The mirror., 1920-11-04

IOSSllS pcISOHdiiy III Nuihd'
We know almost as little about some of
the living natives of Asia as about the
fossil history of the country. Long before
the Chinese arrived, China was inhabited
by aboriginal tribes, which were pushed
south and west just as the Indians were
driven westward by the white men when
they advanced across the American con-
tinent. The remnants of nearly thirty of
these ancient tribes, such as the Lolos,
Mosos, Lisos and Others are rapidly dis
appearing and yet almost nothing is known
of their origin, life or customs.
Although many of the aborigines were
scattered among the mountains of Yunnan
and Kweichow and along the Tibetan
frontier, the Lolos still maintain an inde-
pendent territory in Szechuan, one of the
richest and most populous provinces of
China. No Chinese is permitted to cross
the invisible lines of their Kingdom"
without the probability of mourning vio-
lent death. Continual raids are carried
on back and forth along the border. Per-
haps the Chinese will capture score or
more of Lolos who have ventured to
glimpse the world beyond their wild hills
and valleys. In retaliation, few nights
later, the Lolos will burn a whole Chinese
village, kill all the men-and carry the
women into slavery. Thus the Lolos have
earned reputation as barbaric savages.
And yet French explorer who crossed.
their territory, properly "chaperoned," re-
ports them to be charming people, of
hospitable temper and high mentality. He
is one of the few scientists who have pene-
tlated the land of the Lolos and live to
tell the tale. Mr.. Andrews who has
hunted with Lolos in Yunnan found them
independent, to be sure, but delightful in
their native courtesy and simplicity.
He says: "It is impossible not to be in
terested in this strange people. They are
totally unlike the Chinese, for they are tall
and slender, with long faces and patrician
noses, and they show every indication of
Caucasian blood. If they have it, where
did it come from? This is one of the
questions that should be answered before
, the Lolos disappear as the other tribes
are rapidly doing"
There. are many reasons why Central
Asia has remained scientifically unexplored
for so long a time. 1t is so remote and
difficult of access that the cost of conduct
ing work on large scale is enormous
Moreover, the country and its inhabitants
present unusual obstacles to scientific re-
search. Not only are there vast inter-
and treeless plains, but in many parts the
climate is too cold for effective work in
winter. In some places the natives are
exceedingly suspicious of foreigners; re-
ligious superstitions greatly handicap re-
search and make it decidedly dangerous.
The Chinese have many superstitions re-
garding the ground. The feng shui, the
spirits of the earth, wind and water, must
always be favorable before burial takes
place, and it is exceedingly unlucky to
disturb. the ground in the region of a
cemetery. Though our palaeontologists
are certain to encounter difficulties in the
more settled portions, they can probably
overcome them by tact and proper un-
derstanding of the situation. Those in
charge of railroads and other commercial
projects that have involved digging in
China have always been able to COM
promise with protesting villagers, and
they have found even within the past ten
years very great change in attitude. In
Tibet conditions are even more difficult.
All the gold in the country belongs to the
Lama church and the natives can conceive
of only two reasons why foreigners should
come to their country-either as gold
seekers or as missionaries.
Obtaining the animals for the groups in
the Hall of Asiatic Life will furnish ex-