People/Characters Merin

1. Merin was the Mongol leader of the camel caravans that supplied the Central Asiatic Expeditions, 1922-1930, sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History, and led by Roy Chapman Andrews.

He originally worked for Franz Augustus Larsen (F. A. Larsen), who recommended him to Andrews. He was tough and resourceful, and Andrews came to respect him as "an incomparable master of the desert."

At the time, camels caravans, while slow, could transport large amounts of goods, while motor vehicles, though much fast, could not carry much. The expeditions resolved the issue by having Merin set out with the caravan, transporting most of the goods, and setting up camp. Weeks later, the motor vehicles would start out and meet them at the agreed upon site.

James B. Shackelford immortalized Merin leaning against a camel as he perused a magazine reporting on an earlier expedition.