ANCIENT CIVILISATION.

Mataura Ensign, 20 March 1909, Page 3

ANCIENT CIVILISATION.

—♦ ■ VAM.wnu; !)is('(i\-i:i!ir:s. Or. Si.■in. v,ho ha, hen .•>..,iorin- in Central Asia and an v-eonm of «lio,o discoveries «, .allied IHe olilel ih'V, arrived in Loudon "n January •_>:',. The "I inirie.l and aic-ioui' eiviiisai ions is '-ays i he. '|)adv ,\!:,H'j aiuoiie; i!,e most

"due ol our mosl. piolilahle Imds wis '<«■ exploration of whai proved lo lie a ll'casui'e cave, lileraliy crammed uilh anei'iil manuscripts, paintings, and ether liuddhiM remains.' - said Dr. Slem. ••Thes,. had heen dennsiled and llcimolloallv walled up in a side chapel "f one ulcai U.lddlllsl eave. Here I found Ihe whole of a la roe temple lilirary with oilier valued relies wliieh had heen deposiled lownrd, il nd of I lie lenlh century of our era, evidently lo saw, them from a thn atoned barbarous invasion, and wiiieh lone ever since renuiiimd ah,olutely pruieeied lx>vli aiiaiii-l men and the ravages of tlie de-

>"i'i. The manuscripts which ho recovered fr.un ijieir iiupriionineiii of centime, froquoiillv dated in their oldest perl ion.- in far back n« the lir-l century afi.-r Chri.-t. The hooks were done in, in bundles and were practically as fresh as when deiM-iicd. i'he number of mann-crip:-, 'exceeds .llidO, and as far as can he ~,id a,- approsiniiiiely in aboui .. mi diifereul laiu.Mia;;c.

■■i'crhai- the iii-.m IVcir.ntii,;; part of ihe aivii; V 'ileal work was that which if;;, carried .n,l liuiiii". rhe spring and catlv summer of !:i()7 in ihe desert h-nreei! the yah niarshe, of Loh iNor and ihe To,, l!uaim oasi-. markine the CXirellle WC-.I ef |!,e Chine.,. CoviiKC of Kaiisu. for more lioo: :iii(l miles can be i raced ih,. reiiciiii . oi lim! ancient froniier wall wiiieh at lb- , ml -f the s.colld eeiilnrv before CliriM had hern e».! = iriicic.l by ihe C'o.i.M. for the purroii'i,.",,oJai'.!s"|':','e' ve-i VliK 'was':, period v,h, n Chiiei was niakiim laiioiis elleri, i„ cxieud her power and irade towards \V..:|ern Asia. ■■Takiim. iul'. ace.,,1,,1 ih:! .hceiouud must haw been ah>olul.-lv de,. ri already in ihe >eeo,el ciiiary !!.('.. and fin- -r.-al 0.-iance separalio;-; tin- :.,-c----lions el ihe wall from the m-arci water, Ihe dilliciiltics overcome l-v liiosc an-

cii-ii! ''kin- . en-bi0,.,, mu-: have 1 11 inde. d lone-bibie. The 1-i-j.m vvuich m«.-r. "tiai'iii'i" (he Inn ui' ibis «;•!! ;:l •r-i'c .'l' h -. regular lllio'vajs la.ihlaiod the Work ..I' tracing ill;' lei;-;,in- en whrl fie'lv Ic'vo!.' osieleno'do.ori! "' "\'c,',| ill.' V,|li-ll ,:c,el I fclltl.l ivli.-p |.!| l-Mond !.v l!„- Chine.-.- |-.;..,.>. which 111.'ii ..Liini-.-i"! ni- ani'til r.'ui;>n. Document, il! .Vood and i:S!,,I ftnln :.li.illt. lilU ii.r. mm,.., in il ,idd!e of f,n-ivc liin j.].;:.-:!!-- lii hiiir been doliniidv iban ioucd. ,r,. r , eNc-ivaicd. These I found in hundreds wiihill Hie 'little „!)i.-... r.i.Mii- <:l lb- unar.|-l:,;ll <s, ni- ouisido lla.ii il, ilir ample iiihhish heaps uhi-h ill,. ( Inn,-' s. :.:.,.,, had

li-il. The distribution, organisation, :: 11«1 t in,'ini--:iii:,l a naii'' mom -ni I -est frontier („r,Ts ,-au I"' i-micilv i raced in relics which'l i'mud! and' lunuv ourioii' delail'v of 11IV along Ihis uii-cral.lc iron, tier en, -iill I- recovered •■