,illustration3 map ,,three ,,years ,,in ,,tibet4 ,illustration3 ,,author ,,in #aiji4 ,three ,years ,,in ,tibet with the original ,japanese illustrations ,,by ,,the ,,shramana ,,ekai ,,kawaguchi ,late ,rector of ,gohyakurakan ,monastery1 ,japan4 ,,published ,,by ,,the ,,theosophist ,,office1 ,,adyar1 ,,madras4 ,,theosophical ,,publishing ,,society1 ,,benares ,,and ,,london4 #aiji4 7,registered ,copyright47 ,,printed ,,by ,,annie ,,besant ,,at ,,the ,,vasanta ,,press1 ,,adyar1 ,,madras1 ,s4 ,,india4 ,,preface4 ,i was lately reading the ,holy ,text of the ,saharma-,pudarka 7the ,aphorisms of the ,white ,lotus of the ,wonderful or ,true ,law7 in a ,samsk manuscript under a ,bohi-tree near ,mga-va 7,sranh71 ,benares4 ,here our ,blessed ,lord ,buha ,shkya-,muni taught ,his ,holy harma just after the accomplishment of ,his ,buhahood at ,buhagay4 ,whilst doing so1 ,i was reminded of the time1 eighteen years ago1 when ,i had read the same text in ,chinese at a great ,monastery named ,ohbakusang at ,kyoto in ,japan1 a reading which determined me to undertake a visit to ,tibet4 ,it was in ,march1 #ahia1 that ,i gave up the ,rectorship of the ,monastery of ,gohyakurakan in ,tokyo1 and left for ,kyoto1 where ,i remained living as a hermit for about three years1 totally absorbed in the study of a large collection of ,buhist books in the ,chinese language4 ,my object in doing so was to fulfil a long-felt desire to translate the texts into ,japanese in an easy style from the difficult and unintelligible ,chinese4 ,but ,i afterwards found that it was not a wise thing to rely upon the ,chinese texts alone1 without comparing them with ,tibetan translations as well as with the original ,samsk texts which are contained in ,mahyna ,buhism4 ,the ,buhist ,samsk texts were to be found in ,tibet and ,nepl4 ,of course1 many of them had been discovered by ,european ,orientalists in ,nepl and a few in other parts of ,india and ,japan4 ,but those texts had not yet been found which included the most important manuscripts of which ,buhist scholars were in great want4 ,then again1 the ,tibetan texts were famous for being more accurate translations than the ,chinese4 ,now ,i do not say that the ,tibetan translations are superior to the ,chinese4 ,as literal translations1 ,i think that they are superior2 but1 for their general meaning1 the ,chinese are far better than the ,tibetan4 ,anyhow1 it was my idea that ,i should study the ,tibetan language and ,tibetan ,buhism1 and should try to discover ,samsk manuscripts in ,tibet1 if any were there available4 ,with these objects in view1 ,i made up my mind to go to ,tibet1 though the country was closed not only by the ,local ,government but also by the surrounding lofty mountains4 ,after making my preparations for some time1 ,i left ,japan for ,tibet in ,june1 #ahig1 and returned to my country in ,may1 #aijc4 ,then in ,october1 #aijd1 ,i again left ,japan for ,india and ,nepl1 with the object of studying ,samsk1 hoping1 if possible1 again to penetrate into ,tibet1 in search of more manuscripts4 ,on my return to ,japan1 my countrymen received me with great enthusiasm1 as the first explorer of ,tibet from ,japan4 ,the ,jiji1 a daily newspaper in ,tokyo1 the most well-known1 influential and widely read paper in ,japan1 and also a famous paper in saka1 called the ,maimichi1 published my articles every day during #aef issues4 ,after this1 ,i collected all these articles and gave them for publication in two volumes to ,hakubunkwan1 a famous publisher in ,tokyo4 ,afterwards some well-known gentlemen in ,japan1 ,mr4 ,sutejiro ,fukuzawa1 ,mr4 ,sensuke ,hayakawa and ,mr4 ,eiji ,asabuki1 proposed to me to get them translated into ,english4 ,they also helped me substantially in this translation1 and ,i take this opportunity of expressing my grateful thanks to them for the favor thus conferred upon me4 ,when my translation was finished1 the ,british expedition to ,tibet had been successful1 and reports regarding it were soon afterwards published4 ,i therefore stopped the publication of my ,english translation1 for ,i thought that my book would not be of any use to the ,english-reading public4 ,recently1 the ,president of the ,theosophical ,society1 my esteemed friend ,mrs4 ,annie ,besant1 asked me to show her the translation4 ,on reading it she advised me to publish it quickly4 ,i then told her that it would be useless for me to publish such a book1 as there were already ,government reports of the ,tibetan expedition1 and as ,dr4 ,sven ,hedin of ,sweden would soon publish an excellent book of his travels in ,tibet4 ,but she was of opinion that such books would treat of the country from a western point of view1 whilst my book would prove interesting to the reader from the point of view of an ,asiatic1 intimately acquainted with the manners1 the customs1 and the inner life of the people4 ,she also pointed out to me that the book would prove attractive to the general reader for its stirring incidents and adventures1 and the dangers ,i had had to pass through during my travels4 ,thus then ,i lay this book before the ,english-knowing public4 ,i take this opportunity of expressing my grateful thanks to ,mrs4 ,besant for her continued kindness to me in looking over the translation1 and for rendering me help in the publication4 ,were it not for her1 this book would not have seen the light of day4 ,here also ,i must not fail to express my sincere thanks to my intimate friend ,professor ,jamshedji ,n4 ,unwalla1 ,m4,a41 of the ,central ,hin ,college1 ,benares2 for he composed all the verses of the book from my free ,english prose translation1 and looked over all the proof-sheets carefully with me with heartiest kindness4 ,i must equally thank those people who helped me in my travels in a substantial manner1 as well as those who rendered me useful assistance in my studies2 nay1 even those who threw obstacles in my way1 for they1 after all1 unconsciously rewarded me with the gift of the power to accomplish the objects ,i had in view1 by surmounting all the difficulties ,i had to go through during my travels4 ,with reference to this publication1 whilst reading the ,aphorisms of the ,white ,lotus of the ,wonderful ,law this day1 ,i cannot but feel extremely sorry in my heart when ,i am reminded of those people who suffered a great deal for my sake1 some being even imprisoned for their connexion with me when ,i was in ,tibet4 ,but on the other hand1 it is really gratifying to me1 as well as to them1 to know that1 after all1 their sufferings for my sake will be amply compensated by the good karma they have certainly acquired for themselves through their acts of charity and benevolence1 that have enabled me to read and carefully study with greater knowledge1 accuracy and enthusiasm1 the most sacred texts of our ,holy ,religion1 than was possible for me before my travels in ,tibet4 ,i assert this with implicit faith in the fact that good deeds1 according to the ,sacred ,canon1 have indubitably the power to purify ,humanity1 sunk in the illusions of this world1 often compared in our ,holy ,scriptures to a muddy and dirty pond2 at the same time ,i believe that that power to purify rests with the ,glorious ,lotus of the ,awe-inspiring ,law1 suffusing all with its brilliant effulgence2 and with sweet odor1 itself1 amidst its muddy surroundings1 remaining for ever stainless and unsullied4 ,,ekai ,,kawaguchi4 ,,central ,,hindu ,,college1 ,,staff ,,quarters1 ,benares ,city1 #aiji4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,,page ,i4 ,novel farewell ,presents4 #a ,,ii4 ,a ,year in ,darjeeling4 #aa ,,iii4 ,a foretaste of ,tibetan barbarism4 #ae ,,iv4 ,laying a false scent4 #ba ,v4 ,journey to ,nepl4 #be ,,vi4 ,i befriend ,beggars4 #ce ,,vii4 ,the ,sublime ,himlaya4 #dj ,,viii4 ,dangers ahead4 #dd ,,ix4 ,beautiful ,tsarang and ,dirty ,tsarangese4 #ea ,x4 ,fame and ,temptation4 #fj ,,xi4 ,tibet at ,last4 #fi ,,xii4 ,the ,world of ,snow4 #gg ,,xiii4 ,a kind old ,dame4 #ha ,,xiv4 ,a holy ,cave-,dweller4 #hf ,,xv4 ,in helpless ,plight4 #ij ,,xvi4 ,a ,foretaste of distressing ,experiences4 #if ,,xvii4 ,a ,beautiful ,rescuer4 #ii ,,xviii4 ,the ,lighter ,side of the ,experiences4 #ajd ,,xix4 ,the largest ,river of ,tibet4 #ajh ,,xx4 ,dangers begin in ,earnest4 #aab ,,xxi4 ,overtaken by a ,sand-,storm4 #aaf ,,xxii4 #bb1fej ,feet above ,sea-level4 #abc ,,xxiii4 ,i survive a ,sleep in the ,snow4 #abg ,,xxiv4 #8,bon' and #8,kyang'4 #aca ,,xxv4 ,the ,power of ,buhism4 #ace ,,xxvi4 ,sacred ,mnasarovara and its ,legends4 #aci ,,xxvii4 ,bartering in ,tibet4 #add ,,xxviii4 ,a ,himlayan ,romance4 #aej ,,xxix4 ,on the ,road to ,nature's ,grand ,madala4 #afb ,,xxx4 ,wonders of ,nature's ,madala4 #afg ,,xxxi4 ,an ,ominous ,outlook4 #agh ,,xxxii4 ,a ,cheerless ,prospect4 #ahg ,,xxxiii4 ,at ,death's ,door4 #aia ,,xxxiv4 ,the ,saint of the ,white ,cave revisited4 #bjd ,,xxxv4 ,some easier ,days4 #baa ,,xxxvi4 ,war ,against ,suspicion4 #bah ,,xxxvii4 ,across the ,steppes4 #bbg ,,xxxviii4 ,holy ,texts in a ,slaughter-house4 #bcc ,,xxxix4 ,the ,third ,metropolis of ,tibet4 #bcf ,,xl4 ,the ,sakya ,monastery4 #bda ,,xli4 ,shigatze4 #bdi ,,xlii4 ,a ,supposed ,miracle4 #beg ,,xliii4 ,manners and ,customs4 #bfd ,,xliv4 ,on to ,lhasa4 #bhj ,,xlv4 ,arrival in ,lhasa4 #bhe ,,xlvi4 ,the ,warrior-,priests of ,sera4 #bia ,,xlvii4 ,tibet and ,north ,china4 #big ,,xlviii4 ,admission into ,sera ,college4 #cjd ,,xlix4 ,meeting with the ,incarnate ,bohisava4 #caa ,l4 ,life in the ,sera ,monastery4 #cbc ,,li4 ,my ,tibetan ,friends and ,benefactors4 #cbi ,,lii4 ,japan in ,lhasa4 #cce ,,liii4 ,scholastic ,aspirants4 #cde ,,liv4 ,tibetan ,weddings and ,wedded ,life4 #cea ,,lv4 ,wedding ,ceremonies4 #cfb ,,lvi4 ,tibetan ,punishments4 #cgd ,,lvii4 ,a grim ,funeral and grimmer ,medicine4 #chh ,,lviii4 ,foreign ,explorers and the ,policy of ,seclusion4 #cig ,,lix4 ,a ,metropolis of ,filth4 #djg ,,lx4 ,lamaism4 #daj ,,lxi4 ,the ,tibetan ,hierarchy4 #dag ,,lxii4 ,the ,government4 #dbh ,,lxiii4 ,education and ,castes4 #dce ,,lxiv4 ,tibetan ,trade and ,industry4 #ddg ,,lxv4 ,currency and ,printing-blocks4 #dfa ,,lxvi4 ,the ,festival of ,lights4 #dfg ,,lxvii4 ,tibetan ,women4 #dgb ,,lxviii4 ,tibetan ,boys and ,girls4 #dgi ,,lxix4 ,the ,care of the ,sick4 #dhd ,,lxx4 ,outdoor ,amusements4 #dhi ,,lxxi4 ,russia's ,tibetan ,policy4 #dic ,,lxxii4 ,tibet and ,british ,india4 #eji ,,lxxiii4 ,china1 ,nepl and ,tibet4 #eai ,,lxxiv4 ,the ,future of ,tibetan ,diplomacy4 #ebf ,,lxxv4 ,the 8,monlam0 ,festival4 #eca ,,lxxvi4 ,the ,tibetan ,soldiery4 #edi ,,lxxvii4 ,tibetan ,finance4 #eed ,,lxxviii4 ,future of the ,tibetan ,religions4 #efa ,,lxxix4 ,the ,beginning of the ,disclosure of the ,secret4 #eff ,,lxxx4 ,the ,secret ,leaks ,out4 #egd ,,lxxxi4 ,my ,benefactor's ,noble ,offer4 #ehd ,,lxxxii4 ,preparations for ,departure4 #eij ,,lxxxiii4 ,a ,tearful ,departure from ,lhasa4 #eii ,,lxxxiv4 ,five ,gates to ,pass4 #fah ,,lxxxv4 ,the ,first ,challenge ,gate4 #fbc ,,lxxxvi4 ,the ,second and ,third ,challenge ,gates4 #fcf ,,lxxxvii4 ,the ,fourth and ,fifth ,challenge ,gates4 #fdb ,,lxxxviii4 ,the ,final ,gate passed4 #fdg ,,lxxxix4 ,good-bye1 ,tibet6 #feb ,,xc4 ,the ,labche ,tribe4 #ffj ,,xci4 ,visit to my ,old ,teacher4 #ffg ,,xcii4 ,my ,tibetan ,friends in ,trouble4 #fga ,,xciii4 ,among ,friends4 #fgg ,,xciv4 ,the ,two ,kings of ,nepl4 #fhb ,,xcv4 ,audience of the ,two ,kings4 #fhe ,,xcvi4 ,second ,audience4 #fhh ,,xcvii4 ,once more in ,ktmndu4 #fib ,,xcviii4 ,interview with the ,acting ,prime ,minister4 #fig ,,xcix4 ,painful ,news from ,lhasa4 #gjj ,c4 ,the ,king betrays his suspicion4 #gjc ,,ci4 ,third ,audience4 #gji ,,cii4 ,farewell to ,nepl and its ,good ,kings4 #gad ,,ciii4 ,all's well that ends well4 #gah ,illustrations in the ,text4 ,,page #a4 ,author's departure from ,japan4 #f #b4 ,the ,lama's execution4 #ah #c4 ,on the banks of the ,bichagori river4 #cb #d4 ,a horse in difficulties4 #di #e4 ,tsarangese village girls4 #eg #f4 ,entering ,tibet from ,nepl4 #ge #g4 ,to a tent of nomad ,tibetans4 #gi #h4 ,a night in the open and a snow-leopard4 #ib #i4 ,attacked by dogs and saved by a lady4 #ajj #aj4 ,nearly dying of thirst4 #aad #aa4 ,a sand-storm4 #aag #ab4 ,struggle in the river4 #aba #ac4 ,meditating in the face of death4 #abe #ad4 ,a ludicrous race4 #acb #ae4 ,lake ,mnasarovara4 #adj #af4 ,religion v4 ,love4 #aea #ag4 ,near ,mount ,kailasa4 #afi #ah4 ,quarrel between brothers4 #aha #ai4 ,attacked by robbers4 #aib #bj4 ,the cold moon reflected on the ice4 #bjb #ba4 ,fallen into a muddy swamp4 #baj #bb4 ,meeting a furious wild yak4 #bbi #bc4 ,outline of the monastery of ,tashi ,lhunpo4 #bdi #bd4 ,reading the ,texts4 #bff #be4 ,priest fighting with hail4 #bgd #bf4 ,outline of the residence of the ,dalai ,lama4 #bhg #bg4 ,a vehement philosophical discussion4 #cjf #bh4 ,an audience with the ,dalai ,lama4 #caf #bi4 ,inner room of the ,dalai ,lama's country house4 #cbj #cj4 ,room in the finance secretary's house4 #cce #ca4 ,unexpected meeting with friends4 #cda #cb4 ,girl weeping at being suddenly commanded to marry4 #cef #cc4 ,at the bridegroom's gate4 ,throwing an imitation sword at the bride4 #cff1 #cfg #cd4 ,the wife of an ,ex-,minister punished in public4 #cgh1 #cgi #ce4 ,funeral ceremonies3 cutting up the dead body4 #cij1 #cia #cf4 ,lobon ,padma ,chungne4 #daa #cg4 ,je ,tsong-kha-pa4 #dad #ch4 ,a soothsayer under mediumistic influence falling senseless4 #dbf #ci4 ,flogging as a means of education4 #ddc #dj4 ,priest-traders loading their yaks4 #dei #da4 ,new year's reading of the ,texts for the ,japanese ,emperor's welfare4 #dfe #db4 ,naming ceremony of a baby4 #dhj #dc4 ,a picnic party in summer4 #dia #dd4 ,prime ,minister4 #ejb #de4 ,a corrupt ,chief ,justice of the monks4 #ecd #df4 ,the final ceremony of the ,monlam4 #ech #dg4 ,a scene from the ,monlam festival4 #eda #dh4 ,procession of the ,panchen or ,tashi ,lama in ,lhasa4 #efh #di4 ,critical meeting with ,tsa ,rong-ba and his wife4 #ehj #ej4 ,revealing the secret to the ,ex-,minister4 #ehe #ea4 ,a mysterious ,voice in the garden of ,sera4 #eif #eb4 ,a distant view of ,lhasa4 #fje #ec4 ,farewell to ,lhasa from the top of ,genpala4 #fjf #ed4 ,crossing a mountain at midnight4 #faj #ee4 ,night scene on the ,chomo-,lhari and ,lham ,tso4 #faf #ef4 ,beautiful scenery in the ,tibetan ,himlayas4 #fcd #eg4 ,the fortress of ,nyatong4 #fdi #eh4 ,on the way to the snowy ,jela-peak4 #fed #ei4 ,accidental meeting with a friend and compatriot4 #fgi #fj4 ,struggle with a ,neplese soldier4 #fij #fa4 ,meeting again with an old friend1 ,lama ,buha ,vajra4 #fie #fb4 ,the author and his friend ,buha ,vajra enjoying the brilliant snow at ,ktmndu4 #gjd #fc4 ,ngrjuna's cave of meditation in ,nepl4 #gaf ,photogravures4 ,,to ,,face ,,page #a4 ,the ,author in #aiji4 ,frontispiece4 #b4 ,the ,author just before leaving ,japan4 #a #c4 ,rai ,bahur ,sara ,chanra s4 #aa #d4 ,lama ,sengchen ,dorjechan4 #ae #e4 ,the ,author meditating under the ,bohi-tree4 #be #f4 ,passport in ,tibetan for the ,author's return to ,tibet in the future4 #fde #g4 ,the ,author as a ,tibetan ,lama at ,darjeeling on his return4 #ffg #h4 ,the ,author performing ceremonies in ,tibetan costume4 #ffi #i4 ,the ,prime ,minister of ,nepl1 ,h4 ,h4 ,chanra ,shamsr4 #fhe #aj4 ,the ,commander-in-,chief of ,nepl1 ,h4 ,e4 ,bhim ,shamsr4 #fig #aa4 ,mount ,gaurshakara1 the highest peak in the world4 7,at the end of the volume74 ,sketch-map4 #a4 ,chart of the ,route followed by the ,author4 7,at the end of the volume47 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,author ,,just ,,before ,,leaving ,,japan4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,novel farewell presents4 ,in the month of ,may1 #ahig1 ,i was ready to embark on my journey1 which promised nought but danger and uncertainty4 ,i went about taking leave of my friends and relatives in ,tokyo4 ,endless were the kind and heartfelt words poured on me1 and many were the presents offered me to wish me farewell2 but the latter ,i uniformly declined to accept1 save in the form of sincerely given pledges4 ,from those noted for excessive use of intoxicants1 ,i exacted a promise of absolute abstinence from 8the maddening water20 and from immoderate smokers ,i asked the immediate discontinuance of the habit that would end in nicotine poisoning4 ,about forty persons willingly granted my appeal for this somewhat novel kind of farewell presents4 ,many of these are still remaining true to the word then given me1 and others have apparently forgotten them since4 ,at all events1 ,i valued these 8presents0 most exceedingly4 ,in ,osaka1 whither ,i went after leaving ,tokyo1 ,i also succeeded in securing a large number of them4 ,three of them ,i particularly prized1 and should not fail to mention them here2 for1 as ,i think of them now1 ,i cannot help fancying that they had transformed themselves into unseen powers that saved me from the otherwise certain death4 ,while still in ,tokyo ,i called on ,mr4 ,takabe ,tona1 a well-known manufacturer of asphalt4 ,mr4 ,takabe had been a born fisher1 especially skilled in the use of the 8shot-net10 and to catch fish had been the joy and pleasure of his life4 ,on the occasion of the leave-taking visit which ,i paid him1 ,i found him in a very despondent mood4 ,he volunteered to tell me that he had just lost a three-year old child of his1 and the loss had left his wife the most distracted woman in the world1 while he himself could not recover the peace of his mind1 even fishing having become devoid of its former charms for him4 ,i said to my host1 who had always been a very intimate friend of mine and a member of my former flock3 8,do you really find it so hard to bear the death of your child8 ,what would you think of a person who dared to bind up and kill a beloved child of yours1 and roast and eat its flesh80 8,oh6 devilish6 ,the devil only could do that2 no man could10 answered he4 ,i quickly rejoined3 8,you are a fiend then1 at least1 to the fishes of the deep04 ,strong were the words ,i used then1 but it was in the fulness of my heart that ,i spoke them1 and ,mr4 ,takabe finally yielded and promised me to fish no more4 ,he was very obdurate at first2 but when ,i pointed out to him that it was at the risk of my life that ,i was going to ,tibet1 and that for the sake of my religion1 which was also his1 he stood up with a look of determination4 ,he excused himself from my presence for awhile1 and then returned with some fishing-nets1 which he forthwith handed over to me1 saying that those were the weapons of murder with which he had caused the death of innumerable denizens of the brine1 and that ,i might do with them as ,i liked1 for he had no longer any use for them4 ,i thereupon asked a daughter of the host's to build a fire for me in the yard2 and1 when it was ready1 ,i consigned the nets to flames in the presence of all--there were all the members of the family and some visitors1 besides1 to witness the scene4 ,among the visitors was ,mr4 ,ogawa ,katsutaro1 a relative of the family4 ,this gentleman had also been an excellent sportsman1 with both gun and nets4 ,he had seen the dramatic scene before him and heard me pray for my host4 ,as the nets went up in smoke1 ,mr4 ,ogawa rose and said impressively3 8,let me too wish that you fare well in ,tibet1 by making to you the gift of a pledge3 ,i pledge myself that ,i will never more take the lives of other creatures for amusement2 should ,i prove false to these words let #8,fudo ,myo-oh' visit me with death40 ,i had never before felt so honored and gratified as ,i felt when ,i heard this declaration4 ,then in ,sakai1 while taking leave of ,mr4 ,ito ,ichiro1 an old and lifelong friend of mine1 who1 also1 counted net-fishing among his favorite sports1 ,i told him all about the burning of ,mr4 ,takabe's nets2 and he1 too1 did me the favor of following the example set by my ,tokyo friends4 ,then ,i called on ,mr4 ,watanabe ,ichibei at ,osaka4 ,he is1 as he has always been1 a very wealthy man1 now dealing chiefly in stocks and trade with ,korea4 ,his former business was that of a poultry-man1 not in the sense of one who raises fowls1 etc41 but of one who keeps an establishment where people go to have a poultry dinner4 ,his business throve wonderfully2 but ,i knew that his circumstances were such that he could well afford to forego such a sinful business as one which involved the lives of hundreds of fowls every day1 especially as he had been a zealous believer of our religion4 ,several times previously ,i had written him1 beseeching him to give up his brutal business1 and ,i repeated the appeal on the occasion of my last visit to him before my departure for ,tibet1 when he promised1 to my great gratification1 that1 as speedily as possible1 he would change his business1 though to do so immediately was impracticable4 ,i was still more gratified when ,i learned that he had proved the genuineness of his promise about a year and a half after my departure4 ,ordinarily considered1 my conduct in exacting these pledges might appear somewhat presumptuous2 but it ought to be remembered that the sick always need a medicine too strong for a person in normal health1 and the two classes of people must always be treated differently in spiritual ministration as in corporeal pathology4 ,be that as it may1 ,i cannot help thinking of these gifts of effective promises1 as often as ,i recall my adventures in the ,himlayas and in ,tibet1 which often brought me to death's door4 ,i know that the great love of the merciful ,buha has always protected me in my dangers2 yet1 who knows but that the saving of the lives of hundreds and thousands of finny and feathered creatures1 as the result of these promises1 contributed largely toward my miraculous escapes4 ,farewell visits over1 ,i was ready to start1 but for some money4 ,i had had a small sum of one hundred yen of my own savings2 but this amount was swelled to #ecj yen1 by the generosity of ,messrs4 ,watanabe1 ,harukawa1 and ,kitamura of ,osaka1 ,hige1 ,ito1 ,noda1 and ,yamanaka of ,sakai1 and others4 ,of this total1 ,i spent about one hundred in fitting myself out for a peculiarly problematical journey1 and the very modest sum of half a thousand was all ,i had with me on my departure4 ,it is curious how little people believe your words1 until you actually begin to carry them out1 especially when your attempt is a venturesome one1 and how they protest1 expostulate1 and even ridicule you1 often predicting failure behind your back1 when they see that you are not to be dissuaded4 ,and ,i had the pleasure of going through these curious experiences2 for many indeed were those who came to me almost at the last moment to advise1 to ask1 to beg me to change my mind and give up my ,tibetan trip1 and ,i could see that they were all in earnest4 ,for instance1 on the very eve of my departure1 while spending my last night at ,mr4 ,maki's in ,osaka1 a certain judge of the ,local ,court of ,wakayama came on purpose to tell me that ,i was bound to end my venture in making myself a laughing-stock of the world by meeting death out of fool-hardiness1 and that ,i would do far better by staying at home and engaging in my ecclesiastical work1 a work which1 he said1 ,i had full well qualified myself to undertake2 to do the latter was especially advisable for me1 because the ,buhist circle of ,japan was in great need of earnest and capable men1 and so on4 ,seeing that ,i was not to be moved in my determination1 the judge said3 8,suppose you lose your life in the attempt8 you will not be able to accomplish anything40 8,but it is just as uncertain whether ,i die1 or ,i survive my venture4 ,if ,i die1 well and good2 it will be like the soldier's death in a battle-field1 and ,i should be gratified to think that ,i fell in the cause of my religion10 ,i answered4 ,then the judge gave me up for incorrigible and went away1 after wishing me farewell in a substantial manner4 ,that was on the night of ,june #bdth1 #ahig4 ,early on the following morning ,i left ,osaka1 and on the next day ,i embarked on the ,idzumi-maru at ,kobe1 seen off by my friends and well-wishers already mentioned4 ,among them was ,mr4 ,noda ,giichiro1 who told me that he was very glad as well as very sorry for this departure of mine1 and that his words could not give adequate expression to the feelings uppermost in his heart4 ,i thought these touching words expressed the feelings shared by my other friends also4 ,illustration3 ,,author',s ,,departure ,,from ,,japan4 ,hats and handkerchiefs grew smaller and fainter until they went out of sight1 as the good ship ,idzumi steamed westward4 ,past ,wada promontory1 my old acquaintances1 the peaks of ,kongo1 ,shigi and ,ikoma1 in turn1 disappeared in the rounding sea4 ,in due time ,moji was reached and then1 out of the ,strait of ,genkai1 our ship headed direct for ,hongkong4 ,at ,hongkong1 ,mr4 ,thompson1 an ,englishman1 boarded our ship1 and his advent proved to be a welcome change in the monotony of the voyage4 ,he said he had lived eighteen years in ,japan1 and he spoke ,japanese exceedingly well4 ,i found in him an earnest and enthusiastic ,christian2 and1 as may be imagined1 he and ,i came to spend much of our time in religious controversies1 which1 as they were carried on1 it may be needless to add1 in a most friendly way1 became a source of much pleasure and information1 not only to ourselves1 but also to all on board4 ,another interesting experience which ,i went through during the voyage was when ,i preached--and ,i preached quite a number of times--before the officers and men of the ship1 who proved the most willing and interested audience ,i had ever come across4 ,on the #abth of ,july1 the ,idzumi entered the port of ,singapore1 and ,i put up at the ,fusokwan ,hotel there4 ,on the #aeth1 ,i called at the ,japanese ,consulate in the port1 and saw ,mr4 ,fujita ,toshiro1 our then ,consul there4 ,mr4 ,fujita had heard of me from the ,idzumi's captain1 and he said to me3 8,i hear you are going to ,tibet4 ,i do not know how you have got your venture mapped out1 but ,i know it is a very difficult thing to reach and enter that country4 ,even ,col4 ,fukushima 7now ,lieutenant-,general1 of trans-,siberian fame7 made a halt at ,darjeeling1 and had to retrace his steps thence1 acknowledging practically the impossibility of a ,tibetan exploration1 and ,i cannot see how you can fare better4 ,but if you must1 ,i think there are only two ways of accomplishing your purpose3 namely1 to force your way by the sheer force of arms at the head of an expedition1 for one2 and to go as a beggar1 for the other4 ,may ,i ask you about your programme80 ,i answered ,mr4 ,fujita to the effect that being a ,buhist priest1 as ,i was1 the first of the methods he had mentioned was out of the question for me1 and that my idea at the time was to follow the second course2 although ,i was far from having anything like a definite programme of my journey4 ,i told him1 further1 that ,i intended to wander on as the course of events might lead me4 ,i left the ,consul in a very meditative mood4 ,i stayed a week in ,fusokwan1 and it was on the last day but one before leaving it that ,i narrowly escaped a serious1 even mortal1 accident4 ,as a priest1 ,i made it1 as ,i make it now1 my practice to do preaching whenever and wherever an opportunity presented itself1 and my rigid adherence to this practice greatly pleased the proprietor of that ,singapore establishment4 ,in consequence of this1 ,i was treated with special regard while there1 and every day1 when the bath was ready1 ,i was the first to be asked to have the warm water ablution1 which is always so welcome to a ,japanese4 ,on the #ahth1 the usual invitation was extended to me1 but ,i was just at that moment engaged in reading the ,text1 and could not comply with it at once4 ,the invitation was repeated a second time1 but1 somehow or other1 ,i was not ready to take my bath1 and remained in my room4 ,meanwhile1 ,i heard a great noise1 with a thud that shook the whole building4 ,a few moments later1 ,i ascertained that the sound and quaking were caused by the collapse and fall of the bath-room from the second floor1 where it had been situated1 to the ground below1 with its bath1 basin1 and all the other contents1 among which the most important and unfortunate was a ,japanese lady1 who1 as ,i had been neglectful in accepting the invitation1 was asked to have her bath first4 ,the lady was1 as ,i afterward learned1 very dangerously hurt1 buried1 as she was1 under dbris of falling stones1 bricks and timber1 and she was taken to a local hospital1 where she lay with very little hope of recovery4 ,i often shudder to think of what would have become of me and of my ,tibetan adventure1 had ,i been more prompt1 as ,i had always been till then1 in responding to all invitations of the kind4 ,i felt exceedingly sorry for the lady1 who met the awful accident practically in my stead2 withal ,i look back to the incident as one that augured well for my ,tibetan undertaking1 which1 indeed1 ended in success4 ,the day after the accident1 on the #aith of ,july1 ,i took passage on an ,english steamer1 the ,lightning1 which1 after calling at ,penang1 brought me to ,calcutta on the #beth of the month4 ,placing myself under the care of the ,mahbohi ,society of ,calcutta1 ,i spent several days in that city1 in the course of which ,i learned from ,mr4 ,chanra ,bose1 a ,secretary of the ,society1 that ,i could not do better for my purpose than to go to ,darjeeling1 and make myself a pupil of ,rai ,bahur ,sara ,chanra s1 who1 as ,i was told1 had some time before spent several months in ,tibet1 and was then compiling a ,tibetan-,english dictionary at his country house in ,darjeeling4 ,mr4 ,chanra ,bose was good enough to write a letter of introduction to the scholar at ,darjeeling in my favor1 and1 with it and also with kind parting wishes of my countrymen in the city and others1 ,i left ,calcutta on ,august #bnd1 by rail4 ,heading north1 the train in almost no time brought its passengers to the river ,gag4 ,we crossed the mighty stream in a steamer1 and then boarded another train on the other side4 ,heading north still1 the train now passed through cocoanut groves and green paddy-fields1 over which1 as night came on1 giant fire-flies1 the like of which in size are not to be found in ,japan1 flew about in immense swarms4 ,the sight was especially interesting after the moon had disappeared4 ,the following morning1 that is1 on the #crd of ,august1 the train pulled up at ,siligree ,station1 and there its passengers1 including myself1 were transferred to a train of small mountaineering cars1 which1 faring ever northward1 forthwith began its tortuous ascent of the ,himlayas1 or rather1 of the outer skirt of the mighty range4 ,with its bends and turns and climbings1 as the train labored onward and upward through the famous 8alai-jungle10 it looked like some amphibian monster on its war path1 as ,i fancied1 while the grind of the car wheels1 with its sound echoed and re-echoed1 seemed to spread quaking terror over peaks and dales4 ,by #c ,p4 ,m41 the train had made a climb of fifty miles and then landed us at ,darjeeling1 which place is #chj miles distant from ,calcutta4 ,at the station ,i hired a anlee1 which is a sort of mountaineering palanquin1 and1 borne in it1 ,i soon afterward arrived at ,rai ,sara's retreat1 ,lhasa ,villa1 which ,i found to be a magnificent mansion4 ,illustration3 ,,rai ,,bahadur ,,sarat ,,chandra ,,das1 ,c4,i4,e4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,a year in ,darjeeling4 ,it was just after the great earthquake in ,assam1 ,india1 that ,i arrived in ,darjeeling1 and1 as ,i could see from a large number of entirely collapsed and partly destroyed houses1 this latter place also had had its share of the seismic disturbances4 ,as for the ,sara ,villa1 it too had suffered more or less1 and repair was already in progress4 ,for all that1 ,i was received there with a whole-hearted welcome4 ,an evening's talk was sufficient1 however1 to make my intentions clear to my kind host1 and1 as my time was precious1 ,rai ,sara took me out1 the very next day after my arrival1 to a temple called ,ghoompahl1 where ,i was introduced to an aged ,mongolian priest1 who lived there and was renowned for his scholarly attainments and also as a teacher of the ,tibetan language4 ,the priest was then seventy-eight years of age1 and his name1 which was ,serab ,gyamtso 7,ocean of ,knowledge71 happened by a curious coincidence to mean in the ,tibetan tongue the same thing as my own name ,ekai meant4 ,this discovery1 at our first meeting1 greatly pleased my ,tibetan tutor1 as the old priest was thenceforth to be4 ,our talk naturally devolved upon ,buhism1 but the conversation proved to be a rather awkward affair1 for though ,rai ,sara kindly acted the part of an interpreter for us1 it had to be carried on1 on my part1 in very rudimentary ,english4 ,as it was1 the first day of my tutelage ended in my making the acquaintance of the ,tibetan alphabet1 and from that time onward1 ,i became a regular attendant at the temple1 daily walking three miles from and back to the ,sara mansion4 ,one day1 about a month after this1 ,rai ,sara had me in his room and spoke to me thus3 8,well1 ,mr4 ,kawaguchi1 ,i would advise you to give up your intention of going to ,tibet4 ,it is a very risky undertaking1 which it would be worth risking if there were any chance of accomplishing it2 but chances are almost entirely against you4 ,you can acquire all the knowledge of the ,tibetan language you want1 here1 and you can go back to ,japan1 where you will be respected as a ,tibetan scholar40 ,i told my host that my purpose was not only to learn the ,tibetan language1 but that it was to complete my studies in ,buhism4 8,that may be10 said my host1 8and a very important thing it no doubt is with you2 but what is the use of attempting a thing when there is no hope of accomplishing it8 ,if you go into ,tibet1 the only thing you can count upon is that you will be killed60 ,i retorted3 8,have you not been there yourself8 ,i do not see why ,i cannot do the same thing40 ,rai ,sara's rejoinder was3 8,ah6 ,that is just where you are mistaken2 you must know that the times are different1 ,mr4 ,kawaguchi4 ,the #8closed door' policy is in full operation1 and is being carried out with the most jealous strictness in ,tibet to-day1 and ,i know that ,i will never be able again to undertake another trip into that country4 ,besides1 when ,i made my trip1 ,i had with me an excellent pass1 which ,i was fortunate to secure through certain means1 but there is no means1 nor even hope1 any longer of procuring such a pass4 ,under the circumstances ,i should think it is to your own interest to go home from here1 after you have completed the study of the ,tibetan language40 ,i knew that my good host meant all that he said2 but ,i could not allow myself to be prevailed upon4 ,instead1 ,i utilised the occasion in telling him that further tutelage under ,lama ,serab was not to my mind1 because the aged priest was more anxious to teach me the ,tibetan ,buhism than the ,tibetan language4 ,i asked ,rai ,sara to kindly devise for me some way1 by which ,i might acquire the vernacular ,tibetan language4 ,finding me resolute in my purpose1 ,rai ,sara1 with his unswerving kindness1 cheerfully agreed to my request1 and arranged for me that ,i should have a new private teacher1 besides a regular schooling4 ,it was in this way4 ,just below ,rai ,sara's mansion was a residence which consisted of two small but pretty buildings4 ,the residence belonged to a ,lama called ,shabdung1 who just then happened not to live there1 but in a house in the business quarters of ,darjeeling4 ,rai ,sara sent for this ,lama and asked him to teach the 8,japan ,lama0 the ,tibetan language1 the ,lama returning to his residence just mentioned with his entire household4 ,lama ,shabdung was only too pleased to do as was requested1 and ,i was forthwith installed a member of his household1 that ,i might have ample opportunity of learning the popular ,tibetan language4 ,on the other hand1 ,i at the same time matriculated into the ,government ,school of ,darjeeling1 and was there given systematic lessons in the same language by ,prof4 ,tumi ,onden1 the ,head ,teacher of the language department of ,tibetans in that ,school4 ,i should not forget to mention here that1 while ,i paid out of my own pocket all the tuition fees and school expenses1 as it was quite proper that ,i should1 ,i was made a beneficiary of my friend ,rai ,sara so far as my board was concerned1 that good man insisting that to do a little kindness in favor of such a 8pure and noble-hearted man as you are0--as he said--was to increase his own happiness4 ,not too well stocked with the wherewithal as ,i was1 ,i gratefully allowed myself to be prevailed upon to accept his generosity4 ,indeed1 ,i had only three hundred yen with me when ,i arrived at ,darjeeling2 but1 as it was1 that amount supported me for the seventeen months of my stay there4 ,had ,i had to pay my own board1 ,i would have had to cut down my stay there to half the length of time4 ,at ,lama ,shabdung's ,i lived as though back in my boyhood1 attending the school in the morning1 and doing my lessons at home in the company of the children of the family in the afternoon4 ,it is a well known thing that the best way to learn a foreign language is to live among the people who speak it1 but a discovery--as it was to me--that ,i made while at ,shabdung's was that the best teachers of everyday language are children4 ,as a foreigner you ask them to teach you their language2 and you find that1 led on by their instinctive curiosity and kindness1 not unmingled with a sense of pride1 they are always the most anxious and untiring teachers1 and also that in their innocence they are the most exacting and intolerant teachers1 as they will brook no mis-pronunciation or mis-accent1 even the slightest errors4 ,next to children1 women are1 ,i think1 the best language teachers4 ,at least such are the conclusions ,i arrived at from the experiences of my #8schooling days' in ,darjeeling4 ,for in six or seven months after my instalment in the ,shabdung household1 ,i had become able to carry on all ordinary conversation in the ,tibetan tongue1 with more ease than in my ,english of two years' hard learning1 and ,i regard ,tibetan as a more difficult language than ,english4 ,true1 ,i made myself a most willing and zealous pupil all through the tutelage2 withal1 ,i consider the progress ,i made in that short space of time as quite remarkable1 and that progress was the gift of my female and juvenile teachers in the ,shabdung family4 ,the more progress ,i made in my linguistic acquirement1 the more eager student ,i became in things ,tibetan1 and ,i found in my host a truly charming conversationalist1 himself fond of talking4 ,evening after evening ,i sat1 an absorbed listener to ,lama ,shabdung's flowing and inexhaustible store of narratives about ,tibet4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,a foretaste of ,tibetan barbarism4 ,to give one of ,lama ,shabdung's favourite recitals about ,tibet3 my host1 while there1 studied ,buhism under a high ,lama of great virtues and the most profound learning1 called ,sengchen ,dorjechan 7,great-,lion ,diamond-,treasury71 who had been the tutor of the ,secondary or ,deputy ,pope1 so to say1 of ,tibet4 ,no man in ,tibet was held in higher esteem and deeper reverence than this holy man4 ,it was this holy man himself who taught my friend and benefactor ,rai ,sara1 when he was in ,tibet4 ,though ,rai ,sara's pupilage under the high ,lama lasted only for a short time1 it had the most tragical consequences4 ,for1 after his return to ,india1 the ,tibetan ,government discovered to its own mortification that ,rai ,sara was an emissary of the ,british ,government1 and the parties who had become in any way connected with his visit1 more particularly the man who had secretly furnished him with a pass1 another in whose house he had lodged and boarded1 and the high ,lama1 were all thrown into prison1 the last named having afterward had to pay with his life for his innocent crime4 ,illustration3 ,,lama ,,sengchen ,,dorjechan4 ,many are the reminiscences of this holy ,lama1 which show that he was indeed a person very firm and enlightened in the ,buhist faith1 and to that degree was the most lovable and adorable of men4 ,but more especially affecting1 even sublimely beautiful1 are the episodes immediately preceding and surrounding his death1 for the truth of which ,i depend not on the narrative of ,lama ,shabdung alone1 but largely also upon what ,i was able to learn from persons of unquestionable reliability1 during my disguised stay in the capital of ,tibet4 ,to mention a few of these3 when an unpleasant rumor had just begun to be circulated1 soon after ,rai ,sara's departure from ,tibet1 about his secret mission1 the high ,lama ,sengchen knew at once that death was at his door1 but was not afraid4 ,for1 when it was hinted at by his friends that he would become involved in a serious predicament1 owing to his acquaintance with ,rai ,sara1 he replied that he had always considered it his heaven-ordained work to try to propagate and to perpetuate ,buhism1 not among his own countrymen only1 but among the whole human race2 that whether or not ,sara ,chanra s was a man who had entered ,tibet with the object of 8stealing away ,buhism10 or to play the part of a spy1 was not his concern--the question had in any case never occurred to him--and that if he were to suffer death for having done what he had regarded it as his duty to do1 he could not help it4 ,that this holy ,lama was an advocate of active propagandism may be gathered from the fact that1 besides sending various ,buhistic images and ritualistic utensils to ,india1 he had caused several persons to go out there as missionaries1 my teacher1 the ,manchurian ,lama ,serab ,gyamtso1 in the ,ghoompahl ,temple of ,darjeeling1 being one of these4 ,unfortunately1 this undertaking did not prove a success1 but none the less it shows the lofty aspirations which actuated the high ,lama1 who1 as ,i was told1 had deeply lamented the decadence1 or rather the almost entire disappearance1 of ,buhism in the land of its origin1 and was sincerely anxious to revive it there4 ,it is nothing uncommon in ,japan to meet with ,buhist priests interested in the work or idea of foreign propagandism2 but a person so minded is an extreme rarity in that hermit-country ,tibet1 and that ,lama ,sengchen was such a one indicates the greatness of his character1 and that he was a man above sectarian differences and international prejudices1 solely given to the noble idea of universal brotherhood under ,buhism4 ,being the man he was1 he had many enemies among the high officials of the hierarchical ,government1 who were in constant watch for an opportunity to bring about his downfall4 ,to these1 his enemies1 the rumor about ,prof4 ,sara was a welcome one1 which they lost no time in turning to account4 ,in all haste they despatched men to ,darjeeling1 and ascertained that1 in truth1 ,rai ,sara had smuggled himself into and out of ,tibet1 and that1 as the fact was1 he had done so at the request of the ,british ,government of ,india4 ,then followed the incarceration1 already mentioned1 of all those who had had anything to do with ,rai ,sara1 the final upshot of which was sentence of death upon the high ,lama ,sengchen ,dorjechan1 on the ground that the latter had harbored in his temple1 and divulged national secrets to1 a foreign emissary4 ,the holy man's execution was carried out on a certain day of ,june1 #ahhg1 and took the form of sinking him till he became drowned in the river ,konbo1 which is a local name given to the great ,brahmapura4 ,as ,i recall the scene of that occasion1 as ,i heard it described1 ,i see before my eyes the tear-drenched face of my friend ,lama ,shabdung1 who1 struggling with emotion1 would often tell me what he witnessed on that day4 ,surrounded by an immense crowd of sympathising and sobbing people1 the noble ,lama was found seated1 and reading the sacred ,text1 on a large piece of rock overhanging a side of the river1 as the hour of his execution approached4 ,he was clothed in a coarse white fabric1 and looked serenely calm and perfectly composed1 as he gave an order to his executioners in these words3 8,when1 in a little while1 ,i have finished reading the holy ,text1 ,i will shake this my finger three times thus1 and that will be the signal for you to sink me in the river40 ,the instruction was in response to a question1 if the high ,lama wanted to say or have done anything ere his execution1 asked by one of the executioners1 who was already tying around the holy man's body one end of a thick rope1 with which he was to be lowered under the water4 ,in the meantime1 the suspense grew intense and the great multitude that had gathered around had become blind to everything but the mighty1 cruel waters of the ,brahmapura1 the executioners1 and the holy priest1 and deaf to all but their own sobbings and wailings4 ,they saw before them a man of their hearts1 of national esteem1 profound in learning and saintly in behavior1 who1 as a priest of the highest order1 should wear three layers of red and yellow silk1 but who was wrapped in an unclean prison-suit of white1 and was now to die a victim to his enemies' malice4 ,they knew all was not right1 but they