New-York tribune., 1921-03-27


"a Roy Chapman Andrews. Mr.
Andrews, who is associate
curator of mammals in the American
Museum of Natural History, wrote the
book as an account of the museums
second Asiatic expedition, of which he
was the leader.
AS naturalist Mr.. Andrews vas
most interested in the fauna of the
little known Mongolian plains and
forests, but he did not neglect to no.
tice the customs of the people who
still live, for the most part, as in the
days of the great Kublai Khan. The
home of the Mongol-man, woman or
child--is on horseback, just as it was
in the Middle Ages, when the Mongols
conquered all of Asia and threatened
to invade Europe. Boys and girls alike
are taught to ride while they are still
so small that they have to be tied on
the horses. And horse stealing, as in
the western part Of the United States
in earlier times, is considered one of
the worst possible crimes. Since there
are no trees on which to string him
up the horse thief is condemned to
spend the rest of his life in a coffin
prison.
The Mongol's love of an active. out
door life, Mr.. Andrews points out. gives
him more in common with Western
peoples than any other Oriental. His
dress is barbaric in it's splendor, but
soap and water are quite outside his
scheme of things. The lama religion,
Mr.. Andrews, says, is responsible for
much of the deterioration of the Mon
gol race. One or more sons in every
family is dedicated to the priesthood.
Big game hunting, for specimens
rather than for sport, is described in
delightful way. Antelopes, whose
speed was found to be fifty or sixty
miles an hour, were hunted from
motor car on the plains. Roebuck, big
forn sheep and wapiti were shot in the
mountains during Gays of thrilling ad-
venture. Wild boar, too, were found
in remote province, while smaller
game furnished exciting, if not as dan
Cerous, expeditions.
The ice age of Europe and America
was dust age for northeastern Asia,
and North China in consequence is
spread with loose, brown, wind blown
dust which can be cut like cheese. Life
in this region is far different from
that of South China, and Mr.. Andrews
found whole villages of cave dwellers.
Nice, we'll behaved brigands live in the
mountains of North China. and Mr. An
crews tells an entertaining tale of
light" between the brigands and the
soldiers. A David" soldier armed
with cartridges and bandit "Goliath"
armed with silver collars meet and ex-
change cartridges tor dollars until the
resources of both are exhausted. The
bandits retire with the cartridges thew
reed and the Chinese soldiers return
to the city with buges blowing-and
the equivalent of their pay in their
pockets, which the government always
"forgets" to send them.
The commercial possibilities of Mon (
golia are outlined also by Mr.. Andrews. |
Even the Cobb desert, he says, could be
utilized. in part. as grazing ground and |
the plains could support vast numbers |
of cattle. The Importance of Urga as
a fur market is growing yearly and he
sees boundless possibilities in the
trade in wolves, bears, sables, lynx,
and other animals, which are
found in thousands. The mineral
wealth of the region is practically un-
ouched and the great forersts of spruce
,ffer a valuable supply for aeroplanes.
The Middle Ages and the twentieth
century fit through the pages Of this