Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-06
EXPLORING A LONG DEAD CITY
Colonel Kozloff's Two Years in Cen.
trail Mongolia.
TARTAR TOWN OFFERS MUCH NEW
Made Many Discoveries On the site
Of Chara-ChotO-whOIe Library
OF Early Buddhist Lit
erature.

ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. aI-Explora-
tion attracts the Russian mind rather from
It's historical than its geographical bear
ings. The exploring bent Of the 5lav has
turned always 20 where Il might expect
90 unearth some human story of the past
Russian travellers have made the vast
ancient plains Of North China, OF Mon
golia and the first nurseries OF human So
clety In cishimalayan Transcaucasia their
special field OF search. Probably the most
fruitful OF all their organized Journeys was
crowned last night by a reception here at
the Imperial Geographical society TO Col
onel Peter Kasnutch Kozloff, leader OF an
expedition that passed two years In central
Mongolia in the region near Lake Kokunor
and has brought back a marvellous col
lection Of records, worked metals, sacred
relics and implements Of daily life from
the buried city Of Chara-Choto Che Black
Fortress). the capital Of a powerful Mon
Rolian nation overthrown centuries ago by
the Chinese.
It is the fourth expedition to Mongolia
equipped by Russian czars in the last forty
wears. Colonel Kazlofrs first effort dates
back twenty-five years ago, when he went
on the last journey Of the immortal Prize
vallsky. The party which has now had
such success consisted. besides Kozloff, Of
the Moscow Eeologist Tchernoff, the topog-
rainier Captain Napalkin, and ten soldiers
four Moscow grensdiers and six Trans
Baikal cossacks. The car paid the ex-
penses.
The exposition left Moscow in Novem-
Der. 1907. travelling by the Kursk railroad
over the Russian plains and the Ural noun
talns. through the steppes and forests OF
Siberia to the River Angara and It's
father" Lake Baikal. and thence to Yer
.ehe-Udlnsk, where Kosloff and Tchernoff
went on by troika-the Russia three-horse
sleigh-to Kyachta on the Russo-Chinese
frontier. They had a most hospitable re-
%ception from the Russian settlers there dur
ing the three weeks that 1t took them to
prepare for a two year ~sojourn In the bar
rem, sandy deserts Of central Asia. On De-
cember 2s. 1907, the long camel caravan
of the expedition passed outside the cars
dominions.
Al first they found themselves on Mon
lgollan prairie, but were not long in COM
ing upon q hilly country rich in plant and
animal life. Behind Urga, the Monaghan
ILhassa, the physiognomy of the land
underwent a sharp change; 1t lost its hilly
character and it's covering Of Vegetatloni
its population was more scarce, especially
south Of the hills, which are the eastern
continuation Of the Gobi-Altai range. They
had reached the real Cobb desert, where
the only rare eminences were sand hillocks
and boulders. These gradually declined
and left a sea Of blown sand whose drift
was southerly. For islands 1t had mounds
sometimes 100 feet high.
After enduring a terrific sandstone the
expedition reached the River Edsingol,
which draws it's waters from the snow OF
the Nan-Schan mountains and flows north
ward for 300 miles. parting into the two
lakes suehonor and Chsschunnor. On its
lower banks Monaghan Torgouts have been
settled for $50 years and have reared dense
forests. Kozloff halted his caravan and
opened relations with the chief. Belieh,
who dwelt at the monastery, Presents were
exchanged and the Torgout leader showed
1riendliness TO the explorer. Beileh gave
Kozloff permission to make excavations
on the site of the dead city of Chara-Choto
and to make the journey over his terri
tory from Alasehan TO Kukunor.
He gave the Russians a Torgout guide
named Bata. Very soon they came on
traces Of an earlier land culture-millstones,
the courses Of water canals. and pieces Of
Gay Alh nbANNA1AA NNHeNAos "NAN
grave memorials OF as many as five stones
plastered together with mud. Three miles
from ~Chara-Choto Kozloff came on al old
river bed with tree branches lying in It,
AT the northwest corner of the city was
the chief suburgan, or earth mound mauso-
leum, inside the sand walls. AT the south
west corner was a dome crowned building
in the style Of a mosque.
IA Kozloff advanced into the Chinese
Monaghan waste he found marked differ
ences In the character OF the peoples. In
the north the nomads were proud of their
traditional daring, their rich clothing, their
handsome, sturdy, well-saddled horses and
their horsemanship-above all of their his
torlc past. Their recognized spiritual heir
arch, the Bogdo-Gegen Cagain born), was
upheld by the hereditary princess Of Urga
ANA the lands around. In central Mongolia
the people fall away from this standard,
and toward the south become more and
more Chinese. They cease to adhere 10
the national life Of their race kindred.
Yet however poor the culture Of the Mon
golians may seem to Europeans they re-
tain their own writings, their printed laws
and interest In religious questions and the
study Of Tibetan sciences.
In March, 1905, Kozloff's caravan halted
at Lake SOChonor, IN the middle OF the
Monaghan desert. Their approach to II
was signalled by the sight on q fine spring
evening OF a flock Of birds flying over the
y lake side. Beyond its high banks on the
further side lay the one time oasis OF
Boro-Obo, whore are the remains of the
ruined city of Erge-Chara-Baruck. Mex
day they came on flights Of herons, swans
and gulls. 3azelles and wild asses crossed
the track. Of the caravan. Among tn,
sedge by the lake a group OF armed Tor
govt tribesmen were guarding a herd o.
horses. After four days rest on the souti
OF Lake sochono the caravan set GU
again for it's main purpose.
Kozloff and his companions entered thu
city by the west gate, 1t is built in
quadrangle "a quarter OF a mile wide in
tersected by dirt covered streets. wher
were the w~reckage Of mud houses, OF tomb
and Of brick foundatloHed ruined temples
Water was not to be found and during tn
excavation II had to be brought from
distance. The absolute height OF Chair
Choto was established at 2.F0 feet and Il
geographical position at Il degrees IS min
utes, 20 seconds, northern latitude and 10
aavraes 4 minutes lAS1 gacOnds. easter