The Washington herald., 1921-05-29

cold for effective work in winter. In some
places the natives are exceedingly suspicious
Of foreigners; religious superstitions greatly
handicap research and make II decidedly
dangerous.
The Chinese have many superstitions re-
gardipg ground" says Mr.. Andrews. The
spirits Of earth, wind and water must al
ways be favorable before a burial takes
place, and it is exceedingly unlucky to dis
turb the ground In the neighborhood of Q
cemetery. As China is one vast burial
ground, there is not much room left to dig.
Besides this, fossils have a great value
for the Chinese. They are known as dragon
bones and are supposed to possess remark
able medicinal qualities. The Chinese medi-
cine men grind them up and mix them with
acid and make a preparation which is help
full in some cases. Therefore, IL native
finds a fossil-bearing rock be conceals it
with the greatest care, for it is . virtual
gold mine to him.
I'm Tibet conditions are even more diff
cult. All the gold in the country belongs
to the Lama Church, and the natives i'm
agine only two reasons why foreigners
should come to their country, either as gold
seekers or as missionaries. They want moth
ing of one or the other"
Although the subjects of the origin and
antiquity of mankind have occupied scien-
tihc minds since time immemorial, actual
research in these fields began considerably
less than a century ago, and the more in
tensive investigat tons cover hardly q gen
Grafton. Such investigations have been
fraught with many difficulties and are grow
watchfulness, diligent, long -eItended e1-
ploration and considerable expense. TIE
most careful attention must be given to
geological, archaeological and other evi-
dence. And, after all, the net results Of q
prolonged assiduous quest may be no more
than a few badly crushed bones belonging to
human antiquity.
The explorations of recent years have
been fruitful. They were of wide extent
geographically and have brought to science
stores of primitive archaeological remains, so
that whole classes of ancient industries
in stone could be determined; they advanced
the present-day knowledge materially from
the standpoints Of paleontology. geology and
stratigraphy; and they resulted in the re-
covery of example after example Of we'll
authenticated ancient skeletal remains Of
man himself, representing human beings CO.
eval with long extinct animals and with
them dating far back into the ice epoch.
THE Oldest we'll authenticated skeletal re-
L mains of man or mans precursors now
known are those styled by science pithecan-
thropus erectus, discovered BY DR.. Eugene
Dubois, a surgeon in the Dutch army, while
engaged in archaeological explorations along
the Bengavan river in the central part Of
the island of Java. The remains, thoroughly
petrifed, comprise the vault Of a skull two
molar teeth and a femur. These bones,
scientists think. belong to The Missing
Link"
The bones were not found simulta neously
nor in the same place. They lay some dis
tances apart. though at the same horizon and
embedded in the same stratum Of volcanic
matrix. This stratum was rich in fossil
remains Of various organic forms, and in
the locality where the excavations were
carried on was about one meter below the
dry season water level. or twelve or fifteen
meters below the plain in which the river had
cut its bed.
An four specimens were considerably min.
eralized. being Of chocolate brown color.
very heavy and harder than marble" Nm.
merous bones Of mammals found In the ,ams
bed belonged TO species now extinct or. m
far n known. not now living In lava. and
shovsd fossalisation similar 70 that Of The