knew not how to undo the wrong1 and they appealed to their own tears4 ,as it happened1 the day had been cloudy1 and rain had even begun to come down in drops as the high ,lama raised one of his hands1 the purpose of which act was all too evident1 and lamentation became loud and universal4 ,once1 twice1 and three times the noble prisoner had shaken his finger1 but none of the executioners dared to come forward--they were in tears themselves4 ,then the high ,lama said3 8,my time is come3 what are ye doing8 ,speed me under water40 ,thereupon1 with heavy hands and heavier hearts the executioners1 after having weighted the high ,lama's loins with a large stone1 slowly lowered the whole burden into the rushing waters of the ,brahmapura4 ,after a while they pulled up what they expected to have become the remains of the saintly man1 but finding that life had not yet departed1 they again went through the drowning process4 ,when for a second time they raised the body1 they found life still lingering in it4 ,the multitude1 which saw how things went1 became clamorous in their demand that the holy man be now saved2 while the executioners themselves seemed unnerved and unable to go to their cruel duty a third time4 ,as the moments of indecision sped by1 the high ,lama1 most wonderful to tell1 recovered sufficient strength to speak1 and say3 8,lament ye not my death4 ,for my phase of activity having come to an end1 ,i now depart with gratification1 and that means that my evil past ceases1 so that my good future may begin--it is not ye that kill me4 ,all that ,i wish for1 after my death1 is a greater and ever-growing prosperity for ,buhism in ,tibet4 ,now make ye haste1 and sink me under the water40 ,thus urged1 the executioners1 sorrow-ridden1 obeyed the order1 and they saw that life1 in sooth1 had departed at the third raising of the body4 ,then1 as the custom is in ,tibet1 they severed all the limbs from the high ,lama's remains1 and threw the different parts separately into the stream1 thus ending the grim business of execution4 ,it will be admitted by all1 especially by all ,buhists1 that there was something loftily admirable in the personality of a man who had done and given his all for his faith and religion1 and yet uttered not a word of complaint against ,providence or man1 but1 in serene1 noble meekness1 met his most unmerited and most agonising death4 ,as for me1 besides finding it most affecting1 ,i felt a peculiarly direct interest in the story of this high ,lama's execution1 from the moment when ,i was told of it for the first time4 ,for1 was ,i not on my way to ,tibet8 ,should ,i succeed in my purpose8 ,who could tell but that there might be a repetition of that sad and cruel scene8 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,lama',s ,,execution4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,laying a false scent4 ,i rose early on the ,new ,year's day of #ahih1 and spent the greater part of the morning1 as was usual with me1 in reading the sacred ,text in honor of the day1 and also in praying for the health and long life of their ,majesties the ,emperor and the ,empress1 and his ,highness1 the ,crown ,prince1 and for the prosperity of ,japan4 ,the ,new ,year's uta#a which ,i composed on the occasion was as follows3 #a ,the word uta in ,japanese means a short epigrammatic poem1 expressed tersely1 and inspired by some special occasion4 ,in glory yonder1 lo6 the ,new ,year's ,sun1 ,his coruscating grateful beams forthshoots1 ,diffusing lucid roses on the snows ,that flash in dazzling spangles bright and clear2 ,that ,sun1 the symbol on the ,japan-flag ,my fancy lights with patriotic thrills4 ,i spent the twelve months following in closely devoting myself to the study1 and in efforts at the practical mastery1 of the ,tibetan tongue1 with the result that1 toward the close of the year1 ,i had become fairly confident of my own proficiency in the use of the language both in its literary and vernacular forms2 and ,i made up my mind to start for my destination with the coming of the year #ahii4 ,then1 it became a momentous question for me to decide upon the route to take in entering ,tibet4 ,besides the secret path1 the ,khambu-,rong1 i4 e41 #8,peach ,valley' pass1 there are three highways which one may choose in reaching ,tibet from ,darjeeling4 ,these are3 first1 the main road1 which turns north-east directly after leaving ,darjeeling and runs through ,nyatong2 second1 that which traverses the western slope of ,kachejunga1 the second highest snow-capped peaks in the ,range and brings the traveller to ,warong1 a village on the frontier of ,tibet2 and the third1 which takes one direct from ,sikkim through ,khampa-,jong to ,lhasa4 ,as1 however1 each of these roads is jealously guarded either with a fortified gate or some sentinels1 at its ,tibetan terminus1 it is a matter of practical impossibility for a foreigner to gain admittance into the hermit-country by going along any of them4 ,rai ,sara was of opinion that1 if ,i were to present myself at the ,nyatong gate1 tell the guards there that ,i was a ,japanese priest who wished to visit their country for the sole purpose of studying ,buhism1 ,i might possibly be allowed to pass in1 provided that ,i was courteously persistent in my solicitations2 but ,i had reasons for thinking little of this suggestion4 ,at all events1 what ,i had learned from my ,tibetan tutors did not sustain my friend's view2 instead1 however1 my own information led me to a belief that a road to suit my purpose could be found by proceeding through either the ,kingdom of ,bhan or of ,nepl4 ,it appeared to me1 further1 that the route most advantageous to me would be by way of ,nepl2 for ,bhan had never been visited by the ,buha1 and there was there little to learn for me in that connexion1 though that country had at one time or another been travelled over by ,tibetan priests of great renown2 but the latter fact had nothing of importance for me4 ,i had been told1 however1 that ,nepl abounded in the ,buha's footsteps1 and that there was in existence there complete sets of the ,buhist ,texts in ,samsk4 ,these were inducements which ,i could turn to account1 in the case of failure to enter ,tibet4 ,moreover1 no ,japanese had ever been in ,nepl before me1 though it had been visited by some ,europeans and ,americans4 ,so ,i decided on a route vi ,nepl4 ,the decision made1 it would have been all ,i could wish for1 if it were possible for me to journey to ,nepl direct from ,darjeeling2 there was on the way grand and picturesque scenery incidentally to enjoy1 besides places sacred to ,buhist pilgrims4 ,but to do so was not possible for me1 or at least implied serious dangers4 ,for most of the ,tibetans living in ,darjeeling--and there were quite a number of them there--knew that ,i was learning their language with the intention of some day visiting their country2 and it was perfectly manifest that the moment ,i left that town with my face towards ,tibet1 they1 or some of them at the least1 would come after me as far as some point where they might make short work of me1 or follow me into ,tibet and there betray me to the authorities1 for they would be richly rewarded for so doing4 ,to meet the necessity of the case1 ,i gave it out that1 owing to an unexpected occurrence1 ,i was obliged to go home at once1 and ,i left ,darjeeling for ,calcutta1 which place ,i reached on the #eth of ,january1 #ahii4 ,i1 of course1 let ,rai ,sara into my secret1 and he alone knew that the day ,i left ,darjeeling ,i started on my ,tibetan journey in real earnest1 though back to ,calcutta ,i took fare in sooth4 ,on leaving ,darjeeling1 my good host ,rai ,sara ,chanra earnestly wished me complete success in my travels to ,tibet1 and gave vent to his hearty and sincere pleasure in finding in me one1 who1 as bold and adventurous as himself1 was starting on a perilous but interesting expedition to that hitherto unknown country4 ,previous to my departure from ,darjeeling1 ,i received there #fcj ,rupees1 which had been collected and forwarded to me through the kind and never-failing efforts of my friends at home1 ,messrs4 ,hige1 ,ito1 ,watanabe and others4 ,now over trackless snowy range ,i wend ,my lonely way to #8,bhota1'#b elsewhere named ,tibet1 where ,dharma's glorious ,sun pours forth ,his ,light and melts the cheerless snows of ,doubt ,and ,pain and ,sorrow1 vexing mortal men4 #b ,bhota is the name by which ,tibet is known in ,samskri4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,journey to ,nepal4 ,during my second and short stay in ,calcutta ,i had the good luck of being introduced to a ,neplese named ,jibbahaur1 who was then a ,secretary of the ,nepl ,government1 but who is now the ,minister ,resident of that country in ,tibet4 ,he was kind enough to write two letters introducing me to a certain gentleman of influence in ,nepl4 ,on the #bjth of ,january1 #ahii1 ,i came to the famous ,buhagay1 sacred to ,holy ,shkyamuni ,buha1 and there met ,mr4 ,dharmapala of ,ceylon1 who happened to be there on a visit4 ,i had a very interesting conversation with him4 ,on learning that ,i was on my way to ,tibet1 he asked me to do him the favor of taking some presents for him to the ,dalai ,lama4 ,the presents consisted of a small relic of the ,buha1 enclosed in a silver casket which was in the form of a miniature pagoda1 and a volume of the sacred ,text written on palm leaves4 ,i1 of course1 willingly complied with the request of the ,sinhalese gentleman1 who expressed himself as being very anxious to visit ,tibet1 but thought it useless to attempt a trip thither1 unless he were invited to do so4 ,the night of that day ,i spent meditating on the #8,diamond ,seat' under the ,bohi-tree--the very tree under which1 and the very stone on which1 about two thousand five hundred years ago1 the holy ,buha sat and reached ,buhahood4 ,the feeling ,i then experienced is indescribable3 all ,i can say is that ,i sat the night out in the most serene and peaceful extasy4 ,i saw the tell-tale moon lodged1 as it were1 among the branches of the ,bohi-tree1 shedding its pale light on the #8,diamond ,seat1' and the scene was superbly picturesque1 and also hallowing1 when ,i thought of the days and nights the ,buha spent in holy meditation at that very spot4 ,whilst seated on the ,diamond ,seat1 absorbed ,in thoughtful meditation full and deep ,the lunar orb1 suspended o'er the tree-- ,the ,sacred ,bodhi tree--shines in the sky4 ,i wait with longing for the morning star ,to rise1 the witness of that moment high ,when ,his ,illumination gained the ,lord ,the ,perfect ,buddha1 ,perfect ,teacher ,great4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,author ,,meditating ,,under ,,the ,,bodhi-,,tree4 ,after a few days' stay in ,buhagay1 ,i took the railway-train for ,nepl1 and a ride of a day and a night brought me to ,sagauli1 on the morning of ,january #bc4 ,sagauli is a station at a distance of two days' journey from the ,neplese border4 ,here one boundary of the linguistic territory of ,english was reached1 and beyond neither that language nor the ,tibetan tongue was of any use--one had to speak either ,hinsni or ,neplese to be understood1 and ,i knew neither4 ,so it became a necessary part of my ,tibetan adventure to stop a while at ,sagauli1 and make myself master of working ,neplese4 ,it was like forging the chain after catching a criminal4 ,but up to then1 my time had been all taken up in learning ,tibetan1 and ,i had had no moment to spare for anything else4 ,by good fortune1 however1 my stay there was not to be a long one4 ,i found the postmaster of ,sagauli1 a ,bengl1 to be proficient both in ,english and ,neplese4 ,as the thing had to be done in the most expeditious way possible1 ,i started my work by noting down every ,neplese word the postmaster would teach me4 ,the next day after my arrival at ,sagauli1 while ,i was out on a walk near the station with my note-book in hand1 ,i noticed1 among those who got off a train1 a company of three men1 one of whom was a gentleman1 apparently of forty years of age and dressed in a ,tibetan costume1 another a priest about fifty years old1 and the third unmistakably their servant4 ,thereupon a thought flashed on me that it would be a good thing for me if ,i could travel with these ,tibetans1 as ,i took them to be1 and ,i immediately made bold to go up to them and ask whither they were going4 ,i was told that their destination was ,nepl1 that they had not just then come from ,tibet1 but that one of them was a ,tibetan4 ,it then became their turn to question me1 their opening enquiry being as to what country ,i belonged4 ,i replied that ,i was a ,chinese4 8,which direction did you come from then8--did you travel by land or by sea80 was the rejoinder sharply put to me next4 ,that was a question ,i had to answer with caution4 ,for the rule then in force in ,tibet was to admit into that country no ,chinaman coming by the sea4 ,so ,i answered3 8,by land40 ,as we conversed1 so we walked1 and presently we came in front of where ,i was lodging4 ,in that part of the world there is no such smart thing as a hotel or an inn2 all the accommodation one can get in this respect is a shanty of a rather primitive type1 with bamboo posts and a straw roof4 ,there are a number of these simple structures there1 standing on the roadside and intended only for travellers1 who have1 however1 nothing to pay for lodging in them--they only pay the price of eatables and fuel1 should they procure any4 ,it was in one of these shanties that ,i was stopping1 and when ,i excused myself from the company of my newly made acquaintances1 the latter betook themselves into another on the opposite side of the street4 ,after a while the gentleman and the priest came out of their shanty and called on me1 evidently bent on finding out who1 or rather what1 ,i was4 ,for the first question with which they challenged me was to what part of ,china ,i belonged4 8,to ,fooshee10 ,i replied1 realising full well that ,i was to go through the ordeal of an inquisition4 8,you speak ,chinese1 of course80 then asked the gentleman4 ,my reply in the affirmative caused him at once to talk to me in quite fluent ,chinese1 which put me in no little consternation in secret4 ,compelled by necessity1 ,i ventured calmly3 8,you must be talking in the official ,peking dialect1 while ,i can talk only in the common ,fooshee tongue1 and ,i do not understand you at all40 ,he was not to let me off yet4 ,says he next3 8,you can write in ,chinese1 ,i suppose40 ,yes1 ,i could1 and ,i wrote4 ,some of my characters were intelligible enough to my guests1 and some not1 and after all it was agreed that it was best to confine ourselves to ,tibetan4 ,as our conversation progressed1 my principal guest came to the crucial part of the inquisition and asked3 8,you say you have come from the landward side3 well1 from what part of ,tibet have you come80 8,in sooth1 from ,lhasa1 sir2 ,i have been on a pilgrimage through ,darjeeling to ,buhagay1 and from thence here10 ,i replied4 ,i was requested to say1 then1 in what part of the city of ,lhasa ,i lived4 ,being informed that ,i was in the grand ,sera monastery1 he wanted to know if ,i was acquainted with an old priest who was the ,tatsang ,kenpo 7grand teacher7 of that institution4 ,i was bold enough to say that ,i was not a perfect stranger to the priest in question1 and made a right good use of what ,i had learned from ,lama ,shabdung at ,darjeeling4 ,so far ,i managed to keep up my disguise1 but each moment that passed only added to my fear of being trapped1 and compelled to give myself away4 ,to avoid this danger1 ,i felt it important to head off my inquisitorial visitors by dispelling their suspicion1 if they entertained any1 about me4 ,i was remarkably successful in this1 the information obtained from ,lama ,shabdung again doing me excellent service4 ,for1 when ,i told my guests1 in a most knowing way1 all about ,shabbe ,shata's intrigue against the ,tangye-ling1 which was designed to increase his own power1 and the secret of which affair was not then generally known1 the recital seemed to make a great impression on them1 and to have had the effect of convincing them that ,i was the person ,i pretended to be4 ,so my ordeal was at an end2 but there was yet in store for me the most unexpected discovery ,i was to make about these men4 ,no longer curious as to my antecedents1 my gentleman guest now asked me3 8,you say you are going to ,nepl3 may ,i ask you who is the person you are directed to1 and if you have ever been in that country80 ,i had never been there before1 but ,i had a letter of introduction with me4 ,from whom1 to whom1 could that be8 ,the letters1 ,i said--for ,i had had two given me--were written in favor of me by ,mr4 ,jibbahaur1 an official of the ,neplese ,government1 then residing in ,calcutta1 and addressed to the ,lama of the ,great ,tower of ,mahboha in ,nepl1 whose name1 though ,i just happened to forget it1 was on the letters4 ,this piece of information seemed greatly to interest the gentleman1 who could not help saying3 8,why1 that is strange6 ,mr4 ,jibbahaur is a friend of mine3 ,i wonder who can be the person to whom the letters are addressed2 will you permit me to look at them80 ,and the climax came when ,i1 in all willingness1 took out the letters and showed them to my guest1 for he ejaculated3 8,well1 whoever would have thought it8 ,these are for me60 ,i may here observe that in ,nepl1 as ,i found out afterwards1 the word friend conveys a much deeper meaning1 probably1 than in any other country4 ,to be a friend there means practically the same thing as being a brother1 and the natives have a curious custom of observing a special ceremony when any two of them tie the knot of friendship between them4 ,the ceremony resembles very much that of marriage1 and its celebration is made an occasion for a great festival1 in which the relatives and connexions of the parties concerned take part4 ,to be brief1 the ceremony generally takes the form of exchanging glasses of the native drink between the mutually chosen two1 and they each have to extend their liberalities even to their servants in honor of the occasion4 ,it is only after the observance of these formalities--which signify a great deal to the natives--that any two ,neplese may each call themselves the friend of the other4 ,it so happened that my erstwhile inquisitor proved to be the official owner and ,lama-,superior of the ,great ,tower above mentioned1 who stood in the relationship of a #8friend' to ,mr4 ,jibbahaur4 ,it was most unexpected1 but the discovery was none the less welcome to me1 and ,i besought him to take me1 henceforth1 under his care and protection4 ,thus ,i came to be no longer a stranger and a solitary pilgrim1 but a guest1 a companion1 to a high personage of ,nepl4 ,my newly acquired friend1 as ,i should call the ,lama in our language1 proposed that we should start for ,nepl the next morning4 ,this proposal was agreeable to me1 as was another that we should go afoot instead of on horse-back1 so that we might the better enjoy each other's company1 and perchance1 also1 the grand scenery on the way4 ,i say that all this was agreeable to me1 because1 in addition to the obvious benefit ,i was sure to derive from being in the company of these men1 ,i entertained a secret hope that ,i might learn a great deal1 which would help me in executing the main part of my adventures1 yet to come4 ,while our talk was progressing in this fashion1 two servants of the ,lama's came in1 running and all pale1 with the unwelcome piece of news that a thief had broken into their shed4 ,this caused my callers to take precipitate leave of me4 ,i afterwards learned that the ,lamas had had three hundred and fifty rupees in cash1 and some books and clothes1 stolen between them4 ,i was in luck on that occasion1 for the owner of my shed told me subsequently that the thief1 who caused such a loss to the ,lamas1 had been on the look-out for a chance to loot my lodging1 and1 as it happened1 he finally made my newly made friends suffer for me2 ,i felt exceedingly sorry for them4 ,in the meantime ,i learned that the gentleman ,lama's name was ,buha ,vajra 7,enlightened ,diamond71 and that the old priest1 whose name was ,mayar1 and who was full of jokes1 was a ,doctor of ,divinity of the ,debon monastery in ,lhasa4 ,early on the #beth of ,january we started on our journey1 and proceeded due north across the plain in which ,sagauli stands4 ,the next day we arrived at a place called ,beelganji1 where stood the first guarded gate of the ,neplese frontier4 ,there ,i was given a pass1 as for a ,chinaman living in ,tibet4 ,we passed the night of the following day in a village situated a little way this side of the famous ,dalai ,jungle1 which may be regarded as an entrance to the great ,himlayas4 ,on the #bhth we proceeded past ,simla1 a village at the outer edge of the great jungle1 and thence1 straight across the jungle itself1 which has a width of full eight miles1 until we came to a village on the bank of a mountain stream called ,bichagori1 where we took up our lodgings for the night4 ,about ten o'clock that night1 while writing up my diary1 ,i happened to look out of the window of my shanty4 ,the moon in her pale splendor was shining brightly over the great jungle1 and there was something indescribably weird in the scene1 whose silence was broken only by a rushing stream4 ,suddenly ,i then heard a detonation1 tremendous in its volume and depth1 which1 as ,i felt1 almost shook the ground4 ,in reply to my query1 ,i was told by our innkeeper that the sound came from a tiger1 which evidently had just finished a fine repast on its victim1 and1 having come to have a draught of river-water1 could not help giving vent to its sense of enjoyment4 ,so an uta came to me3 ,the night sleeps still and calm1 the moon shines bright1 ,what ho6--so loud a roar the stillness breaks1 ,vibrating--ah6 ,it is a tiger fierce6 ,in ripples rough his roar terrific throws ,the surface even of the mountain stream4 ,illustration3 ,,on ,,the ,,banks ,,of ,,the ,,bichagori ,,river4 ,for two days more the road lay now through a dale on the bank of a river1 then across a deep forest1 and over a mountain1 until we reached a stage station called ,binbit4 ,so far the road was up a slow1 gradual incline1 and horse-carriages and bullock-carts could be driven over it2 but now the ascent became so steep that it could be made only on foot1 or in a mountain-palanquin4 ,we went on foot1 commencing our climb as early as four o'clock in the morning4 ,after an ascent of something more than three and a half miles1 we came to a guarded gate named ,tispance4 ,here was a custom-house and a fortress1 garrisoned by quite a number of soldiers1 and we had to go through an examination4 ,thence we climbed a peak called ,tisgari1 from the top of which ,i1 for the first time1 beheld with wonder the sublime sight of the mighty ,himlayas1 shining majestically with their snow of ages4 ,the grandeur of the scene was so utterly beyond imagination1 that the memory of what ,i had seen at ,darjeeling and ,tiger ,hill came back to me only as a faint vision4 ,down ,tisgari we came to ,marku station1 where we took lodging for the night4 ,early on the #ast of ,february1 we climbed up the peak ,chanra ,giri1 or ,moon ,peak1 whose sides are covered with the flowers of the rhododendron1 the chief characteristic of the ,himlayan ,range4 ,thence ,i saw again the snow-covered range of ,himlaya1 ever grand and majestic4 ,just a little way down from the top of the peak1 ,i saw1 spread before me like a picture1 ,ktmndu the capital of ,nepl and the country around4 ,i saw also in that panorama two gilded towers rising conspicuously against the sky1 and ,lama ,buha ,vajra told me that one of them was the tomb of ,kyapa ,buha1 and the other that of ikh ,buha4 ,on coming down the steep slope of the hill1 we were met by four or five men with two horses4 ,they were men sent thither in advance to wait for the return of ,buha ,vajra1 and ,i was given one of the horses1 while my host took the other4 ,we were met by about thirty more men on entering a village1 not far from the foot of the hill4 ,the distance from ,sagauli railway station to this spot is roughly one hundred and twenty-five miles4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,i befriend ,beggars4 ,the village that surrounds the great ,kyapa tower is generally known by the name of ,boha4 ,lama ,buha ,vajra1 ,i found1 was the ,headman of that village as well as the ,superior of that mausoleum tower1 which in ,tibetan is called ,yambu ,chorten ,chenpo4 ,yambu is the general name by which ,ktmndu is known in ,tibet2 and ,chorten ,chenpo means great tower4 ,the real name of the tower in full is1 however1 ,ja ,rung ,kashol ,chorten ,chenpo1 which may be translated into3 8,have finished giving order to proceed with40 ,the tower has an interesting history of its own1 which explains this strange name4 ,it is said in this history that ,kyapa was a ,buha that lived a long time before ,shkyamuni ,buha4 ,after ,kyapa ,buha's demise1 a certain old woman1 with her four sons1 interred this great sage's remains at the spot over which the great mound now stands1 the latter having been built by the woman herself4 ,before starting on the work of construction1 she petitioned the ,king of the time1 and obtained permission to 8proceed with0 building a tower4 ,by the time that1 as the result of great sacrifices on the part of the woman and her four sons1 the groundwork of the structure had been finished1 those who saw it were astonished at the greatness of the scale on which it was undertaken4 ,especially was this the case with the high officials of the government and the rich men of the country1 who all said that if such a poor old dame were to be allowed to complete building such a stupendous tower1 they themselves would have to dedicate a temple as great as a mountain1 and so they decided to ask the ,king to disallow the further progress of the work4 ,when the ,king was approached on the matter his ,majesty replied3 8,i have finished giving the order to the woman to proceed with the work4 ,kings must not eat their words1 and ,i cannot undo my orders now40 ,so the tower was allowed to be finished1 and hence its unique name1 8,ja ,rung ,kashol ,chorten ,chenpo40 ,i rather think1 however1 that the tower must have been built after the days of ,shkyamuni ,buha1 for the above description from ,tibetan books is different from the records in ,samsk1 which are more reliable than the ,tibetan4 ,every year1 between the middle of ,september and the middle of the following ,february of the lunar calendar1 crowds of visitors from ,tibet1 ,mongolia1 ,china and ,nepl come to this place to pay their respects to the great temple4 ,the reason why they choose the most apparently unfavorable season for their travel thither is because they are liable to catch malarial fever if they come through the ,himlayan passes during the summer months4 ,by far the greatest number of the visitors are ,tibetans1 of whom1 however1 only a few are nobles and grandees1 the majority being impecunious pilgrims and beggars1 who eke out their existence by a sort of nomadic life1 passing their winter in the neighborhood of the tower and going back to ,tibet in summer4 ,in ,nepl ,i had now arrived1 and the reason of my presence there was1 of course1 to choose a route for my purpose1 for there are many highways and pathways running between that country and ,tibet4 ,my purpose was such that ,i could take nobody there into my confidence1 not even my kind and obliging host4 ,for1 to ,lama ,buha ,vajra ,i was a well-qualified ,chinaman1 who was to go back to ,lhasa by openly taking one of the public roads1 and go on thence to ,china4 ,besides1 ,i knew that the ,lama was a ,tibetan interpreter to ,his ,highness the ,king of ,nepl1 and that were ,i to divulge to him my secret1 he was in duty bound to tell it to his royal master1 who1 it was plain1 would not only not lend himself to my venture1 but would at once put an end to the further progress of my journey4 ,i may note here that the ,neplese fondly call ,lama ,buha ,vajra1 ,gya ,lama1 which means 8,chinese ,lama10 for he was a son born to a ,chinese priest who married a ,neplese lady1 after having become the ,superior of the tower4 ,my host's father belonged to the old school1 and enjoyed the privilege of marriage4 ,it was thus that ,lama ,buha ,vajra came to take a fancy1 and show special favors1 to me1 considering me as a countryman of his4 ,be that as it may1 there remained for me the necessity of discovering a secret path to ,tibet4 ,i was in luck again4 ,it occurred to me that the begging ,tibetans1 who go on pilgrimage in and out of their country1 could not be in possession of the pass that gave them open passage through the numerous frontier gates4 ,i remembered also that no unprivileged person--even the natives--could obtain permission to pass through these gates1 either way1 unless he would bribe the guards heavily1 and it was plain that these homeless wanderers could not do this4 ,encouraged by these considerations1 ,i took to befriending the ,tibetan mendicants1 of whom there was then a large number hanging about the ,kyapa ,buha tower1 and my liberality to them soon made me very popular among them4 ,demurring at first1 they became quite communicative afterwards1 when they had found out1 as ,i presume1 that there was nothing to dread in me4 ,i learned of many secret passages1 but none which ,i could consider safe for me4 ,for instance1 they spoke of the ,nyallam bye-path4 ,by taking this clandestine route one may avoid the ,kirong gate1 but one is in danger of being challenged at a gate further in the interior4 ,the ,sharkongpo path1 on the other hand1 brings the traveller to the ,tenri gate4 ,so on with other paths1 and it appeared an impossibility to discover a route which would enable a person to reach the capital of ,tibet from that of ,nepl1 without having to pass through some challenge gate4 ,the pass and bribery being beyond them1 the native beggars and pilgrims have one more resource left to them1 and that is imploring a passage1 with prayer and supplication1 when they come upon a challenge post1 and they generally succeed at the interior gates1 ,i was told4 ,it would be different with me3 there was every danger of my disguise being detected while pleading with the guards4 ,my persistent efforts finally brought me1 however1 their reward4 ,i ascertained that by taking a somewhat roundabout way ,i might reach ,lhasa without encountering the perils of these challenge gates4 ,ordinarily1 one should take a north-east course after leaving the ,neplese capital1 in order to make a direct journey to ,lhasa2 but the one ,i have just referred to lay in the opposite direction of north-west1 through ,lo1 a border province of ,nepl1 thence across ,jangtang1 the north plain 7but really the west plain7 of ,tibet1 and finally around the lake ,mnasarovara4 ,this bye-route ,i made up my mind to take4 ,so far so good4 ,but it would be courting suspicion to say that ,i chose this particularly circuitous and dangerous route with no obvious reason for it4 ,fortunately a good pretext was at hand for me4 ,for ,i happened to think of the identity of the lake ,mnasarovara with the ,anavatapta ,lake that often occurs in the ,buhist ,texts4 ,however divided the scholastic views are about this identity1 it is popularly accepted1 and that was enough for my purpose4 ,the identity granted1 it could be argued that ,mount ,kailsa1 by the side of the lake1 was nature's ,madala1 sacred to the memory of the ,buha1 which formed an important station for ,buhist pilgrims4 ,so one day ,i said to my host3 8,having come thus far1 ,i should always regret a rare opportunity lost1 were ,i to make a stork's journey from here to ,lhasa1 and thence to ,china4 ,the ,chinese ,text speaks of ,mount ,kailsa 7,tib4 ,kang ,rinpo ,che7 rising high on the shore of lake ,mnasarovara 7,tib4 ,maphamyumtsho74 ,i want to visit that sacred mountain on my way home4 ,so ,i should be very much obliged to you if you would kindly get men to carry my luggage for me40 ,the answer ,i got in reply was not encouraging1 though sympathetic4 ,gya ,lama1 in short1 bade me give up my purpose1 because1 as he said1 the north-west plain was pathless and full of marauding robbers2 it had been his long-entertained desire to visit the sacred mountain himself1 but the difficulties mentioned had1 so far1 prevented him from carrying it out1 and he would strongly advise me against my rash decision2 to venture a trip through that region1 with only one or two servants1 was like seeking death4 ,my retort was that1 it being one of ,buha's teachings that 8born into life1 thou art destined to die10 ,i was not afraid of death2 in fact1 death might overtake me at any time1 even while living comfortably under the ,lama's care2 so that ,i should consider myself well repaid if ,i met death while on a pilgrimage to a holy place4 ,finding dissuasion useless with me1 my host complimented me on the firmness of my resolution1 and took it upon himself to secure for me reliable carriers4 ,then1 after careful enquiries1 he hired for me a pilgrim party1 consisting of two men and an old woman1 the latter of whom1 in spite of her sixty years of age1 was strong enough to brave the hardships of an exceptionally difficult road4 ,these people were from ,kham1 a country noted for its robbers1 but ,i was assured of the perfect honesty and good intentions of the particular three ,i was to engage4 ,as a mark of his special kindness1 ,gya ,lama promised to let a trustworthy man under him accompany me as far as a place called ,tukje1 to see that my two pilgrim servants served me faithfully4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,the ,sublime ,himalaya4 ,it was in the beginning of the month of ,march1 #ahii1 that1 followed by a retinue of three men and one old dame1 ,i bade farewell to my kind host and1 seated on a snow-white pony1 given me by my fatherly friend1 left the ,kyapa ,buha tower4 ,i was not in good health that day1 on account of fever and weakness1 but ,i was obliged to start from ,ktmndu1 for it was very dangerous for me to stay there any longer1 as ,i was quite a stranger to the ,neplese1 and they might find out my nationality1 and stop me from proceeding further4 ,so ,i took the assistance of the horse2 and the good animal proved to be a splendid mountaineer1 and carried me up steep ascents and down abrupt descents in perfect safety4 ,we directed our course towards the north-west1 through the ,british ,residency1 the most beautiful and clean quarter in ,ktmndu1 and through ,nagar-yon1 a hill famous for a cave where ,ngrjuna1 a great ,bohi-,sava1 used to meditate4 ,we arrived at a village called ,jittle-,pedee in the evening1 and passed the night under the eaves of a shop-keeper's house4 ,illustration3 ,,nagarjuna',s ,,cave ,,of ,,meditation ,,in ,,nepal4 ,the present ,ruler of ,nepl is a ,hin1 and keeps the caste system as rigidly as it is kept in ,india1 where the people belonging to that religion do not allow a foreigner to enter their rooms1 or to eat with them4 ,therefore we were obliged to pass the night outside a house1 or under a rock1 or in the forests4 ,here ,i must not omit some interesting things about my travels among the ,himlayan mountains from ,ktmndu to the lake ,mnasarovara through ,nepl4 ,the country being extra-territorial1 ,i believe no bold ,european or ,american had trodden this precipitous path before me2 hence ,i would like to mention everything connected therewith1 but as my object is ,tibet1 ,i cannot spend much space on the inner ,himlayas of ,nepl4 ,i shall only mention briefly what will be considered interesting by my readers in general4 ,on the third day of our departure from ,ktmndu1 we travelled for more than forty miles1 and arrived at a small trading town called ,chunge1 situated on the west bank of the ,kirong river 7,tirsuli ,gandak74 ,just north of the town1 on the bank of that river there is a pretty forest in which we slept well through the night1 in a lonely spot1 lulled by the rolling sounds of the mountain-rivers' grand music4 ,early on the following morning we started on the north-western path leading to ,pokhra1 although there is a short way1 only five days' journey from the place to ,kirong in ,tibet2 but there the officers of the frontier guard the passes against all strangers4 ,in three days' journey after this we made about forty miles1 passed the villages ,bareng-,bareng and ,sareng1 and1 crossing the river ,agu1 we arrived at a famous town1 ,algata4 ,i have not met with any maps which mention this name4 ,the town is situated on the west bank of the river which the natives called ,buri-,gag 7,buria ,gandak72 this river is crossed by an iron hanging bridge4 ,the town itself is important on account of its trade with ,tibet2 ,i saw more than fifty people from ,tibet and from ,nishang--a northern frontier province of ,nepl4 ,during the nine days after leaving ,algata we passed many valleys1 rocky mountains1 streams1 hill pastures1 forests full of rhododendrons1 and deep forests of fir1 oak and pine1 with the peaks of the snowy range in view4 ,we also passed several villages--,nimareshi1 ,daramhaje1 ,rutel1 ,manicheka and ,stmuni4 ,we made a distance of something less than one hundred miles1 and then reached a town called ,pokhra4 ,pokhra looked like a town of villas at home1 the site being chosen for the beauty of its natural scenery4 ,bamboo-covered ravines1 flower-roofed heights1 rich in green foliage1 picturesque because of a rushing and winding stream1 itself set in the midst of high mountains--such were the characteristic features of ,pokhra4 ,the stream ,i speak of has its source in the ,machipusa 7fish-tail7 peak1 and its waters are milky white1 probably on account of their carrying in them particles of mountain clay4 ,in all my travels in the ,himlayas ,i saw no scenery so enchanting as that which enraptured me at ,pokhra4 ,another thing notable about that place was that it was the cheapest spot in ,nepl for all kinds of commodities4 ,twenty-five sens bought1 for instance1 four sho of rice there2 while1 in other places1 that amount would buy only two sho and a half at the most4 ,at ,pokhra ,i made a rather long stay of six days1 as ,i had to have a tent made before ,i proceeded further1 and twenty-five rupees bought for me one made to order1 and large enough for cooking inside also4 ,after leaving ,pokhra we turned due north1 and the ascent became very steep1 so steep at places that ,i had to get off my horse1 send the animal by a round-about way through the valleys1 and myself go afoot for half-a-day4 ,on one occasion ,i was proceeding on horseback on a narrow path that ran along a very high precipice1 when1 deeply engrossed as ,i was in thought about the near future1 ,i found myself all of a sudden thrown down to the ground1 before ,i had had time to free myself from a branch of a tree1 which had caught me by the neck and caused the disaster1 assisted by the horse's movement onward4 ,very fortunately my horse came to a halt just then1 and as ,i never let go my hold of the bridle1 ,i narrowly escaped from rolling a thousand fathoms down a craggy precipice1 to reach the bottom a mangled carcass6 ,realising the danger ,i was in1 ,i hastily tried to pick myself up1 but in vain2 for evidently ,i had struck my hip very hard in my fall1 and could not raise myself up4 ,consequently ,i had to requisition the backs of my two servants in turn1 thus making an ascent of about a mile to the top of the mountains we were crossing over4 ,on reaching the top1 ,i found the pain too great to permit the continuance of my journey1 and ,i camped there for two days1 during which time my diligent application of some camphor tincture1 which ,i had with me1 to the injured parts1 gradually relieved me of my suffering4 ,on resuming our journey1 now down the mountain1 ,i could not help being profoundly impressed with the power of impenetrable solitude1 for the path lay through a valley where nature1 in her wildest seclusion1 reigned supreme4 ,my sense of loneliness was heightened by the note of the cuckoo1 which now and then broke the oppressive silence1 and an uta then came to me thus3 ,in tortuous paths my lonely way now lies ,among rough mountain tracks and scenes all wild2 ,the rocks and giant trees in silence stand1 ,with naught to break the silent depths around ,except the solitary cuckoo's notes1 ,that makes the awful silence more profound4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,dangers ,ahead4 ,so the days passed and with these days ,i came to know more or less of the different characteristics of my two servants2 ,i found one to be a rather impatient fellow1 but prompt of decision1 and the other a quiet man with some education1 of which he was not a little proud4 ,the latter seemed occasionally to hurt the feelings of the impatient one1 and more than once collisions had already occurred between the two4 ,as for the old woman pilgrim1 she was a good honest soul1 and that was all there was about her1 except that she seemed to know all about the two men4 ,i took pains to be strictly impartial in all my dealings with the three1 though her age entitled the old dame to special consideration on my part1 and she had it in full when ,i thought fit4 ,it came to pass that1 apparently because of this treatment1 the old woman came to think a great deal of me4 ,i had noticed in her manner something indicating that she wished to speak to me1 but was afraid to do so in the presence of her two companions2 so one morning ,i caused her to go a considerable way ahead of us1 and ,i started with my servants afterwards4 ,burdened with my luggage as the men were1 and riding on a horse as ,i was1 it was only natural that ,i should soon leave them lagging far behind1 and overtake the old woman4 ,the good soul turned furtively back1 and asked if the two men were a long distance behind4 ,i told her that they must be at least five miles behind4 ,then she made a revelation to me1 and it was not of a very reassuring kind2 for according to her ,i was doomed to be killed4 ,in short she told me that the impatient fellow was a robber and murderer1 having committed many crimes while at home in ,kham1 and that1 though the quiet one was not so bad a man1 he had yet killed a fellow-creature in a quarrel4 ,at all events neither would think twice before taking a man's life4 ,the old dame thought it certain that they1 or at least the impatient one1 would pounce upon me as soon as we reached the north-west plains of ,tibet1 and rob me of all my money and effects1 as well as of my life6 ,thereupon ,i said3 8,that could not be2 for they are both men of great honesty and uprightness40 ,she returned3 8,konjogsum 7,holy ,trinity76 send to me death1 if ,i tell a lie60 ,these are words of adjuration to which ,tibetans attach great importance1 and ,i could not persuade myself to regard my informant's warning as a mere string of falsehoods4 ,so another trouble ahead was added to my burdened mind4 ,after travelling twelve days more and only making a distance of about one hundred miles1 we reached a ,himlayan village called ,tukje1 where then lived the local ,governor1 named ,harkaman ,suppa4 ,through ,gya ,lama's introduction ,i enjoyed the privilege of being received as a guest by this ,governor4 ,two days after my arrival there the special man whom ,gya ,lama through his thoughtful kindness1 as already told1 had sent to accompany me so far1 took leave of me1 apparently well satisfied that my two servants were and would be all right4 ,but they were far from being all right1 and ,i felt that ,i would never be able to accomplish my journey unless ,i got rid of them4 ,while ,i was worrying myself with these thoughts1 ,i came across information about the route that lay before me that proved to me another source of discouragement4 ,in effect1 it was that three months before the ,tibetan ,government had detailed five soldiers to guard1 against all foreigners and any strange person1 the road in my route which lay through the ,state of ,lo2 the same precaution had been taken on all the other bye-ways and pathways leading into ,tibet1 however secluded and narrow1 even though narrow enough for just one person to pass4 ,and ,i had reason to believe that this information was well founded2 so that it became inevitable that ,i should give up my idea of entering ,tibet by smuggling myself into its north-western plain4 ,but there is ebb and flow even in troubles4 ,one evening1 while still staying at the ,governor's1 my servants1 having regaled themselves with the local drinks even to boisterousness1 began a-quarrelling1 which largely consisted of exposing each other4 ,in brief1 each accused the other of a somewhat cheerless intention of making short work of me when opportunity should arrive1 with the upshot that they both came to me1 each with a demand that he would like to be discharged if the other were to continue in my service4 ,i could not have had a better opportunity1 and ,i there and then dismissed both of them1 after having paid them off rather liberally4 ,i also gave some money with some little present in kind to the old woman1 and bade her go with the men4 ,and thus ,i got rid of an imminent danger to my life4 ,but there remained the greater