The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-06
EXPLORING A LONG DEAD CITY
col. kOxLOFF>S TWO YEARS N
CENTRAL MONGOLIA.
Aanae Aaany Dascssessss 81 the @sts d
- chArA-s h0tO Whsls Llbrary 90 Enral
naSldhist Slternture-fAles q nars
Treasure Buried BY Its Last hulsr

Treasure bmfteu " 10 AeSA MosSr'
81. PETERsBURo. Feb. I3,-Exploration
aftracta the Russian mind rather from ita
historical than its geographical bearings.
The exploEinR bent Of the Slav has turned
always to where Il might expect % un-
earth some human story % the past.
Russian travellers have made the vast
ancient plains oG north China. Of Mon
RoIia and the first nurseries Of human
society in tis-Himalayan TrAnsoauoaSla
Their special held Of search. Probably
tho most fruitful of all their organised
Journeys was crowned last night by .
reception here at the Imperial 0Oographi-
cal society to Col Peter kasnutch kozlo6,
leader Il an expedition that passed two
years in central Mongolia in the region
Atar Lake kokInor and has brought back
q marvellous collection % records. worked
rnetalN. sacred relics and implements %
daily life from the buried city % Chara-
Choto 1.-THE Black Fortress. the capital
of a Monaghan nation ovcrthrOwn seven
centuries ago by the Chinese.
."' 10 II the fourth expedition To Mongolia
equipped by Russian Cars in the last
forty years Col. kozloF's first effort
dates hack twenty-five years ago. when
he went On the last journey Of the imDor-
tai Prjevalsky. The party which has
nov had such Success cUnsisted, besides
Kozlon. OF the Moscow geologist Tcher-
NOT the topographer Capt, Napalkin.
and ten soldiers four Moscow Grenadiers
and six Trans Baikal Cossacks. The
Gar paid the expenses
The expedition left Moscow in Novem-
her. IsyI. travelling nv the kursk Railroad
over the Russian plains and the Ural
Mountains. through the steppes and
forests Il Siberia to the River AnEara
aud its father" Lake Baikal. and thence
Go Verchne- Udinsk. where kOzlOH and
TchernoH went On by troika. the Russia
thre. horse abreast sleigh. to KyachtA
ON the R,Is.o-C chinese frontier. They had
q most hospitable reception from the
Rlsssan settlers there during the thres
wesks that it TOOK them IN prepare for a
two year sojourn in the barren. sandy
dessrts oT central ASIA On Docember
- 1907: the long camel caravan Of the
expedition passed outside 'he Cars
dominions.
Al first they found themselves on Men
Rolian prairie. hut were not long In com
ing upon a billy country rich In plant
and animal life. Behind Urga. the Mon
AntlMn NfNaAa. inc BAAyetDAbOHuy W VIZ
land underwent a sharp change: Il lost its
. billy character and its covering 81 vege-
tation: it's population was more scarce.
especially south of the hills. which are
The eastern continuation Of the Cobb
.,Alsai range. They had reached the real
0ob desert. where the only rars emf
nences were sand hillocks and boulders.
These gradually declined and left . sea
Of blown sand whose drift was sOutherly.
For islanda IL had mounds sometimes q
hundred feet high.
After enduring terrific sandstorm the
expedition reached the River Edsingol.
which draws Ito waters from the snow OF
the Nan-Schan Mountains and lows
II. nOrshwsrd for 300 miles, parting into the
two lakes Suchonor and Chaschunnor.
On It's lower hanks Monaghan Torgouts
have heen settled for $50 years and have
! reared dense forests. KOzloG halted his
caravan and opened relations with the
chlsf Bsileh. who dwelt at the monastery.
Presents were exchanged and the Tor
aout header showed friendltne~S To the
erpIorer. BeiIeh gave Kozlon permission
10 make excavations on the site of the
dead city of Chara-ChOto and to make
the tourney over his territory from Alhse
han Ia kukunor.
He gave the Russians n Torgout guide
named Rata. Very soon they came on
trac~s 81 an earlier land culture. mill
saone- the CourSrs 80 water canals. and
pieces Vt ciny ana porcelain vessels
Their VIEW grave memorials ~ as many
a. five stones pla-tered together With
,n,,d. Three miles from Chara- Choto
EoxBof cams. IN an old river bed with
tree branches lying ~ It Al the north
west curner e the city was the chief
a,rl,urgan. 80 earth mound mausoleum,
insida the sand walls. At the southwest
corner wa dome crowned building IN
thu style ut mosque.
A. koyIan advanced into the Chinese
Nongolian waste ne found marked differ
eDcs.z IN the character q the peoples In
the north tho noinads were proud of their
trartttinual daring. their rich clothing
thew handsome. sturdy. well sRddled
horras and thsIr hor-smanship. above all
- oi their historic past. Their recognized
spiritual h.irarch. the Bogdo- Ciegen jAEain
horn. was upheld hy the hereditary
pri.cs- of Urea and the lands around
. In c,-niral Mongolia the peoPls fall away
from thtz standard. and toward the south
hecone NOR. and more th'ne-.. They
cease - adhere 10 the national life 81
tbs,r rae. lSindred Vet however poor
TN. ,.nltnr. oC the Mungolians may seem
10 Europ"an- they retain their own writ
ing- their print-d laws and Interes, 81
religious questions and the study 81
TihetAn -cieno.-.
In March. 1875. ko1ior's caravan halted
az Lake aochOnOr. ia tn" middle 81 the
Monaghan desert. Their approach Ia II
was siRnaIIed by the sight on a fine spTin 9
evening 1T q hock - birds hyine over the
lake SIDE BEYOND it, high hanks on the
Farther SIDE lay the one time oasis 81
Boro-Obo. where are the remains Of Ia.
ruined city Of Erg--Chara- BarOck. Next
day thew came on hights u hsTons. swans
and a,ills. GsAzeiIes and wlld asses crossed
the track 1f the caravan. Among tbs
--adgm by the LAKE a group OG armed Tor
govt tril--men guarded a herd ~ hor-e-
After four days rest m tho south 81
Lake Sochonor the caravan sst osi again