Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-31

facture," continued DIR. Hrdlicka. HE is
free roamer. almost born to the saddle.
What he needs in the way of clothing.
| utensils and even the representations Of
| his gods he buys from the industrious
Chinaman. Nor are there any Monaghan
business men, all commerce being in the
hands of the Chinese, and to a lesser ex-
tent the Russians. About the only thing
of consequence that he makes is the felt
for covering his "jurtas" or house tent.
His principal food consists Of milk,
fresh or dried milk curd, prepared in a
peculiar way, tea and parched grain.
He eats but little meat, though in the
towns and monasteries sheep and goats
! are slaughtered.
He lives without knowing or caring
| for any principles Of hygiene, and dies
generally prematurely of one or another
| infection. His morality is not Of very
| high grade. Virtue is not esteemed. He
marr1es and has a good many children.
but many of them die in infancy, due to
lack Of proper care.
l X
1.-THE religious, political and it may be
| said all other powers lie in the numerous
| monasteries. Some are permanent,
,, others are visited at certain times Of the
| year for special services. The monks are
| known as lamas.' A monastery will
hold from twenty to thirty to several
| thousand lamas with numerous disciples
| and boy servants. The principal mon
| head are found at Urga. the capital. The
| chief lamas, a pope and king together,
| Is known as 'khutukhta. He is sur
| rounded with dignitaries who are some
| thing like the ministers Of our govern
| ments, but exercises an unlimited power
which extends even to rules OF life
| of the people.
"A striking example occurred at Urga
one evening near 10 o'clock Suddenly a
| strong and alarming voice was heard
| from the street and at the same time
man was seen running by the house.
| Every one, both from the Russion houses
In the neighborhood and from the Mon
| gOlian jurtas, ran out in apprehension,
and 1t soon became known that the run
ner~-was sent out from the palace of
| the khutukhta to warn every one that
that night they should take special pre-
| cautions, for there was danger of thieves
and fire. This was all taken most seri-
ously by the. natives and there was
but little sleep. Though nothing happen
| ed that night, the next day every one
was seen to lay in supplies of water for
the still threatened confiagration. 1t was
| explained that the danger was shown
to the authorities through some divina-
! tons; and when nothing was realized,
1t was said that the danger was averted
through the prayers of the khutukhta.
| "Urga, the capital Of outer Mongolia, Is
an accumulation of Monaghan monas-
teries Monaghan, Buriat, Tibetan and
| other jurtas with their Enclosures, each
group being surrounded with a light
stockade fence built Of limbs of pine,
| Russian frame houses and Chinese dwell
! ings Of sundried brick. It Is separated
| into four parts, consisting of the princi-
| pal monasteries; of 'kirrin' or the native
towns with another monastery; of the
| Chinese quarter. two Large market
| squares. a scattering Of Russian houses;
the Russian consulate, hospital and bar
racks and the 'maimachen' or the old
Chinese trading town. There are also
| two outside Enclosures with the palace
| Of the khutukhta
THE whole lies in q picturesque valley
near small river and is backed on the
south by the sacred mountain of Mon
golia, where nothing living, not even the
trees and plants, may be killed or dis
turbed except under severe penalty. That
golian inhabitants. Buriats. Tibetans,
| are brought in or removed according to
! the needs Of the owners.
''There are many interesting customs In
existence among the MOngolians. The
main OF these are connected with or in
| volved in their elaborate religious or
| most peculiar OF their customs relates to
| their dead. AS In Tibet. these are not
buried, but are removed to the outskirts
Of the town. and there. on the slopes of
! the hills or In the shallow valleys, aban-
doned to the wolves. birds of prey, ravens
| and especially dogs.
| These dogs live in the settlements.
At Urga they can be found anywhere in
| the streets, and especially In the mar
ket places. While In the town they act
as scavengers, for, as far as the natives
are concerned. all of the refuse is dumped
into the streets. When some one dies
they become the undertakers. They are
NANCY, ugly beasts of certain variety
and outside Of the town are much feared.
Frequently of a morning they will bring
parts of the human body which they
have been devouring at night into Urga
itself. but no one seems to mind or pays
much attention.
Mongolia is not a very rich country.
Except in its pastures. II II has any
mines they have as yet failed to be dis
covered. 1t Is immense in size, but very
mate is SO cold that with the exception
of the low valleys 1t Is not fit for agri-
culture. But 1t is Of exceptional interest
to the student Of the human race, for,
where, here as well as in Tibet and many
parts of Siberia lived in the past type
of people who. according to many indi-
cations. may have been the source from
which came the American Indian
y
DR.. Hrdlicka's collection of photographs
taken at Urga and In the surrounding
country shows many interesting features
of dress among the natives The womer
sometimes arrange their hair in peculiar
fan-shaped way which causes 1t to sit ou
from their heads on either side like big
hoppy ears. Some classes OF women weal
a silver fligree ornamental bandeau abou
their heads. It lends O slight decorative
appearance to their otherwise plain ap
;. ipearance and indicates that even the rep
resentatives Of the weaker sex far of IL
Mongolia are not neglected. of the cult
walton or adornment Of their physica
charms.
Evidences OF q custom identical with ont
lpracticed by, the American Indian. DIR
Hrdlicka found In many places. At diff
). ferenft passes in the mountains he woult
come. to mounds OF stones where indi