problem of what to do next1 to retrace my steps back to ,ktmndu being out of the question1 while the route ,i had chosen for myself had become unavailable4 ,it happened that1 enjoying the ,governor's hospitality like myself1 was a ,mongolian scholar named ,serab ,gyaltsan1 who was acting as a doctor of medicine1 besides giving lessons in religious ,texts to the local priests4 ,i had not been long at ,governor ,harkaman's before ,i became acquainted with this person1 and soon found him to be a man possessed of profound knowledge of not only ,buhism but also of literary subjects4 ,whatever were the reasons on my part1 he and ,i after a while came to an agreement for the exchange of knowledge1 he instructing me in ,tibetan ,buhism and literature and ,i teaching him ,chinese ,buhism4 ,this understanding arrived at1 we took leave of ,tukje and set out for ,tsarang in the province of ,lo1 where the ,mongolian scholar had his home4 ,on our way thither1 we visited the famous ,chumik ,gyatsa4 ,chumik ,gyatsa means a hundred fountains1 and is the ,mukuinh of ,samsk1 which ,hins as well as ,buhists regard as a place of great sanctity4 ,the place apparently obtained the name it bears from the numberless springs abounding thereabout1 and a spot of particular fame there was called ,sala ,mebar1 ,chula ,mebar1 ,dola ,mebar1 which means burning in earth1 burning in water1 burning in rock4 ,on seeing the spot ,i found this mystery to be nothing more than the fancy of the ignorant natives1 who saw a burning jet of natural gas escaping from a crevice in a slab of rock1 that formed a lid1 so to say1 over and close to the surface of a beautiful crystal-like fountain1 which was about one by two feet in size1 so that its prolonged flame looked1 at the first glance1 as if it were crawling over the water4 ,i noticed1 however1 that the mountains round about bore ample evidences of old volcanic eruptions1 at one time or another1 an extinct crater now changed to a pond1 lava-rocks1 and so on1 being all present4 ,we passed a night encamped on the bank of the river ,klgag1 that flows at the foot of the mountain which we had just descended1 after leaving the #8hundred fountains' behind us4 ,the following morning we had a disastrous time for three hours in trying to cross a stream4 ,in the first place ,i made a blunder in attempting to wade across the stream on my horse1 which1 with my weight on his back and treacherous mud-beds under his feet1 found himself in a perilous condition as soon as he had walked a few steps into the stream4 ,i1 of course1 got off him at once and climbed upon the bank behind me4 ,i then set about throwing into the river1 near where the horse was1 stones1 rocks1 and broken branches of trees that ,i found lying about1 in order to improvise there a passable footway for myself as well as for the ,mongolian scholar and his animal4 ,stones flying and muddy water splashing around him scared my horse1 and1 with a wild effort1 he struggled out and landed himself on the opposite bank2 but my friend's pony remained immovable till we had managed to build a way across for ourselves and pulled him after us4 ,that day we stopped in a village called ,samar 7red clay74 ,on the next we again climbed half-way up a mountain1 and proceeded due north along a path that lay midway between the top and bottom of its slope1 that is to say1 toward the north of ,dhavalagiri4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,horse ,,in ,,difficulties4 ,in the mountains below ,tukje ,i found common pines and cedars growing in fair abundance1 but now these became very rare1 the obtusa species of pine taking their place1 and even these attaining a height of not more than twenty feet at the most1 the ground being otherwise covered with shrubby growths4 ,riding on the snow1 which was still on the mountain1 we had made a distance of about fifteen miles before we reached a hamlet named ,kirung1 where ,i found willow trees growing luxuriantly4 ,the inhabitants hereabout were all ,tibetans1 and ,i saw fluttering on every house-top a white flag with certain religious texts printed on it4 ,these flags are to be seen everywhere in the interior of ,tibet1 as ,i afterwards found1 and that even where the people are living in tents4 ,leaving the village1 we rode on northwards1 over snow1 through an obtusa-pine forest1 till the night fell and the moon rose1 when ,i again heard a cuckoo4 ,then ,i had an uta3 ,while marching onwards now the night o'ertakes ,the pilgrim bold1 the snowy floor his bed2 ,the moon-lit sky his canopy will be1 ,his lullaby1 the cuckoo's notes4 ,that night we put up in an inn in a hamlet called ,kimiyi 7fountain of fortune71 that nestles in the snow-covered mountains4 ,ten miles on the following day brought us within sight of ,tsarang1 which1 on reaching1 ,i found to be a little town built on a plain which was about eleven miles from east to west1 and three miles or more from north to south1 enclosed by walls of snow-covered mountains4 ,more accurately1 the plain has to its west a snow-capped mountain1 whence it extends in a very slow incline towards the east1 until it breaks off into a valley4 ,from ,tsarang to the north-west plain of ,tibet is a day's trip1 and the physical features of these regions are practically of the same character1 devoid of large trees and desolate in the extreme4 ,it was in the middle of ,may that ,i arrived in ,tsarang1 and ,i was told that the farmers had just finished sowing wheat4 ,skirting the town of ,tsarang runs a stream1 which has its rise in the mountain that forms the western wall of the plain1 and on an elevated part of the town stands a castled palace1 in which lives the ,king of the ,lo ,state4 ,before the ,grkha tribe had subjugated ,nepl1 ,lo was an independent ,state4 ,at a little distance1 opposite to the royal castle1 is a temple of considerable size1 belonging to the ,kargyu-pa sect of the old school of ,tibetan ,buhism4 ,the temple is a square structure of ,tibetan style1 built of stone and painted red1 and adjoining it is a stone building painted white1 which forms a dormitory for the priests of the temple4 ,on a piece of level land to the west of the palace and the temple a group of about sixty large and small houses constitutes the town of ,tsarang4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,beautiful ,tsarang and ,dirty ,tsarangese4 ,at the foot of the mountain out of which we had emerged1 and where the plain began1 we came upon a stone-turreted gate about twenty-four feet in height4 ,standing by itself and entirely unprotected1 the gate was not intended1 as ,i was told1 for any military purpose2 but it was used for housing ,buhas and other deities that would keep guard against the invasion of the locality by evil genii4 ,about a mile and a half to the rear of the gate stood the town of ,tsarang1 at the entrance of which we were met by fourteen or fifteen men1 who1 as it appeared1 anticipated our arrival4 ,serab ,gyaltsan led me to the house of the ,chief of the town1 which was of considerable size4 ,as in ,tibet so in ,tsarang1 all well-to-do people generally have a separate chapel in their residence4 ,when they have a visitor of rank and social position1 they1 out of respect1 put him up in their chapel1 and a person entitled to such distinction in these localities is generally a ,lama4 ,so it was that1 as a ,chinese ,lama1 ,i was given that privilege in the ,chief's chapel1 which ,i found to be a typical one of its kind1 with its image-crowned altar1 a special depository for religious ,texts1 etc41 and altogether much superior in its general finish and furnishings to the family dwelling4 ,i may remark that these folk generally keep a good store of the ,texts1 not because they make use of them themselves1 but more as a matter of form1 the form showing their deep reverence for their religion2 but it is apparently beyond their ken that volumes of ,texts are but so many sheets of waste paper1 if their possessors do not understand and live by them4 ,by the side of the chapel in which ,i was installed there was another small building1 in which lived ,serab ,gyaltsan4 ,my host was a widower1 quiet and amiable1 and living with two grown-up daughters1 about twenty-three and eighteen years of age respectively1 who between them managed the household and the family business1 employing under them a number of servants1 farm-hands and cattlemen4 ,i could not but admire the two young women for the creditable manner in which they attended to their business4 ,i also observed that the chief amusement of all the villagers consisted in spending evenings in dances and comic songs1 except when they went to a sort of semi-religious meeting presided over by a ,lama ,mai1 who would narrate the stories of ancient priests of great renown1 or the biographies of the more famous monarchs of ,buhist ,states1 to the great delight of his audience4 ,the days ,i spent in ,tsarang were1 in a sense1 the days of my tutelage in the art of living amidst filth and filthy habits4 ,in point of uncleanliness1 ,tibetans stand very high among the inhabitants of the earth1 but ,i think the natives of ,tsarang go still higher in this respect4 ,in ,tibet people wash themselves occasionally1 but they almost never do so in ,tsarang4 ,in the course of the twelve months that ,i lived there1 ,i only twice saw a person wash himself1 the washing being confined even then to the face and neck4 ,such being the case1 the native's skin all over the body has on it a peculiarly repulsive shine of polished dirt1 so to say4 ,i often noticed women1 whose complexion would have appeared quite fair if only an occasional scrubbing were administered to the skin2 but what can they do when it is a custom1 as it is among them1 to laugh at persons who wash their faces nice and clean1 and to deride them as being very dirty in their habits8 ,not only in their appearance1 but in all that they do1 the natives seem to have absolutely no idea of cleanliness4 ,to say that they think nothing of making a cup of tea for you with the same fingers with which they have just blown their nose1 is to give only a very mild instance of their filthiness1 and ,i have no courage to dwell here on their many other doings1 which are altogether beyond imagination for those who have not seen them done1 and are too loathsome1 even unto sickening1 to recall to mind4 ,as it was1 my life among these slovenly people did one good thing for me1 in that it thoroughly prepared me for what ,i had to endure in ,tibet4 ,my work with ,serab ,gyaltsan consisted in this3 a lecture on ,buhism for three solid hours in the morning1 which required much preparation1 and exercises in ,tibetan rhetoric and penmanship for another three hours in the afternoon1 which was1 however1 of a very easy nature1 and gave me occasion to engage in discussions with my teacher4 ,there is in existence to this day in ,tibet a sect of ,buhists which believes in a teaching originated by a priest whose name may be translated into 8born of the lotus flower0 7,padma ,sambhava7 or ,padma ,chungne in ,tibetan1 and whom they regard as their savior and as ,buha incarnate4 ,his teaching is a sort of parody on ,buhism proper1 and an attempt to sanctify the sexual relations of humankind1 explaining and interpreting all the important passages and tenets in the sacred ,text from a sensual standpoint4 ,indeed1 ,padma's own life was simply his teachings translated into actual practice1 for he lived with eight women whom he called his wives1 drank intoxicants to his heart's content1 and fed freely on animal food4 ,now in the ,tibetan rhetoric in which ,i took lessons under ,serab ,gyaltsan ,i found this lewd and detestable teaching largely incorporated1 and it was on this account that hot disputes not unfrequently arose between my instructor and myself4 ,at times ,i felt sorry1 as ,i feel sorry now1 for my ,serab1 because1 from what ,i was able to gather1 he is one of those on whom 7as the result of twenty years' study1 maintaining well the while his undefiled priesthood7 was conferred the title of ,doctor by the great monastery of ,sera1 but who1 because of having afterwards yielded to feminine temptation1 lost his qualification to go back to ,mongolia as a respectable ,lama1 while out of shame it became impossible for him to continue to live in ,lhasa1 so that he was compelled to pass his life in obscure seclusion4 ,i felt sorry for him all the more1 because ,i found him to be a profound and widely-read scholar1 who could have risen in life but for his carnal weakness4 ,another thing ,i noticed about him to my pain was that he very easily became angry1 like all the ,mongols ,i came across1 but1 like them also1 he was very quick in becoming reconciled4 ,i said ,i had disputes with my ,serab4 ,it was on one of these occasions that ,i differed from him with regard to the real merits of a certain ,buhist saint4 ,thereupon1 flying into a terrible rage1 he caught hold of my clothes near my throat with one hand1 and1 with the other picking up a bar belonging to a table that stood between us1 was about to visit me with a blow4 ,the situation was very humorous1 and ,i broke out into loud laughter1 saying the next moment that ,i had always thought a little better of him than to suppose that he was capable of such an exhibition as he was thus making of himself1 in defiance of the teachings of the saint he revered so much4 ,this took him aback1 but he did not let go his grasp4 ,i saw him grind his teeth1 and fire glared in his eyes2 he then removed his grasp and withdrew as if too wroth to be near me4 ,but reconciliation followed4 ,so time passed on1 ,i spending seven to nine hours a day in preparation1 besides the six hours of the regular daily lessons4 ,out of the twenty-four hours1 thirteen to fifteen were thus taken up for purposes of study every day1 with the exception of ,sundays1 my other occupation being to take one meal a day with some tea1 and to go out for a walk4 ,sundays ,i invariably spent in mountaineering of a somewhat unusual character4 ,i had an idea that ,i should never be able to compass the arduous journey before me1 toiling on in a rare atmosphere through trackless wildernesses at great heights while burdened with heavy luggage on my back1 unless ,i had a thorough training beforehand for the purpose4 ,guided by these thoughts1 ,i made a point of carrying on my back a heavy load of stones when making my ,sunday climb1 and of making the ascents with all possible speed4 ,i was in excellent health then1 and ,i felt that the mountaineering made it still better1 especially with regard to my lungs4 ,such was the life ,i led for awhile1 and ,i shortly became quite a famous man in the locality4 ,it was in this way4 ,the natives hereabouts are merely1 it may be said1 creatures of animal instincts4 ,true1 they engage in agricultural work to some extent1 which keeps them occupied during the summer months1 but at the other seasons they think of nothing but eating1 drinking and sleeping1 their minds being otherwise filled with thoughts pertaining to sensual love4 ,they occasionally spend their evening in listening to a ,lama ,mai preaching or lecturing1 but only occasionally4 ,they change their clothing but once a year1 casting off the old for the new2 but if any of them is brave enough to wear the same suit for two years1 that person is made an object of high praise4 ,and as they never wash their wearing apparel1 it is always shining with grease and dirt4 ,indifferent as they are to their appearance1 they are very painstaking in preparing food1 as also in making their sleep comfortable4 ,but their ruling passion is that of carnal love1 and that applies to all ages1 from the young to the very old4 ,but as human beings they are subject to illness1 and like all uncivilised people they are intensely superstitious4 ,to them a ,lama is omnipotent1 for they believe that he can cure diseases and divine all future events4 ,so it came to pass that the ,chinese ,lama--,i myself--became an object of great esteem and reverence among them4 ,for it was not long before my presence in ,tsarang became known among the inhabitants1 and my doings in the mountain on ,sundays began to attract their attention4 ,especially my altercations with ,serab ,gyaltsan1 which were often loud enough to be heard outside1 furnished them with no end of material for gossip1 while the fact that the medicines ,i gave away at their pressing request occasionally proved of good effect contributed greatly to my fame4 ,i knew not of these things myself at first1 but heard of them from my host's daughters1 who frequently called to favor me with tea and sweets1 when they would inform me of what people were saying of me4 ,the most ridiculous of all was their interpretation of the quarrels between ,serab and myself2 they made out that these disputes originated in ,serab's objecting to my giving away1 to the poor1 things sent to me as presents1 instead of giving them to him1 or to my giving some cash to beggars6 ,idle tales as these were1 they seemed to find ready ears among the natives1 who looked on me as a being of a higher order4 ,illustration3 ,,tsarangese ,,village ,,girls4 ,while treating of ,tsarang1 ,i may dwell a little on the natural beauties of that place4 ,tsarang has but two seasons1 namely1 summer and winter1 and many are the natives that do not know even the names of the other seasons4 ,in summer1 simple as is the contrast between the verdant fields of luxuriant wheat1 interspersed with patches of white and pink buck-wheat1 and the majestic peaks that keep guard over the plain and look ever grand in their pure white robes of perennial snow1 the combination makes a striking picture4 ,throw into the picture a buoyant army of butterflies1 that flutter up and down1 keeping time1 as it were1 to the stirring melody of sky-larks1 which is now and then softened by the clear notes of a cuckoo1 while the fields below are resonant with the rustic melodies of joyous damsels1 and the tout ensemble becomes at once as enchanting as it is archaic2 and this is the picture of ,tsarang in summer1 when the day is bright and warm4 ,but more sublimely spectacular is the view on its winter's eve4 ,the moment the sun begins to descend behind the snow-covered mountains that rise about ten miles to the west of the town1 the equally snow-robed peaks that tower above the eastern range become luminous masses of coral-red1 as the last rays of the sinking sun strike them4 ,the ruby color gradually changes into a golden-yellow1 but that only for a moment1 and it fades away to reveal huge pillars of silver-white1 shining out majestically against the cloudless clear blue sky4 ,the scene once more changes as the dusk deepens1 burying the peaks in faint uncertainty1 and the moon in her glory rises slowly from behind them1 to spread again an indescribable lustre of cold--if coldness has a color of its own--over the mountain tops1 which now look like a vision of celestial seas hung in mid-air4 ,but ,tsarang has its horrors as well as its charms1 as when a snow storm rages4 ,the wind is often so strong that it blows away the tilled surface of a farm1 and in time changes it into a barren field of sand1 while the snow comes down in such abundance that it drifts itself into huge mountains here and there on the plain4 ,the cold is1 of course1 intense on such occasions and nobody dares to go out4 ,but the scene on a moonlight night after a blizzard is worth seeing4 ,the sky is filled with clouds of dusty particles of snow1 moving ever onward like phantom armies1 now thickening into ominous darkness and then thinning into vapory transparency1 through which one sees struggling1 the lustre of the grey steely moon4 ,no scene so weirdly harrowing can be seen anywhere else4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,fame and ,temptation4 ,since ,i had arrived in ,tsarang early in ,may1 #ahii1 nearly eight months had sped by1 and ,i found myself on the threshold of a ,new ,year1 whose advent ,i observed with my usual ceremony of reading the ,sacred ,text1 and praying for the health and prosperity of my ,sovereign and his family1 and the glory of ,japan4 ,the first day of the year #aijj filled me with more than usual emotion4 ,for was ,i not then thousands of miles away from home1 and was it not the second ,new ,year's ,day which ,i had spent on the heights of the ,himlayas8 ,yet ,i was hale and hearty1 both in mind and body1 and ready to resume my journey1 the end of which the future alone could reveal4 ,in order to give vent to my feelings of gratitude1 not unmixed with hope and fear1 all deeply impressive1 ,i ended the day by entertaining the villagers of ,tsarang1 having previously provided for them a full and liberal store of such viands and delicacies as were considered to be most rare and sumptuous4 ,i have already described how ,i had been gaining fame and popularity among the villagers1 my ascetic conduct in the midst of unbridled licentiousness causing them to respect me1 and my generosity in the matter of medicines1 of which ,i still had a fairly large stock with me1 making me much sought after by them2 and now1 through my ,new ,year's treat1 ,i seemed to have reached a pinnacle of glory4 ,for from that time onward ,i gradually perceived that traps were being set for me1 so that ,i might be tied down to ,tsarang for life4 ,the arch-spirit in this conspiracy was my own instructor ,serab1 who insisted that ,i should marry the youngest of my host's daughters1 or rather who brought all his ingenuity to bear upon assisting her to make a captive of my heart and person4 ,fortunately my faith proved stronger than temptations1 and enabled me to remain true to the teachings of the ,blessed ,one4 ,had ,i yielded then1 ,tsarang would have had to-day one more dirt-covered and grease-shining priest among its apathetic inhabitants1 and that would have been all4 ,but1 things having come to the pass which ,i have described1 it became urgent that ,i should make haste in discovering some secret passage into ,tibet4 ,but it was as dangerous for me in ,tsarang as it had been in ,ktmndu to disclose my real intentions1 and whatever discovery ,i might make for my own purposes1 ,i had to make it in some indirect and roundabout way4 ,after having once more racked my brains1 ,i finally hit upon the plan of working upon the weaknesses of the local people4 ,the ,tibetan ,government had began to levy customs duties even on personal valuables4 ,it was a most outrageous act2 supposing one wanted to do trade with the inhabitants of the north-west plain of ,tibet1 and to take thither a stock of coral ornaments1 or some useful knick-knacks imported from ,europe1 how could one avoid being unjustly set upon and robbed of the best part of one's would-be profit1 on first setting foot upon ,tibetan soil8 ,ah6 there must be ways and bye-ways by which to accomplish this1 and to be absolutely safe from guards and sentinels6 ,surely the plains might be reached1 if one did not mind three days of hard trudging over the trackless snow of the ,himlayan ,range1 to the north of the ,dhavalagiri peak1 and thence to ,thorpo8 ,having once got the villagers into the right humor1 in some such way1 it was not necessarily a very hazardous job to keep on tapping them for information4 ,on the other side of that mountain yonder1 they would volunteer to tell me1 there was a river which might be forded at such and such a point1 but which was dangerously treacherous at others2 or1 that if not very cautious1 one might die a victim to the snow-leopard1 while crossing over this or that mountain4 ,all these bits of information1 and hosts of others1 were carefully noted down1 and a synthetic study of these scraps finally convinced me that the route ,i should choose was the one vi ,thorpo2 and so ,i decided4 ,this meant that ,i had to retrace my steps almost as far back as ,tukje1 or more accurately to ,malba1 a village in the immediate neighborhood of ,tukje4 ,nor was this retreat without some advantages in itself1 for it would have only been to court suspicion and to run unnecessary risks for me to strike off into pathless wilds in full view of the ,tsarang villagers1 who were sure to come out in hordes to see me off on my departure1 not only out of respect for my person1 but also from curiosity to know whither ,i was bound after my lengthened stay amongst them4 ,the route decided upon1 ,i could not however yet start on my journey1 because the season was then against me1 the peaks and defiles on my way being passable only during the months of ,june1 ,july and ,august4 ,the mountains were not1 of course1 entirely free from snow even during those three months1 but for those thirteen weeks or so the traverser would1 as ,i was told1 be secure as a rule from being frozen to death4 ,and therefore ,i bided my time4 ,to go back a little in my story1 there came to ,tsarang one ,adam ,naring1 the ,chief of the village of ,malba1 whither ,i had to retrace my footsteps4 ,that was in ,october1 #ahii4 ,naring owned a yak ranch on the north-west plains of ,tibet1 and he was openly privileged to have free access thereto over the 8,king's highway04 ,it was on his way back from one of his periodic visits thither that he stopped at ,tsarang1 and1 as he put up at my host's1 ,i was introduced to him4 ,he had in his chapel1 as he told me then1 a set of ,buhist ,texts which he had brought home from ,tibet1 and he was very anxious that ,i should go with him to his house and read them over for the benefit of himself and his family4 ,the invitation was as unexpected as it was opportune1 and ,i accepted it4 ,that was in ,october1 #ahii1 as ,i have just said1 and if my acceptance of ,naring's invitation had no definite motive at the time1 it stood me in good stead afterwards4 ,in the meantime1 however1 ,naring had gone to ,india on business1 and it was not till ,march1 #aijj1 that ,i had tidings of his return to ,malba4 ,on the #ajth of that month ,i bade good-bye to ,tsarang and its simple inhabitants4 ,my stay in ,tsarang was not entirely devoid of results2 for while there ,i succeeded in persuading about fifteen persons to give up the use of intoxicants1 and some thirty others to abandon the habit of chewing tobacco4 ,these were all persons who had at one time or another received medical treatment from me1 and whom ,i persuaded to give pledges of abstinence as the price they were to pay for my medicine4 ,nearly a year's stay in ,tsarang had made me acquainted practically with its entire population1 and1 on my departure1 all these people favored me with farewell presents of buckwheat flour1 bread1 maru1 butter1 fried peaches--all in various quantities--while some gave me kata and silver coins4 ,at three in the afternoon of that #ajth of ,march ,i left my residence on horse-back1 with my volumes of ,buhist ,texts and other baggage loaded on two pack-ponies4 ,the books ,i have just referred to were given to me by one ,nyendak1 ,lama-,superior of the principal ,buhist temple of ,tsarang1 in exchange for my white horse1 which had proved such a faithful animal on my journey from ,nepl1 and to which the priest had taken a great fancy4 ,the books were chiefly in manuscript1 penned by a ,sakya ,padi1 and altogether were worth at least #fjj rupees4 ,on reaching the outskirts of the village1 ,i found about one hundred persons waiting for me1 and to each of these ,i gave the #8double-handed blessing'4 ,the parting was not easy1 and time sped on4 ,it was now five o'clock1 and ,i left my well-wishers in tears behind me4 ,reaching the village gate1 by which ,i had come in some eleven months before1 ,i turned round to take a last look at ,tsarang1 and prayed in silence for the safety of the villagers and their ever-increasing faith in ,buhism4 ,before the darkness set in ,i arrived at ,kimiyi1 and there put up for the night4 ,the next day's journey brought me back to ,tsuk1 a village on the ,klgag1 where ,i spent the evening in preaching at the request of the inhabitants4 ,at my departure the following morning about twenty people came forward and asked me to give them the #8hand-blessing1' which they obtained with perfect willingness on my part4 ,my instructor1 ,serab ,gyaltsan1 had left ,tsarang a little time previous to my departure1 but ,i had the good fortune to come upon him at ,tsuk1 and to have an opportunity of thanking him for what ,i owed him as a pupil of nearly a year's standing before ,i bade him a most heartfelt farewell4 ,the close of the third day after leaving ,tsarang brought me to the mountain-village of ,malba and to the residence of ,adam ,naring1 who happened1 however1 to be away from his home just then4 ,but the village ,chief's father1 ,sonam ,norbu by name1 who probably had heard of me from his son1 was there to welcome me1 and ,i was given the freedom of the family chapel1 which consisted of two neatly furnished apartments1 the innermost of which contained a fine set of ,buha images1 as well as the ,tibetan edition of the ,sacred ,text and other volumes of ecclesiastical writings1 while the windows of the front room commanded a charming view of a peach orchard4 ,i may note here that the altitude of ,malba being much lower than that of ,tsarang1 the soil in the former place yields two different crops in the year1 wheat coming first and then buckwheat4 ,adam ,naring owned a fine tract of land for these crops4 ,five or six hundred yards beyond his residence was the ,klgag river1 gliding serenely along with a fresh green wall of small pine-trees to set off its waters4 ,towering behind and above the emerald grove stood a range of snow-capped peaks1 the tout ensemble making a view delightful for its primitive joys and natural beauty4 ,my old friend expressed his desire that ,i should make my stay indefinitely long1 so that he might have the benefit of my reading for him the whole of the ,sacred ,texts2 but ,i could only encourage him with an ambiguous reply1 as ,i had come to ,malba only to wait for the time when the snow-covered mountains should become passable4 ,in the meantime ,i spent my days in reading1 and making extracts from the ,sacred ,texts1 and in so doing ,i could not help often recalling1 with a deep sense of gratitude1 the six hours a day which for nearly one year ,i had devoted to my study of ,tibetan1 under the rigid instruction of ,serab ,gyaltsan at ,tsarang4 ,about a fortnight after my arrival in ,malba ,i received a letter from ,rai ,sara ,chanra s1 through a trader of ,tukje1 with whom ,i had become acquainted while in ,tsarang1 and to whom ,i had entrusted a letter to my friend at ,darjeeling1 as well as others to my folks at home1 on the occasion of his going down to ,calcutta on business4 ,along with his letter ,sara ,chanra s sent me a number of the ,mahbohi ,society's journal1 which contained an account of an unsuccessful attempt by a ,buhist of my nationality to enter ,tibet1 and a well-meant note of his in pencil to the effect that ,i must not lose my life by exposing myself to too much danger4 ,so far so good2 but next something which was not so good happened4 ,the ,tukje man1 my whilom messenger1 had apparently formed an opinion of his own about my personality1 and set the quiet village of ,malba astir with rumors about myself4 ,chanra s was an official of the ,english ,government1 with a salary of #fjj rupees a month1 and1 as such1 a very rare personage among ,bengls2 and it was with this person that ,i corresponded2 ergo1 the ,chinese ,lama 7myself7 must be a ,british agent in disguise1 with some secret mission to execute4 ,so went the rumor1 and the public opinion of ,malba had almost come to the conclusion that it was undesirable to permit such a suspicious stranger in the village1 when ,adam ,naring1 who by that time had come home1 sought to speak to me in secret1 with indescribable fear written on his face4 ,poor honest soul6 ,what he said to me1 when by ourselves1 was of course to the effect that if there were any truth in the rumor1 he and his folks would be visited with what punishment heaven only knew4 ,i had expected this for some time past1 and had made up my mind how to act as soon as ,naring approached me on the subject4 ,i turned round and1 looking him squarely in the face1 said3 8,if you promise me1 under oath1 that you will not divulge for three full years to come what ,i may tell you1 ,i will let you into my secret2 but if you do not care to do so1 we can only let the rumor take care of itself1 and wait for the ,nepl ,government to take any steps it may deem fit to take40 ,i knew ,adam ,naring was a man of conscience1 who could be trusted with a secret3 he signified his willingness to take an oath1 and ,i placed before him a copy of the sacred ,scripture and obtained from him the needed promise4 ,producing next my passport1 given me by the ,foreign ,office in ,japan1 which had on it an ,english as well as other translations of the ,japanese text1 ,i showed it to my host1 who understood just enough ,english to follow out the spelling of some words in that language1 and explained to him the real object of my journey into ,tibet4 ,i did more4 ,i said to him that now that he possessed my secret1 he was welcome to make of it what use he liked2 but that ,i believed him to be a true and devoted ,buhist1 and that it behoved him well to assist me in my enterprise by keeping silence1 for by so acting he would be promoting the cause of his own religion4 ,in all this1 ,i told my host nothing but truth1 and truth triumphed2 for he believed every word ,i said and approved of my adventure4 ,then we talked over the route ,i was to take1 and it was arranged at the same time that ,i should restart on my journey in ,june or ,july4 ,this taking of my host into my confidence seemed to have greatly appeased his mind2 withal1 ,i did not think it right for me to tax his hospitality by prolonging my stay at his residence1 and immediately after the above incident ,i moved into the temple of the village1 where1 nevertheless1 ,i remained the object of his unswerving friendship1 in that he provided for me1 while there1 all travelling requisites1 from wearing apparel to provisions1 which altogether made luggage weighing about seventy-five pounds4 ,at my request he also secured for me a guide and carrier1 who was to convey my packages as far as ,khambuthang1 or the #8land of ,genii1' in the valley of ,dhavalagiri1 while my part of the load was to consist only of my collection of religious works4 ,thus equipped1 ,i left ,malba on ,june #abth1 #aijj4 ,by taking the direct route1 the ,north-west ,steppe of ,tibet may be reached from ,malba in ten days1 but as ,i was to take in my way places sacred to ,buhist pilgrims1 besides making other observations1 ,i set aside twenty-three days for the journey1 which ,i began by traversing trackless wilds for three days4 ,at my departure ,i made an uta3 ,my roof will be the sky2 my bed1 the earth2 ,the grass my downy pillow soft at night2 ,thus like the hovering clouds and wandering streams1 ,these lonely wilds alone ,i must traverse4 ,once on the road1 ,i found1 however1 that the sentiment of this effusion applied more to what ,i had come through than to what followed1 for there was for days nothing but snow for my bed and rock for my pillow4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,tibet at ,last4 ,after leaving ,malba my route lay north-west1 up a gradual ascent along the banks of the river ,klgag4 ,we walked1 however1 only two and a half miles on the day of our departure1 the rain preventing our further progress4 ,starting at about seven o'clock on the following morning1 we made a climb of about five miles up a narrow path1 the bed of which consisted of pointed stones and rocks of various degrees of sharpness1 and then refreshed ourselves with a light repast4 ,on resuming our ascent the incline became very steep and1 the atmosphere growing rarer and rarer1 we could proceed no more than six miles or so before fatigue overcame us1 and at three in the afternoon we put up in a village called ,dankar1 where ,i was obliged to stay and recuperate myself during the whole of the next day4 ,on the #aeth we faced due north1 and five miles of a sharp ascent brought us to a glacier valley which we crossed1 and continued a climb of still steeper incline for about four miles1 after which we emerged on a somewhat wide foot-path4 ,at #aa ,a4 ,m4 we stopped for a rest4 ,not a drop of water was obtainable thereabouts1 but espying some herbs growing from under a light layer of snow in a crevice of a rock1 ,i pulled them up by the root1 and1 on chewing them1 found that the root tasted quite sour4 ,with the help of this herb-root we made a little lunch of buckwheat biscuits4 ,it was all ascent in the afternoon1 and a very tortuous task it was2 now picking our foot-hold from rock to rock up a craggy precipice--,mukhala ,climb1 where it made my head swim to look down into the caon a thousand feet below--now trusting my dear life to my staff1 when caught in a sand avalanche1 if ,i may be allowed that expression for the places where the thaw had caused the snow and rock to slide down1 leaving bare a loose sandy surface1 which gave way under one's foot4 ,as for my guide-carrier1 he hopped1 and skipped1 and balanced1 and leaped1 with the agility and sureness of a monkey1 his staff playing for him the part of a boat-hook in a most skilful hand1 and1 in spite of his seventy-five pounds' burden1 he was so much at home on the difficult ascent1 that he was ever and anon at my side to help me out of dangerous plights into which ,i would frequently fall1 with my staff stuck fast between two rocks1 or while ,i involuntarily acted the rle of a ball-dancer on a loosened boulder4 ,to add to the misery1 with each step upward the air grew rarer and my breath shorter1 making me feel a scorching sensation in the brain1 while burning thirst was fast overcoming me--a morsel of snow1 now and then taken1 being utterly insufficient to quench it4 ,many a time ,i had almost fallen into a faint1 and then my chronic tormentor1 rheumatism1 began to assert itself4 ,i could go no further2 ,i wanted to lie down on the snow and sleep for a long rest4 ,but as often as ,i wished to do so1 ,i had a warning from my guide that a rest then would be sure death for me1 because1 as he said1 the air thereabouts was charged with a poisonous gas1 and ,i would soon succumb to its effect2 he was innocent of the knowledge of atmospheric rarity4 ,i knew full well the weight of this warning1 and ,i struggled on with what was to me at that time a superhuman effort4 ,by the time we had finished wading across the sharp slope of the treacherous sand1 and landed upon a rock-paved flat1 even that effort failed me2 ,i came to a halt in spite of myself1 and also of the guide1 who said that water was obtainable a little distance below4 ,finding me really helpless1 the man went down and fetched me some water1 which ,i took with a restorative drug4 ,in a little while ,i felt better1 and during the rest thus obtained ,i liberally applied camphor-tincture over the smarting parts of my hands1 which had more or less suffered from the rigorous exercise they had had in the use of the mountaineering staff4 ,in the meantime night fell and1 picking our way by the uncertain star-light and the reflexion from the snow1 we made a sharp descent of some four miles1 at the bottom of which we came upon ,sanda1 a hamlet of about ten cottages1 in one of which we lodged for the night4 ,sanda is a literally snow-bound little village1 open to communication from the rest of the world only during the three summer months1 and that through the precarious mountain path ,i had come over4 ,i was profoundly astonished to find any people making a permanent abode of such a lonely secluded place1 where the vegetation is so poor that the inhabitants have no staple food but tahu1 which is a cereal somewhat akin to buckwheat1 but much inferior in its dietetic qualities4 ,nevertheless ,i must not omit to pay a tribute to the grandeur of the natural scenery1 the ever present snow-clad peaks1 the gigantic heaps upon heaps of rugged rocks1 the serene quietude1 all inspiring the mind with awe and soul-lifting thoughts4 ,my exhaustion had been so great1 that ,i was not able to resume the journey until the #ahth1 on which day we had again to wade over a treacherous slope1 which yearly claimed1 as ,i was told1 a pilgrim or two as victims to its #8sand avalanche'4 ,we headed north-west1 and after passing by a grand ancient forest of fir-trees1 and then descending along the bank of a shooting mountain stream1 we reached ,tashithang 7dale of brilliant illumination7 at about #aa ,a4 ,m4 ,in the afternoon we proceeded in the same direction along a path which overlooked now a dangerously abrupt precipice of great depth1 then a beautiful valley overgrown with flowering plants and stately trees1 the home of ferocious wild animals1 the least pugnacious of which are the musk-deer4 ,we passed that night under an overhanging piece of rock4 ,throughout the #aith we kept on facing north-west1 proceeding through many similar scenes of nature1 which grew1 however1 more fascinating in their picturesque grandeur as we came nearer to the great peak of ,dhavalagiri4 ,we had just reached the head of a slope of the great snow-clad mountain called ,tashila1 when--not only affected by the cold atmosphere1 but as the result of general exhaustion--,i became so weak that only by transferring my share of the luggage to the shoulders of my guide-carrier1 in addition to his own1 was ,i able to proceed slowly4 ,i was thoroughly fatigued1 but the sublime beauty of the scenery was so inspiring that ,i could not help standing still1 lost in extatic admiration1 and fancying that ,i saw in the variously shaped elevations the forms of giant deities of the ,buhist mythology1 sitting in solemn mid-air conclave4 ,i was only aroused from my reverie by the warning of my guide that any further delay would kill me--because of the atmospheric conditions--and1 allowing him to help me on by taking hold of one of my hands1 we thence made a descent of about ten miles1 and once more spent the night under a sheltering rock4 ,on the #bjth of ,june we began our journey with a climb up another steep mountain1 and in the valleys below ,i saw a species of deer1 locally called nah1 ruminating in herds of two or three hundred4 ,further up the mountain ,i came upon a number of wild yaks at short distances1 while on the far-off mountain sides ,i occasionally discerned animals which1 my guide told me1 were snow-leopards1 or changku 7mountain dogs71 both ferocious beasts that feed on their fellow-creatures1 including man4 ,scattered here and there on our way ,i frequently noticed whitened bones of animals1 most likely victims of these brutes4 ,at some places the thawing snow revealed the bleached remains of human beings1 probably frozen to death4 ,the curious thing was that the skull and the leg-bones were missing from every one of the skeletons ,i came across4 ,it was explained to me that the ,tibetans manufactured certain utensils1 used for ritualistic purposes1 from these portions of human bones2 and that it was their practice to appropriate them whenever they came upon the remains of luckless wanderers6 ,the sight and the information could not but fill me with an extremely uncomfortable feeling1 mixed with one of profound sympathy1 and many a time ,i prayed in silence for the repose of the souls of the poor neglected brethren1 as we went along our way4 ,in due course we arrived at a village called ,thorpo1 situated on the other side of the mountain we had crossed4 ,another name of the village is ,tsaka1 and its inhabitants are believers in ,bon1 the ancient religion of ,tibet4 ,thence we travelled on until ,july #ast1 making an occasional stop of one or two days for recuperating purposes4 ,on the way we passed through much the same sort of scenery1 abounding in picturesque views as well as in various interesting plants and animals4 ,we had now come to the outer edge of the skirts of ,mount ,dhavalagiri4 ,my luggage had become considerably lessened in weight1 owing to the absence of what we had consumed on our way1 and ,i now felt equal to taking over the burdens on to my own back4 ,i turned to my guide1 and told him that he could now go back1 as ,i intended to make a lonely pilgrimage to ,khambuthang--the ,sacred ,peach ,valley--by myself4 ,nothing could have given him more astonishment than this intimation1 for he had all along been under the impression that he was to accompany me back to ,malba4 ,he stoutly opposed my venturing on such a perilous expedition1 which nobody1 he said1 but a living ,buha1 or ,bohisava1 would dare to undertake4 ,from the most ancient time1 he continued1 there had been only one or two persons who had ever come out of the valley alive1 and it was absolutely certain that ,i should be torn to pieces and devoured by the dreadful monsters that guarded its entrance and exit4 ,but ,i was not to be moved1 and the man went back1 with hot tears of farewell1 thinking no doubt that he had seen the last of me4 ,a solitary traveller1 in one of the untrodden depths of the ,himlayas1 and loaded with a dead weight of about sixty-five pounds1 my progress thenceforward was a succession of incidents and accidents of the most dangerous nature1 made doubly trying by innumerable hardships and privations4 ,on that first day of ,july1 #aijj1 early in the morning1 after watching the form of my faithful guide on his return journey until he had disappeared behind a projecting rock1 ,i then turned round and proceeded due north4 ,to my joy ,i found the pathway not so difficult as ,i had expected1 owing to the entire absence of rugged rocks4 ,still1 there was always enough to weigh me down with anxiety1 as ,i had to push my way over the trackless field of deep snow1 with a solitary compass and a mountain peak as my only guides4 ,one night ,i slept on the snow under the sky1 and another ,i passed in the hollow of a cliff2 three days' jogging1 after parting with my carrier1 brought me across to the other side of the northern peak of the ,dhavalagiri4 ,it is here that the dominion of ,nepl ends and ,,the ,,frontier ,,of ,,tibet ,,begins4 ,as ,i stood on that high point1 which commanded on the south the snow-capped heads of the ,dhavalagiri family1 and on the north the undulating stretch of the ,north-east ,steppes of ,tibet1 interspersed here and there with shining streams of water1 which appeared to flow out of and then disappear into the clouds1 ,i felt as if my whole being had turned into a fountain of welling emotions4 ,toward the south1 far1 far away1 beyond the sky-reaching ,dhavalagiri1 ,i imagined that ,i saw ,buhagay1 sacred to our beloved ,lord ,buha1 where ,i had vowed my vow1 and prayed for protection and mercy4 ,that reminded me of the parting words ,i left behind me1 when bidding adieu to my folks and friends at home4 ,i had then said that in three years ,i would be able to enter ,tibet4 ,that was on the #bfth of ,june1 #ahig1 and here ,i was stepping on the soil of ,tibet on the #dth of ,july1 #aijj4 ,illustration3 ,,entering ,,tibet ,,from ,,nepal4 ,how could ,i prevent myself from being transported with mingled feelings of joy1 gratitude and hope8 ,but ,i was tired and hungry4 ,i took my luggage from my back and gently set it on a piece of rock1 after brushing off the snow1 and then1 taking out my store of provisions1 made some dough out of baked flour1 snow and butter4 ,morsel after morsel1 the mixture1 with a sprinkle of powdered pepper and salt1 went down my throat with unearthly sweetness1 and ,i fancied that the ,gods in ,paradise could not feast on dishes more exquisitely palatable4 ,i made away with two bowlfuls of the preparation with the greatest relish2 that ended my meal for the day4 ,i should observe here that ,i have always adhered1 as ,i adhere now1 to the rule of one full meal a day1 besides taking some dried fruits or something of that kind for breakfast4 ,i may also state that the bowl of which ,i speak here was of a fairly large size1 and two of them constituted a full good repast1 especially as the wheat produced in cold latitudes seems to be richer in nutrition than that of warmer countries4 ,well1 ,i had dined grandly4 ,the ocean of snow stretched around me and below me1 far away4 ,i was still in an extatic mood and all was interesting4 ,but in which direction was ,i to proceed in resuming my journey8 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,the ,world of ,snow4 ,according to the stock of information ,i had gathered1 ,i was always to head north until ,i came to ,lake ,mnasarovara1 and the point ,i had now to decide was how ,i might make the shortest cut to that body of fresh water4 ,there was nothing to guide me but my compass and a survey ,i took of the vast expanse of snow to a great distance before me4 ,the best ,i could do was guess-work4 ,following the impulses of instinct more than anything else1 except the general direction indicated by the compass1 ,i decided on taking a north-westerly course in making the descent4 ,so ,i restarted1 with the luggage on my back4 ,so far my route had lain principally on the sunny side of the mountains and the snow1 at the most1 had not been more than five or six inches deep2 but from now onward ,i had to proceed along the reverse side1 covered over with an abundance of the crystal layers1 the unguessable thickness of which furnished me with a constant source of anxiety4 ,in some places my feet sank fourteen or fifteen inches in the snow1 and in others they did not go down more than seven or eight inches4 ,this wading in the snow was more fatiguing than ,i had imagined at first1 and the staff again rendered me great service2 once or twice ,i found it a difficult job to extricate myself1 when my foot1 after stamping through the layers of snow1 wedged itself tightly between two large pieces of hard stone4 ,this sort of trudging lasted for nearly three miles down a gradual descent1 at the end of which ,i emerged on a snowless beach of loose pebbles and stones of different sizes4 ,by that time my ,tibetan boots had become so far worn out1 that at places my feet came into direct contact with the hard gravel1 which tore the skin and caused blood to flow1 leaving the crimson marks of my footsteps behind4 ,during the descent ,i felt little of my luggage1 but now it began to tell on me1 as the foot-hold under me consisted of loose round pebbles1 when it was not sharp angular slabs of broken rock4 ,five miles onward1 ,i came upon a pair of ponds formed of melting snow1 and respectively about five miles and two and a half miles in circumference4 ,both the ponds were thick with immense flocks of wild ducks of different sizes1 brownish or reddish in color1 or spotted black on a white ground4 ,otherwise the waters of the ponds were as clear as could be1 and the scenery around was picturesque in the extreme1 so much so that1 though with lacerated feet and stark-stiff about my waist with rheumatic pains1 ,i almost forgot all that discomfort as ,i stood gazing around4 ,the prestige of the ponds1 if they had any1 was of little matter to me then1 but1 as ,i happened to chance upon them all by myself1 ,i was destined to introduce them to the world2 and ,i christened the larger pond1 which was rectangular in shape1 #8,ekai1' after my own name1 and the smaller1 which described nearly a perfect circle1 #8,jinkow1' a name which ,i sometimes use for myself4 ,a little conceit you may call it if you like1 but it was only for memory's sake that ,i did these things2 and when a little way down ,i came upon a gourd-shaped pond1 about a mile and a quarter in circumference1 ,i gave it the name of #8,hisago ,ike'--calabash pond4 ,still holding to my north-westerly direction1 after having gone some distance ,i saw1 to the north-west of a snow-clad mountain that rose far in front of me1 two or three tents pitched on the ground4 ,the sight aroused in me a sense of intense curiosity mingled with anxiety4 ,suppose ,i went to them2 what would their occupants think of a stranger1 suddenly emerging upon them from pathless wilds8 ,once their suspicion was roused1 ,i might in vain hope to allay it2 what was ,i to do then8 ,i espied a declivity below me1 which extended north-west in a gradual descent1 far out of sight of the tents1 and ,i saw that unless ,i took it1 ,i should either come on those tents or have my progress barred by a succession of high mountains4 ,with nothing else to help me to arrive at a decision1 ,i then entered on what is termed #8,danjikwan sanmai' in ,japanese-,buhist terminology1 a meditative process of making up one's mind1 when neither logic nor accurate knowledge is present to draw upon for arriving at a conclusion4 ,the process is1 in short1 one of abnegating self and then forming a judgment1 a method which borders on divination1 or an assertion of instinctive powers4 ,the result was that ,i decided to take the route that lay toward the tents1 and by nightfall ,i came within hailing distance of them1 when a pack of five or six ferocious-looking dogs caught sight of me and began barking furiously4 ,they were formidable animals with long shaggy fur and very cruel looks4 ,i had before then been told that when attacked by dogs of this kind ,i must not strike them1 but that ,i should only ward them off1 quietly waving a stick in front of their muzzles1 and on this occasion ,i religiously followed that instruction1 and found to my entire satisfaction that the dogs did not try to snap at me4 ,proceeding thus1 and coming outside one of the tents1 ,i called out to its occupants4 ,illustration3 ,,to ,a ,,tent ,,of ,,nomad ,,tibetans4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,a kind old ,dame4 ,my call was responded to by an old woman who1 coming out of the tent and finding a tattered and tired wayfarer1 said more to herself than to me3 8,why1 it is a pilgrim1 poor1 poor40 ,seeing no reason to suppose that ,i appeared an object of suspicion to her1 ,i ventured to inform her that ,i was from the direction of ,lhasa1 bound for ,kang ,rinpoche1 ,mount ,kailsa1 and besought her to give me a night's lodging in her tent1 as it was unbearably cold to sleep in the open air4 ,my request was cheerfully complied with and1 inside the tent1 the old dame expressed her curiosity to know how ,i happened to be there1 as the locality was not one generally visited by pilgrims4 ,she easily believed my explanation to the effect that ,i had lost my way while heading for the abode of ,gelong ,rinpoche1 and then gave me a cup of tea out of a kettle that stood boiling over the fire2 accepting it with thanks1 ,i declined the baked flour offered immediately after4 ,i may observe here that the tea offered me was not brewed in the same way as we take it in ,japan1 but it was more of the nature of a soup1 the ingredients of which were powdered tea-leaves1 butter and salt1 forbiddingly offensive in smell1 until one gets accustomed to it1 when it is found to constitute a very agreeable beverage4 ,the ,tibetan custom is to serve a guest with a cup of this kind of tea first1 and then to regale him with some baked flour4 ,i excused myself for declining the hospitality of my kind hostess by informing her that ,i adhered strictly to the ,buhist rule of fasting hours1 which piece of information produced a very favorable impression on her as to my personality1 as she seemed to respect me all the more for it4 ,then1 leading in the conversation that followed1 she told me that ,gelong ,rinpoche's abode was at a day's distance1 and that this ,lama was the holiest of all the priests to be found throughout the whole ,jangthang 7,jangthang1 as ,i explained1 literally means #8northern plain1' but in ,tibet itself the appellation is applied to its western steppes74 ,continuing1 the old hostess said that a visit to the holy man always resulted in great spiritual benefit1 and urged me by all means to call on him4 ,there was a river1 she said1 in my way1 the waters of which were too cold to be forded1 and she offered me the use of one of her yaks4 ,her son was away just then1 but she expected him back in the evening1 and he could accompany me in the morning1 as she wanted him too to pay a visit to the holy man4 ,all this was very acceptable to me1 but one thing that troubled me was the sorry condition to which my boots had become reduced2 and ,i asked the dame if ,i could not mend them4 ,mending in this case meant1 as ,i was told1 patching the worn-out places with yak's hide1 which required1 however1 two days' soaking in water before it became soft enough to be sewn4 ,my hostess said that they--she and her son--were to stay only one more day in that particular spot where ,i had chanced upon them1 and suggested that ,i might make a stay of two or three days at ,gelong ,rinpoche's1 so as to give myself the time to do some mending4 ,she offered that ,i should1 on the morrow1 put on her son's spare pair of boots and proceed to the holy ,lama's in them1 saying that ,i might give them back to her son after reaching my destination4 ,in the night1 just as ,i was going to sleep1 the son turned up1 and more conversation ensued amongst us1 chiefly concerning the saintly man1 of whom the mother and the son knew no end of wonderful things1 altogether superhuman in character4 ,early the next morning1 by order of the good old dame1 the son busied himself in getting a yak ready for me4 ,the yak is a bovine somewhat larger than our bull1 though a little lower in height4 ,its hide is covered all over very thickly with long shaggy hair1 and its tail terminates in a bushy tuft4 ,the female yak is called bri in ,tibetan4 ,its face looks very much like that of common cattle1 but it has a pair of piercing eyes1 which give you a rather uncomfortable feeling when turned full on you1 while its horns are dangerously pointed and threateningly shaped4 ,a better acquaintance1 however1 shows the animal to be a quiet and tractable one1 even much more so than our cattle4 ,i may yet have occasion to tell what an invaluable beast of burden the yak is for the ,tibetan4 ,my hostess' son brought out three yaks1 one for me to ride1 another for himself1 and the third to carry his presents1 consisting of dried milk1 butter and other things1 to the holy man4 ,as for the good old dame1 she proved to be the very essence of kindness1 and on my parting from her she loaded me with large quantities of baked wheat-flour1 dried milk1 and butter1 besides a farewell cup of tea1 a treatment which is considered great hospitality in ,jangthang4 ,so equipped1 we started on our trip in quest of the holy man of the plain4 ,after a ride of about two and a half miles1 involving ascent and descent of equal length towards the north-west1 we were overtaken by a hail-storm1 and had to make a halt of two hours until it had blown over4 ,during the halt1 we took down our luggage from the backs of the yaks1 so that it might not get wet1 and ,i utilised that interval quite profitably to myself by pumping the young man for information regarding the routes and geography of the regions ,i was to go through before ,i could reach my final destination4 ,resuming our ride1 we soon came to a river which was sixty yards wide1 and easy to ford for men riding on yaks1 as we were4 ,crossing two more rivers of the like width1 and making an ascent of a little over six miles1 we came in sight of a large white cliff1 which1 as my companion informed me1 was the dwelling place of ,gelong ,rinpoche4 ,continuing the ascent and approaching nearer1 ,i found out that what had appeared like a huge and solid piece of rock was really a hollow cliff forming a large cave1 and that there was another concave cliff in front of it1 which was not white but greyish in color1 and was inhabited by one of ,gelong ,rinpoche's disciples1 as ,i came to discover afterwards4 ,it was about three o'clock in the afternoon that we arrived at the entrance of the front cave1 where my companion asked if he could see ,gelong ,rinpoche1 though he knew that he was considerably behind the regular hour1 setting forth the hail incident as an excuse for his delay4 ,the answer he received was absolutely in the negative2 so he took down the presents and entrusted them to the disciple1 to be sent up to ,gelong ,rinpoche as from ,pasang 7his mother's name71 saying that he could not wait till the next day to see the ,lama1 as he was going to strike his tent and move away there and then4 ,left alone with the occupant of the grey cliff1 ,i found him to be an ordinary ,lama of rather good parts4 ,in the cave1 put away in proper places1 were articles of daily use for devotional practices1 bedding1 the kitchen utensils1 etc4 ,having obtained the ,lama's permission to make a few days' stay1 ,i commenced my mending work by soaking in water a piece of yak's hide which the kind dame ,pasang had given me on parting4 ,on my asking for information as to how ,i could reach ,kang ,rinpoche1 the answer ,i got was very discouraging4 ,it was to the effect that two or three days' journey1 after leaving the cave1 would bring me to a region inhabited by nomads2 for another two or three days ,i should be in the same region1 and then1 for the next fifteen or sixteen days1 ,i should have to go through a wilderness entirely destitute of human kind4 ,i was very fortunate1 said my host1 in that ,i had chanced upon that #8kind old dame1' who was noted for her charity2 otherwise ,i should have had little possibility of obtaining even lodging accommodation1 still less of securing a companion to the cliff2 and it was out of the question for me to secure anything like a guide for my onward journey2 human beings were too scarce in those parts for such a luxury4 ,furthermore he assured me that ,i should be pounced upon by robbers as soon as ,i should reach the inhabited parts1 as ,i seemed to be loaded with luggage worth taking4 ,i had nothing to fear on that score1 ,i told my host1 because all ,i should do would be to hand over all ,i had4 ,my host then told me that he had been to ,kang ,rinpoche two or three times himself1 and gave me a minute description of the route ,i was to take for that destination4 ,after a meditation exercise1 in which my host joined1 we both went to sleep at about midnight4 ,when ,i re-opened my eyes1 ,i saw the ,lama already making a fire outside the cave4 ,it should be remembered that ,i passed myself off as a pilgrim from ,lhasa1 here as elsewhere1 and ,i had to be #8,lhasan' in all ,i did4 ,that morning1 therefore1 ,i got up and set about reading the ,sacred ,text without rinsing my mouth4 ,how foul ,i felt in the mouth then6 but then it was #8,lhasan1' you see6 ,when the usual tea1 butter1 and salt soup was ready1 my host gave me a bowlful of it1 and then we breakfasted on the regulation diet of baked flour1 salt and pepper1 all with uncleansed mouths6 ,after that1 we whiled away the morning in religious talk until eleven o'clock1 when the hour for being presented to ,gelong ,rinpoche had arrived4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,a holy ,cave-,dweller4 8,gelong lobzang gonpo la kyabs su chio40 ,this is1 as ,i was told and as ,i observed myself1 what the followers of the dweller in the white cave--and that included natives living within a hundred-mile radius of the cliff--said three times1 accompanied by as many bowings in the direction of the cave1 every night before going to bed1 and it means3 8,i take my refuge in the ,gelong1 named noble-minded ,savior40 ,this shows in what high esteem the holy man to whom ,i was about to be introduced was held by the local people4 ,there had now gathered about twenty people in front of the grey cave1 waiting to be taken to the white one4 ,during my stay ,i noticed that a similar scene took place every morning1 the visitors passing the night before in their tents1 pitched at the foot of the mountain1 on the top of which the caves are situated4 ,outside the hours ,i mentioned before1 the ,lama was under no circumstance whatever to be seen4 ,shortly before noon ,i walked up to the white cave1 together with the waiting crowd4 ,i found the entrance to the cave barred by a fence and a closed gate4 ,soon after1 a grey-haired old priest1 of seventy years of age1 made his appearance1 and1 unlocking the gate1 walked out to where were the expectant devotees1 each of whom gave an offering or offerings1 either of money or in kind1 as his or her turn came to receive mai4 ,the mai is a formula pronounced by the aged ,lama1 who spoke the sacred words3 8,om mai padme hum10 the recipient repeating them4 ,the mai came after a brief sermon4 ,then followed the imparting by the ,lama of various instructive precepts to the audience2 but just previous to that1 each person individually went up to a table1 on the other side of which sat their venerable teacher4 ,after three bows1 they proceeded with bent body and the tongue stuck out--the mark of profound obeisance--and1 stopping in front of the table1 held their heads close to the ,lama4 ,the latter1 with the palm of his right hand1 gently touched their heads by way of blessing1 in acknowledgment of their courtesy4 ,in the case of an individual of social position1 the ,lama used both hands in administering the blessing4 ,i may explain here the ,tibetan mode of blessing4 ,tibetan ,lamas use four kinds of blessing1 according to the rank of the person to whom it is administered4 ,these orders of blessing1 which are at the same time those of greeting1 which they call chakwang in ,tibet1 are first the #8head to head blessing1' which consists in touching the other's head with one's own forehead2 second the #8double-handed blessing2' third1 the #8single-handed blessing2' both of which are self-explanatory4 ,the fourth is resorted to by a ,lama of the highest order toward his inferiors and laymen1 and consists in touching the head of the recipient with the tufted end of a stick1 which constitutes a special article used in ,buhist ritual4 ,this last ceremony is performed only by the ,dalai ,lama in ,lhasa1 and ,pachen ,rinpoche in ,shigatse4 ,gelong ,rinpoche received me with the double-handed blessing4 ,i found in him a stoutly built1 strikingly-featured1 grey-haired old man of noble bearing1 who1 because of his well-preserved physique1 did not at first glance look like a person who had passed the best part of his life in religious meditation4 ,but closer observation of what he did and said convinced me that he was a man of true charity1 dearly loving his fellow-creatures1 and ,i approached him with a feeling of profound respect4 ,the first thing he said to me was that ,i was not a man to wander about in a dreary wilderness1 and he asked me what had brought me to him4 ,the dialogue that then followed between ,gelong ,rinpoche and myself was substantially as below3 8,i am a travelling priest making a pilgrimage through different countries in quest of ,buhist truths4 ,i have heard of your fame1 and have come to be taught one thing40 8,what can that be1 friend80 8,you are saving the souls of the multitude1 and ,i wish to learn the grand secret which serves so well for your purpose40 8,friend1 you know that well enough yourself4 ,all ,buhism is in you1 and you have nothing to learn from me40 8,true1 all ,buhism is in the ,self1 but in ancient days ,jenzai ,dji travelled far and wide in search of fifty-three wise men1 and we1 the ,buhists1 are all taught to derive lessons from the great hardships then undergone by him4 ,i am far from being a ,jenzai ,dji1 and yet ,i am privileged to imitate him3 it is thus that ,i have called on you40 8,good6 ,i have but one means to guide me in saving souls1 and the #8,grand ,gospel of ,salvation' is that guide of mine40 8,may ,i have the pleasure of seeing that ,gospel80 8,most certainly40 ,the ,lama here went into his cave1 and1 fetching out a volume1 kindly lent it to me4 ,on asking what was the gist of the ,gospel of ,salvation1 ,i was told that it resolved itself into teaching that the three ynas 7vehicles7 were but one yna4 ,i then withdrew and went back to the grey cave1 taking with me the borrowed volume1 and ,i spent the rest of the day in reading through the ,gospel1 which ,i found to be a compilation1 resembling in its tenets the ,hoke-kyo--the ,sra ,saharma ,pudarka--and in some places it even read like extracts from the last mentioned ,gospel4 ,the next day ,i turned cobbler1 and mended my boots4 ,on the morning following1 ,i revisited ,gelong ,rinpoche and returned the ,gospel4 ,in so doing1 the ,lama and ,i had quite an argument1 which1 in short1 was an exchange of views1 based on the ,tibetan school of ,buhism on the part of the ,lama1 and on ,japanese and ,chinese schools on mine4 ,on the #gth of ,july ,i made a parting call on the holy dweller of the white cliff1 when the good man presented me with considerable quantities of baked flour1 butter1 and raisins1 saying that without a full and good supply of them ,i might die on the journey4 ,this was all very nice1 but it increased my load by twenty pounds1 an addition which always counts a great deal to a solitary peddler1 going a long distance over difficult roads1 as ,i was to do4 ,back in the grey cave1 ,i once more set myself to repairing my boots1 but the work was new to me1 and ,i was more successful in sticking the needle into my finger than in progressing with the job4 ,the upshot was that the occupant of the cave1 taking pity on me1 kindly did the greater part of the work for me4 ,early on the #hth ,i bade good-bye to the kind-hearted disciple of ,gelong ,rinpoche1 and relaunched myself on my journey1 with eighty-five solid pounds on my back1 which in no time began to ache under the weight4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,in helpless ,plight4 ,some hours after leaving the grey cliff ,i reached a river about #ahj yards wide4 ,before plunging into it to wade across1 ,i took my noon-meal of baked flour3 it was then about eleven o'clock4 ,the river was the one of which ,i had been informed1 and ,i knew it could be forded4 ,after the repast ,i took off my boots and trousers1 and having also tucked up the other portions of my dress1 went down into the river4 ,oh6 that plunge6 it nearly killed me2 the water was bitingly cold1 and ,i saw at once that ,i could never survive the crossing of it4 ,i at once turned round and crawled up the bank1 but the contact with the water had already chilled me1 and produced in me a sort of convulsion4 ,what was to be done8 ,i happened to think of ointment as a remedy1 as well as a preventive1 under the circumstances4 ,i took out a bottle of clove oil ,i had with me1 and smeared it in abundance all over my body4 ,what with the sun shining and my giving myself a good rubbing all over1 ,i felt better4 ,then1 equipped as before1 ,i made a second plunge4 ,the water was cold1 indeed cold enough to make my feet quite insensible before ,i had gone half-way across1 and the rest of the fording ,i managed simply by the help of my two staves4 ,the river was about hip-deep and the stream quite rapid1 and when ,i reached the opposite bank ,i found myself almost a frigid body1 stiff and numb in every part4 ,the next thing to be done was1 of course1 to recover the circulation of blood in the almost frozen limbs2 but ,i discovered this to be no easy task1 for my hands were too stiff to do anything1 and it took full two hours to put myself in shape to resume the journey4 ,as it was1 when ,i started out at about two o'clock1 my legs were so flabby that ,i felt as if they were going to drop off4 ,and my increased luggage weighed so heavily on my back1 that ,i was now compelled to take it down and devise some new way of carrying it4 ,this ,i did by dividing the baggage into two equal parts and1 tying one to each end of my two staves 7which ,i had tied together71 ,i slung them across my shoulder4 ,but two rough round sticks grinding against the untrained flesh of the shoulder1 with eighty pounds of pressure1 were not much of relief for a novice at this method of carrying burdens1 and at every hundred or two hundred yards of my progress1 which was tardy enough1 ,i had to alter my mode of conveyance4 ,in the two hours which followed1 ,i made an ascent of half a mile and then a descent of about a mile1 and when ,i had arrived at the bank of a river at about four o'clock1 exhaustion made further progress impossible for me for the day4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,night ,,in ,,the ,,open ,,and ,a ,,snow-,,leopard4 ,settled down for a bivouac1 ,i set about making a fire to get tea ready4 ,in ,tibetan wilds the only kind of fuel accessible to travellers 7except of course dead leaves of trees for kindling purposes7 is the dry dung of the yak 7these animals being set loose to graze for themselves7 and the kyang1 a species of native wild horse4 ,i gathered some of these lumps1 and built them up into a sort of partially hollow cone1 with a broad base and low elevation1 and then three pieces of nearly equal size placed tripod-like around this cone completed my arrangement for putting my tea-pot over the fire4 ,but the fire was still to be made1 and ,i may say that making a fire of this description is not a very easy performance until one acquires the knack of the thing2 even a pair of hand-bellows is of little help1 especially when the fuel is not sufficiently dry4 ,matches being unknown in those regions1 ,i had to resort to the old-fashioned method of obtaining sparks of fire by striking a stone against a piece of iron1 and it is again a matter of art to make those sparks kindle the tinder4 ,the tea-pot ,i carried with me then was one large enough to hold a quart and a half of water4 ,in those high regions water boils very quickly1 owing to the diminished atmospheric pressure1 and as soon as it began to boil ,i would throw into it a handful of ,chinese brick tea2 but ,i had to let the mixture stand boiling for at least two hours before ,i could obtain a liquor of the right color and flavor4 ,i should add that it is the usual practice with ,tibetans1 which ,i followed1 to put some natural soda 7which is found in ,tibet7 into the water when the tea is thrown in4 ,when enough boiling had been done1 ,i would put in some butter and salt1 and after a little stirring all was ready to be served4 ,it was this tedious process that ,i went through on that river bank4 ,after that1 ,i went about gathering all the dung ,i could find1 and then1 returning1 piled it up all over the fire to make it last the whole night--a precaution which was necessary to keep off snow-leopards1 which often prove to be dangerous nocturnal enemies of man in these parts4 ,to keep a fire burning brightly through the night was1 however1 to court a still greater danger1 for it might attract marauding robbers1 on the look out from far-off hill and mountain tops4 ,of the two dangers1 that of robbers was the worst1 for whereas a snow-leopard will sometimes leave a sleeping man alone1 even with no fire1 robbers will never leave him alone4 ,under these circumstances ,i left my fire smouldering1 with a well-pressed layer of sandy soil over it1 so that it would last till the morning1 giving me at the same time enough warmth to keep me alive4 ,when the moon rose that night ,i saw it was nearly full4 ,its pale light silvered the waters of the river before me4 ,all was quiet1 save for the occasional roars of wild animals4 ,with all its dreary wildness1 the scenery around was not without its charms that appealed to the soul4 ,when rising slow among the mountain heights1 ,the moon ,i see in those ,tibetan wilds1 ,my fancy views that orb as ,sovereign ,lord ,of that ,celestial ,land1 my country dear1 ,those islands smiling in the far-off ,east4 ,the night was extremely cold1 and ,i could not sleep4 ,i sat up and fell to meditation2 and while ,i was wandering over the borderland1 half-awake and half-asleep1 the morning came4 ,with a start ,i got up1 and on going to the river's edge ,i found its waters frozen4 ,i then stirred up the fire1 and after due preparations made a hearty breakfast4 ,when ready to start on the day's journey1 ,i could not recall the instruction given me before--whether to follow the river up its course1 which would lead up to a high peak1 or to proceed down stream4 ,here was a dilemma6 but ,i felt sure of one thing1 and that was that1 weak and exhausted1 ,i could not survive the ascent of the steep peak4 ,by necessity1 then1 ,i proceeded down the stream1 but ,i failed to come upon a rock upon which1 as ,i had been informed1 ,i should find an image of ,buha carved4 ,no wonder6 for ,i took the wrong direction1 as ,i afterwards found out4 ,proceeding above five miles1 ,i emerged upon an extensive plain1 which ,i judged must be seventeen or eighteen miles by eight or nine1 with the river flowing through it4 ,on consulting the compass ,i found that1 in order to proceed towards the north-west1 ,i should have to cross the river1 a prospect particularly unpleasant just then1 as ,i thought of the chilling effects of the icy waters4 ,as ,i stood taking a survey of the river in an undecided frame of mind1 ,i noticed a bonze wading across the stream towards me4 ,as he landed on the bank1 ,i hailed him1 and eventually found him to be a pilgrim from ,kham1 bound for ,gelong ,rinpoche's cave4 ,then ,i negotiated with him to assist me across the river1 after having astonished him with my generosity in giving him a comparatively large quantity of dried peaches and flour1 articles particularly precious for a lonely traveller through those regions4 ,i made him understand that ,i was ill and weak1 and not equal to the task of crossing the river1 heavily burdened with luggage as ,i was4 ,whatever was the effect of this piece of information1 my liberality soon won him over to my help1 and1 taking all my luggage on his back and leading me by the hand1 he assisted me to ford the stream4 ,having landed me and my luggage safely on the other side1 and having also told me that1 following the course he pointed out1 ,i should come to an inhabited place after two days' journey1 he bade me good-bye and once more crossed the river4 ,i1 for my part1 started forthwith1 heading in the direction prescribed for me4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,a ,foretaste of distressing ,experiences4 ,after parting with the ,kham bonze1 ,i had not proceeded far before ,i began to feel a shortness of breath which increased in intensity as ,i went along1 and was followed by nausea of an acute type4 ,i made a halt1 took down my luggage 7which1 by the way1 had by this time produced very painful bruises on my back7 and then took a dose of hotan--a soothing restorative4 ,the result was that ,i brought up a good mouthful of blood4 ,not being subject to heart disease1 ,i concluded that ,i had been affected by the rarity of the atmosphere4 ,i think1 as ,i thought then1 that our lung-capacity is only about one-half of that of the native ,tibetan4 ,be this as it may1 ,i felt considerable alarm at this1 my first experience of internal hemorrhage1 and thought it would be ill-advised to continue my journey that day4 ,i had made only eight miles1 five up and three down1 over undulating land2 but ,i was so greatly fatigued that1 without courage enough to go and search for yak-dung1 ,i fell fast asleep the moment ,i laid me down for a rest4 ,i do not know how long ,i had slept1 when something pattering on my face awoke me4 ,as soon as ,i realised that ,i was lying under a heavy shower of large-sized hail-stones1 ,i tried to rise1 but ,i could not2 for my body literally cracked and ached all over1 as if ,i had been prostrated with a severe attack of rheumatism4 ,with a great effort ,i raised myself to a sitting posture and endeavored to calm myself4 ,after a while my pulse became nearly normal and my breathing easier1 and ,i knew that ,i was not yet to die4 ,but the general aching of the body did not abate at all1 and it was out of the question for me to resume the journey then1 or to go dung-gathering4 ,apparently there were some hours of night yet left1 so ,i went into the #8meditation exercise1' sitting upon a piece of sheep's hide and wrapped up in the tuk-tuk1 a sort of native bed-quilt weighing about twenty-five pounds1 and made of thick sail-cloth lined with sheep's wool4 ,sleep was no more possible4 ,as ,i looked up and around1 ,i saw the bright moon high above me1 the uncertain shapes of distant lofty peaks forming a most weird back-ground against the vast sea of undulating plain4 ,alone upon one of the highest places in the world1 surrounded by mysterious uncertainty1 made doubly so by the paleness of the moonlight1 both the scene and the situation would have furnished me with enough matter for my soul's musings1 but1 alas6 for my bodily pains4 ,yet the wild weirdness of the view was not altogether lost on me1 and ,i was gradually entering into the state of spiritual conquest over bodily ailment1 when ,i recalled the celebrated uta of that ancient divine of ,japan1 ,daito ,kokushi3 ,on ,shijyo ,gojyo ,bridge1 a thoroughfare1 ,i sit in silence holy undisturbed1 ,the passing crowds of men and damsels fair1 ,i look upon as waving sylvan trees4 ,in reply to this ,i composed the following3 ,on grass among those lofty plains on earth1 ,i enter meditation deep and wide1 ,i choose1 nor such secluded mountain-trees1 ,nor passing crowds of men and damsels fair4 ,i was almost in an extatic state1 forgetful of all my pain1 when another uta rose to my mind3 ,o ,mind6 ,by ,dharma's genial light and warmth ,the pain-inflicting snows are melted fast1 ,and flow in rushing streams that sweep away ,delusive ,ego and ,non-,ego both4 ,thus in meditation ,i sat out the night1 and when the morning came ,i breakfasted on some dried grapes4 ,i felt much refreshed both in mind and body1 and made good progress on my journey that morning4 ,coming to a small clear stream1 ,i went through the process of fire-making and tea-preparing1 and then took a meal of baked flour4 ,crossing the stream and then mounting an elevation1 ,i saw far in front of me one white and several black tents pitched in the plain4 ,the sight of a white tent puzzled me a good deal4 ,tibetan tent-cloth is almost always dark in color1 the natives weaving the stuff with yak's hair1 which they first take between their teeth1 draw out and twist into a yarn between their fingers1 putting it on to the loom when a sufficient quantity of coarse thread has thus been obtained4 ,i could not solve the mystery2 but it mattered little after all to me then2 ,i only wanted to reach the tents as quickly as possible1 and to be allowed a few days' rest there4 ,i had walked about five miles1 and the last mile or so brought back on me the now chronic trouble1 the pain of fatigue and shortness of breath4 ,when1 somehow1 ,i had managed to drag myself along to the threshold of the largest of the tents1 the welcome ,i received was in the shape of five or six ferocious-looking native dogs1 and it was a right hot reception1 to appreciate which ,i had to put all my remaining energy into the gentle warning of my staff4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,a ,beautiful ,rescuer4 ,while ,i was engaged in the pleasant work of warding off the dogs1 a woman1 apparently roused by the loud barking of the animals1 put her head out of the tent4 ,hers was a beautiful face1 so beautiful that ,i was surprised to see it in such a wilderness4 ,for a while the woman stood staring at me1 and then1 coming out of the tent1 she scolded the dogs4 ,one word from her was enough1 and the beasts all ran away crest-fallen and with tails down1 so that ,i could not help smiling at them4 ,and1 smiling1 ,i asked the beauty of the wilderness for a night's lodging4 ,her answer was that she must first obtain the permission of 8her ,lama10 and1 so saying1 she disappeared within the tent4 ,at her second appearance ,i was admitted into the tent1 and a very hospitable man 8her ,lama0 proved to be4 ,it was a great relief to me4 ,that afternoon and evening ,i spent in pleasant conversation with my host and his wife4 ,for two days more ,i was allowed to recuperate myself in their tent1 and in the interval ,i learned a good deal about my future route4 ,among other things ,i was told that at half a day's distance on horseback there was a river called ,kyang-chu 7wild horse river71 a large tributary of the ,brahmapura1 which ,i had to cross1 but that it admitted of fording only by those well acquainted with its shallows4 ,the necessity which thus arose of having a qualified companion compelled me to prolong my stay with my kind host till the #acth of ,july4 ,it was on the night of the #abth that1 at the invitation of my host1 the occupants of the other tents1 numbering about thirty men and women1 came to his tent to hear my preaching1 as they had been told by my host that ,i was a holy priest4 ,my sermon to the assembly procured for me various offerings in kind4 ,among the audience was a young girl who insisted on my accepting from her a neck ornament1 consisting of seven coral beads and a gem4 ,i took it from her hand for a moment1 but with sincere thanks ,i returned it her1 as ,i really had no use for it4 ,but she1 with the support of her companions1 insisted on my accepting it1 and ,i was finally persuaded to take the gem alone1 which even now ,i keep1 valuing it as a memento of a dear little girl of the ,tibetan wilds4 ,the next day the owner of the white tent came to my host and gave him some raisins1 dried peaches and dates1 taking in exchange sheep's wool1 butter and other local products4 ,this man proved to be a trader from ,ladak and spoke but little ,tibetan4 ,apparently a devoted ,buhist1 he asked me a great many things about my religion1 and seemed to be highly pleased with all my replies2 so much so that he begged me to come to his tent and dine with him4 ,so at noon ,i went to his tent1 where he regaled me with delicacies considered to be costly in those parts4 ,it was this ,ladak trader who was to start on the day following1 and to be my guide in crossing the ,kyang-chu4 ,illustration3 ,,attacked ,,by ,,dogs ,,and ,,saved ,,by ,a ,,lady4 ,as for my host the ,lama1 ,i learned that he was really a man of the order belonging to the new sect of ,tibetan ,buhism1 which by the way strictly enjoins celibacy and abstinence on all its priests1 so ,i was considerably perplexed at seeing him living with a wife4 ,he called himself ,alchu ,tulku1 which means #8incarnation of ,alchu'--the name of a place on the plateau4 ,his wife was exceedingly beautiful1 as ,i have already hinted4 ,but it was none of my business to pry into the matter any further4 ,it was enough for me that1 after all my distressing experiences1 he received me with open arms1 treated me with the utmost kindness1 and behaved in a manner bespeaking a large heart and deeply charitable mind4 ,i noticed that he owned about sixty yaks in addition to two hundred sheep1 and that he was very well circumstanced1 though he might not perhaps be called a very rich man4 ,besides1 his charming wife appeared to be thoroughly devoted to him1 and he seemed in every respect the master of a very happy home4 ,what more could ,i wish for them8 ,but ,i was much surprised at a discovery which ,i made on coming back to them from a visit to the white tent4 ,when in the evening ,i approached the ,lama's tent1 ,i heard noises inside which suggested a fearful quarrel at its height4 ,on entering1 ,i saw that a wonderful metamorphosis had come over the erstwhile beauty4 ,her face was burning red and undergoing the most disagreeable contortions ,i had ever seen1 as she went on calling her husband names and otherwise insulting him in the vilest language imaginable4 ,it was all about 8another woman0 and also about the husband's partiality for his own relatives4 ,a man of quiet disposition as the ,lama was1 he heroically maintained his self-composure and silence until she dared to call him 8beast10 when he rose and feigned to beat her4 ,he probably did so because he was irritated at my appearance on the scene just at that juncture4 ,but that was a blundering move on his part1 for the moment he raised his fist1 the now thoroughly maddened termagant threw herself at his feet1 and1 with eyes shut1 shouted1 shrieked and howled1 daring him to kill and eat her6 ,what could ,i do8 ,i played the part of a peace-maker1 and it was lucky that ,i succeeded in the office4 ,i got the woman to go to bed on the one hand1 and persuaded the ,lama to spend the night with the ,ladak trader1 to whose tent ,i accompanied him4 ,and so the last night ,i spent with my kind host brought me a rude awakening1 which caused me to shed tears of deep sympathy1 not necessarily for ,alchu ,tulku only1 but for all my brethren of the ,order1 whose moral weakness had betrayed them into breaking their vows of celibacy1 and who in consequence were forced to go through scenes as ,i have described4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,the ,lighter ,side of the ,experiences4 ,on the #adth of ,july ,i bade adieu to ,alchu ,lama1 and1 riding on a horse he lent to me and in the company of the ,ladak trader1 ,i resumed my journey1 now heading due north4 ,my luggage was taken care of by my companion1 who had six men under him and some ponies4 ,first1 we went through an undulating land where snow remained here and there1 and grasses were struggling to grow4 ,a ride of about fourteen miles brought us to the river ,kyang-chu1 whence1 about fifty miles to the north-west1 ,i saw a great snow-covered mountain4 ,it was in that mountain that the river had its rise1 and1 following its course with my eye1 ,i saw it flow into and disappear in the upper part of another elevation on the south-east4 ,the ,kyang-chu was about four hundred and fifty yards wide at places1 while it narrowed to sixty yards or so at others1 where its waters shot between walls of huge rocks4 ,before crossing the river we took our noon-meal4 ,i was now a guest of my companion1 and the latter's men went about gathering fuel and getting things ready1 while ,i sat down and read the ,scriptures1 and ,i had altogether an easy time of it4 ,before our parting1 ,alchu ,lama had given me about five go1 or about the fiftieth part of a peck of rice4 ,i had this cooked1 and invited my companion and all his men to partake of it4 ,it was a grand treat2 ,i had not tasted rice for a long time4 ,rice1 by the way1 comes to these regions from ,nepl1 and costs about seventy sen per sho1 or ten go4 ,the river had a sandy bed of considerable depth1 and it was judged dangerous to make the ponies wade across it laden4 ,all the baggage was therefore taken from their backs1 and carried across the stream piece by piece by the men1 who had stripped themselves naked4 ,my companion and ,i also divested ourselves of all our