70 get q man in
/ each village for a few sen, OF a drink
/ Chinese are like Westerners IN some re-
1 speCts-tO sit down and tell all the tales
I he has learned from his parents In
I China all the peasants are acquainted
[ with the national and local legends. Rel
( atively speaking. the Chinese peasant IS
better educated than the European farmer
] ~ rl- F-fr hr-rl-
/ 20 read and write: his philosophy ot LIS
IS much superior 10 anything We have,
/ he Is contented. gets enough 70 eat and
/ manages 10 enjoy life generally
Art Work Not Scarce.
Besides studying the folklore, I hope
/ 70 gain quantities OF specimens OF the
/ industrial art, not 10 speak Of literature.
/ Pottery. brass work. paintings. statuary-
/ there are so many things TO be picked Up
I IN China OF which We know nothing. that
! il would be impossible 20 list them all.
] also hope TO get some valuable books
There are many unknown tracts IN
4 China, but 7 should Ike more than any
( thing else 10 get into Tibet. I am quite
I prepared for failure. however. Since The
/ British expedition 70 Lhassa. the bars
have been put up against foreign scien-
I know, have a secret treaty not 70 permit
foreign scientific parties 10 enter the
| country for a period OF three years. That
/ is 70 prevent the country from being
mapped or surveyed for strateg!caI rea-
/ sons But 7 do not think that ! can be
included under the heading Of geograph-
/ icGl eXpenditiOns- l am going solely FOR
/ anthropological research.
DO I expect any adventures? Oh. no.
/ Why should p have never met with anv
yet upon my expeditions. There are two
kinds OF travellers, the men who are
looking for adventures. and the
mind their own business. II
around looking for adventures.
likely 10 find them But why
I am immersed In my scientific
wish only 10 be left alone
travel and pass on. No one mol
Chinese Not DiScourteO,
For half a year I lived in
China. in Kiang-su and Chehkiang.
alone with the people in a farmhouse.
among a Chinese household. 7 wore Eu-
ropean clothing and was constantly on
the streets. but 7 never suffered dis
courtesy. The Chinese take foreigners
individually. If they Ike a man, Il is
all right ! have never had any difficulty
I'm getting along with them.
"Afterward I spent a year in Pekin,
and a second year in Nankin. Half a yesr
II spent jouraeying down the Yang-tse
River. stopping at all the important
places. Then I Travelled from Hankow 20
Hsie-anfu. in ShensI province. There I
stayed two months. 1t was a thirty-twO
days trip thence to Tien-Tsin- After that
/ visited Pekin a second time, stopping
, I In n cf r,-,fa hot I he