When the Court of Death Held High Revel Geological and social aspects, China were vividly described befor members and guests of the Royvi Asiatic Society, by Dr. G. Findlay 'Andrew, on Taursday. Taking for his subject ""Men and Matters in ta Land of the Yellow Earth." the speaker presented a graphic ant scholarly "version of geological changes and their effects' upon th? populace in areas of contempora-v geological activity, especially thow sections affected by flood and eart'-
Declaring the entire world "northwesteminded to-day," the speaks: outlined the loess formations in thu tremendous district, describing detail the effects of repeated win storms, floods, erosion, and cart! quakes, ard, sketching the gigant.c waves of disaster created by shock, in significant word pictures thit brought to his listeners a compr hensive vision of the havoc wreake! {in that province. He sald:—
"The outlines of landslides wh!-' occurred centuries ago are still in evidence on many of the mountain and hillsides. "But, of all the ear" quakes which have taken place due ing more recent centuries, that whi Sccurred on the night of December 16, 1020, has been recorded most severe. It is stated to be th most intense shock' that has ey: been seismologically recorded. effect was felt right through the leers basin of which we speak and literal scores of hills and mountains ware shaken from their fastnesses on {hv memorable night when Nature, 95 though in a spasm of pal emitted a long-drawn groan an} tuned in her sleep. Without warning. the first terrible shor came on that fateful evening of a cold winter's day between 7 o'clock and 7.30, and for ten minutes the Court "of Death held high revel, to which over one million lives pald tribute. Homes and cities collapsed Uke packs of cards, crushing the inmates to death or burning them fauve in the fires which resulted. Mountains flowed down from their lofty eminences like flowing sand from a desert bill."
He next described the terrific task. of relief carried out under equally staggering handicaps, reporting the flood which followed, and concluding with a full account of the 1928-1030 drought and its toll of life in a devastated Kansu, reporting that, on hi most recent visit in October of las year, the loess formation in Kansu was more verdant than ever. He closed with the following statement:—"Nature has produced in the child of the Yellow Earth a man—somewhat slow in action—a little sluggish in thought—inured to hardship—content with his lot in life, and in many ways most likeable person."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.