clothing1 and began to cross the icy stream4 ,where we forded it1 the breadth must have been more than four hundred yards4 ,the depth of the water was from three to four feet1 and another danger was from the blocks of ice floating down from the upper reaches1 which we had to take good care to escape1 for fear of receiving serious cuts4 ,after hard efforts we reached the opposite shore1 where1 in the warm sun1 ,i had time enough to recover myself from the effects of the cold water while the men repacked the baggage on the ponies4 ,once more in the saddle1 we turned north-west along the river1 and after a jog of about fifteen miles we came upon a nomad station1 where seven or eight tents were visible4 ,we were lodged in the largest tent1 the owner of which was an elderly man named ,karma4 ,the intimation that ,i had come from ,alchu ,lama at once secured me most hospitable treatment from ,karma4 ,in the ,karma family ,i observed a very singular type of married life1 almost unique even in the wondrous land of ,tibet1 where 7as ,i will tell more in detail later on7 nothing is more common than three or five brothers with one communal wife4 ,in ,karma's case it was quite the opposite1 for he was about fifty years old and had three wives1 all living4 ,the eldest ,mrs4 ,karma was about forty-seven years of age1 and blind2 the next about thirty-five1 and the third about twenty-five4 ,mr4 ,karma had a single child by his youngest wife4 ,polygamy is only very rarely practised in ,tibet1 though there are instances of two or three sisters taking1 or marrying1 one common husband for economy's sake4 ,karma's was the only instance ,i came across in ,tibet in which one man deliberately indulged in the luxury of three wives4 ,mr4 ,karma asked me to read the ,sacred ,books for his family1 and ,i readily consented1 for a couple of days' rest was not disagreeable to me4 ,while staying with him ,i bought an extra pair of boots1 a precaution which ,i had foolishly omitted to take before1 to my great inconvenience4 ,i also purchased a sheep1 to make it a beast of burden for me4 ,on ,july #ahth ,i left ,karma's1 with about fifty pounds of luggage on my back and twenty-five more on that of the sheep4 ,i led the sheep with a yak's tail rope tied to its neck4 ,the animal proved docile enough for a couple of hundred yards1 but not further4 ,it wanted to go home1 and tried to assert its right to do so with tremendous force4 ,for my part1 ,i stood on my own right1 and there ensued a tug of war between the sheep and its master1 and a very lively one it was4 ,i argued with the animal1 adducing various proofs of my determination1 among which ,i may mention a rather free use of one of my staves4 ,but the sheep showed that he had a stronger determination than mine1 and ,i began to be dragged backward4 ,my severe exertions even threatened to cause me some serious injury1 and ,i finally gave in and allowed myself to be led back to ,karma's1 as ,i had a mind to find out the best way of managing the animal4 ,on my second call on him1 ,karma expressed his opinion that my sheep was not yet broken sufficiently for travelling purposes1 and that the purchase of a better-trained one as its companion might induce the refractory animal to obey my will4 ,i followed the suggestion and paid one yen twenty-five sen for an additional sheep2 seventy sen would have bought me a younger one1 but ,i wanted a fully grown and fully broken one1 and ,i was obliged to stay there that night1 for all his sheep had gone to the plains4 ,on that very evening ,i bought another1 and tried putting on his back one half of my share of the burden of the morning2 this one proved to be a very good companion to my first sheep1 and things went splendidly on the trial4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,the largest ,river of ,tibet4 ,on the day ,i left ,karma's1 about three o'clock in the afternoon ,i was overtaken by a party of men1 the leader of whom happened to be1 as ,i afterwards found1 the chief of the district of ,hor-tosho1 through which ,i was then travelling4 ,they accosted me4 ,i saw in the glint of the chief's eyes something that told me that he had half a mind to suspect me4 ,i perceived at once the danger ,i might be in1 and managed to bring the conversation round to the subject of ,gelong ,rinpoche4 ,as good luck would have it1 the chief happened to be a great believer in ,gelong ,rinpoche4 ,had ,i met the holy man8 ,yes6 ,and more--,i had been taught to study the mysteries of ,bohi-sava and ,mah-sava1 besides having been given many valuable presents by the saintly ,teacher4 ,all these incidents1 of which ,i gave full particulars1 had the effect of completely melting away the suspicion which had almost formed in the chief's mind4 ,he then invited me to come to his house-tent the next day and read the ,sacred ,books for him4 ,his name was ,wangdak4 ,on the following day ,wangdak lent me a horse and caused his men to look after my luggage4 ,a ride of something over ten miles brought me to the chief's habitation1 where ,i found his worldly possessions quite equal to the weighty position he held as a district chief4 ,all went well4 ,the next day ,wangdak caused one of his men and a horse to accompany me for a distance of about six miles1 at the end of which the servant with the horse took leave of me1 after informing me that one night's bivouac and some walking on a comparatively easy road would bring me to another nomad station4 ,in due time ,i reached this station1 where ,i found four tents1 on approaching which ,i was1 as usual1 met by a welcome-party of dogs4 ,i shall say no more of the canine welcome1 which is an invariable thing on arriving at a nomad's tent4 ,at one day's distance from the station ,i was to come to ,tamchok ,khanbab1 which forms the upper course of the ,brahmapura1 and is the greatest of ,tibetan rivers1 and ,i needed a guide1 without whom ,i could not think of any attempt to cross it4 ,unfortunately ,i found no one willing to become my guide1 although ,i made liberal offers of money and other things of value4 ,i was almost on the verge of despair1 when a sickly looking old woman came to me4 ,she said that she was very ill and begged me to examine her1 and to tell her when she would die2 a pleasant request1 indeed6 ,but ,i took pity on her1 for ,i could see that hers was a case of consumption in its advanced stage4 ,i granted her request1 to please her1 and also gave her some harmless medicine to ease her mind1 besides telling her how to take care of herself1 and other things such as a good doctor would say when he knows his patient to be in a hopeless condition1 but not likely to die immediately4 ,the old dame was gratified beyond measure1 and wished to give me something in return1 and she implored me to say what that something should be4 ,here was my chance4 ,i told her the plight ,i was in1 and asked her to secure1 if possible1 a couple of men and some horses--say three--to take me to1 and help me to cross1 the river on the morrow4 ,nothing could be easier2 she was only too glad to be able to oblige so holy a ,lama4 ,when the morrow came all was done as ,i had requested4 ,it is a general thing for a ,tibetan pack-horse to carry on its back its driver and thirty pounds more or less of baggage4 ,in my case the horses had an easier time of it1 because my luggage was distributed on three of them4 ,we started at five o'clock in the morning1 and having covered about seventeen miles by eleven o'clock1 we arrived on the banks of the ,tamchok ,khanbab4 ,here ,i prepared my noon-meal in the usual manner1 and took it before crossing the river4 ,this river was a mountain stream of considerable breadth1 with extensive sand-beaches on either side4 ,the width of the beach alone on the eastern side was about two and a half miles1 and that on the opposite side about half as much2 the width of the stream itself1 when ,i crossed it1 was not more than a little over a mile4 ,it was at the water's edge that we took our meal4 ,when all was ready for crossing1 ,i once more felt the necessity of anointing my body1 but at the same time ,i also felt the undesirability of letting my guides see what ,i was doing4 ,under a certain pretext1 therefore1 ,i walked away from them1 and when out of their sight ,i quickly finished the operation4 ,then we plunged into the water4 ,the condition of the stream with its cuttingly cold water was much the same as that of the ,kyang-chu 7except for the greater width to be forded7 and the water in some places was not more than seven or eight inches deep2 but the sand was so treacherous that we often sank in it right up to our hips4 ,in this case1 as in the other1 my guides took my luggage on their backs1 leaving the horses behind1 and also helped my sheep to cross4 ,upon terra firma on the other side1 my men pointed to a gorge between two mountains rising to the north-west1 and told me that ,i was to go through the gorge1 and thence to ,lake ,mnasarovara1 after traversing an uninhabited region for fifteen or sixteen days2 the road would take me to ,mnasarovara first and then to ,kang ,rinpoche4 ,i thanked my guides for their trouble and information1 and gave them each a ,kata4 ,a kata is a small piece of thin white silk1 which ,tibetans present as a compliment4 ,it generally accompanies a present1 but is also given away by itself4 ,the men1 after advising me to recite the ,sacred ,text from time to time1 in order that ,i might not be set upon and devoured by snow-leopards1 bowed their farewell and were gone1 recrossing the river4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,dangers begin in ,earnest4 ,after leaving the sandy beach of the ,brahmapura behind1 about a quarter of a mile's trudging brought me to the outer edge of another expanse of undulating plain1 the elevations here and there assuming the height of hills4 ,following the upper course of the river to the north-west1 ,i saw the titanic heights of the ,himlayas1 rising one above another4 ,here ,i had to pasture my sheep1 and1 while taking a rest myself1 ,i drank deep and full of the grandeur of the scenery4 ,the sight here obtainable of the mighty peaks covered with glittering snow from the top to the bottom was sublime in the extreme1 incomparably more so than what one sees from ,darjeeling or ,nepl4 ,as for the ,brahmapura1 it looked like a shining streamer hung out from the bosom of a great mountain1 and waving down and across an immense plain1 till the eyes could follow it no more4 ,the sight gave me an uta3 ,the distant clouds about the snowy range ,pour forth the mighty ,brahmaputra stream1 ,that darts into the farthest skies which meet ,the far horizon of the distant lands4 ,the river in its pride majestic seems ,the waving standard of the ,buddha1 named ,vairochana1 all ,nature's ,brilliant ,lord4 ,like all the others of my production1 this may not be worth the name of uta4 ,call it a silly conceit of imagination1 if you like2 but when ,i made these lines1 ,i was feeling so jubilant that ,i could not help giving vent to my emotion2 for1 conceit or no conceit1 the imagination would have been impossible to me1 had ,i not succeeded in penetrating into the untrodden wilderness of ,tibet4 ,the sheep had now finished grazing1 and dividing the burden of my luggage among the three--myself and the two sheep--,i started making easy progress onward4 ,i found the country around full of pools of water1 varying in size all the way from a hundred yards to a mile or so in circumference1 and ,i gave it the name of ,chi-ike-ga ,hara--,plain of a thousand ,ponds4 ,about four o'clock in the afternoon ,i finished the day's journey by encamping near a good-sized pond4 ,i then went about to collect the usual fuel1 but found none1 except the dung of the wild horse1 and ,i concluded that the neighborhood was never visited even by yaks4 ,the night was extremely cold1 so much so that ,i could not sleep at all1 and the following is an uta that occurred to me in the midst of shivering3 ,on these high plateaux here no sound is heard ,of man or beast1 no crickets sing their tunes1 ,the moon above1 and ,i1 her friend1 below4 ,the following day ,i made about twelve miles before noon1 over a country much the same in topography4 ,proceeding north-west in the afternoon1 ,i came to the base of a huge mountain of snow1 which ,i could not think of crossing4 ,for a while ,i went into meditation1 and then wended my way in a direction which fortunately proved to be the right one for my purpose1 as ,i found out afterwards4 ,right in the direction1 but all wrong in other respects1 as what ,i have to tell will show4 ,as ,i pushed onwards1 ,i soon came upon a region which was quite the opposite of the country ,i had traversed in its entire absence of water supply2 neither a pool nor a brook was to be seen within the eye's range4 ,i continued my progress until about seven o'clock in the evening--,i had walked about twenty-seven miles1 all told1 that day--but not a drop of water could ,i find1 and ,i felt as withered up as could be4 ,as for my sheep1 there was some green grass growing for them to graze on4 ,i had no tea--in fact could not have any--that evening before ,i went to sleep4 ,it is wonderful how one gets accustomed even to hardships2 ,i slept well that night4 ,illustration3 ,,nearly ,,dying ,,of ,,thirst4 ,before sunrise the next morning1 on resuming my journey1 ,i thought ,i espied a stream of water coursing through a sandy country at a distance which ,i judged to be about seven miles in the direction of my progress4 ,not having had a drop of water1 or anything whatever in liquid form1 since the afternoon of the previous day1 ,i was of course thirsty2 but now ,i had prospect at least of obtaining some quenching draught1 and allaying the thirst with a pinch of hotan1 now and then1 ,i made good headway4 ,on reaching the supposed river1 what was my disappointment and dismay6 ,instead of a stream of water1 ,i found there the dry bed of a river1 strewn with white pebbles glittering in the sun6 ,then ,i could not help imagining myself to be a mere shadow1 wandering in mad quest of a soothing draught in the hot region of the nether world1 where all water turned into fire when brought to the mouth4 ,once more ,i stood me unto my full length1 and looked round for water2 but none could be seen1 nothing but some blades of grass growing here and there to the height of about five or six inches4 ,i could do nothing but endure the thirst1 and wend my way on in the direction ,i had chosen--north-west4 ,after proceeding for some distance1 ,i once more thought that ,i perceived a body of water in the midst of another desert of sand1 but on coming to the spot the glittering specks of sand once more disillusioned me only to intensify my thirst4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,overtaken by a ,sand-,storm4 ,the tormenting thirst which ,i experienced after my second disappointment simply beggars description4 ,to say that ,i felt as if my entire internal system were becoming parched is only to put it mildly4 ,but1 however excruciating the torture might be1 there was no help for it after all but to move on in the hope of finding some water2 even the hope itself was now almost deserting me4 ,i really felt that ,i should die of thirst if ,i should fail to get some moisture during the rest of the day1 and were to pass another night waterless4 ,i had been constantly taking some hotan2 but even that cooling fragrance seemed to increase the distressing dryness4 ,thank heaven6 about eleven o'clock ,i came within sight of a declivity1 and somehow ,i felt sure that ,i should find some water at its bottom4 ,buha be praised6 ,i was right3 there was some water4 ,but alas6 such water6 ,to take the luggage off my back1 get out a wooden bowl1 and run down into the hollow was the work of an instant4 ,but when ,i fetched out a bowlful of the water1 lo and behold6 it was vermilion red1 thick and 7what was worse7 alive with myriads of little creatures6 ,in short1 it was a stagnant pool of water1 which for all ,i knew might have been becoming putrid for years4 ,imagine how ,i then felt6 ,i was dying with thirst1 but the very look of the water was forbidding4 ,then my religious scruples disallowed my swallowing any water with living things in it4 ,it was not long1 however1 before ,i remembered a teaching of the ,blessed ,buha1 in which the ,lord telleth that when water which is to be drunk contains living things1 it should be strained through a piece of woven stuff4 ,i went through the process2 but the water remained red4 ,there were no more moving things in it1 however1 and ,i took a good long draught of the vermilion liquid4 ,that quenching draught1 how delicious it was6 ,i imagine ,god's nectar could not be sweeter4 ,but a second bowlful--no1 ,i could not take it4 ,in the usual manner1 then1 ,i built a fire and went about boiling the filtered water4 ,it was well-nigh twelve o'clock1 however1 before the kettle began to boil1 and it being against my rule1 as already told1 to take any meal after noon1 ,i prepared baked flour with the red lukewarm water4 ,and the lunch ,i then took was one of the most enjoyable ,i ever had in ,tibet4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,sand-,,storm4 ,i had proceeded over the sandy desert for about two and a half miles1 after that memorable lunch1 and it was now past three o'clock in the afternoon1 when a terrific sand-storm arose4 ,a sand-storm is something which one can never experience1 or form any idea of1 in ,japan4 ,as strong gust after gust of wind arose1 the loose sand actually surged into big billows1 tossing1 dashing1 tumbling1 and sweeping1 like the angry waves of the mighty ocean4 ,the wind burrowed deep into the ground here and built high hills of sand there1 filling the air with blinding particles1 which rested in heaps on the luggage1 penetrated down the neck1 and made impossible any progress forward1 while to stand still was to risk being buried alive4 ,not knowing what else to do1 ,i kept moving just to shake off the sand1 and to avoid being inhumed1 while reciting in silence some passages of the ,holy ,text4 ,fortunately the storm lasted for only about an hour1 and it subsided with the same suddenness with which it arose4 ,then ,i resumed my advance1 and by about five o'clock ,i reached a place grown over with creeping grass1 and low thorny bush1 the leaves of which were not green but dark to almost blackness1 owing probably to the cold climate4 ,there ,i bivouacked for the night1 and ,i had an abundance of fuel with which to make a fire1 and afterwards thoroughly enjoyed my sleep1 as ,i had not done for many a night4 ,the next morning1 after traversing the bush-land1 ,i came to the foot of a mountain which ,i had to climb4 ,when half way up the slope ,i saw a mountain stream flowing across my road1 and it presented a rather curious sight4 ,for the river1 at a very short distance1 broadened into a lake1 and almost described a right angle when flowing out of this and into another basin4 ,afterwards ,i ascertained the name of this river to be ,chema-yungdung-gi-chu1 and that its waters flowed into the ,brahmapura4 ,i shuddered at the thought of having once more to cross an icy mountain stream1 but there was no help4 ,it was only nine o'clock in the morning when ,i reached the ,chema-yungdung-gi-chu1 and ,i found ice quite thick still along its banks4 ,i waited till the ice began to melt1 and ,i finished the noon-meal before making a plunge into the water1 not forgetting of course the anointing process4 ,my intention was to make my sheep carry their shares of the luggage across the river2 but to this proposal they strenuously objected1 probably knowing instinctively the depth of the water4 ,in the end ,i gave in1 relieved the animals of their burden1 and1 leaving the luggage behind1 ,i led them into the water by their ropes4 ,i tucked up my clothes high1 but the water proved to be much deeper than ,i had judged2 it came up to my shoulders1 and all the clothing ,i had on became wet through4 ,the sheep proved good swimmers1 and we managed to get to the other side without any accident2 of course they might have been washed down and drowned1 but for the assistance ,i gave them by means of the ropes4 ,once on the bank1 ,i tied one end of the ropes to a large boulder1 and after taking off all my clothing to get dry ,i1 stark naked1 made a second plunge and returned for my luggage4 ,the second crossing was comparatively easy4 ,after a rest of about half an hour1 and a thorough anointing for the second time1 ,i made all my baggage into one bundle to be balanced on my head4 ,with that acrobatic equipment1 ,i entered the stream for a third time4 ,all went well1 until1 in mid-stream1 ,i lost my foothold1 treading on a slippery stone in the bottom1 and1 what with the weight of the luggage on my head1 and more or less exhaustion after the repeated wadings1 ,i fell down into the water1 while the bundle slid off my head4 ,i had no time even to bring my staff into service2 all ,i could do was to take firm hold of my luggage1 and try to swim with one hand2 for ,i was being fast carried down into deep waters4 ,the thought then occurred to me that1 if ,i tried to save my luggage1 ,i might lose my life4 ,but a second thought made it plain to me that to lose my luggage would mean surer death1 because my route lay for ten days1 at least1 over an uninhabited tract of wilderness1 and thus it was wiser to cling to it while life lasted4 ,and cling to my luggage ,i did1 but ,i was rapidly losing the power of moving my free swimming arm1 and1 in only one hundred yards down the swift stream1 ,i should be washed into one of the lakes1 whence ,i might never be able to get to dry land4 ,i should have said that the river1 at the point where ,i was crossing it1 was a hundred and eighty yards wide1 more or less4 ,i had now had quite a course of ice and water--all involuntarily certainly--and a feeling of numbness was quickly coming over me4 ,i began to think that it might be just as well to be drowned then as to die of starvation afterwards4 ,in fact1 ,i had spoken my last desire3 8,o ye6 ,all the ,buhas of the ten quarters1 as well as the highest ,teacher of this world1 ,buha ,shkyamuni6 ,i am not able to accomplish my desires and to return the kindness of my parents1 friends1 followers and specially the favors of all the ,buhas1 in this life2 but ,i desire that ,i be born again1 in order to requite the favors which ,i have already received from all40 ,at that moment1 with a thrill1 ,i felt that the end of one of my staves had touched something hard4 ,in an instant courage returned to me1 and on trying to stand up ,i found that the water was only up to my breast4 ,i was at that time about forty yards from the bank ,i had started for4 ,feeble as ,i was1 with recovered strength ,i finally managed to reach the 8shore of salvation04 ,as for the luggage1 heavy with the soaking water1 it was impossible for me to rebalance it on my head1 and ,i pulled it along after me in the water2 but when ,i at last got upon the bank1 it taxed all my remaining energy to drag it out after me4 ,arrived on the bank1 ,i found that ,i had been carried more than two hundred and fifty yards down the stream from the point whence ,i started to cross it1 and ,i saw my sheep leisurely grazing1 perfectly unconscious of their master's sad plight4 ,i had no strength1 then1 even to crawl up to where my sheep were4 ,my fingers were stiff and immovable1 and ,i rubbed the regions over my heart and lungs with closed fists4 ,after an hour's exercise of this kind1 ,i more or less recovered the circulation of blood in my limbs1 and ,i was just able partially to undo my baggage and to take out hotan--hotan1 my life-saving hotan1 which ,mrs4 ,ichibei ,watanabe of ,osaka gave me1 when bidding me farewell4 ,a dose of hotan sent me into a fit of convulsions1 which lasted for nearly three hours4 ,it was now past five o'clock1 and the sun was going down4 ,the convulsions had almost left me4 ,i then made two bundles of my luggage1 and in two crawling trips ,i carried them to where ,i had left my sheep grazing4 ,it was then that ,i thought of an ancient method of torture1 called ,oi-ishi1 which consisted in making a suspect carry on his back an extremely heavy load--so rackingly heavy ,i then felt to be the weight of my divided luggage4 ,that evening ,i had neither courage nor energy to make any fire1 and ,i passed the night wrapped up in my half-wet tuk-tuk4 ,the luggage having been done up in hides and skins1 the water had not penetrated much into it1 and ,i was thus able to go to sleep dressed1 and protected in partially dry apparel4 ,illustration3 ,,struggle ,,in ,,the ,,river4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 #bb1fej ,feet above ,sea-level4 ,the sun shone out brightly the next morning1 and ,i dried my clothing and the collection ,i then had of the sacred ,scriptures4 ,the latter ,i still have in my possession1 and every time ,i take them out1 ,i cannot help wondering how my life was spared when those things got wet4 ,by one o'clock in the afternoon ,i was ready to proceed1 although ,i had not half recovered from the effect of my experience of the day before1 and my things were far from being dry4 ,consequently even my own share of the luggage proved heavier than before1 while circumstances compelled me to relieve my sheep of a part of theirs4 ,to make things worse1 ,i had managed to get a painful cut on one of my feet during my last effort to cross the ,chema-yungdung-gi-chu1 and altogether it was an inauspicious start which ,i made on that afternoon4 ,after all1 however1 a step forward meant a step nearer to my destination1 and with that philosophical reasoning ,i dragged myself onward4 ,in that way ,i had proceeded for about five miles1 when1 to increase my difficulties1 snow began to fall thick and fast4 ,when ,i had arrived near a small pond and stopped to bivouac for the night1 fire and tea were entirely out of the question1 for the elements were now engaged in a fearful strife--the dazzling lightning1 the deafening thunder1 the shrieking wind and the blinding blizzard were at war all at once4 ,that which ,i had managed to dry tolerably the day before became thoroughly wet again1 and the whole of the following morning was spent in repeating the process of the preceding morning4 ,no fire was obtainable even then1 and consequently no tea2 so ,i allayed my hunger with some raisins before resuming my journey shortly after noon4 ,and little ,i dreamt of the danger that was in store for me that afternoon and the day following4 ,i was still heading for the north-west1 and in order to adhere to that course ,i must now climb a snow-clad peak towering into the sky2 ,i saw no way of avoiding the task1 and encouraged by an uncertain hope--still a hope--of emerging upon or near ,kang ,rinpoche1 or in the neighborhood of ,mount ,kailsa1 ,i began the ascent of that great hill1 which ,i afterward ascertained to be a peak called ,kon ,gyu-i ,kangri1 that rises twenty-two thousand six hundred and fifty feet above sea-level4 ,by five o'clock in the afternoon ,i had made an ascent of about ten miles1 and then it began to snow and to blow a gale4 ,i thought it dangerous to continue my ascent under these conditions1 and turning first north and then east1 ,i essayed to make a rapid descent4 ,the sun had now gone down1 and snow was falling faster than ever4 ,but ,i had not yet found a shelter and so continued my descent1 having made up my mind to go on until ,i found a hospitable shelving cliff1 or some such haven4 ,it was1 however1 nothing but snow1 snow1 everywhere and all around--and presently there were twelve inches on the ground4 ,by and by my sheep refused to proceed further1 whether owing to hunger or not ,i could not tell1 though it was plain that they had not fed the whole afternoon1 because of the snow4 ,at first ,i succeeded in getting them to move on a little as the result of some physical reasoning1 but presently even that process of pleading failed4 ,but the prospect of being frozen to death prevented me from yielding to their not unreasonable obstinacy1 and putting all my strength into the ropes ,i dragged them onward4 ,the poor animals reluctantly obeyed me and walked on for about a hundred yards1 at the end of which1 however1 they came to a dead stop and began to breathe heavily4 ,thereupon ,i felt no little alarm1 thinking that the animals might die that night4 ,but what could ,i do8 ,i knew that ,i was many a days' journey at least from the nearest human habitation4 ,a few more miles either way would not make much difference3 so let fate decide4 ,once in that frame of mind1 ,i took out my night-coverings and wrapped myself up and1 protecting my head with a water-proof coat1 ,i sat myself down between my two sheep1 with the determination to pass the night in religious meditation4 ,illustration3 ,,meditating ,,in ,,face ,,of ,,death4 ,my poor sheep6 ,they crept close to me and lay there in the snow1 emitting occasionally their gentle cry1 which ,i thought had never sounded sadder4 ,nor had ,i ever felt so lonely as ,i did then4 ,wrapped up in the clumsy manner that ,i have described1 ,i still managed to smear over my body the clove-oil1 which seemed to prevent to some extent the radiation of the heat of the body1 and ,i began to feel considerably warmer than ,i had been before4 ,for all that1 the cold increased in intensity after midnight1 and ,i began to feel that my power of sensation was gradually deserting me4 ,i seemed to be in a trance1 and vaguely thought that that must be the feeling of a man on the point of death4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,i survive a ,sleep in the ,snow4 ,i was now wandering in a dream-land1 if ,i may so describe the mental condition of a man half-way on the road of being frozen to death4 ,regret1 resignation1 and the hope of re-birth took turns in my mind1 and then all became a blank4 ,during that blankness ,i no doubt looked exactly like a dead person4 ,suddenly ,i awoke1 fancying that somebody1 something1 was stirring about me or near me4 ,i opened my eyes1 and saw the two sheep shaking themselves2 they were shaking snow off their bodies4 ,that was strange1 ,i dreamily thought4 ,i saw the sheep finish shaking off the snow1 and ,i wanted to shake it off too4 ,but ,i could not4 ,i was rigid all over4 ,mechanically ,i next endeavored to recover the use of my limbs4 ,presently ,i became more myself mentally1 and ,i saw the skies still presenting a dismal and threatening appearance1 the immense patches of black1 black cloud still fleeing or pursuing1 and the sun struggling to force his life-giving rays between the intervals of the hurrying vapors4 ,on taking out my watch ,i found that it was then half past ten--of what morning ,i could not tell4 ,had ,i slept only one night1 or two in the snow8 ,the question was more than ,i could just then solve4 ,nor did ,i feel that there was any necessity for its instant solution4 ,my immediate desire was for nourishment1 and ,i took some baked flour1 helping it down with snow4 ,i gave some also to my sheep1 which1 by that time1 had learnt to feed themselves on flour when green grass was lacking4 ,i felt that the condition of my health was not equal to the task of making a second attempt to climb over the ,kon ,gyu-i ,kangri1 and ,i continued the descent when ,i resumed my journey1 with the intention of taking a long rest at the foot of the mountain4 ,after going down more than five miles ,i came to another mountain stream1 and at the same time down again came the snow4 ,i almost trembled at a prospect of spending another perilous night in the snow4 ,just at that juncture ,i heard some clear1 ringing sounds1 as of a bird's cry4 ,turning round1 ,i saw seven or eight cranes stalking along majestically in the shallow part of the river4 ,never before had ,i seen a sight so poetically picturesque1 so representative of antique serenity4 ,some little time afterwards ,i composed an uta in memory of that enchanting scene3 ,like feathers white the snows fall down and lie ,there on the mountain-river's sandy banks2 ,ko-kow1 ,ko-kow6 sounds strange--a melody ,i hear--,i search around for this strange cry4 ,in quiet majesty those mountain cranes ,i find1 are proudly strutting--singing thus4 ,the river was about one hundred and twenty yards wide1 and crossing it1 ,i still proceeded down the incline4 ,i had now come to the bottom of a valley1 and ,i saw at a distance what ,i took for a herd of yaks4 ,but ,i had before been deceived quite often by exposed boulders and rocks which ,i had taken for yaks1 and ,i was doubtful of my vision on that occasion4 ,but presently ,i saw the dark objects moving about1 and ,i was sure that they were yaks4 ,the discovery1 wholly unexpected as it was1 was delightful1 for their presence implied that of some fellow-creatures in the neighborhood4 ,coming up to the spot1 ,i found that the herd consisted of about sixty yaks1 attended by some herdsmen4 ,on my questioning the men1 they informed me that they had arrived at the spot the evening before1 and that a little further on ,i should come upon a little camp of four tents4 ,towards these ,i forthwith directed my steps4 ,my arrival in front of one of the tents was1 as usual1 hailed by a pack of barking dogs4 ,i begged the occupants of the first tent for a night's lodging1 but met with a flat refusal4 ,probably my appearance was against me3 ,i had not shaved for two months1 and my unkempt hair and beard no doubt made me look wild1 while under-feeding and general exhaustion cannot have improved my features4 ,still ,i pleaded for charity1 but in vain4 ,dejectedly ,i moved to a second tent1 but there too ,i received no better treatment4 ,in fact the treatment was worse3 for my urgent pleading1 with a detailed account of my sufferings during the previous eight days or so1 only seemed to make the master of the tent turn colder1 even to the extent of finally charging me with an intention to rob him4 ,that was enough4 ,i turned away1 and a great sadness came over me as ,i stood in the snow4 ,my sheep bleated pitifully1 and ,i felt like crying myself4 ,a third tent stood near1 but ,i could not muster courage enough to repeat my request there4 ,the sight of my sheep was melancholy in the extreme1 and with an effort ,i made an appeal at the fourth and last tent4 ,to my great joy1 ,i met a ready welcome4 ,i was utterly tired out1 but a quiet rest near a comfortable fire made me imagine the joys of paradise1 and this ,i was allowed to enjoy all that evening and through the next day4 ,during that stay ,i occupied my time in writing down the twenty-six desires which ,i had formulated1 with the hope of their accomplishment proving helpful to the spiritual need of others as well as myself4 ,at five o'clock on the second morning ,i thanked my host for his hospitality and left him4 ,i now proceeded due north and1 after trudging over snow for nearly ten miles1 ,i came out upon a more or less grass-covered plain4 ,by noon ,i had arrived near a pond1 and there took my midday meal4 ,a survey from that point showed me that ,i had to cross a sandy desert1 which appeared to be larger in extent than the one ,i had traversed after crossing the ,chema ,yungdung4 ,the thought of another sand-storm gave me new energy1 born of fear1 and ,i made no halt until ,i had walked quite out of the desert4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 #8,bon' and #8,kyang4' ,i walked about five miles over the sand and then reached a piece of grass-land4 ,beyond this ,i came to a plain of stones of curious shapes1 in the centre of which a solitary mountain rose to a considerable height4 ,i subsequently learned that the mountain was the sacred abode of the deities of the ,bon religion4 ,bonism is an ancient religion of ,tibet1 which commanded considerable influence before the introduction of ,buhism into that country4 ,it has still some adherents1 but it continues to exist only for its name's sake4 ,originally ,bonism very much resembled ,hinuism2 but now1 in theory1 it is almost ,buhism4 ,this similarity is explained in this way4 ,when it was superseded by ,buhism1 a certain ,bon priest recast his religion after the pattern of ,buhism1 and called the revised product the ,new ,bonism4 ,without attempting to give any special particulars of its doctrines1 ,i may say that the ,new ,bonism1 when shorn of its sacrifices1 its toleration of marriage and of the use of intoxicants1 is only ,buhism under another name4 ,the ,bon deities have no shrines or temples dedicated to them1 and are believed to inhabit some particular mountain1 or snowy peak1 or pond1 or lake4 ,and it was upon one of these divine abodes that ,i had chanced1 but lacking at the time all knowledge of ,bonism1 my attention was soon diverted by coming in sight of a couple of kyangs4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,ludicrous ,,race4 ,as ,i have already said1 kyang is the name given by the ,tibetans to the wild horse of their northern steppes4 ,more accurately it is a species of ass1 quite as large in size as a large ,japanese horse4 ,in color it is reddish brown1 with black hair on the ridge of the back and black mane and with the belly white4 ,to all appearance it is an ordinary horse1 except for its tufted tail4 ,it is a powerful animal1 and is extraordinarily fleet4 ,it is never seen singly1 but always in twos or threes1 if not in a herd of sixty or seventy4 ,its scientific name is ,equus hemionis1 but it is for the most part called by its ,tibetan name1 which is usually spelt kyang in ,english4 ,it has a curious habit of turning round and round1 when it comes within seeing distance of a man4 ,even a mile and a quarter away1 it will commence this turning round at every short stage of its approach1 and after each turn it will stop for a while1 to look at the man over its own back1 like a fox4 ,ultimately it comes up quite close4 ,when quite near it will look scared1 and at the slightest thing will wheel round and dash away1 but only to stop and look back4 ,when one thinks that it has run far away1 it will be found that it has circled back quite near1 to take1 as it were1 a silent survey of the stranger from behind4 ,altogether it is an animal of very queer habits4 ,but to come back to my story3 my two sheep1 apparently frightened by the approach of the rotating horses1 made a dash for freedom with such suddenness and simultaneity that ,i lost my hold of the two ropes2 ,i then proceeded to run a race with them1 in a frantic effort to recapture them4 ,and a ludicrous race it was1 in which ,i finally fell panting and giddy4 ,while it lasted the horses seemed thoroughly to enjoy it1 and getting into the spirit of the thing they galloped with me1 but only to chase my sheep further away from me4 ,when ,i lay prostrate1 the sheep stopped running and began quietly to graze4 ,the horses also stopped1 and appeared quite astonished at the whole performance4 ,i then perceived my blunder4 ,on rising1 ,i quietly walked up to my sheep1 and without a movement they allowed me to regain their ropes4 ,all is well that ends well4 ,but on that occasion one thing was not quite satisfactory1 for ,i soon discovered that one of my sheep had lost a part of my luggage from its back1 no doubt during that memorable race4 ,i then set out to hunt after the lost bundle2 but it was all useless1 for we had not run the race over any regular course1 and it was impossible to follow our footsteps4 ,one may as well look for a parcel lost in the sea1 as try to hunt up a small bundle1 lying hidden under grass and leaves1 somewhere in an immense plain4 ,besides1 ,i argued with myself thus3 the missing bundle contained some fifty rupees in cash1 my watch and compass1 and an assortment of western trinkets2 it would have been better not to lose the money1 certainly1 but it was1 after all1 a small portion of what ,i had with me1 and ,i could do well without it4 ,it was hard to part with the watch and the compass1 and the trinkets would have been of service in making friends with the simple natives2 but1 looked at from another point of view1 the possession of these things might arouse the suspicion of the more intelligent ,tibetans1 and it was most likely that the ,lord ,buha1 in ,his wisdom and mercy1 had caused me to be rid of them4 ,arriving at this conclusion1 ,i gave up my search in a spirit of meek resignation4 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,the ,power of ,buddhism4 ,i had now walked about six miles to the north-west after the singular proceedings which ,i described in the last chapter1 and ,i emerged upon a well-trodden road1 which on consulting my store of information ,i was able to identify as the path that1 deviating from the ,tibetan national high-way1 led to lake ,mnasarovara4 ,the discovery was as unexpected as it was pleasing1 for ,i was now within a pilgrim-frequented zone4 ,a few more steps1 indeed1 brought me in sight of a dark tent1 standing on the banks of a large river1 named ,gag by the ,tibetans1 where my appeal for a night's lodging was cheerfully granted4 ,i found the occupants of the tent to consist of three men and two women1 the men being brothers1 one of the women the wife of the eldest brother1 and the other a daughter of another of the brothers4 ,my first inclination on being received into the tent was to feel easy in mind1 for ,i had been told that parties comprising women1 even in ,tibetan wilds1 seldom commit murder4 ,but when ,i was informed that these people were from ,dam ,gya-sho1 ,i thought ,i was rather hasty in feeling so secure1 for that country1 like the neighboring one of ,kham1 is noted for its production of professional robbers and murderers4 ,i had heard before that they had even such a saying in that country as3 8,no murder1 no food2 no pilgrimage1 no absolution4 ,on6 onward on your pilgrimage1 killing men and visiting temples1 killing men and visiting temples60 ,even women of that country1 ,i had been told1 think no more of committing homicide than of killing a sheep4 ,these reflexions did not bring much cheer to my heart2 but what could ,i do1 since ,i was now in their hands8 ,i could only bide my time4 ,fortunately1 they did not butcher me that night4 ,early on ,august #crd1 that is to say1 on the morning of the following day1 ,i proceeded in a north-westerly direction along the great stream1 with my newly-made companions1 for such had the occupants of the tent become1 as they were heading for the same temporary destination as myself4 ,this river1 ,i ascertained1 had its rise in one of the snowy peaks that ,i saw to the south-east1 and emptied its waters into ,lake ,mnasarovara4 ,i judged it to be about two hundred and fifty yards wide and fairly deep4 ,following the stream for about three and three-quarters miles and then making an ascent1 we came to a clear1 bubbling spring1 which went by the name of ,chumik ,gag or the source of the ,gag1 and we drank deep of the sacred water4 ,then we continued our climb1 now facing north1 and arrived at another spring1 which was welling up in a most picturesque way from under an immense slab of white marble4 ,the natives call it ,chumik thong-ga ,rangchung1 or the fountain of joy1 and it really made one's heart glad to look at the crystal-like water gushing up in all its purity4 ,both these springs are regarded by the ,hins1 as by the ,tibetans1 as forming the sources of the sacred ,gag1 and are both looked up to with religious reverence4 ,after leaving the springs1 we proceeded north-west again1 and came once more to the river ,gag1 which we forded at the point where it was at its broadest in that vicinity1 and passed the night on its banks4 ,we had travelled only about nine miles that day4 ,from the place of our bivouac ,i saw to the north-west a great snow-clad mountain3 it was the ,kang ,rinpoche of ,tibet1 the ,mount ,kailsa of the ,hin4 ,its ancient name was ,kang ,tise4 ,as far as my knowledge goes1 it is the most ideal of the snow-peaks of all the ,himlayas4 ,it inspired me with the profoundest feelings of pure reverence1 and ,i looked up to it as a #8natural madala1' the mansion of a ,buha and ,bohisavas4 ,filled with soul-stirring thoughts and fancies ,i addressed myself to this sacred pillar of nature1 confessed my sins1 and performed to it the obeisance of one hundred and eight bows4 ,i also took out the manuscript of my #8twenty-six desires1' and pledged their accomplishment to the ,buha4 ,i then considered myself the luckiest of men1 to have thus been enabled to worship such a holy emblem of ,buha's power1 and to vow such vows in its sacred presence1 and ,i mused3 ,whate'er my sufferings here and dangers dire1 ,whate'er befalls me on my onward march1 ,all1 all1 ,i feel1 is for the common good ,for others treading on ,salvation's path4 ,the sight of my performance of these devotional practices must have been a matter of wonder and mystery to my companions4 ,they had been watching me like gaping and astonished children1 and were all intensely curious to know why ,i had bowed so many times1 and read out such strange ,chinese sentences4 ,i was glad to explain to them the general meaning of my conduct and they seemed to be deeply struck with its significance4 ,they said that they had never known that the ,chinese ,lamas were men of such ,bohisavic mind6 ,the upshot was that they asked