Post by nomad on Sept 16, 2018 8:53:16 GMT
Jean Theodore Monbeig.
Being a missionary in China during the latter part of the 19th century and the early part of 20th century was a dangerous occupation and many were martyred. It was equally dangerous for travelling naturalists during this period, and the plant and butterfly hunter, Antwerp Edgar Pratt (1852-1924) wore Chinese dress to disguise himself. The French Catholic missionary, Jean Theodore Monbeig (1875-1914) from Salies-de-Béarn in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques was sent to Northern Yunnan in 1899 by the Paris Foreign Missions Society. In Yunnan Monbeig collected plant specimens for the Paris Natural History Museum and butterflies for Charles Oberthur of Rennes.
Jean Theodore Monbeig.
During 1905, the Tibetan Lamas in North Yunnan were in open rebellion against the Imperial Chinese Government. The Buddhist Lamas known as the Yellow Sect, tortured and murdered any Chinese officials, French Roman Catholic Priests and other westerners that they came across.
The famous botanist George Forrest (1873- 1932) was a witness to the rebellion and the atrocities committed by the Lamas. At Tse-Kou Forrest stayed at the Sacred Heart Mission built by Father Jules Étienne Dubernard, Father Pere Bourdonnec and Father Monbeig were his assistants. On hearing that the Lamas planned to attack the mission, Forrest and the fathers fled, Father Pere Bourdonnec was murdered and later Father Dubernard was caught and after being tortured for several days was finally executed, Monbeig escaped. Forrest was pursued by the Lamas who were intent on killing him, he escaped by a hair's breath but the plant hunter's native assistants were nearly all killed. Later, the Chinese military forces defeated the Lamas, ending the revolt. The Lama revolt did not deter Forrest, in all he made a further six plant hunting expeditions to the Yunnan region of China. Father Monbeig returned to the mission at Tse-Kou.
After the catastrophic events of four years earlier, among the butterflies that Father Monbeig collected at Tse-Kou by the River Yang-tse Kiang in 1909 was a series of Delias subnubila Leech, 1893. During 1913 Charles Oberthur presented a number of Chinese butterflies collected by Monbeig including several specimens of D. subnubila to the Oxford University Natural History Museum.
Father Monbeig later joined the mission at Cizhong and helped rebuild the church there that had been destroyed during the Lamas revolt. During 1914, travelling to the remote Litang mission in southeast Xizang, Eastern Tibet, Monbeig and his escort were murdered by Buddhist warrior monks.
Below. Delias subnubila specimens collected by Jean Theodore Monbeig at Tse-Kou in 1909. Ex coll Charles Oberthur, OUMNH.
Being a missionary in China during the latter part of the 19th century and the early part of 20th century was a dangerous occupation and many were martyred. It was equally dangerous for travelling naturalists during this period, and the plant and butterfly hunter, Antwerp Edgar Pratt (1852-1924) wore Chinese dress to disguise himself. The French Catholic missionary, Jean Theodore Monbeig (1875-1914) from Salies-de-Béarn in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques was sent to Northern Yunnan in 1899 by the Paris Foreign Missions Society. In Yunnan Monbeig collected plant specimens for the Paris Natural History Museum and butterflies for Charles Oberthur of Rennes.
Jean Theodore Monbeig.
During 1905, the Tibetan Lamas in North Yunnan were in open rebellion against the Imperial Chinese Government. The Buddhist Lamas known as the Yellow Sect, tortured and murdered any Chinese officials, French Roman Catholic Priests and other westerners that they came across.
The famous botanist George Forrest (1873- 1932) was a witness to the rebellion and the atrocities committed by the Lamas. At Tse-Kou Forrest stayed at the Sacred Heart Mission built by Father Jules Étienne Dubernard, Father Pere Bourdonnec and Father Monbeig were his assistants. On hearing that the Lamas planned to attack the mission, Forrest and the fathers fled, Father Pere Bourdonnec was murdered and later Father Dubernard was caught and after being tortured for several days was finally executed, Monbeig escaped. Forrest was pursued by the Lamas who were intent on killing him, he escaped by a hair's breath but the plant hunter's native assistants were nearly all killed. Later, the Chinese military forces defeated the Lamas, ending the revolt. The Lama revolt did not deter Forrest, in all he made a further six plant hunting expeditions to the Yunnan region of China. Father Monbeig returned to the mission at Tse-Kou.
After the catastrophic events of four years earlier, among the butterflies that Father Monbeig collected at Tse-Kou by the River Yang-tse Kiang in 1909 was a series of Delias subnubila Leech, 1893. During 1913 Charles Oberthur presented a number of Chinese butterflies collected by Monbeig including several specimens of D. subnubila to the Oxford University Natural History Museum.
Father Monbeig later joined the mission at Cizhong and helped rebuild the church there that had been destroyed during the Lamas revolt. During 1914, travelling to the remote Litang mission in southeast Xizang, Eastern Tibet, Monbeig and his escort were murdered by Buddhist warrior monks.
Below. Delias subnubila specimens collected by Jean Theodore Monbeig at Tse-Kou in 1909. Ex coll Charles Oberthur, OUMNH.
