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0105 History of the Expedition in Asia, 1927-1935 : vol.1
History of the Expedition in Asia, 1927-1935 : vol.1 / Page 105 (Color Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000210
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was also largely due to the fact that our sphere of operation was much more extensive than was ANDREWS'S and we did not use motor-cars, which might have connected up the different part-expeditions or groups. But in those parts of Central Asia where we were working there were chiefly deserts and mountains, and motor-cars could in any case have been used only to a limited extent. The relatively smooth and hard Mongolian plains, on the other hand, afforded splendid motor conditions nearly everywhere.

In spite of the intimate collaboration that was maintained, ANDREWS'S great expedition was almost continually divided up into several parties. Frequently there were four camps from twenty to a hundred miles apart. The chief item on their working program was palaeontology, and from 1925 palaeo-botany; further, geology, archaeology, zoology and topography.

In the »Natural History of Central Asia, Volume I: The New Conquest of Central Asia » ANDREWS gives a masterly survey of the course of the series of magnificent and richly fruitful expeditions that were carried out under his able and skilful leadership. While the following eleven volumes in the series contain monographs by different specialists, ANDREWS himself gives in this first volume the main lines and the chief results achieved during the whole of this great and meritorious American enterprise. I have thus taken ANDREWS as my model in introducing our series of scientific monographs with the present »History of the Expedition », which is also intended to give a bird's eye view of our expeditions during eight years.

In his Chapter XXXI, »Preparations for the 1928 Expedition », ANDREWS has a sub-heading, »Rise of the anti-foreign movement in China », under which he describes the revolutionary political events of the winter 1926-1927.

ANDREWS speaks of the apprehension bordering on panic that was felt in Peking, where all the foreigners were expecting the latent violence in the air to explode at any minute. He himself found it impossible to go ahead with the execution of his plans during the year 1927.

»The prospects for continuing our explorations in Mongolia could not have been blacker. Even had I been able to get the Expedition away from Peking, the American Minister would have prohibited us from leaving. Hardly a foreigner was left in China away from the seaports. Still, it was most disheartening to face another season of inactivity. »

Under the heading »The SvEN HEDIN Expedition » ANDREWS gives a short account of my plans, and continues:

»An anti-foreign group which called themselves »The Society for the Preservation of Cultural Objects » had launched a bitter newspaper attack not only upon Doctor HEDIN but upon all foreign expeditions. They claimed that China was being 'robbed of priceless treasures' even when such 'robbery' was limited to meteorological observations, geologic specimens and fossils. The Society was an entirely unofficial organization, but by false publicity it had succeeded in arousing such popular indignation that the government authorities dared not ignore its activities. After months of delay Doctor HEDIN was forced to abandon his program of aeroplane exploration. He endeavoured to save something out of the wreck by proceeding by camel and carrying on other forms of scientific investigation. Even then the Cultural Society insisted that

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