me to preach to them that night1 a request to which ,i was very glad to accede4 ,the preaching which followed1 which ,i purposely made as simple and as appealing to the heart as possible1 seemed to affect them profoundly1 and to make the best possible impression on them2 so much so that they even shed tears of joy4 ,the preaching over1 they said in all sincerity that they were glad of my companionship1 and even offered to regard me as their guest during the two months which they intended to spend in pilgrimage to and round the ,kang ,rinpoche4 ,they thought that their pilgrimage over such holy ground1 while serving such a holy man as ,i now was to them1 would absolve them completely from their sins4 ,imagine the state of my mind then6 ,these were of the people who took other men's lives with the same equanimity with which they cut their vegetables2 yet1 touched now by the light of ,buhism1 their minds had softened4 ,i blessed the power of ,buhism more than ever1 and could not hold back my tears as my companions shed theirs4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,sacred ,manasarovara and its ,legends4 ,it was now ,august #dth4 ,after proceeding about ten miles over an undulating range of mountains we came in sight of ,man-ri1 a peak of perpetual snow1 which has an altitude of #be1fjj feet above the sea-level4 ,the view of ,man-ri1 rising majestically high above the surrounding mountains 7themselves of great elevation7 was sublimely grand4 ,while standing absorbed in the severe magnificence of the scenery1 ,i was treated to another experience1 which was as soul-stirring as any earthly phenomenon could be4 ,a magical change in the weather was heralded by a sudden flash of lightning1 followed by another1 yet another and another1 new accompanied by rolling thunder4 ,heavy pelting hail-stones then joined in the war of elements1 which literally shook the mighty mountains to their very foundations1 and filled the air with the utmost confusion of terrific noises and lurid tongues of fire4 ,standing almost alone upon a great height1 ,i saw black clouds with fearful suddenness envelope the world of vision in frightful darkness1 made doubly dark by the contrasts produced by the momentary glare of pale1 penetrating lightning1 which1 in the same instant1 revealed the glittering snow on the grand peaks of the ,himlayas1 and the deepest chasms1 thousands of fathoms below6 ,the awe-inspiring scene lasted for about an hour1 and then1 with equally wondrous suddenness1 the sky became blue and the sun shone forth1 serene and calm1 with not a whisper of wind to remind one of the mighty commotions of the moment before4 ,we did but little walking after this wonderful sight1 and1 coming to the edge of a marsh-like pond1 we pitched our tent there for the night4 ,i was now the guest of my companions1 and ,i was not sorry that ,i had nothing to do with gathering the yak dung1 or fetching water1 and building the fire4 ,i was given the seat of honor in the tent1 and nothing was exacted of me but to sit down like a good priest1 read the ,sacred ,text and then preach in the evening4 ,on the #fth of ,august we had to go up a great slope of extremely sharp inclination1 and ,i was offered a ride on one of my companions' yaks1 an offer which ,i readily accepted with entire satisfaction4 ,furthermore1 all my share of the luggage1 as well as part of the burdens of my sheep1 was transferred to the back of one of my fellow-pilgrims1 and both myself and my original companions had altogether an easy time of it1 as was the case through the weeks that followed4 ,illustration3 ,,lake ,,manasarovara4 ,about thirteen miles onwards a view opened before us which ,i shall never forget1 so exquisitely grand was the scenery4 ,in short1 we were now in the presence of the sacred ,lake ,mnasarovara4 ,a huge octagon in shape1 with marvellously symmetrical indentations1 ,lake ,mnasarovara1 with its clear placid waters1 and the mighty ,mount ,kailsa guarding its north-western corner1 form a picture which is at once unique and sublime1 and well worthy of its dignified surroundings--calm1 dustless and rugged4 ,mount ,kailsa itself towers so majestically above the peaks around1 that ,i fancied ,i saw in it the image of our mighty ,lord ,buha1 calmly addressing ,his five hundred disciples4 ,verily1 verily1 it was a natural madala4 ,the hunger and thirst1 the perils of dashing stream and freezing blizzard1 the pain of writhing under heavy burdens1 the anxiety of wandering over trackless wilds1 the exhaustion and the lacerations1 all the troubles and sufferings ,i had just come through1 seemed like dust1 which was washed away and purified by the spiritual waters of the lake2 and thus ,i attained to the spiritual plane of ,non-,ego1 together with this scenery showing ,its-own-,reality4 ,lake ,mnasarovara is generally recognised as the highest body of fresh water in the world1 its elevation above the sea-level being something over fifteen thousand five hundred feet4 ,in ,tibetan it is called ,mapham ,yum-tso4 ,it is the ,anavaapa of ,samsk 7the lake without heat or trouble7 and in it centre many of the ,buhistic legends4 ,it is this ,anavaapa which forms the subject of the famous poetical passage in the ,gospel of ,kegon1 named in ,japanese and in ,samsk rya-,buha-,araan-saka-nma ,mahvaipulya-,sra4 ,the passage gives the name of ,south ,zenbu to a certain continent of the world4 ,zenbu is a deflection of jamb1 a phonetic translation of the sound produced by anything of weight falling into placid water4 ,now the legend has it that in the centre of the ,anavaapa is a tree which bears fruits that are omnipotent in healing all human ills1 and are consequently much sought after both by ,gods and men4 ,when one of these fruits falls into the pond it produces the sound jamb4 ,further1 it is said that the lake has four outlets for its waters1 which are respectively called ,mabcha ,khanbab 7flowing out of a peacock's mouth71 ,langchen ,khanbab 7flowing out of a bull's mouth71 ,tamchok ,khanbab 7flowing out of a horse's mouth71 and ,senge ,khanbab 7flowing out of a lion's mouth71 which respectively form the sources of the four sacred rivers of ,india4 ,it is from these notions that the sacredness of the ,anavaapa is evolved1 the name of ,zenbu derived1 and the religious relations between ,tibet and ,india established4 ,as regards these four rivers1 the legend says3 8,the sands of silver are in the south river2 the sands of gold are in the west river2 the sands of diamond are in the north river1 and the sands of emerald are in the east river40 ,these rivers are further said each to circle seven times round the lake and then to take the several directions indicated4 ,it is said also that giant lotus flowers bloom in the lake1 the size of which is as large as those of the paradise of the ,buha ,amitbha1 and the ,buha and ,bohisavas are seen there sitting on those flowers1 while in the surrounding mountains are found the #8hundred herbs1' and also the birds of paradise singing their celestial melodies4 ,in short1 ,anavaapa is described to be the only real paradise on earth1 with a living ,buha and five hundred saints inhabiting ,mount ,kailsa on its north-west1 and five hundred immortals making their home on ,man-ri1 that rises on its southern shore1 all enjoying eternal beatitude4 ,reading that magnificent description1 ,i believe that anybody would desire to see the spot2 but the things mentioned in the ,scriptures cannot be seen with our mortal eyes4 ,the real thing is the region in its wonderfully inspiring character1 and an unutterably holy elevation is to be felt there4 ,on that night the brilliant moon was shining in the sky and was reflected on the lake1 and ,mount ,kailsa appeared dimly on the opposite bank4 ,these impelled me to compose an uta3 ,among these mountains high here sleeps the lake ,serene--8,devoid of seething cares0--so named ,by native bards2 its broad expanse appears ,like the octagonal mirror of ,japan4 ,the grand ,kailas' majestic capped with snow1 ,the ,moon o'erhanging from the skies above1 ,bestow their grateful shadows on the lake4 ,its watery brilliant sheen illumines me2 ,all pangs of pain and sorrow washed away4 ,with these my mind besoothed now wanders far ,e'en to ,akashi in ,japan1 my home1 ,a seashore known for moonlight splendors fair4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,bartering in ,tibet4 ,the origin of the four rivers is given in the story just as ,i have related it2 but in reality there is not one of them that actually flows directly out of the ,lake4 ,they have their sources in the mountains which surround it1 and the stories about the so-called #8,horse's' and #8,lion's' mouths are only legends1 incapable of verification4 ,the head-waters of the ,langchen ,khanbab flow in a westerly direction2 those of the ,mabcha ,khanbab to the south2 the sources of the ,senge ,khanbab may be ascertained with tolerable accuracy2 but those of the ,tamchok ,khanbab have hitherto defied investigation4 ,in ,india1 the river that flows from the ,lake in an easterly direction is known as the ,brahmapura1 while the one that issues towards the south is the ,gag4 ,the ,sutlej flows away to the west1 and the ,si1 or ,inus1 towards the north4 ,it is1 of course1 possible that actual surveys of ,lake ,mnasarovara have been made by ,european travellers1 but in all the maps that ,i have seen it is represented as being far smaller than it actually is4 ,it is1 in truth1 a very large body of fresh water1 and has a circumference of some eighty ri1 or about two hundred miles4 ,the shape of the lake also1 as it appears in the maps1 is misleading4 ,it is in reality a fairly regular octagon with various indentations1 very much resembling a lotus-flower in shape4 ,all the western maps1 as far as ,i know1 give the student an idea of the ,lake which is in many respects misleading4 ,i arrived that night at a ,buhist ,temple known as ,tse-ko-lo1 on the shores of ,lake ,mnasarovara1 and in the evening heard from my host1 the superior of the ,temple1 a story which surprised me greatly4 ,this ,lama1 ,i should say1 was a man of about fifty-five years of age2 he was extremely ignorant1 but did not seem to be a man who would lie for the mere pleasure of lying4 ,he was very anxious to hear about the state of ,buhism in ,china 7the reader will remember that ,i was supposed to be a ,chinese1 ,lama7 and the readiness with which ,i answered his questions warmed his heart and encouraged him to treat me to the following story4 ,he did not know1 he said1 how it might be with the priests in ,china1 but for himself he could not help feeling at times thoroughly disgusted with his brethren in ,tibet4 ,in the immediate vicinity1 for instance1 an ordinary priest might1 he said1 indulge himself in all manner of excesses with impunity1 and without attracting much attention1 and from time to time cases would arise of extreme depravity in a ,lama4 ,for instance1 there was the case of ,alchu ,tulku1 a ,lama supposed to be an incarnation of ,alchu1 who had at one time been in charge of a well-known temple in the vicinity of ,lake ,mnasarovara4 ,this ,lama became so infatuated with a beautiful woman whom he took to himself as his wife that he was betrayed into transferring the greater part of the temple property as a gift to her father2 and not content with that crime he afterwards absconded from the temple1 taking with him his wife1 and everything that he could carry away that was left of value in the temple4 ,he had heard rumors that this recreant priest was living openly with his wife at ,hor-tosho1 and he asked me if ,i had not heard anything about him when ,i was passing through the place4 ,the reader will be able to appreciate my astonishment when ,i tell him that this absconding1 dishonest priest was none other than he who had induced the belle of the place to treat me with so much kindness6 ,truly men are not always what they seem to be4 ,i did not conceal my astonishment from my host1 but related to him all the circumstances that had brought me within the reach of their kind hospitalities1 but he only smiled at what ,i told him4 8,ah6 to be sure10 he said1 8that's just like the man2 gentle and lovable in outward demeanor1 but at heart an arch-sinner1 a very devil incarnate1 destroyer of the faith40 ,it was a sad revelation to me4 ,i had had every reason to be grateful to the man and his wife for their hospitalities and ,i could have wept to think that hypocrites of so black a dye should be found amongst the followers of ,buha4 ,it was at least a comfort to think that things in ,japan were brighter than this4 ,the next morning ,i took a walk along the ,lake1 lost in admiration of the magnificent mountain scenery that surrounded me on all sides1 and presently came across some ,hins and ,neplese1 apparently ,brhmaa devotees1 who had plunged into the ,lake--it was about ten o'clock--and were engaged in the performance of their religious ceremonies4 ,to the followers of the ,hin religion1 ,lake ,mnasarovara is a sacred sheet of water1 and they worship ,mount ,kailsa1 which rises sky-high above the lake1 as being a material manifestation of the sacred ,body of ,mah-,shiva1 one of the deities of the ,indian ,trinity4 ,when they saw me1 they considered me to be a holy ,buhist ,lama1 and pressed me to accept from them presents consisting of many kinds of dried fruits4 ,i spent the next night at the same temple1 and on the following morning made my way to the range of mountains that stands like a great wall to the north-west of the ,lake4 ,a zigzag climb of ten miles or so brought me within view of ,lake ,lakgal-tso1 in ,tibetan1 or1 as it is more commonly called1 ,rakas-tal4 ,it is in shape something like a long calabash1 and in area smaller than ,mnasarovara4 ,another seven and a half miles brought me to a spot whence ,i could see the whole of its surface1 and here ,i made a further discovery4 ,a mountain1 some two and a half miles round at the base1 stands like a wall of partition between the two lakes1 and where this mountain slopes into a ravine it looks1 for all the world1 as though there were a channel of communication for the water from one lake to the other4 ,i found1 however1 that there was actually no such channel1 but ,i discovered that the level of ,lake ,lakgal is higher than that of ,mnasarovara1 and ,i was subsequently told that1 on rare occasions1 every ten or fifteen years1 after phenomenally heavy rains1 the waters of the two lakes do actually become connected1 and that at such times ,lake ,lakgal flows into ,mnasarovara4 ,hence arises the ,tibetan legend that every fifteen years or so ,lakgal1 the bridegroom1 goes to visit ,mnasarovara1 the bride4 ,this will account for the statements of the guide-books to ,kang ,tise and ,mount ,kailsa that the relations between the two lakes are those of husband and wife4 ,keeping ,lake ,lakgal in view1 ,i now proceeded easily down hill for some thirteen miles or so1 until ,i arrived at a plain through which ,i found a large river flowing4 ,the river was over sixty feet wide1 and was known as the ,mabcha ,khanbab1 one of the tributary sources of the ,gag4 ,it is this river that1 further south1 flows through the city of ,purang on the borders of ,india and ,tibet1 and then1 after winding through many a defile and caon of the ,himlayas1 eventually joins the main stream of the ,gag flowing from ,haldahal4 ,modern ,hins revere the ,haldahal branch as being the main stream of their sacred ,river1 but in ancient times it was mostly this ,mabcha ,khanbab that was considered to be the principal source4 ,on the banks of this river we pitched our tent for the night4 ,in the neighborhood ,i found four or five similar encampments1 occupied by traders from ,purang4 ,great numbers of nomads and pilgrims come to this place in ,july and ,august of every year1 and at these times1 a very brisk trade takes place which presents many curious and interesting features4 ,tibet is still in the barter stage1 and very little money is used in trade4 ,the people from the interior bring butter1 marsh-salt1 wool1 sheep1 goats1 and yaks' tails1 which they exchange for corn1 cotton1 sugar and cloth1 which are imported from ,india by ,neplese and ,tibetans1 living in the region of perennial snow on the ,indian frontier4 ,but sometimes1 especially in selling wool and butter1 they will take money1 generally ,indian currency1 the reckoning of which is a great mystery to them4 ,ignorant of arithmetic and possessing no abacus to count with1 they have to do all their reckoning with the beads of a rosary4 ,in order to add five and two1 they count first five and then two beads on the string1 and then count the whole number thus produced to make sure that the total is really seven4 ,it is a very tedious process1 but they are incapable of anything better4 ,they cannot do calculations without their beads1 and they seem to be too dense to grasp the simplest sum in arithmetic4 ,thus business is always slow3 when it comes to larger deals1 involving several kinds of goods and varying prices1 it is almost distractingly complicated4 ,for such calculations they arm themselves with all sorts of aids1 black pebbles1 white pebbles1 bamboo sticks1 and white shells4 ,each white pebble represents a unit of one2 when they have counted ten of these they take them away1 and substitute a black pebble1 which means ten4 ,ten black pebbles are equivalent to one bamboo stick1 ten bamboo sticks to one shell1 ten shells to the ,tibetan silver coin4 ,but there is no multiplication or division2 everything is done by the extremely slow process of adding one at a time1 so that it will take a ,tibetan three days to do what a ,japanese could do in half an hour4 ,this is no exaggeration4 ,i stayed on the banks of this river for three whole days and watched the traders doing their business1 and ,i saw the whole painful tediousness of the transaction4 ,these three days were memorable for another reason4 ,the pilgrims who had come with me became such warm admirers of my supposed virtues and sang my praises with so much fervor that a pilgrim girl fell in love with me4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,a ,himalayan ,romance4 ,i was still in the company of the party of pilgrims ,i have already referred to4 ,it appeared that some of the party had come to form a rather high opinion of me as a person of reverend qualities4 ,among them was a young damsel who1 it was not difficult to perceive1 had conceived a passion for me4 ,the moment the thought dawned on me1 ,i said to myself3 8,it may be2 it is nothing uncommon1 rather is it quite usual for women to cherish vain thoughts4 ,she must have heard her elders talking well of me1 and have taken a fancy to me40 ,i at once set about raising a barrier between us1 which was none other than the teaching of our common ,buhism4 ,when occasion allowed1 ,i explained to her all about the vows with which all true priests bind themselves and why they do so4 ,i depicted to her the horrors of hell that sinners create for themselves even in this world1 and which follow them into eternity as the price they pay for momentary pleasures4 ,these things ,i taught1 not only to the girl but to the whole party4 ,for all that1 ,i could not help pitying the little innocent thing4 ,a maiden of nineteen1 with few or no restraints on her romantic fancies1 she must have thought it a grand thing to be able to go back to her folk with a bride-groom of whom all spoke so well4 ,she was not beautiful1 and yet not ugly3 a comely little thing was she4 ,but ,i1 though not old1 had had my own experiences in these matters in my younger days1 and ,i was able to conquer temptations4 ,illustration3 ,,religion v4 ,,love4 ,here ,i may stop to observe that the country through which we were travelling is called ,ngari in ,tibetan and ri in ,chinese4 ,the region is an extensive one1 and includes ,ladak and ,khunu4 ,purang1 of which mention has been made more than once1 is its central mart and enjoys great prosperity1 though located rather to the south4 ,purang also forms a mid-,himlayan post of great religious importance as a sacred spot for ,buhist pilgrims4 ,the town boasts1 or rather boasted1 of its possession of three ,buhist images of great renown--those of the ,bohisava ,mahsavas ,manjushr1 ,avalokiteshvara and ,vajrapni4 ,according to tradition these were brought thither from ,ceylon in olden times4 ,unfortunately about six months prior to my arrival in ,ngari a big fire broke out and destroyed two of these idols1 the image of ,manjushr alone being saved4 ,much as ,i wished to visit ,purang1 ,i was apprehensive of many dangers to my impersonation if ,i went thither1 as the ,tibetan ,government maintains there a challenge gate4 ,my companions went there1 however1 leaving me behind1 and ,i spent the days of their absence in religious meditation4 ,joining them again on their return1 ,i continued my travels westwards1 coming out in due time to the north of ,lake ,lakgal4 ,we next took our way along the lake towards the north-west4 ,facing west and looking over the lake1 ,i saw islands spread out on its surface like the legs of a gotoku1 or tripod4 ,so ,i gave them the name of ,gotoku jimu1 or ,tripod islands4 ,several days afterwards we arrived at a barter port called ,gya-nima2 it was the #agth of ,august1 #aijj4 ,at ,gya-nima barter is carried on only for two months in the year1 that is to say from the #aeth of ,july to the #aeth of ,september4 ,the traders chiefly come from the ,indian part of the ,himlaya mountains and meet their ,tibetan customers there4 ,i was just in good time to see brisk transactions going on4 ,i saw no less than one hundred and fifty white tents covering the otherwise barren wilderness1 and some five or six hundred people rushing about to sell and buy in their own fashion4 ,the ,tibetan articles offered for sale here were wool1 butter1 yaks' tails1 and the like1 while the purchases consisted of about the same category of goods as ,i gave when speaking of the ,mabcha ,khanbab mart4 ,i stayed over night and spent the whole of the next day at the fair1 making a few small purchases4 ,on the day following we went back to ,gya-karko1 another barter port4 ,gya-nima was the most north-western point ,i reached in my ,tibetan journey4 ,so far as reaching my destination was concerned1 ,i had hitherto been proceeding in an exactly opposite direction to it1 steadily going north-west instead of towards ,lhasa1 the capital of ,tibet4 ,but from that point--,gya-nima--onwards1 each step ,i walked brought me nearer to the main road into ,tibet1 as also to its capital4 ,in ,gya-karko ,i stayed for three or four days4 ,here there were about one hundred and fifty tents1 trade being carried on even more vigorously than at ,gya-nima4 ,gya-karko is a trading port for people coming from the north-west plains of ,tibet on the one hand and the ,hins inhabiting the ,indian ,himlayas on the other1 who are allowed by the ,tibetan ,government to come as far as this place4 ,here ,i saw many merchants from the towns and villages of the ,himlayas4 ,among them was one from ,milum1 who spoke ,english4 ,this man invited me to dinner on the quiet1 so to say4 ,i accepted his invitation1 but the moment ,i had entered his tent ,i at once saw that he took me for an ,english emissary4 ,when left to ourselves he immediately addressed me thus3 8,as ,i live under the government of your country1 ,i shall never make myself inconvenient to you4 ,in return ,i wish you would do what you can to help my business when you go back to ,india40 ,i thought that these were very strange words to speak to me4 ,on interrogating him1 ,i found out that he had conjectured that ,i was engaged in exploring ,tibet at the behest of the ,british ,government4 ,when ,i told him that ,i was a ,chinaman1 he said3 8,if you are ,chinese1 you can no doubt speak ,chinese80 ,i answered him boldly in the affirmative4 ,then he brought in a man who claimed to understand ,chinese4 ,i was not a little embarrassed at this turn of affairs1 but as ,i had had a similar experience with ,gya ,lama in ,nepl it took me no time to recover sufficient equanimity to answer him1 and ,i felt much re-assured when ,i found that he could not speak ,chinese so well as ,i had anticipated4 ,then ,i wrote a number of ,chinese characters and wanted him to say if he knew them4 ,the man looked at me and seemed to say3 8,there you have me40 ,finally he broke into laughter and said3 8,i give up2 let us talk in ,tibetan40 ,then my host was greatly astonished and said3 8,then you are indeed a ,chinaman6 ,what can be better8 ,china is a vast country4 ,my father1 who is now living in my native country1 was once in ,china4 ,if there is any business to be done with ,china ,i wish you would kindly put me on the track20 and he gave me his address written in ,english4 ,his manner showed that he was in earnest1 and that he was a man to be trusted4 ,so seeing that this man was going back to ,india1 ,i thought it would be a good idea to ask him to take with him my letters and deliver them for me in ,india4 ,it would have been imprudent for me to write things in detail1 but ,i scribbled just a few lines to my friend and teacher1 ,rai ,sara ,chanra ,ds1 informing him that ,i had penetrated the interior of ,tibet as far as ,gya-karko1 besides asking him to post some letters for ,japan which ,i enclosed1 addressed to ,mr4 ,hige ,tokujuso and ,ito ,ichiso of ,sakai4 ,a few coins put into the hand of the ,milum man secured a ready response to my request4 ,the man proved the honest fellow ,i took him for2 for after my return to ,japan ,i found that my letters had been duly received by both ,mr4 ,hige and ,mr4 ,ito4 ,to return to my romance4 ,we were still staying at ,gya-karko1 and ,i was much embarrassed to find that little ,dawa--for that was my little maiden's name--had by no means given up her affection for me4 ,dawa1 ,i may perhaps mention here1 though ,i shall have occasion to refer to the matter at greater length in another chapter1 is a ,tibetan name meaning moon1 given to persons born on a ,monday2 those born on a ,friday being named ,pasang1 and those on a ,sunday1 ,nyima4 ,well1 my little ,dawa proved herself to be an adept in the art of love-making4 ,it is wonderful how a little spark of passion1 when once kindled1 burns up and fashions daring schemes and alluring pictures4 ,the maiden was always at my side1 and spoke only of the good things she would make mine1 if ,i would only accompany her to her native country4 ,she said her mother was a lady of an exceedingly kind heart2 that her father owned about one hundred and sixty yaks and four hundred sheep2 that therefore her family was very rich and their life one perpetual chachang pemma or round of pleasures4 ,she added that she was their only daughter1 and that she had not yet come across a man to her heart1 save one4 ,i may perhaps explain that chachang pemma means drinking tea and intoxicants alternately1 and that in ,tibet one is considered to have attained the highest pinnacle of happiness when he is able to indulge in a perpetual symposium--drinking1 in turns1 tea with butter in it and then a spirit brewed from wheat4 ,only rich persons can enjoy the luxury3 but the mass of ,tibetans consider this to be the main object of life4 ,consequently chachang pemma is generally used in the sense of earthly beatitude4 ,by the way1 the method of manufacturing the butter-tea is very curious3 butter1 boiled juice of tea and salt are first thrown together into a nearly cylindrical tub of three feet in height2 then a piston1 if ,i may so call it1 with a disc large enough to fit the cask exactly1 is worked up and down1 to obtain a thorough mixing of the ingredients4 ,this pump-like action of the piston is carried on by sheer force of hands and arms1 and1 as may be imagined1 requires a large amount of strength4 ,the motion of the piston transforms the mixture into a new beverage which the ,tibetans call solcha4 ,it is said that these people can tell whether the solcha1 or butter-tea1 will prove good or bad by listening to the sound produced by the piston as it works up and down4 ,but to return to my story3 ,dawa never tired of telling me that her family was prosperous2 that even ,lamas were allowed to marry in her country2 that it was really an excellent thing for every ,lama to live happily with a wife in this world2 that it would be wise for me to do so1 and so on4 ,seeing that all her words were only wasted on me1 she seemed to imply that ,i was an incorrigible fool4 ,wiles of temptation now came thick and fast upon me3 but in such moments ,i happily remembered the triumph of our ,lord ,shkyamuni at ,buhagay4 ,the wise ,one was about to attain to the state of ,absolute ,perfection4 ,the king of all that is evil was very much afraid of this1 and sent his three daughters to tempt him4 ,the women tried all manner of allurements to secure the fall of the ,enlightened ,one1 but in vain4 ,when all had failed the daughters of the ,king of ,devils sang thus3 ,how like a tender graceful flower am ,i1 ,with all the lovely fragrance of my mouth1 ,and its melodious music soft and sweet6 ,am ,i not mistress of all mirth and joys8 ,even ,heav'nly bliss is naught to him who lives ,in amorous dalliance1 dearly loved1 with me4 ,if thou rejectest me1 there's none so dull ,and stupid in the world compared with thee4 ,so sang the ,sirens1 but even they were powerless to conquer the ,lord4 ,my ,dawa could not of course approach the charms of the arch-devil's daughters1 but her plaintive pleadings were there4 ,and ,i--a common mortal struggling on1 but far from the gate of emancipation--,i could not but pity the poor little creature1 though ,i strengthened myself by saying3 8,let it be so--a fool let me be40 ,i composed an uta then3 ,you call me stupid2 that am ,i1 ,i grant2 ,but yet in love-affairs being wiser grown1 ',tis safe for me to be more stupid still4 ,it is true that women never let their mouths be the doors to their mind2 but they know a language unspoken1 which is far more telling1 appealing and enticing1 than that which mere sound and articulation can convey4 ,and my ,dawa had never yet said in so many words what she yearned to say4 ,it happened1 however1 that ,dawa's father and brothers were out shopping one day1 and that the girl and ,i remained alone in the tent4 ,she thought probably that she could not get a better opportunity for her purposes and she tried to make the most of it4 ,just then ,i was mending my boots1 and she almost frightened me with her boldness4 ,i am neither a block of wood1 nor a piece of stone1 and ,i should have been supernatural if ,i had not felt the power of temptation4 ,but to yield to such a folly would be against my own profession4 ,moreover ,i remembered with awe the omnipresence of our ,lord ,buha1 and was thus enabled to keep my heart under control4 ,i said to the maiden3 8,i have no doubt that all is excellent at your home2 but do you know whether your mother is still living or dead80 ,the question was unexpected and almost stunned her1 put as it was at a moment when she had allowed her mind to wander so far away from her dear mother4 ,she was just able to say3 8,i do not know whether my mother is living or dead4 ,i have been on a pilgrimage with my father for one year and perhaps more4 ,my mother is a weak woman1 and ,i parted with her in tears1 asking her to take the best care of herself1 so that she might be preserved4 ,i do not know how she is faring now40 ,here was my chance--a chance of diverting the girl's attention from me4 8,h'm6 you don't know that80 said ,i2 8only now you were telling me of the bliss of your home1 and yet you don't know how your mother is faring now80 ,poor little maiden1 her mind became disturbed4 ,i almost scolded her1 pleaded with her1 warned her4 ,she1 who claimed to be a good daughter1 to be so intent in the pursuit after ephemeral pleasures as to let her thoughts wander away from her dear1 good mother2 could it be possible8 ,this somewhat highly colored statement of mine seemed to cool down her passion and change it into fear and apprehension4 ,nor was it extraordinary that she should have become so affected4 ,for in ,tibet nothing is supposed to be too great for the ,lama2 he possesses superhuman powers and can work miracles4 ,instead of an object of love1 ,i had now become an awe-inspiring ,lama to my little ,dawa4 ,as such1 ,i counselled her with a good deal of earnestness1 and finally succeeded in subduing her passion and conquering the temptation4 ,we prolonged our stay at ,gya-karko for several days more1 and on the #bfth of ,august ,i started again with the pilgrims4 ,as we travelled on in a north-easterly direction we came to a marshy plain interspersed with pools of water4 ,farther on the marsh became deeper4 ,i tried to probe its depth with my stick1 but the solid bottom was beyond my reach4 ,knowing then that the marsh could not be forded1 we retraced our steps for about three miles and proceeded thence due east4 ,further on we found that the waters flowing out of the marsh formed themselves into three streams4 ,we waded across them1 and about ten miles further on the marsh came to an end and we found ourselves among mountains1 and encamped for the night4 ,here there were many merchants on their way to ,gya-nima and ,gya-karko1 and many were the tents they had pitched all round4 ,while there ,i went on a begging tour amongst the tent occupants--a practice which ,i put into execution whenever possible1 in pursuance of the ,buha's teaching4 ,a day's round1 besides1 generally earned me enough to carry me through the next day4 ,i may add that the evening1 whether after a day of journeying or of begging1 ,i used to spend in preaching among my travelling companions4 ,i had my own reasons for being painstaking in these preachings4 ,i knew that religious talks always softened the hearts of my companions1 and this was very necessary1 as ,i might otherwise have been killed by them4 ,i do not mean to say that my life was in any immediate danger then1 for there were numbers of people always about1 and besides1 the region we were going through was a country sacred to ,buhism1 and1 once within the holy zone1 even the most wicked would not dare to commit either robbery or murder4 ,but it was necessary for me to take precautions in anticipation of dangers that might befall me as soon as ,i should be out of this sacred region4 ,such were the reasons why ,i did so much preaching1 and fortunately my sermons were well received by my companions4 ,on the #bhth of ,august we travelled about twenty miles over an undulating country4 ,throughout that distance we could not get a drop of water1 and ,i had nothing to drink except a cup of tea which ,i took in the morning just before starting4 ,we were of course all terribly thirsty2 yet to me the suffering was not half so great as that ,i had felt during the former distressing experiences already narrated4 ,towards the evening we came upon the upper course of the ,langchen ,khanbab4 ,this is the river called ,sutlej in ,english4 ,it is the head-water of a river which flows westward into ,india1 and1 after meeting with the ,sit1 forms the great ,indus that empties itself into the ,arabian ,sea4 ,my companions volunteered to tell me that this river started from ,lake ,mnasarovara4 ,when ,i pointed out to them that the ,lake ,mnasarovara was surrounded by mountains on all sides and had no outlet1 they replied3 8,true1 but the river has its source in a spring to be found under a great rock1 east of the monastery named ,chugo ,gonpa 7the monastery of the source of the river71 in a gorge on the north-western side of ,mount ,kailsa4 ,that spring is fed by the waters of ,lake ,mnasarovara that travel thither underground4 ,hence it may be said with equal truth that the river flows out of the lake40 ,this was indeed an ingenious way of accounting for the popular belief4 ,but judging from the position of the river1 it seemed to me that it must take its origin on a higher level than that of ,lake ,mnasarovara and ,i was not 7nor am ,i now7 ready to admit the correctness of the native contention4 ,on arriving at the bank of the river we pitched our tents as usual and passed the night4 ,on the following day1 we visited a sacred place of great fame in that neighborhood1 called ,reta-puri in ,tibetan pronunciation1 but originally in ,samsk ,preapur4 ,having left our baggage1 tents and other things with two men to take care of them1 ,i went on the journey thither with ,dawa1 her father and another woman1 four of us in all4 ,as we proceeded westwards along the ,langchen ,khanbab1 we saw large boulders of rock making a walled avenue for a distance of about #djj yards4 ,out of the rock region1 we came upon a river flowing down from the north to the ,langchen ,khanbab4 ,there were two others running parallel and at a short distance from one another4 ,they are called ,tokpo ,rabsum1 which in ,tibetan means three friendly streams4 ,we forded one of them and went up a hill for about a hundred and twenty yards1 when an extensive plain lay spread before our view4 ,i noticed that the plain was thickly covered with low bush-growths of some thorny family1 and the sight reminded me of our tea-plantations of ,uji4 ,about a mile and a quarter further on we came to another stream1 the name of which is identical with that of the one we had already crossed4 ,both these rivers were loin-deep and exceedingly cold1 with small ice-blocks floating in them4 ,in fording the river ,i was much benumbed1 and on reaching the opposite banks ,i found that ,i had almost lost my power of locomotion4 ,so ,i told my companions to go on while ,i rested a few minutes1 and applied burning moxa to my benumbed limbs in order to recover their use4 ,off they went1 after telling me that nothing could go wrong with me if ,i would only take the road in the direction they pointed out to me4 ,tibetans are strong and healthy1 and extremely swift-footed into the bargain4 ,i was no match for them in this respect1 especially with half-frozen feet and that was why ,i told them not to wait for me4 ,the smouldering moxa had its effect on my legs4 ,i felt then more alive1 and after an hour's rest ,i proceeded westwards for five miles to a place where the plain came to an end4 ,thence ,i walked down stream along a river until the temple for which ,i was heading rose into view4 ,the sight was a grand one1 with its mai-steps of stone which looked1 at a distance1 like a long train of railway cars4 ,nor was this the only place where the mai steps could be found4 ,many of them are to be seen in the ,himlayas4 ,i should add that in that mighty range of sky-reaching mountains there lives a species of strange birds1 whose note is exactly like the whistle of a railway engine4 ,the mai-steps looking like a train before me made me think of the whistle of those birds1 and ,i felt as if ,i had arrived once more in a civilised country6 ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,on the ,road to ,nature's ,grand ,mandala4 ,apart from these fancies1 ,i really felt as if ,i had entered a civilised region1 for beyond ,i espied a main building and priests' quarters1 and also what looked like a stone tower4 ,the whole sight was really impressive4 ,the presence of stone buildings especially attracted my attention1 for stones are very rare and costly on a ,tibetan steppe4 ,the place was the town just mentioned1 called ,reta-puri 7town of hungry devils71 a name which ,paldan ,asha gave to the place when he arrived here from ,india on the work of evangelisation4 ,the name is not inapplicable to the ,tibetans4 ,the ,tibetans may indeed be regarded as devils that live on dung1 being the most filthy race of all the people ,i have ever seen or heard of4 ,they must have presented a similarly filthy appearance at the time of the visit of ,asha1 who therefore gave to the place the not inappropriate title of ,prea-pur4 ,the ,tibetans1 thanks to their ignorance of ,samsk1 are rather proud of the name1 being under the belief that it has some holy meaning4 ,after ,asha had founded a temple1 several high ,lamas resided in this place1 and a ,lama called ,gyalwa ,gottsang ,pa1 of the ,dugpa sect1 founded a most imposing ,lamaserai1 which stands to this day4 ,it is1 as ,i said1 a very magnificent establishment1 containing four or five priests' residential quarters1 in one of which ,i passed a night4 ,my companion took leave of me after having completed his visit to the holy places4 ,i took a frugal lunch in my lodging and then1 under the guidance of one of the priests of the temple1 sallied out to visit all the holy objects on the premises4 ,the main building was of stone and measured about eight yards by ten4 ,it was of one storey1 and was in this unlike most other ,tibetan ,lamaserais1 which are generally two or three storied4 ,the most sacred relics in the temple were the images of ,shkyamuni and ,lobon ,rinpoche 7,padma ,chungne71 founder of the ,old ,sect of ,tibet4 ,to this ,lobon are attached many strange legends and traditions1 such as would startle even the most degenerate of ,japanese priests2 but ,i cannot here relate all those revolting stories4 ,i already knew the strange history of the founder of this ,tibetan sect1 and so1 when ,i noticed the two images worshipped side by side1 a sensation of nausea came over me4 ,it was really blasphemy against ,buha1 for ,lobon was in practice a devil in the disguise of a priest1 and behaved as if he had been born for the very purpose of corrupting and preventing the spread of the holy doctrines of ,buha4 ,a curtain was hanging in front of the high altar1 and one tanka1 about sixpence1 was the fee for the privilege of looking at the relic behind it4 ,i paid the fee and found that the relic was nothing else than the image engraved on stone of that abominable ,lobon4 ,tradition says that ,lobon's image was naturally inscribed on the rock when he came here and stood before it1 and this fantastic story is fully believed in by the simple-minded folk of ,tibet4 ,they would not dare to look straight at the image1 for fear that their eyes might become blind4 ,i had no such superstition to deter me1 and so ,i gazed with careful scrutiny at the engraved image1 and convinced myself that some crafty priests must have drawn on a piece of rock a picture of some priest and that the picture must have been afterwards tricked out with suitable pigments4 ,the engraving too was a clumsy piece of workmanship destitute of any merit whatever1 and without even the slightest technical charm1 such as might persuade the credulous to regard the image as a natural impression on a rock4 ,i felt sorry for the sake of the ,tibetan religion that such wicked impositions should be suffered to prevail1 though the ,tibetan priests may on their part reply that ,japan is not much better in this respect than ,tibet1 and that such frauds are not unknown in ,japan4 ,of whatever impious deeds the ,lamas may be guilty1 the whole neighborhood was such as to inspire one with chaste thoughts and holy ideas4 ,this seems to be widely accepted in ,tibet1 for the ,tibetans have a saying to this effect3 8,not to visit ,reta-puri is not to visit the snow-capped ,kang ,rinpoche2 not to go around ,lake ,kholgyal is not to perform the sacred circuit around ,lake ,mapham-yumtso40 ,this saying means that the visit to ,kang ,rinpoche only completes one-half of the holy journey unless ,reta-puri is visited at the same time1 and that the visit to ,lake ,mapham-yumtso 7,mnasarovara7 will avail nothing unless ,kholgyal is visited at the same time4 ,the place indeed deserves this high honor1 and undoubtedly it constitutes one of nature's best essays in landscape4 ,let me describe here a little of this enchanting sight4 ,first there was the river ,langchen ,khanbab1 flowing towards the west1 with the opposite bank steep and precipitous1 and with rocks piled up here and there1 some yellow1 some crimson1 others blue1 still others green1 and some others purple4 ,the chequered coloring was beautiful1 and looked like a rainbow or a tinted fog1 if such a thing could exist4 ,it was a splendid sight4 ,and the rocks were highly fantastic1 for some were sharp and angular1 and others protruded over the river4 ,the nearer bank was equally abrupt and was full of queerly shaped rocks1 and each of those rocks bore a name given to it by the priests of the temple4 ,there was a rock which was known by the name of the 8,devil ,surrender ,rock20 another was called the 8,twin ,images of the saintly ,prince and his ,lady20 a third bore the name of 8,tise ,rock20 a fourth 8,goddess of ,mercy ,rock20 and a fifth 8,kyapa ,buha ,tower40 ,all these rocks were objects of veneration to the common people4 ,i should have been deeply impressed by this unique grandeur of nature1 had it not been that ,i was scandalised by the sight of the misguided veneration1 if not worse1 paid to the memory of ,lobon ,rinpoche4 ,as it was1 even the kind explanations of my cicerone jarred on my ears4 ,about two hundred and fifty yards down the bank1 from a cavern known as the ,divine ,grotto1 several hot springs were gushing out from between the rocks4 ,three of them were rather large1 while the other three were smaller4 ,the water of all the springs was warm1 indeed some was so hot that ,i could hardly dip the tip of my finger into it4 ,the