The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-06-12
TALES OF :
HUNTING THE MASTODON.

Few persons will envy the Russian
men of science who have hurried
across Siberia to the frozen ocean in
order to secure the remains of the
mastodon that was found last year
near the mouth OF the Jana River.
The travellers were speeded on their
way under the auspices of the St.
Petersburg Academy of Sciences, and
the Government is footing all the
bills. But even money without stint
cannot provide comfort on such a
journey of 347O miles from Irkutsk
through the wilds where the dead of
winter still reigns; and it was to be a
day and night journey till the party
should reach the prize, for reindeer
and dog teams were collected along
the route and no cessation of travel
was anticipated till they should stand
beside the animal, still two-thirds
buried in the earth that overwhelmed
it perhaps 10000 years ago.
Delayed a little by snowdrifts the
expedition was seven days in reaching
Ir'-utsk by train, where they trans
.erred to troikas that took them
some distance north till they met the
first reindeer sledge teams. Rem
deer were to carry the party about
half the way and then give place to
dog sledges, and it was estimated that
by either mode of travel about lis
miles would be covered every day.
After all the hard work, discomfort
and great cost the journey may be
practically fruitless. Hopes were not
fulfilled. for example, in 1908, when
Baron Toll led party to secure the
body of mammoth that had been
reported in seventy-three degrees
north latitude On the. Balakhan River.
All that was found were bits of skin
with the wool on them aud parts of
The extremities and lower Jaw of
7oung mammoth: so the party turned
% exploration with great success, for
hey Investigated the Arctic tundra
over nearly fifty degrees of longitude.
But the Russian Government is
Wiling to risk the money on the
:hance of drawing another such prize
is that of the mammoth recently put
I'D in the geological museum, which
1t present is the greatest drawing
lard in St. Petersburg. The goal has
probably been reached and the party
Knows now whether it has been chas-
ng a vain and elusive hope.
If the fond desires of the travellers
ire realized, they will have months
lard work right on the spot. The
body must be dug ou1 of the frozen
mass that has conserved it for CEN
:uries. If bit of the skin or skele-
ION is missing the precious particle
must be sought for as carefully as
:hough it were gold. And then the
'elics must be divided into siedge
'oads, for no one sledge could even
larry the hide, which will be cut up
30 that it may be pieced together
without sign Of patchwork. Then the
| procession will start for Bulun, hun
lreds Of miles to the west on the Lena
River, over the tundra SHOWS, which
ire expected to supply good sledging
| ill nearly June. The hard work will
hen be over, for steamer will carry
he animal up the Lena to Irkutsk
| rain for st. Petersburg.
In the frozen clays that have pre-
served these animals for. ages have
also been found the alders. willows
and birches, with perfect leaves and
! even cones, which formed a large
part of the food of these great ele-
phants; so that we know that in the
| age of the mammoth the northern
| limit of these trees was at least three
degrees of latitude further north than
| is now the case. Our Alaskans are
still digging up fragmentary man.
moth remains OH the Pribylof group
| IF islands, on UnalasKa of the Aleu-
Ian chain and in some other parts of
the Territory, but always in the fat,
| unglaciated areas. This localization
| Of the distribution CT these fossils in
Alaska certainly points to the past
| land connection OF Asia and America.
which a change OF level of only 200
feet might have brought about
New York Sun.