ortion of
Central Asia. The cradle of peoples, histories and legends; the native
land of bloody conquerors, who have left here their capitals covered
by the sand of the Gobi, their mysterious rings and their ancient nomad
laws; the states of monks and evil devils, the country of wandering
tribes administered by the descendants of Jenghiz Khan and Kublai
Khan--Khans and Princes of the Junior lines: that is Mongolia.

Mysterious country of the cults of Rama, Sakkia-Mouni, Djonkapa and
Paspa, cults guarded by the very person of the living Buddha--Buddha
incarnated in the third dignitary of the Lamaite religion--Bogdo Gheghen
in Ta Kure or Urga; the land of mysterious doctors, prophets, sorcerers,
fortune-tellers and witches; the land of the sign of the swastika; the
land which has not forgotten the thoughts of the long deceased great
potentates of Asia and of half of Europe: that is Mongolia.

The land of nude mountains, of plains burned by the sun and killed by
the cold, of ill cattle and ill people; the nest of pests, anthrax
and smallpox; the land of boiling hot springs and of mountain passes
inhabited by demons; of sacred lakes swarming with fish; of wolves, rare
species of deer and mountain goats, marmots in millions, wild horses,
wild donkeys and wild camels that have never known the bridle, ferocious
dogs and rapacious birds of prey which devour the dead bodies cast out
on the plains by the people: that is Mongolia.

The land whose disappearing primitive people gaze upon the bones of
their forefathers whitening in the sands and dust of their plains; where
are dying out the people who formerly conquered China, Siam, Northern
India and Russia and broke their chests against the iron lances of
the Polish knights, defending then all the Christian world against the
invasion of wild and wandering Asia: that is Mongolia.

The land swelling with natural riches, producing nothing, in need of
everything, destitute and suffering from the world's cataclysm: that is
Mongolia.

In this land, by order of Fate, after my unsuccessful attempt to reach
the Indian Ocean through Tibet, I spent half a year in the struggle to
live and to escape. My old and faithful friend and I were compelled,
willy-nilly, to participate in the exceedingly important and dangerous
events transpiring in Mongolia in the year of grace 1921. Thanks to
this, I came to know the calm, good and honest Mongolian people; I
read their souls, saw their sufferings