temperature of that particular spring must have far exceeded #ajj ,fahrenheit4 ,the water of the springs was quite transparent1 and all about them there were many hard incrustations1 some white1 others red1 still others green or blue4 ,the visitors to the place are said to carry away pieces of this incrustation1 which are believed to possess a high medicinal value1 and so they must have1 if properly used4 ,after having visited all the places of interest1 ,i returned to my quarters and passed the night in meditation4 ,the next morning ,i left the place1 and resumed my journey toward the tent4 ,somehow ,i lost my way in the plain1 and when ,i had already walked five hours ,i had not reached the river which ,i ought to have reached in about three hours4 ,i looked round and noticed to my surprise that ,i had been travelling towards the north1 instead of towards the north-east4 ,proceeding briskly onward in the right direction ,i at last reached a river1 which ,i crossed4 ,by that time the sun had begun to decline1 and ,i had had nothing to eat all that day4 ,i afterwards heard that the people of the tent began to be alarmed at my non-appearance1 and feared that ,i must have been carried away by the river and drowned4 ,when ,i arrived at the tent1 weary with the walk and with hunger1 ,i saw the daughter of the family coming out of the tent with some sheep4 ,she was highly delighted to see me1 and ,i was told that she was about to go out in search for me4 ,on the following day we proceeded eastward and arrived at the steppe lying to the north-east of ,lake ,rakgal and north-west of ,lake ,mnasarovara4 ,it was a slope formed by the gradual descent of the spurs of ,tise toward ,mnasarovara4 ,that night we pitched our tent on that plain1 and then our journey towards the sacred mountains began4 ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,wonders of ,nature's ,mandala4 ,that evening it transpired that the pilgrims could not perform the pilgrimage in company1 for every one of them declared his or her intention of performing as many circuits as possible during a stay of four or five days4 ,now the ordinary circuit--for there were three different routes--measures about fifty miles1 which was more than ,i could perform in a day1 even if ,i had wished to do as my companions had resolved1 and they intended to undertake three circuits during the short stay2 even the women wished to go round twice4 ,the pilgrims had to get up at midnight and to return to the tent at about eight in the evening1 after having performed the arduous journey4 ,i myself made rather elaborate preparations1 and started on the holy journey carrying four or five days' food on my back4 ,the route ,i selected for my circuit was what was called the outermost circuit1 and led me round a snowy peak resembling in shape a human image1 believed here to be that of ,shkyamuni1 and around the lesser elevations rising about that peak4 ,those elevations were compared to the principal disciples of the ,founder of ,buhism4 ,the route was indicated by a narrow track1 but it was really a breakneck journey1 for in several places the track went up to the summit of the central peak or to those of some of the elevations round it4 ,the middle route is more difficult of accomplishment1 and the innermost route considerably more so4 ,the last is therefore regarded as fit only for supernatural beings1 and he who accomplishes twenty-one circuits round the outermost route obtains permission from the ,lamas of the four temples1 to go round the middle route4 ,this circuit is to a large extent indicated by a more or less beaten track1 but is so steep and dangerous that ordinary persons hardly ever dare to try it4 ,not unfrequently pilgrims who boldly attempt this most perilous journey are killed by snow-slips1 while huge boulders obstruct their passage in several places4 ,since therefore this route is very rarely attempted by pilgrims1 quite marvellous tales are told about it4 ,illustration3 ,,near ,,mount ,,kailasa4 ,the outermost route1 round which ,i undertook my circuit1 has at each of its four quarters a temple4 ,these four temples are called the 8,four temples of ,kang ,rinpoche04 ,i first visited ,nyenbo ,rizon1 which is the name of the temple standing at the western corner4 ,the temple is dedicated to the ,buha ,amitbha and ,i heard that it is a very good investment in a worldly sense1 the donations from pious folk amounting to as much as ten thousand yen during the three months of the summer season4 ,this coincidence between ,japan and ,tibet1 concerning the receipts of temples1 is exceedingly interesting1 for even in ,japan temples dedicated to the ,buha ,amitbha are the most popular and enjoy the largest share of donations4 ,at any rate such an income must be regarded as extraordinary for a temple situated in a remote part of ,tibet4 ,the income1 ,i was told1 all goes to the ,treasury of the ,court of ,bhn1 in whose jurisdiction are placed all the religious establishments at ,tise4 ,this anomaly seems to have originated from the fact that the priests of the ,dugpa sect of ,bhn formerly reigned supreme at this seat of religion4 ,the image of the ,buha ,amitbha1 as enshrined in the temple1 is made of a white lustrous stone1 and it struck me as a work of high technical merit for ,tibet4 ,the features are of the ,tibetan type1 and looked mild and affable1 awaking in me pious thoughts4 ,in front of the image are erected two ivory tusks about five feet high and very thick1 and behind them ,i saw a hundred volumes of ,tibetan ,buhist works arranged on shelves4 ,these books were not there for reading1 but in order to receive as sacred objects the offering of the burning lamp4 ,this use of ,buhist books is peculiar1 though it is preferable to the outrageous treatment to which these books are sometimes subjected by impious priests1 who do not scruple to tear out leaves and use them for various improper purposes4 ,after worship1 ,i took from the pile a book that related to the ,buha ,amitbha1 read it1 and then left the temple4 ,then began my journey through ,nature's ,tabernacles1 the first object in which was the #8,golden ,valley'4 ,the adjective #8golden' should not be taken in a literal sense1 for gold is not found near this place4 ,rhetorically1 however1 the valley deserves this distinction1 the scenery all round being really magnificent4 ,there are several fantastic rocks of great size towering far into the sky1 while beyond them peeps the snow-clad summit of the peak of ,tise4 ,and from the crevices and narrow grooves between those towering rocks shoot down several cascades as much as a thousand feet in height4 ,there are quite a number of them1 but only seven are really large4 ,those seven waterfalls have each a distinct individuality4 ,some shoot down with great force and look not unlike the fabulous dragon descending the rock1 while others look milder and may be compared to a white sheet suspended over the rock4 ,i sat down in rapture at the sight1 and felt as if ,i had been transported to some heavenly place4 ,there are to the left several falls and also a range of snow-capped peaks1 but they are not to be compared in grandeur with those on the right1 at which ,i had been gazing with extasy4 ,this one sight alone1 ,i thought1 well repaid the labor of the journey4 ,i wished to embody my sentiments in a few verses1 but the inspiration would not come1 and so ,i proceeded on my way1 and soon emerged on the northern section of the ,tise group4 ,there ,i found another ,lama monastery1 which bore the quaint name of #8,ri ,ra ,puri' 7meaning1 #8,the place of the female yak's horn'74 ,it originated in a tradition that once1 in ancient times1 ,gyrva ,gottsang ,pa1 from ,bhn1 went round this natural ,madala in order to find his way in the wilderness4 ,whilst he was going to the mountain1 he found a female yak which proceeded before him and led him on an untrodden path over the snows4 ,after finishing his route round the ,holy ,place1 he arrived at this spot2 the female yak concealed herself in a cavern1 now in the temple1 and accidentally one of her horns struck against a rock4 ,it was believed by the ,lama that the female yak was a disguised form of the mother of the ,buha named ,vajra4 ,this #8,yak's ,horn ,temple' ranks next to the first temple in respect to pecuniary income4 ,it contains1 however1 a larger number of priests than the other1 there being about fifteen1 while the latter has only four4 ,it was towards dusk that ,i reached this temple1 and ,i was allowed to lodge there for the night4 ,the priest who appeared to be the senior man in the place was very kind to me and offered his own chamber for my use4 ,it faced towards ,mount ,kailsa4 ,my host told me that the view of the moon from this chamber was quite enchanting4 ,he brought me a cup of tea with plenty of butter in it1 for ,i had told him that ,i made it a rule to dispense with the evening meal4 ,i spent a few pleasant hours with my host1 who pointed out to me1 on the south from the temple1 the high majestic snow-covered peak of ,mount ,tise1 representing the ,buha ,shkyamuni2 the three small snowy peaks before the mountain1 he said1 were the ,bohisavas ,manjushr1 ,avalokieshvara and ,vajrapi2 he then gave me a description in detail of other peaks1 but ,i need not narrate here what he explained to me1 for the account of the range is given in most works treating of ,tibet and its geography4 ,that night ,i had one of the pleasantest experiences ,i remember during my expedition to ,tibet3 it was a pleasure of an elevating kind4 ,my mind was subdued and captivated as ,i looked1 in that still night and in that remote and far-off place1 at the soft rays of the moon reflected on the crystal-like current that was flowing with a pleasant murmur4 ,just as1 in the holy ,texts1 the soft breeze stirring the branches of trees in paradise is said to produce a pleasant note1 that sounds to the ears of the happy denizens of that blissful abode like the voice of some one reading the ,scriptures1 so that sweet murmur of the moon-reflecting stream deluded my enchanted ears into believing that they were listening to the divine music of ,buhism4 ,staying in that sacred place1 and surrounded by such soul-subduing phenomena1 my mind soared higher and higher1 till it flew up to the eternal region beyond this world of woe and care4 ,the holy ,founder tells us that the most sacred region lies in one's own pure mind1 but ,i1 sinful mortal as ,i was1 felt elevated and chastened when ,i found myself in such an environment4 ,the next day ,i stayed at the temple and spent the time with great enjoyment4 ,the following day ,i left the hospitable monastery and resumed my journey1 which included the surmounting of a steep hill1 known under the name of the #8,hill of ,salvation'4 ,my host seemed to have had some spiritual affinity with me in a past life1 so considerate was he in his behavior to me4 ,for instance1 he lent me a yak to carry me over the hill1 and moreover gave me some articles of food and various delicacies4 ,i took friendly leave of him1 and then started on my journey on the back of the yak1 which was led by a guide4 ,on the hill ,i came across many ,tibetan pilgrims intent on displaying their religious zeal and piety1 and their behavior more than ever convinced me that a strong fanaticism characterises the people of that land4 ,climbing alone was no easy task1 and was one that strained even the sturdiest of legs1 and yet ,i noticed several young pilgrims of both sexes performing the journey according to the #8one-step-one-bow' method1 commonly adopted as a penance4 ,as for me ,i felt greatly fatigued1 though ,i was riding on the yak1 for the atmosphere in that elevated region is very rare and was highly trying to my lungs4 ,when ,i had ascended the hill for about five miles my respiration became very rapid and ,i was much exhausted4 ,i therefore rested for awhile1 and refreshed myself by taking some medicine4 ,it was while ,i was taking rest that ,i noticed a burly fellow frantically confessing to and worshipping the snowy ,tise4 ,my guide informed me that that man was a native of ,kham1 a place notorious as being a haunt of brigands and highwaymen4 ,he really looked like a typical highwayman1 with ferocious features and fierce eyes1 and was performing his penance in a loud voice4 ,he must have been a notorious figure even in that land of universal crime4 ,i was highly amused to find that this fellow was doing penance not for his past offences alone1 but also to obtain immunity for any crimes he might commit in future4 ,his extraordinary confession was something in this way3 8,o ,saint ,kang ,rinpoche6 ,o great ,shkyamuni6 ,o all ,buhas and ,bohisavas in the ten quarters of the world and in the time past1 present and future6 ,i have been wicked in the past4 ,i have murdered a number of men4 ,i have taken a great deal that did not belong to me4 ,i have robbed husbands of their wives4 ,i have quarrelled ever so many times1 and ,i have also thrashed people4 ,of all those great sins ,i repent1 and so ,i solemnly perform my penance here on this hill for them4 ,i believe that by this act of confession and repentance1 ,i have been absolved from those sins4 ,i also perform here penance for my prospective sins1 for ,i may in future repeat them1 may rob people of their goods and wives1 or thrash and beat them40 ,this fellow1 ,i thought1 was decidedly original in his conception of penance1 and surpassed other sinners by performing a prospective repentance instead of1 as in the ordinary method1 confining himself to penitence for his past sins4 ,yet ,i was told that this convenient mode of repentance was universal in the robber district of ,kham4 ,our path next lay over a hill known as the hill of the ,dolma-la1 meaning the ,pass of the ,mother of the ,savior4 ,on ascending the hill one sees to the right a snowy range of the northern parts of ,mount ,kailsa1 named in ,tibetan ,gyalpo ,norjingi ,phoprang1 which means the 8residence of ,king ,kuvera01 the ,god of ,wealth4 ,the spot is very famous to ,indians also2 even in early times in ,india the great poet ,klisa described this magnificent mansion with its immense views in his masterpiece of the ,meghaa--,the cloud-messenger4 ,seeing it1 ,i said in my fancy3 8,is it not really the mansion of the ,god of ,wealth--that crystal abode shining in the emerald sky80 ,i mused furthermore that a mammon-worshipper will certainly one day explore that shining region1 expecting to find a diamond mine4 ,on the crest of ,dolma-la stands a natural stone image of the ,mother of the ,savior4 ,on the north-east of it a number of queer-shaped rocks and fantastic stones are to be seen1 their points all looking like images4 ,these were explained by my guide as twenty-one images of the ,mother of the ,savior4 ,this crest of the hill is very high1 and indeed does not appear lower in height than the top of ,tise itself1 the height of which is about #bb1cjj feet above sea-level4 ,the air is therefore very rarefied and the temperature very low4 ,even when ,i remained quiet ,i felt the effect of the high altitude1 for my heart beat rapidly and ,i suffered much pain4 ,i thought that ,i should hardly have been able to perform the journey on foot1 and that therefore ,i was deeply indebted to my host for lending me a yak to carry me over the series of hills4 ,the ,tibetan pilgrims did not seem to suffer to any particular extent from the effects of the rarefied atmosphere4 ,they possess capacious lungs and can therefore climb any elevated hill without fatigue4 ,of course ordinary people1 who do not possess lungs half as large as those of the ,tibetans1 can hardly expect to undertake this journey with so much ease4 ,as it was1 ,i felt very much exhausted1 even though ,i did not walk on foot but rode on the yak4 ,near the foot of the hill ,i found a large pond which was entirely frozen over--a pond associated with an interesting legend4 ,in ancient times1 says that legend1 the ,god of ,wealth and his family used the water of this pond to wash their hands1 for in those days it was not frozen in summer4 ,afterwards a woman pilgrim carrying a baby on her back came to the pond4 ,as she bent over to wash her hands1 the baby slipped off her back into the water and was drowned4 ,the guardian deities of the place then consulted how to provide against such accidents1 and they decided that the pond should be frozen over all the year around4 ,the descent is rather sharp1 and it was uncomfortable sitting on the yak's back1 so ,i dismounted and trotted down after the animal4 ,at last we reached the eastern part of ,tise and arrived at the ,zun-tul phuk1 which means the cave of miracles1 founded by the hermit ,jetsun ,milaraspa1 one of the most venerated saints in the ,tibetan hagiology4 ,various interesting traditions are told about this saint1 but these ,i need not give here1 as they are too technical4 ,i may say1 however1 that ,milaraspa is said to have led a highly austere life1 and that he did much to diffuse the true tenets of ,buhism4 ,he was also a great poet1 the only poet who figures in the long history of ,tibet4 ,his biography therefore reads like a romance or a great epic1 full of sublime conceptions4 ,milaraspa being such a unique personality in the history of ,tibet1 his name has attracted the attention of western explorers1 and extracts from his poems have been translated4 ,after returning to ,darjeeling ,i explained his poems to a certain ,russian traveller and writer1 who translated them into his national tongue4 ,he was much delighted with the information which ,i gave him1 and told me that my translation enabled him to interpret something of the spirit of the great ,tibetan epic4 ,we stayed one night at that temple1 and on the following day proceeded along the banks of the river ,ham-hung-gi-chu 7shoe-dropping river7 and reached a place which contained a temple called ,gyang-tak-gonpa4 ,this temple is dedicated to ,dorje ,karmo1 the ,goddess named ,white ,vajra4 ,the place is situated about one mile off the road and near by is a postal station named ,darchen ,tazam4 ,this station contains about thirty houses built of stone1 besides about a dozen tents pitched here and there4 ,it is a business as well as a revenue centre for the whole district4 ,i lodged at one of the houses1 and here the guide took leave of me4 ,that night ,i performed my usual religious meditation1 and on the morning of the following day my pilgrim companions rejoined me4 ,the station lies on a steppe between the north-western corner of ,lake ,mnasarovara and the north-eastern corner of ,lake ,lakgal4 ,on the following day our party left the station1 and proceeded in a south-easterly direction1 to the west of ,mnasarovara4 ,we advanced in the same direction the next day1 till we reached the foot of a snowy peak named ,bon-,ri4 ,this is1 as ,i have mentioned before1 a place sacred to the ,bon1 or ancient religion of ,tibet4 ,i saw a big temple in the place1 which ,i found to be not a temple belonging to that old religion1 as ,i had expected1 but one belonging to the ,new ,sect4 ,it looked a magnificent establishment as seen from a distance1 but we did not go near it4 ,this neighborhood produced various kinds of mushrooms1 and some which were growing in damp places were gathered by the women of the party4 ,they collected large quantities of the fungus1 which was fried with butter and eaten with salt4 ,i tasted it and found it delicious4 ,by that time we had left the limits of the sacred region1 and my male companions no longer considered themselves as pilgrims1 but as men who had to face the stern realities of the material world4 ,they declared that they must resume their worldly business1 and proposed to start by shooting deer4 ,it seemed to me that their shooting not infrequently included extraordinary kinds of game1 and ,i suspected1 on good grounds1 that the three brothers had now and then turned highwaymen and either robbed or murdered travellers4 ,i therefore began to be afraid of them1 and thought that ,i had better separate myself from them on some plausible pretext1 and without awakening their suspicion4 ,on the following day we reached the brow of a hill1 and there one of the brothers in my presence shot an animal called in ,tibet changku4 ,the shooting was done merely for pleasure and not with the object of eating its flesh or using its skin4 ,the changku1 or wolf1 resembles a large species of dog with rather thin fur1 which in summer turns a fine brownish color4 ,in winter the color is said to be a whitish grey4 ,the ears are erect and the face appears ferocious4 ,it is said that this wild animal will attack solitary travellers and even kill them4 ,when the brothers brought down the animal their eyes gleamed with delight1 and ,i secretly thought that their eyes would show that same cruel gleam when they murdered a wealthy traveller4 ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,an ,ominous ,outlook4 ,the next day1 ,september #adth1 snow again fell1 and so we had to stay in the same place4 ,the hunting-dogs went out of their own accord on a rabbit-hunting expedition1 and came back with their mouths stained with blood4 ,they must have hunted down some rabbits and made a meal of them4 ,the snow ceased1 and we left the place on the following day4 ,proceeding eastwards1 we now came to a long undulating hill1 and soon reached its summit4 ,here the head of the family said that our pilgrimage must end at this spot1 and when asked why at this particular place1 he pointed to ,lake ,mnasarovara1 situated to the west1 and also to the snow-capped peak of ,manri that stood due south from the middle of the ,lake1 and told me that we should here bid farewell and express our good wishes to the sacred region1 for this was the last point where we could have a full view of the ,holy ,place1 and that we should express in our prayers an earnest desire to visit this sacred region again in the future4 ,saying this1 he bowed down and ,i and all the rest followed his example4 ,when ,i thought that ,i 7the first ,japanese who had ever come to visit this district from a remote country thousands of miles away7 was now about to take leave of ,lake ,mnasarovara after having been in its neighborhood for several days1 a peculiar sensation came over me1 and ,i stood gazing at the lake for some time4 ,as we were going down the hill1 my host told me that as they had already departed from the ,holy ,place they should now earnestly engage themselves in their worldly pursuits2 therefore they thought it time that ,i should leave them4 ,we soon reached a little encampment of some twelve or thirteen tents1 and thither ,i wended my way to observe the condition of the small community4 ,mendicancy was well suited for satisfying my curiosity1 and as a mendicant ,i entered the encampment4 ,my companions remained in the same place that day and the next1 the brothers occupied in shooting4 ,on the latter day ,i was reading a ,chinese ,buhist ,text1 and the two women were outside engaged in some earnest talk4 ,at first ,i did not pay any attention to what they were saying1 but when my ears caught the word #8,lama' pronounced several times my curiosity was awakened4 ,dawa was saying that she had heard the ,lama1 that is myself1 say that her mother was probably dead4 ,she wished1 she continued1 to ascertain this of the ,lama1 and so she had been pressing him for some definite information4 ,her aunt received this remark with a laugh4 ,he must have seen1 she said1 that ,dawa was in love with him1 and had therefore told her this fib in joke4 ,she must not mind what the ,lama told her4 ,however1 the aunt continued1 her husband had been telling her that he must make the ,lama marry ,dawa1 and that should he refuse1 her husband would kill him4 ,it was evident that this last portion of the conversation was intended for my ears1 for the aunt spoke in a loud voice4 ,when ,i heard that intimidatory warning ,i at first felt alarmed1 but the next moment ,i recovered my tranquillity4 ,i thought that if ,i should suffer death for having resisted a temptation1 my death would be highly approved by the holy ,founder4 ,he would be displeased if ,i should disobey my conscience for the mere fear of death4 ,internally praying for strength of mind to resist the temptation1 even at the risk of my life1 ,i resumed my reading4 ,however nothing occurred to me that day1 nor the next1 when we struck our tent and proceeded for about five miles close to the brow of a hill1 from which ,i saw at a short distance what appeared to be houses1 and ,i was told that this was another postal station called ,tokchen ,tazam4 ,again ,i visited the place in the disguise of a mendicant priest4 ,i soon returned and found ,dawa alone in the tent2 the rest were all gone out hunting1 so she told me4 ,i at once saw that the conspiracy was developing1 and that matters were growing quite critical4 ,i concluded that ,i must do my best to dissuade the girl from pursuing the object of her misplaced affection4 ,some spiritual affinity must have brought me into the company of this girl1 so it seemed to me that ,i was bound to administer an earnest expostulation1 so that she might recover from her erring fancy4 ,so thinking1 ,i took my seat in the tent4 ,as soon as ,i did so1 she brought me some mushrooms she had collected for me in the morning1 for she said3 8,you seemed to be very fond of them40 ,i thanked her for her kindness1 took all the mushrooms and a cup of baked flour1 and then set myself to read my books4 ,the girl stopped me1 saying that she had something which she must tell me1 for she had heard something which filled her with fear4 ,then she narrated what one of her uncles1 that is one of my male companions1 had said about his intention to force me to marry his niece4 ,when she had concluded her story1 ,i told her with the greatest composure that ,i should be rather glad than afraid to be killed by the brothers of her father4 ,i had finished my pilgrimage1 ,i added2 ,i had nothing to desire in this world1 and ,i was not in the least afraid to die4 ,moreover1 ,i continued1 ,i would not harbor any ill-will1 even if ,i should be killed now by her father and uncles4 ,i should rather thank them for hastening my departure to the plane of ,bohisavas2 so ,i would pray for them when ,i was enabled to reach that ,happy ,abode4 ,i would therefore ask to be killed that very evening4 ,the girl seemed surprised to find her revelation producing an effect quite the reverse of what she had expected4 ,she tried to remonstrate with me on what she considered a foolish resolution1 and spoke some commonplaces about death and the pleasures of life4 ,of course ,i easily refuted them1 and at last she gave up the evidently useless task of persuading me4 ,illustration3 ,,quarrel ,,between ,,brothers4 ,about four o'clock that afternoon the four returned4 ,they must have listened for some time to the conversation between ,dawa and myself1 for as soon as they entered the tent1 the most wicked of the three brothers severely scolded ,dawa for flirting with a man4 ,upon this1 the girl's father at once took her side1 and snappishly told his brother that his ,dawa had a father to protect her1 and therefore wanted nobody to meddle with her1 much less an uncle who had never given her even so much as one bowl of flour since she was born4 ,the quarrel waxed hotter and fiercer1 and the brothers began to abuse each other and to divulge each other's crimes4 ,one accused the other of being a robber1 and of having murdered men at such and such places1 and was met with the recriminating accusation of having attempted to rob the ,government and of having fled for fear of arrest4 ,the wordy warfare at last developed into actual blows1 and the brothers exchanged fisticuffs1 and even began to hurl stones at each other4 ,i thought ,i must interfere1 and so ,i jumped up and attempted to hold back the youngest brother as he was about to spring at ,dawa's father4 ,the fellow struck my cheek with his bony knuckles with such force that ,i fell1 and my whole frame shook with pain4 ,the confusion in the tent had reached its climax1 and ,dawa was beginning to cry and so was also her aunt4 ,i remained a passive spectator of the rest of this terrible scene1 for ,i had to lie prostrate from the pain4 ,presently the sun set and the quarrel too spent itself and the night passed without any further outbreak4 ,the next morning the party broke up1 for each brother wanted to go his way1 the eldest with his wife1 the second with his daughter1 and the third alone1 as was also the case with me2 so we had to disperse1 each for his own destination4 ,one thing that troubled me was the lack of sheep to carry my effects4 ,at last ,i purchased two at six tanka each1 and separating myself from the rest proceeded in the south-easterly direction4 ,one of the brothers started for the north1 while ,i could see the others were retracing the road we had come along4 ,i had heard before that ,i must push on rapidly1 but ,i purposely took the south-easterly direction1 in order to throw off the scent any of the brothers who might come after me to rob me1 or even worse4 ,and so ,i proceeded in this direction1 and by about sunset ,i reached the brow of a hill1 where ,i was obliged to bivouac in the open1 and on a snow-covered plain4 ,the change was too sudden after having lived for so long in the tent1 and ,i could not snatch even one wink of sleep during the night4 ,on the following day1 still continuing in the same direction1 ,i reached a small monastery of the name of ,sha ,chen ,khangba1 where ,i remained that day and the next4 ,for the first time since ,i parted with the brothers and the troublesome women1 ,i felt safe1 for ,i concluded that ,i was no longer in danger of being pursued by one of the murderous gang4 ,i saw only two priests in the temple1 and ,i spent most of my time in stitching my worn-out boots and clothes4 ,while ,i was staying in the monastery one of my sheep suddenly fell ill and died4 ,i felt sorely grieved at his death1 and read a suitable service for him4 ,the other sheep ,i had to sell1 at half the price ,i had paid for him1 to one of four traders who arrived at the monastery soon after ,i had reached it1 for ,i could hardly manage him now1 as he was so peevish and disconsolate at the loss of his partner4 ,to the four men ,i also gave the flesh of the dead sheep1 and they accepted it with thanks4 ,it happened that the party was travelling in the same direction as myself1 and they proposed that ,i should go with them4 ,this was quite a welcome suggestion1 especially as the men were kind enough to offer their services to carry my effects1 for they had with them a number of yaks4 ,so once more ,i had travelling companions1 and ,i left the monastery with a far more cheerful heart than ,i had when ,i reached it4 ,we proceeded in a south-easterly direction1 and soon came to a small round pond1 a little over half a mile in circumference4 ,proceeding along the right side of the pond1 we next came to a lake which is very long from north-west to south-east1 but very narrow4 ,the whole circumference is said to be about forty miles4 ,this lake is bounded by rocky hills on all sides1 and the blackish rocks scattered here and there were partially covered1 especially in the crevices and sheltered spots between the adjoining rocks1 with a thin layer of snow1 so that they presented quite a pretty sight4 ,i ascended a small elevation close by the lake1 and looked down on it and also on the small pond4 ,from that height the serpentine lake looked just like the fabulous dragon in the act of clutching a round gem1 the pond corresponding to the gem4 ,the snow-streaked rocks were not unlike a white fleece of cloud4 ,this lake is known by the name of ,kong-gyu-i ,tso1 as ,i heard from my fellow travellers4 ,after proceeding about seventeen miles south-eastwards1 with the lake on our left1 we reached its extremity4 ,here we were to bivouac1 as we had no tent1 but ,i could not sleep on the snow-covered plain4 ,i therefore passed the night in my usual style1 that is to say1 in religious meditation1 the best expedient for a sleepless night4 ,our road lay next day over a steep hill1 and it was indeed such a break-back ascent that it seemed to be trying even to the sturdy legs and lungs of my ,tibetan companions4 ,as for myself1 ,i was lucky enough to get permission to ride on a yak's back1 and so ,i could negotiate the ascent with no great difficulty4 ,descending the opposite slope of the hill we soon reached a plain which1 together with all the adjoining country1 was situated in the ,kong-gyu district4 ,on this plain ,i noticed a white spot1 not unlike a lake at a distance4 ,my companions informed me that the white thing was puto1 and that the white spot indicated the site of a lake which produced natural soda4 ,when we reached the lake my companions eagerly collected the deposit1 put it in skin-bags and fastened it to the back of the yaks4 ,they told me that the soda was to be mixed with tea4 ,we then went on over several low undulating hills1 and finally reached the lower course of the river ,chema ,yungdung1 where ,i had narrowly escaped drowning a short time before4 ,as the season was now well advanced1 the river was much shallower and we were able to cross it with comparative ease4 ,i indeed could do so with perfect security1 for ,i was carried on a yak's back4 ,we were travelling all these days at the rate of about twenty-five miles a day1 and ,i should hardly have been able to make such good progress had it not been for the fact that ,i could ride every now and then on a yak4 ,what distressed me most was bivouacking in the open1 where sleep was out of the question in the cold autumn nights and on ground covered with snow4 ,after proceeding some twenty-five miles to the south-east1 on the following day we reached the ,brahmapura1 known in this region as ,martsan-gi-chu or ,kobei-chu1 according to the districts which it traversed4 ,the lordly river was quite shallow and could be crossed without trouble1 and ,i did so as before on the yak's back4 ,we found some tents by the bank of the river where we were allowed to pass a night--quite a cheering change after so many nights of bivouacking4 ,it was a moonless night1 but the sky was full of stars1 which threw their twinkling rays on the water of the river4 ,the vast range of the ,himlayas was clearly silhouetted1 so as to make its sharp outline perceptible4 ,the majestic scene inspired me with poetic fervor3 ,like to the ,milky ,way in ,heaven at night1 ,with stars begemmed in countless numbers decked1 ,the ,brahmaputra flashes on the sight1 ,his banks1 fit haunt for ,gods1 appear ,in gorgeous splendors from the snowy height4 ,the following day ,i had to part from my companions1 who were going to a destination different from mine1 and so ,i was again thrown on my own wits and my own legs for continuing my journey4 ,after having travelled for so many days with the help of other people1 ,i now had to travel alone with nothing but my back on which to carry my effects1 and my journey on the following day was a cheerless and fatiguing one4 ,the load weighed heavily on my back1 and the time ,i occupied in taking rest was perhaps longer than that spent in actual progress4 ,at last ,i was so much exhausted that ,i could hardly move my limbs4 ,,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,a ,cheerless ,prospect4 ,while ,i was taking rest in that helpless condition1 ,i was fortunate enough to see a ,tibetan coming along my way leading a yak4 ,when he came to where ,i was sitting ,i greeted him1 and asked him to carry my luggage as far as he could without compromising his own convenience1 and promised him suitable pay for his trouble4 ,he willingly consented1 and relieved my aching back of its load4 ,after travelling about three miles1 ,i observed three men coming towards us on horseback4 ,they were fully armed1 each with a gun1 a lance and a sword1 and as they approached they looked like burly men1 wearing ,tibetan hunting caps4 ,i at once concluded that they must be highwaymen1 for evidently they were not pilgrims1 the latter generally travelling with a pack-horse or a yak to carry their necessaries2 nor could they be merchants1 for they would travel in a caravan1 according to the fashion of the country4 ,my companion came to the same conclusion and began to show signs of fear4 ,to encounter highwaymen is not quite agreeable under any circumstances1 so ,i was not cheered at the thought of meeting those three fellows1 but ,i was not at all afraid1 for ,i made up my mind to surrender whatever things they wished to have out of my effects4 ,i simply wished to keep my life1 and for this the highwaymen could have no use4 ,with that idea ,i boldly advanced and soon came face to face with the three cavaliers4 ,they asked me whence ,i came1 and when ,i replied that ,i was returning from a visit to ,mount ,kailsa they further asked me if ,i had not seen some traders on my way4 ,the traders were their friends1 they continued1 and they were searching for them4 ,when ,i replied that ,i had not met with any such persons1 the men then said that ,i must be a ,lama-priest1 and as such they wished me to perform some divination for them1 to find out the whereabouts of their friends4 ,now the meaning of their request was quite clear1 they wished to find the traders in order to assault and despoil them4 ,for my own part ,i was rather relieved when the three fellows disclosed their intention1 for ,i knew that highwaymen who were after traders with rich goods would scorn the idea of robbing a poor ,lama-priest such as they took me to be4 ,on the contrary they might offer some donation to such a priest1 if they asked him to undertake divination for their sake4 ,highwaymen who do business on a large scale often prove a source of substantial profit to ,lama-priests1 if a donation coming from such quarters can be regarded as a legitimate profit4 ,well1 placed under such peculiar circumstances1 ,i was obliged to give them a #8direction1' and of course the direction ,i gave them was the one which ,i judged least likely to be frequented by traders4 ,the highwaymen were highly pleased at my divination1 thanked me1 and then galloped off in the direction ,i indicated4 ,they did not offer me any donation1 however1 for they said they had nothing to present to me now4 ,my companion had remained at a distance all the while as a terrified spectator of this strange transaction between the highwaymen and myself4 ,when they had galloped away he emerged from his hiding-place1 and asked me what ,i was talking about with those dreadful men4 ,i told him in detail what had passed between the highwaymen and myself1 and relieved his anxiety by assuring him that my divination was a mere sham1 and was really intended to mislead them instead of giving them any probable direction4 ,after having walked along a river bank for about eight miles we came to a tent which belonged to my companion1 and there were two or three others besides4 ,that night ,i slept in the tent of my guide1 and ,i also stayed there during the following day in order to give rest to my fatigued limbs4 ,on the following morning 7that is on ,september #bfth7 ,i purchased a goat according to the advice of my host1 and packing my effects on the animal's back ,i left the place4 ,i was soon after overtaken by a fearful snowstorm1 which obstructed my sight and blocked my progress4 ,my ,tibetan garment was completely drenched1 and ,i was wet to the skin4 ,i could not determine in which direction ,i should proceed1 for the storm blinded my eyes and ,i had lost my compass2 but though ,i could not be certain of the right direction ,i had to move on as best ,i could1 for to stand still was out of the question4 ,my situation was growing more and more desperate1 and ,i was at my wit's end1 not knowing what to do4 ,as luck would have it1 just at that moment ,i met with a horseman4 ,he at once noticed the plight ,i was in and kindly offered me the hospitality of his tent4 ,it was a little dtour1 he said1 for one going to ,lhasa to go with him to his tent1 but it would be dangerous 7though not probably fatal1 as the season was not yet far advanced7 to pass that snowy night in the open2 the cold was too severe to expose oneself to it with safety at night4 ,i gratefully accepted the hospitable offer1 transferred1 as he bade me1 a part of my goat's load on to the back of his horse1 and then1 leading the goat1 followed the horseman and soon reached his tent4 ,the following morning my host left quite early1 and the people of the tent1 and of four or five others1 broke up their camp and moved on in the direction in which ,i also was to proceed for my journey towards ,lhasa4 ,so ,i followed them1 and trudged along the snow-covered ground in a south-easterly direction for about fifteen miles4 ,i had not yet had occasion to talk with any of them1 but ,i felt sure that they would again extend to me their hospitality1 and at least allow me to share their tent at night1 for they must see1 ,i thought1 that it was impossible for me to sleep outside among the snow-covered hills4 ,in time the party made a halt1 selected a suitable site for pitching their camp1 scraped off the snow1 and set up their tents4 ,all that while ,i was watching the people at work1 or gazing at the surrounding scenery4 ,when the tent-pitching was finished1 ,i asked the people of the tent in which ,i had slept the preceding night for permission to enjoy a similar favor again4 ,i was astonished to receive from them a blunt refusal4 ,then ,i tried another tent1 but with no better success1 and my earnest requests at the five or six other tents were all in vain4 ,i at last came to the only remaining tent1 and ,i thought that as this was my last chance ,i must somehow or other persuade the inmates to admit me1 whether they were willing to receive me or not2 so ,i begged them--they were an old dame and her daughter--for permission to sleep in their tent1 on the ground that ,i should probably be frozen to death if ,i were to stay outside in the snow on that cold night1 and urged that they should take compassion on me4 ,i added that ,i might repay their kindness with a suitable present of money4 ,the old woman was not softened at all by my appeal4 ,on the contrary she was angry with me1 saying that ,i was insulting her by trying to force hospitality from her4 ,why had ,i not tried other tents inhabited by men1 and why should ,i be so importunate with her alone8 ,i was insulting her because she was a woman1 she added1 and she insisted on my leaving her tent4 ,when ,i tried to protest against this merciless treatment she stood up in an awful passion1 and raising aloft the ,tibetan tongs1 with which she was scraping together the kindled yak's dung1 she made as though she would strike me4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,at ,death's ,door4 ,no one would take me into his tent1 and ,i was thus quite at my wit's end4 ,i retired to a distance of some dozen yards and1 looking at the four or five tents which appeared to be warm and cozy1 remembered ,buha's words3 8,for him who has no relationship to me1 it is very difficult to receive salvation from me40 ,these people were perfect strangers to me1 and therefore slept comfortably in their tents1 while ,i had to lie down on the cold ground1 exposed to the severe winds4 ,but1 ,i thought1 the fact that ,i had asked them for a lodging might have created a certain relationship1 by means of which they might yet be saved1 and that it would not be quite in vain if ,i read the ,holy ,texts for their salvation4 ,of course this was merely my duty as a follower of ,buha1 whose love is universal4 ,so ,i sat down on the ground and recited the ,buhist ,text1 with the kindest intentions4 ,after a while the girl whom ,i had lately asked for a lodging peeped from her tent and stared at me1 then hastily withdrew4 ,presently she appeared a second time and1 approaching me1 said that she supposed ,i was conjuring evil spirits to punish her and her mother for their refusal to lodge me4 ,this must not be done1 said she4 ,she and her mother had now agreed that they should entertain me in their tent1 and she had been sent for me4 ,there was something comical in the fact that my kind intentions should be taken for revengeful motives1 and that those motives should be rewarded with kindness4 ,but ,i attributed all to the benevolence of ,buha1 and thankfully accepted the girl's invitation4 ,a ,buhist service was held that evening4 ,the following morning ,i left the tent very early1 and walked south-east for two miles and a half in a hilly district4 ,quite unexpectedly1 two men rushed out from behind a rock and stopped me4 ,as they did not seem like robbers1 though they were armed1 ,i was simple enough to think that they were natives of the place making a trip4 ,they approached close to me and asked me what ,i had4 ,i replied1 8,i had ,buhism04 ,they did not understand what ,i said and exclaimed3 8,what is that you have on your back80 8,that is my food40 8,what is that sticking out on your breast80 8,that is my silver40 ,no sooner had the last answer been given1 than the men seized my sticks1 and ,i understood at once that they were robbers4 ,promptly making up my mind what to do1 ,i said3 8,you want something of me80 8,of course60 one of them said1 showing his teeth4 8,well1 then1 there is no use in hurrying4 ,i will give you all you want4 ,be calm1 and say what you want40 8,produce your silver first40 ,i gave them my purse4 8,you seem to have some valuables on your back4 ,let us see40 ,i obeyed4 ,they also demanded to see my bag1 which was being carried on the goat1 and1 after ransacking it1 returned me the ,scriptures1 the bed-clothes that were heavy1 and a few other things that were useless to them4 ,they took1 however1 all my food1 saying that they needed it1 although neither could ,i do without food4 ,illustration3 ,,attacked ,,by ,,robbers4 ,it is a rule among the robbers of ,tibet that1 having taken all they want1 they should give their victim enough food for some three days1 provided that the latter read the ,texts and ask for food4 ,i thought ,i would follow this custom1 and ,i said that ,i possessed in my breast-cloth a silver pagoda1 containing relics of ,buha1 which ,mr4 hammapla of ,india had asked me to present to the ,dalai ,lama1 and which ,i did not wish to lose4 ,the highwaymen at once wanted to know if ,i could not give it to them1 and ,i replied that if they wanted it ,i would give it1 but that as a layman could not keep it properly1 they must expect some misfortune as a punishment for their sacrilege4 ,so saying1 ,i produced the pagoda and invited them to open it4 ,this was probably more than they expected4 ,they would not even touch it1 but asked me to place it upon their heads with my benediction4 ,i held the pagoda over their heads and1 reciting the three ,refuges and ,five ,commandments of ,buha1 prayed that their sins might be extinguished by the merit of harma4 ,then ,i stood up1 and was going to ask of them a few days' rations1 when two men on horseback put in an appearance far ahead1 and before ,i could look round1 the robbers had gathered together all that they had seized1 and made off in the opposite direction4 ,they ran over the mountains like hares1 and it was quite out of the question for me to give them chase4 ,i thought1 therefore1 to ask the horsemen for provisions4 ,but for some reason or other they climbed a mountain ahead of me1 and did not come as far as where ,i was4 ,i called out to them and made signs by turning my right hand inwards1 according to the ,tibetan custom4 ,perhaps my voice did not reach them1 or they had some business demanding urgent attendance1 for they paid no attention to me4 ,still ,i had left eight ,indian gold coins which ,i had kept close to my skin4 ,my baggage having been greatly diminished1 ,i placed it all on my goat1 and went on with my journey4 ,it was a steep mountain pass1 and before ,i had travelled eight miles it became dark4 ,the night was spent as usual in bivouacking in a crevice between the rocks4 ,the following morning ,i wished to take a north-easterly direction1 so as to reach a certain post-town2 but having no compass1 ,i could not ascertain my bearings1 and seem to have strayed off to the south-east and eventually due south1 instead of north-east1 as ,i should have done4 ,the snow began to fall at three o'clock in the afternoon1 and ,i walked and walked until the evening1 but met not a single human being4 ,i was exceedingly hungry1 and so thirsty that ,i ate the snow4 ,one meal a day would have been sufficient for me1 but the absolute fasting gave me no small pain4 ,darkness and hunger compelled me to stop1 and ,i selected a hollow in the ground as my bed1 clearing it of snow4 ,as there is always a danger of being frozen dead when one is beset by a snow-storm in a vast plain1 ,i took the precaution to hold my breath1 so as to minimise the communication with the outside air1 according to the methods learned during my ,buhist training4 ,this1 ,i think1 is the best method for bivouacking in the snow1 and ,i soon fell asleep in the hollow4 ,on waking early next morning ,i saw the snow had fallen to a great depth1 but the weather was fine2 and when ,i looked around1 ,i thought the mountains ahead resembled the hilly district called ,nahru-ye1 where ,i had once been in the company of some herdsmen4 ,proceeding further1 ,i found the familiar ,kyang-chu river1 which ,i was delighted to see4 ,sustained by the hope of finding some old acquaintances at ,nahru-ye1 ,i walked some five miles in that direction4 ,but nowhere was there any human being to be seen2 there was nothing but the snow4 ,i was almost despairing1 owing to my extreme hunger and thirst1 for ,i was entirely exhausted1 though ,i had no heavy baggage to carry4 ,but ,i had to walk on and on1 eating a little snow from time to time to allay my hunger4 ,i thought that by travelling farther across the ,kyang-chu river1 ,i should reach the place where ,alchu ,lama lived4 ,he never wandered far away from that place1 and ,i might find him there2 so ,i decided upon travelling in that direction4 ,i crossed the river about nine miles above the place where ,i had crossed it on the previous occasion4 ,the water had decreased to about one-fifth of its usual amount1 and it was just freezing4 ,i broke the ice with my sticks and crossed the river4 ,if the ice had been thick1 the crossing of the river would have been a very easy task1 but the thin ice entailed the danger to the traveller of being thrown into the deep current1 and injured by the ice-blocks4 ,after many difficulties ,i reached the opposite bank1 and walked due south4 ,then the baggage which was being carried by the goat got lost4 ,it contained what the robbers had left--a carpet made of sheep-skin1 shoes1 drugs1 and such things4 ,i searched everywhere1 but in vain4 ,i had to give up my search and proceed further1 for ,i wished to reach a tent before night1 as sleeping amid the snow on the open field for several nights consecutively would mean the end of my life2 so ,i pushed on until eight o'clock and had covered twenty miles1 when another trouble cropped up in the shape of terrible pain in the eyes1 the result of the strong glare of the sun on the snow4 ,my eyes felt as if they would burst1 and ,i could not remain quiet4 ,moreover the snow recommenced falling in the evening1 and the cold was extreme1 and when ,i lay down ,i felt the biting coldness of the snow on my head4 ,i pressed the snow on my eyes1 but it did not lessen the pain in the least4 ,a cold sweat broke out all over me from the pain and cold1 and1 in trying to calm myself1 ,i found that my body was becoming benumbed by the frost4 ,i tried keeping my eyes shut1 and anointed them abundantly with the oil of cloves4 ,but slumber was far from me4 ,i rivetted my thoughts on ,buhism1 and was doing my best to keep down the pain1 when1 quite unexpectedly1 ,i was inspired with an uta1 which runs3 ,upon these plains of snow1 my bed is snow1 ,my pillow1 snow2 my food also the same2 ,and this my snowy journey1 full of pain4 ,the effusion soothed my heart1 and ,i felt more than ever thankful for the beauty of the ,japanese language4 ,the next day1 ,october #a1 #aijj1 at about six in the morning ,i decided to proceed on my journey4 ,the snow had ceased1 and the sun was shining brightly1 to the increased pain of my eyes4 ,i could not walk with my eyes shut2 and yet the pain of keeping them open1 however slightly1 was more than ,i could bear4 ,i was so overcome by it that ,i would from time to time fall down1 wherever ,i might be4 ,i had had no food for nearly four days1 and was so weak that the smallest stone lying in the snow would bring me down4 ,fortunately ,i sustained no injury1 owing to the softness of the snow and the lightness of my body4 ,there was a time1 however1 when ,i got quite exasperated by hunger1 the pain in my eyes1 and the weakness of my legs1 and sat down in the snow1 feeling that ,i was fated to die4 ,intellectually1 however1 death was far from my thoughts4 ,were there only some means of getting rid of my bodily pains1 ,i thought ,i could walk on and on1 and at last reach safety4 ,at this juncture a horseman put in an appearance far ahead4 ,i strained my eyes1 though with terrible pain1 and thus made out that it was a horseman4 ,i stood up at once and signalled him to approach4 ,i wished to shout but could not2 the effort seemed to choke me1 and it was only after enormous exertion that ,i squeezed out two feeble shouts and wildly gesticulated4 ,the horseman1 having apparently observed me1 galloped towards me1 to my great joy4 ,soon he was beside me1 asking me what ,i was doing in such a desert of snow1 and ,i told him with uncommon difficulty that ,i had been robbed of most of my baggage1 had lost what remained to me en route1 and had had nothing to eat for over three or four days4 ,he was a young man1 full of sympathy4 ,though he was provided with extra provisions1 he said1 he would give me only some sweetmeats1 made of cream and brown sugar1 a food which is esteemed as a rare delicacy in the northern steppes of ,tibet4 ,i swallowed down the food which he gave me so hurriedly that ,i did not even taste it4 ,i then enquired of him if ,i could not find a lodging hereabouts4 ,his reply was that he was a pilgrim1 and that his parents and others were staying beside the mountain ahead of us1 and that ,i should be able to obtain some accommodation there4 ,he therefore advised me to come to his tent1 and1 saying that he was in hurry1 galloped away in that direction4 ,the distance was only a little above two miles1 but ,i do not remember how often ,i stumbled and fell down1 and rested1 and ate snow1 before ,i reached the tent4 ,more than three hours were occupied on the journey1 and ,i did not reach the tent till past eleven o'clock1 when the young man came out to welcome me4 ,his parents congratulated me on my narrow escape from death1 and entertained me with the best sort of ,tibetan food1 which consisted of boiled rice covered with butter1 and accompanied by sugar and raisins4 ,i did not take much of the food1 for fear that the sudden repletion might injure me1 but ,i took a little milk after a very modest repast4 ,the pain in my eyes was no better4 ,there was no medicine1 and the best ,i could do was to cool them with snow4 ,in spite of the fine bed with which ,i was accommodated ,i could not sleep that night1 owing to the pain ,i felt in my eyes4 ,these people1 being pilgrims1 were intending to move on day by day4 ,the next morning1 therefore1 ,i also had to proceed on my journey4 ,but it was some time before they could start1 for they had to pull down the tents and pack them on the yaks4 ,i finished my tea therefore1 and went out of doors1 while they were busily engaged in packing their effects4 ,i had walked to the further end of a row of four or five tents1 when seven or eight ferocious ,tibetan dogs attacked me1 barking loudly4 ,handicapped as ,i was with the pain in my eyes1 ,i could not deal with these dogs so deftly as at other times4 ,at first1 ,i kept my eyes open and brandished my two sticks1 driving back the animals1 which attacked me from all sides4 ,but once ,i was obliged to close my eyes1 and immediately a dog behind me seized one of my sticks4 ,the next moment another dog fastened his teeth on my right leg1 and threw me down4 ,i uttered a feeble cry for help1 which brought several men on the scene1 and they drove away the dogs with stones4 ,but the blood flowed out abundantly from the wound1 which ,i held fast with my hands1 and ,i lay motionless until an aged dame brought me some medicine1 which she said was a marvellous cure for such wounds4 ,i dressed the wound with the medicine and bandaged it1 and attempted to rise1 but in vain4 ,it was impossible for me to stand up4 ,but as it was equally impossible that ,i should lie down there for ever1 ,i asked the people what they would advise me to do1 and if they did not know the whereabouts of ,alchu ,lama1 whom ,i thought to be in that vicinity4 ,they asked me if ,i was acquainted with ,alchu ,lama1 and1 on being answered in the affirmative1 one of them volunteered to carry me on his horse to the tent of ,alchu ,lama1 who he said1 being a physician1 would be able to cure me alike of the wound and of the eye-disease4 ,i rose with the support of the sticks1 one of which broke under me and had to be thrown away1 and mounted on the horse4 ,arriving at a place where there stood two tents1 ,i perceived that these tents were smaller than those of ,alchu ,lama4 ,though wondering at heart1 ,i alighted from the horse1 and enquired at one of the tents for the ,lama1 and ,i was informed that this was not the ,lama's tent1 but that of his wife's father4 ,i wanted to reach the ,lama's tents somehow1 and was speaking to that effect1 when the wife1 hearing my voice1 said that ,i was the revered ,lama who had made a pilgrimage to the snowy peak of ,tise1 and came out to see me4 8,where is your ,lama80 ,i asked4 8,he lives about two miles east of this place40 8,i wish to find him4 ,have you no one to take me to him80 8,i have nothing to do with the ,lama any more1 nor can ,i take you4 ,but if you want to go there1 ,i will direct the man who has brought you here to accompany you40 8,but why do you not yourself return to your own home80 8,oh1 there is no man so wicked as he2 ,i intend to leave him40 8,that is not good10 said ,i4 ,then we had a long talk1 and after ,i had been given a repast1 ,i rode to the ,lama's tent4 ,the ,lama being out1 ,i was received by his domestics4 ,when he returned home in the evening1 ,i related my adventures to him and asked him for some medicine4 ,he kindly dressed my wound with excellent drugs1 and gave me purgatives1 saying that it was necessary for me to purge my body in order to prevent the diffusion throughout my system of poison which some of the dogs injected by their bites4 ,he also said that ,i should stay with him for at least a week1 in order to recuperate4 ,thanks to his directions1 which ,i obeyed1 ,i was in a few days greatly relieved of the suffering both in my leg and eyes4 ,i had experienced enough of hardship1 and had very poor prospects of an easy life in the future4 ,but still there was a genuine pleasure in pushing on through hardships4 ,about that time ,i composed a poem3 ,all bitter hardships in this world of woe1 ,have ,i thus tasted now during this life2 ,none will be left for me to suffer more4 ,one day ,i asked the ,lama why he had sent his wife to her parents1 whereupon he explained the shortcomings of his wife4 ,both had their reasons1 and ,i could not say which was wrong4 ,but1 ,i said1 the man ought to have magnanimity and to console his wife1 so that it was advisable for the ,lama to send for his wife to come back4 ,i supported my advice by the doctrines of ,buhism1 and made him yield to my proposal4 ,he sent two of his men for his wife1 who1 after making some fuss1 returned to his tent the same evening4 ,the following day1 when ,i referred to the ,discourse on the ,five ,vices1 which is included in the ,gospel of the ,buha ,life ,eternal 7one of the three books of the ,jd ,sect1 but not found in the ,tibetan ,canon7 the ,lama expressed his desire to hear a lecture on it4 ,i consented to the request and expounded the discourse on the days following4 ,the sermon in question treats of all imaginable vices and sins devised by mankind1 arranging them into five classes and explaining them in the most appropriate manner4 ,during my lecture on this discourse the couple were so deeply moved to repentance for their sins that they wept and at times asked me to suspend the lecture4 ,as their repentance was sincere1 ,i congratulated them on their progress in virtue4 ,i stayed with them for some ten days1 and my bodily troubles were so much relieved that ,i was able to regale my eyes with the magnificent view of the snow and ice1 lit up by the serene moon-light4 ,this lovely scenery of nature caused me to think of my country1 and ,i had occasion to compose many utas1 two of which were as follows3 ,the spotless sky is bathed in light serene ,by that cold moon with her all-tranquil ray2 ,this pleasant scene fires me with memories sweet ,of that dear mother-land now far away4 ,here on these lonely steppes the grass is dry1 ,no reeds1 no autumn flowers show their smiles2 ,on high the moon shines on these wilds alone1 ,enhancing thus the loneliness profound4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,cold ,,moon ,,reflected ,,on ,,the ,,ice4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,the ,saint of the ,white ,cave revisited4 ,i spent some pleasant days here and was perfectly cured of my illness4 ,at the instance of ,alchu ,lama ,i decided to pay another visit to ,gelong ,rinpoche4 ,our party1 including the ,lama1 his wife1 myself and three domestics1 all on horseback1 and a horse which carried my baggage and our presents to the holy man of the ,white ,cave1 rode south at full speed1 covering a distance of thirteen miles in a short time4 ,it was before eleven when we reached the cave1 and we were ordered to wait for a time before we could see the priest4 ,at eleven those who had assembled at the cave1 about thirty in all1 held a service1 the illustrious priest officiating1 answering questions1 and receiving offerings4 ,when all were about to withdraw1 the ,lama detained me1 saying he had something to talk to me about4 ,alchu ,lama and his wife thereupon bade me farewell1 saying that ,i should take the road to ,lhasa1 and we parted1 ,i thanking them for their kindness4 ,i sat in front of the ,lama1 who was engaged in deep meditation1 the subject of which was not difficult to guess1 for when ,i was at the tent of ,alchu ,lama ,i had heard it stated that rumors were persistently disseminated to the effect that the ,lama who had made a pilgrimage to the snowy peak of ,tise 7this referred to me7 was not a ,chinaman1 though he pretended to be one1 but an ,englishman1 who was investigating the situation of affairs in ,tibet4 ,alchu ,lama added that the ignorance of the masses1 who would take such a true lover of ,buhism as myself for a spy1 was incorrigible4 ,such being the situation1 ,i thought the rumor must have reached the ears of the good man1 who was in consequence going to tell me something in reference to it4 ,presently the priest asked me a most matter-of-fact question3 what was my object in proceeding to ,lhasa1 in spite of the overwhelming hardships which beset me8 ,i answered that ,i had no other object than to save all beings by prosecuting my studies in ,buhism4 ,thus ,i tried to parry his matter-of-fact question with a metaphysical answer4 ,the ,lama at once said3 8,why do you want to save all beings80 8,only because they are suffering from all sorts of pains40 8,then you have all beings in view80 ,i retorted with an equally idealistic answer3 8,having no ,ego1 how can ,i have all beings in view80 ,the priest smiled1 and1 changing the subject of the conversation1 asked me if ,i had ever been troubled with love affairs4 ,in reply ,i said that though ,i had once greatly suffered in that connexion1 ,i was at present free from that torture1 and hoped to remain so4 ,then he at once turned to my adventure with the robbers1 asking me whether ,i had hated those robbers during the time ,i was with them1 and whether ,i had not cursed them after our parting1 for the purpose of revenging myself on them4 ,i replied that there was no use in hating them1 as they had robbed me because ,i deserved to be robbed4 ,i myself rather was hateful1 who had committed the sins which made me deserve the misfortune1 and ,i was glad that ,i could pay my debts4 ,such being my thoughts1 there was no use in invoking evil on their heads4 ,on the contrary1 ,i had prayed that on account of their having come across me1 they might become true men1 or saints1 in the next life if not in this4 ,the ,lama then said3 8,all your words are rightly said4 ,but you will probably meet with many such robbers on your way to ,lhasa4 ,they may even kill you4 ,then you will not be able to accomplish your object of saving all beings4 ,you had better give up your intention of proceeding to ,lhasa1 and betake yourself back to ,nepl4 ,there is a good road from ,lo to ,nepl4 ,you must go at once to ,lo4 ,if1 on the contrary1 you go to ,lhasa1 ,i believe you will certainly be killed on the way40 ,this he said suggestively1 and continued in a solemn tone3 8,in order to attain your object1 you may take any means4 ,your journey to ,lhasa is not your only object4 ,if you are sincere in saying that you want to save all beings1 you must leave for ,nepl60 ,i replied3 8,i cannot commit myself to such an equivocal argument1 and ,i fail to concur in your opinion that any means is justifiable by its end4 ,the ,gospel of the ,buha1 ,mighty ,sun1 has it that the means is the object1 meaning that the practice of honest means is identical with the attainment of an object4 ,the fact that ,i enter ,paradise is no more the attainment of the object of my life1 than is my arrival at ,lhasa4 ,the practice of honest means being the object itself1 ,i believe that at the moment when ,i adopt honest means1 ,i have attained my object40 8,then what route will you take in your journey and whither will you go80 8,as a matter of fact1 ,i shall take the mountain pass1 and steer my way to the capital of ,tibet40 8,that is curious1 that you should take the road exposed to fatal risks4 ,better return to ,nepl4 ,you say rash things4 ,i know your future fate1 and know that if you go on your way1 you will die60 ,his words were intimidating1 but ,i replied3 8,really8 ,but ,i do not know my death1 much less my birth4 ,what ,i know is only to do what is honest40 ,the ,lama meditated for a while in deep silence1 and then suddenly changed the conversation1 referring to the ,mai1 or the sealed book of ,tibet4 ,i omit here our dialogue on this subject1 as it is too technical for general readers4 ,we were so taken up with our religious talk that we were unconscious of the approach of the evening4 ,the ,lama's suspicions were largely allayed1 and he said that he wondered how the people of the neighborhood were able to invent such rumors1 and that ,i was a true seeker after ,buhism4 ,he was sincerely delighted with me and1 saying that money and provisions were my first necessaries1 gave me twenty tankas of ,tibetan silver1 a lump of tea1 a big bag of baked flour1 a copper pan1 and other articles required by travellers4 ,the whole of the presents were valued at perhaps sixty tankas1 or fifteen yen in ,japanese currency4 ,i asked him to reduce the amount of the presents1 for ,i could not easily carry so much4 ,he said there was no need for my being troubled about that2 for all along my way farther on ,i should everywhere find his disciples1 who when they saw the travelling bag1 would remember their master and carry the baggage for me4 ,so ,i accepted the presents and retired1 but not before he had promised to invest me the next morning with the mysterious power of the ,mai1 for which ,i thanked him sincerely4 ,during that night1 ,i decided to take the highway to ,lhasa1 for1 ,i thought the mountain pass was full of the ,lama's disciples1 who1 in spite of their master1 would cast suspicious eyes on me1 and ,i concluded1 that if the highway was a little longer than the bye-way1 it was much safer4 ,the following morning ,i was initiated in the mysteries of ,mai1 and about noon the following day ,i left the ,lama ,gelong's cave4 ,for about five miles ,i descended the hill1 carrying my baggage on my back1 and it was pretty heavy4 ,then ,i proceeded north1 with the object of reaching the highway and not as directed by the ,lama1 and when ,i had walked another five miles1 ,i saw two tents and a man1 apparently a wealthy grazier1 coming out from one of them and cordially greeting me4 ,i was rather surprised1 for ,i knew ,i had no acquaintances in that neighborhood and ,i did not know his face4 ,i felt a little embarrassed1 but ,i followed him into his tent1 where ,i was met by ,alchu ,lama4 ,he had stayed the previous evening at the tent1 and had told the man of our blessed religious talk of the other night4 ,the man1 in consequence1 had wished to receive my benediction4 ,being informed of these facts1 ,i did as he wished4 ,soon after ,i left the place1 accompanied by a man and two horses carrying my things4 ,i travelled eight miles east along the bank of the ,ngar ,tsang-gi-chu1 which ,i had crossed once on my way from the cave of the ,white ,cliff to the snowy peak of ,tise4 ,the same evening ,i arrived in a place on the riverside1 where the man who had accompanied me put down my baggage and took his leave4 ,during the evening1 ,i enquired about the best way to reach the high-road1 and was informed that ,i had to cross the ,brahmapura for a second time1 and that ,i needed a guide and a carrier in order to cross it4 ,so ,i engaged the men required4 ,the next morning ,i walked eastwards ten miles through a swampy plain1 and over a hilly pass which was five miles long1 and then crossed the ,brahmapura4 ,on the farther bank of the river ,i found a tent of miserable appearance1 kept by an old woman and her daughter1 whose business it was to watch yaks straying about4 ,i spent the following day in patching up my shirts4 ,on ,october #af1 ,i again walked over the swampy plain in an easterly direction4 ,the swampy plain in ,tibet is dotted about with pools of various depths in which grass is growing4 ,walking through the damp place for about ten miles1 ,i reached the ,na-u ,tsangbo1 a large river flowing from the northern steppes of ,tibet and into the ,brahmapura4 ,i had previously been informed of the place where ,i could cross the river1 but the water reached my breast1 and the current was rapid1 so that1 as ,i was carrying the heavy baggage on my back1 there were times when ,i thought ,i should be swept away by the river4 ,moreover the sandy mud which formed the river-bed sucked my feet deep down1 and made walking very difficult4 ,happily1 however1 ,i reached the opposite bank in safety4 ,proceeding a little farther1 ,i found a big tent1 where ,i was lodged that night4 ,my invariable question was about the way to the high-road4 ,the people there informed me that ten or twelve miles further to the north-east there was a post-town called ,toksum ,tazam1 which stood on the high-road4 ,the ,tibetan high-road over the steppes has post-towns at intervals of four or five days' journey from each other4 ,on this side of ,toksum ,tazam1 on the side nearer to the snowy peak of ,tise1 there is a post-town called ,satsan ,tazam4 ,from this place ,i was to travel along the highway1 and ,i should be able to locate my whereabouts exactly4 ,the following day ,i steered my way due east1 and not in the north-easterly direction1 which would have led me to ,toksum ,tazam1 for this route was1 ,i thought1 rather a round-about way to reach the high-road4 ,the next day1 the #aith ,october1 #aijj1 ,i again proceeded due east2 but ,i met with a serious accident1 which ,i must now describe4 ,,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,some easier days4 ,the plain was nothing but a swamp1 and ,i was obliged to wade across shallow streams alternating with mud flats4 ,at one place ,i came to a bog which1 when ,i tried it with my stick1 appeared to be very deep1 so that my only course was to select what seemed to be the narrowest part1 and to cross it as best ,i could4 ,the bog at this place was not more than four yards in width1 and did not look as if it could be deep1 as it was covered with fine sand at the bottom of some shallow water1 so ,i began at once to cross it by making a bold plunge4 ,but alas6 before ,i had gone two steps ,i had sunk deep into it1 and1 though ,i tried to save myself by means of my sticks1 ,i found myself momentarily sinking further and further into the mire4 ,i then took the bundles ,i was carrying one by one off my shoulders1 and threw them on to the other side2 then ,i stripped off my clothes and threw them likewise1 leaving myself exposed to the icy wind4 ,then ,i commenced with the aid of my sticks to balance myself across the bog with as much care and as gingerly as though ,i had been balancing myself on a tight rope in my younger days4 ,as soon as ,i got my body back into a vertical position 7for ,i had fallen almost flat upon my face71 ,i laid the shorter of my sticks horizontally across the mud so as to give a resting place for my feet1 and then with the aid of the longer stick raised myself slowly until ,i got both my feet upon it4 ,then ,i slowly moved my feet along the top of the horizontal stick1 and thus1 thanks to the lightness of my body1 which had been freed from all encumbrances1 ,i managed in a few minutes to reach terra firma4 ,illustration3 ,,fallen ,,into ,a ,,muddy ,,swamp ,i was shivering with cold when ,i got there1 but ,i was exceedingly proud of my acrobatic feat1 and1 wringing out my wet clothes as best ,i could1 put them on again and made my way to a tent which ,i saw near the high-road1 where ,i fortunately found some pilgrims who gave me hospitality for the night4 ,the word 8high-road0 suggests to the mind the idea of a macadamised thoroughfare1 but that is not what the traveller finds in ,tibet4 ,the high-road was nothing more than a beaten track1 along which men and beasts trod their way as best they could4 ,in fact anything is called a high-way in ,tibet1 if it is frequented by travellers1 free from grass1 and not too stony4 ,in desert places1 where there is no grass to be worn off1 there are no high-roads1 except in the immediate environs of ,lhasa4 ,it would be a mistake to suppose that carriages could be used on the high-road2 there is no road in ,tibet capable of being used by either carriage or jinriksha4 ,when some years ago the ,rj of ,nepl presented the ,dalai ,lama with a carriage of ,european make1 to be drawn by four horses1 many of the ,dalai ,lama's advisers recommended him to return the gift1 as one which could not possibly be used in ,tibet4 ,another opinion1 however1 prevailed3 it was urged that the carriage had been brought from a great distance and could not well be returned without impoliteness1 and it was therefore placed as a curiosity in the ,palace at ,lhasa1 where it can be seen to this day4 ,this was about four years ago4 ,bad roads are universal in ,tibet1 except around ,lhasa and ,shigatze1 the most advanced cities in the country4 ,still1 bad as it was1 ,i was glad to be once more on the high-road1 where there were no fortresses for the molestation of travellers1 and by which ,i might reasonably hope to reach ,lhasa in due time4 ,one day1 after a long stretch of desert travelling1 ,i reached a tent which was also a grog-shop--a somewhat strange oasis in the midst of a desert4 ,but it became intelligible when ,i found that a large fair of salt1 wool1 and cattle had recently been held in this locality and that the grog-shop had been opened in connexion with the fair by a man from ,mondan in the province of ,lo4 ,the liquor sold was a kind of beer made from barley1 and the grog-shop was to remain here for about another month4 ,i reached the tent about dusk1 and was delighted to find myself amongst friends1 for ,i had made the acquaintance of the landlady sometime before at ,tsarang4 ,the old dame was delighted to see me4 ,she had been wondering what had become of me and was very glad that fortune had guided my steps to her tent4 ,she was anxious to know if ,i were going to return to ,tsarang1 to which ,i gave an evasive answer1 and she gave me such a kind reception that ,i should have hesitated to accept it from any but herself4 ,the next day ,i travelled over twelve miles to the south-east1 with one of the old lady's servants to guide me and a yak to carry my luggage4 ,at the end of the journey we reached the house of a man named ,gyal ,bum1 to whom the dame introduced me as a venerable ,lama1 desirous of hospitality4 ,gyal ,bum is the second man in the province of ,bomba1 and possesses two thousand yaks1 five thousand sheep1 and an enormous amount of wealth4 ,one of his tents was ninety yards square and had a stone chapel annexed4 ,there were two other tents1 one of ordinary size1 the other very small and fitted up like a tea-house4 ,the bottom edge of the canvas of the large tent was turned inwards1 and on it were placed large quantities of goods1 which served as weights to secure the tent4 ,the goods were all concealed under ,tibetan blankets1 and were mostly butter1 barley1 wheat1 wool1 and the like4 ,it was in this tent that ,i stayed4 ,gyal ,bum was about seventy-five years old1 and his wife over eighty and blind4 ,they had no children1 and the ,tibetan law does not permit the adoption of a child from another family4 ,should a man die without children1 his nearest relative1 as a general but not universal rule1 becomes his heir4 ,the old couple asked me many questions about ,buhism1 which ,i answered as kindly as ,i could4 ,they thought the teaching was excellent1 and as they had now no hopes except in a future life1 they asked me to conduct a benedictory service for them during their life-time--a request to which ,i gave consent the more readily1 because ,i was much fatigued and wished to recuperate4 ,the old gentleman pressed me1 indeed1 to make a long stay of a year or more with him1 but this ,i declined1 as ,i feared running any risks in view of the many wild rumors about me that were being circulated throughout the ,lo province4 ,furthermore ,i was afraid that1 however warmly ,i might be clad1 ,i should be unable to endure the severe rigors of a winter in those regions1 for ,i had already been obliged to borrow two fur coats from my host1 and still felt so cold that ,i was sure ,i could not winter in the tent4 ,i was obliged therefore to resist his importunities4 ,one incident will show that my anxieties about my health were not groundless4 ,one day while walking ,i felt a lump in my throat1 which ,i brought up and found to be a clot of blood1 and the bleeding1 having once begun1 went on with such persistence that ,i began to fear consumption4 ,i was much alarmed1 as may be imagined1 but the excellent precepts of my religion enabled me to keep calm1 and the more keenly ,i felt the pain of the bleeding1 the more ,i kept myself under control4 ,i sat down on the grass and stopped my respiration1 as though for a meditation1 and was glad to find that the bleeding soon ceased1 though not before ,i had brought up quite a pool of blood4 ,when ,i got home1 my pale face quite alarmed my host1 and when ,i told him what had happened1 he said that the rarity of the atmosphere 7he did not call it #8rarity1' for of that he knew nothing7 often had a similar effect upon ,chinese visitors4 ,he fortunately knew of a very good remedy1 which he applied with great success1 and thus relieved me of my fears of a supposed consumption4 ,three days later ,i again brought up blood1 though in a decreased quantity1 and the old gentleman told me that after two such vomitings ,i should never be similarly troubled again4 ,he was quite right2 henceforth ,i was free from these attacks1 even at ,lhasa4 ,the place ,bomba is #ae1jjj feet above the sea-level2 ,lhasa is only #ab1jjj1 and no one spits blood on account of the rarity of the atmosphere at this latter place4 ,my host kindly fed me up with milk and other nourishing food1 and when1 a week later1 ,i took my departure1 he presented me with the fur of an animal called yi1 which he said was the only thing that would do me any good4 ,the yi is a sort of cat that lives in the snow4 ,it is somewhat larger than an ordinary cat1 and its fur is much valued in ,tibet4 ,my host's present was a tippet of yi fur1 covering the shoulders1 and ,i learned afterwards that such a tippet would cost twenty-five yen when new1 and ten yen for an old one4 ,he also gave me a quantity of butter and ten tankas of coin1 and sent his servant with a horse to put me well on my journey4 ,thus ,i travelled some ten ,japanese miles and reached the house of one ,ajo-pu1 a village headman1 where ,i lodged4 ,i was very thankful that ,i had stayed with ,gyal ,bum1 for had ,i spat blood on the journey ,i should have died4 ,i left ,ajo-pu's house on the #bith ,october1 #aijj1 and after going ten ri to the south-east1 down a descent1 reached the banks of the ,brahmapura1 which was already covered with ice and glittering in the dazzling sun4 ,i had not originally intended to go by this way1 but by the high-road1 which would have taken me more to the east but ,ajo-pu had told me that at this season ,i should find no herdsmen along the high-road until ,i reached ,tadun-,tazam1 while by the other road ,i should come across them frequently4 ,sure enough1 ,i found a tent on the banks of the ,brahmapura1 and was hospitably received by its kind owner1 a man of the name of ,gyal-po4 ,he told me that he was starting the next day along the same route that ,i was taking1 and offered to take my baggage on one of his yaks4 ,i was glad to be thus relieved of my burden1 and the next morning we all set off towards the south-east along the river4 ,it was a sandy swampy country1 and after some four ri 7ten miles7 we came to a plain of soft white sand which was very tiring to the feet1 so that ,i thankfully accepted ,gyal-po's offer of a bare-backed horse4 ,i am not a good horseman1 but ,i trotted on bravely for a while1 till the pain in my hip-bone became unbearable4 ,then ,i changed my position and rode sideways1 like a lady1 but then my legs began to hurt me1 so ,i jumped off at last and resumed my journey on foot4 ,it was very hard walking1 but ,i consoled myself with thinking that1 at any rate1 ,i had no luggage to carry1 and so after a weary walk of five miles ,i came to a narrow caon through which the river flowed4 ,through this defile we went1 threading our way among the numerous rocks1 until at last we came to a place where three great rocks1 in shape like a man's clenched fist1 blocked the valley4 ,here the river made a sharp turn to the south1 while our road lay through a valley to the south-east2 so we bid adieu to the ,brahmapura4 ,presently we crossed a big mountain and came out on an extensive plain4 ,we had travelled nearly twenty miles that day1 and near the close of it ,i separated from ,gyal-po's party4 ,i was told that evening that there was another river for me to cross before ,i got to ,tadun-,tazam1 and that as it was full of perils ,i must hire a guide4 ,this ,i did1 and the next day1 after walking for fifteen miles towards the south-east1 arrived about ten o'clock at a river a hundred and twenty yards wide1 which was still covered with ice4 ,the guide was afraid that the ice1 which was not thick enough to bear us1 would cut our legs if we attempted to wade through it1 and on his advice we waited for the sun to melt it a little4 ,we therefore took our lunch1 and at last about noon broke the ice and began to wade across4 ,the ice cut our legs in several places1 and our feet were quite benumbed with cold by the time we had got across2 but we walked on for another eighteen miles1 and then stopped for the night in a little tent4 ,the next day1 ,november #a1 ,i started at nine o'clock and walked till a little past noon1 when we crossed another icy rivulet4 ,twelve miles more brought us to ,tadun1 the most famous temple in northern ,tibet4 ,tadun means the #8seven hairs1' and the tradition is that the hair of seven ,buhas are interred here4 ,the temple stands on the summit of a hill1 and in its enclosure is a revenue office4 ,it is in fact not a temple but a town 7,tazam71 one of the most populous and wealthy in northern ,tibet4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,war ,against ,suspicion4 ,i spent the whole of ,november #bnd1 #aijj1 at the temple seeing its treasures and images4 ,the place was just sixty miles north of ,tsarang in the province of ,lo in the ,himlayas1 and was frequented by merchants from the latter4 ,i did not know this fact1 and after ,i had seen the treasures ,i was walking round the temple1 when to my astonishment ,i was accosted by an old acquaintance4 ,he was a notorious drunkard and gambler1 feared even by the natives of the ,himlayas4 ,while ,i was in ,lo he used to accuse me of being a ,british spy4 ,when1 however1 a member of his family became sick ,i gave him medicines1 and this act of kindness of mine softened down his bitterness against me1 though it was evident that he intended to take the first opportunity to quarrel with me4 ,on the present occasion it was clear that should ,i take no notice of him4 ,he would denounce me to the ,tibetan ,government and obstruct the execution of my object2 so ,i decided upon a plan of campaign4 ,approaching him with a smile1 ,i said ,i was delighted to see an old acquaintance4 ,i was myself a teetotaller1 ,i added1 but ,i had heard it stated that the place had very good liquor4 ,i would treat him to the best to be obtained in the place if he did not object to coming to my room4 ,he accepted my invitation at once4 ,ordering my landlord to bring a large quantity of the best liquor ,i plied him with drink until four in the morning4 ,i did not take anything myself1 but made believe to be drunk4 ,after many glasses ,i got him dead drunk1 and he fell asleep4 ,i also pretended to sleep4 ,but as soon as the landlord awoke at about half past five1 ,i also rose and told him that the man lying there was a dear friend of mine1 and that ,i would have him treated with the best liquor whenever he awoke1 and that he was never to let him go out of the house4 ,if he should ask for my whereabouts1 he was to be told that ,i had gone towards ,tsarang4 ,with these orders ,i paid my bills1 tipped the landlord liberally1 and set out on my journey at six o'clock4 ,i did not of course go towards ,tsarang1 but took the highway running to ,lhasa4 ,yet my fears were not quite pacified1 for the man ,i had to deal with was noted for his shrewdness even among the ,himlayans4 ,he would not only doubt the words of the landlord1 but would suspect my reasons for plying him with liquor1 and would inform the ,tibetan revenue officials of my escape towards ,lhasa4 ,in the event of the mounted officials giving chase to me1 it would be all in vain for me to walk as ,i was doing4 ,what ,i wished with all my heart1 even at the cost of all my money1 was to get a horse or to hire a man to carry my luggage4 ,but the plain being absolutely deserted1 my desire was in vain4 ,i was hastening along the highway to the south-east1 when a large body of horsemen came galloping up from behind4 ,it was a caravan of eighty or ninety horses and sixteen men4 ,i stopped one of them1 and asked him to tie my luggage on to one of the horses1 for which trouble ,i would pay1 and to allow me to run behind them4 ,the man was a servant1 and could not give me any definite answer4 ,i approached another man1 who seemed to be the master and brought up the rear1 with a similar petition4 ,he said that he was not able to comply with my request for the present4 ,but as the party was stopping that night in a valley between the two hills which were visible ahead1 he advised me to push on1 hard though the work might be1 and wait there till some arrangements could be made4 ,i took his advice and summoned up all my courage to reach those hills4 ,at eight o'clock ,i reached the mountain slope and found two big white tents4 ,the chief and second chief of the caravan seemed to be ,lamas1 the caravan itself having a religious appearance4 ,they offered me tea and meat1 but ,i said ,i did not eat any meat and gave my reasons for not doing so4 ,the ,lama was apparently interested by my explanation1 and asked me where ,i had come from4 ,i said ,i was a ,chinese priest4 ,the ,lama thereupon spoke to me in ,chinese1 which he seemed to understand a little4 ,i told him that his ,chinese was the ,pekin dialect1 which ,i could not understand1 and so our conversation was held in ,tibetan4 ,he then produced some ,chinese characters and made me read and explain them1 and until ,i had satisfied him in this connexion he did not believe in my being a ,chinaman4 ,i learned then that he was the ,lama of a temple called ,lhuntubu-ch-ten in the province of ,luto on the north-western frontier of ,tibet1 near to ,ladak on the eastern border of ,kashmr4 ,the first ,lama was named ,lobsang ,gendun1 and the second ,lobsang ,yanbel4 ,the man who advised me to go there was the ,tsongbon1 or chief of the caravan1 and acted as the business manager for these ,lamas4 ,the rest of the party were either monks or servants4 ,they carried dried pears1 raisins1 silk1 woollen goods and other products of ,kashmr to ,lhasa1 whence they brought home tea1 ,buhist pictures and images4 ,they were a very good company1 and a very convenient one for me1 if ,i could get them to carry my luggage through this vast pastoral plain of ,jangthang2 but ,i did not wish them to accompany me as far as ,lhasa4 ,the ,lama interrogated me as to the kind of ,buhism ,i had learned and the things ,i knew1 and put before me many questions about ,tibetan ,buhism4 ,happily1 as ,i have already stated1 ,i had been fully instructed in ,tibetan ,buhism while at ,tsarang by ,dr4 ,gyaltsan1 and had studied the grammar with special care2 so that not only was ,i able to answer the questions quite easily1 but ,i could explain many things on the subject that these ,lamas did not know4 ,he was greatly surprised1 and asked me hundreds of questions in grammar1 which he seemed to have been studying1 though without any insight4 ,without the help of scientific analysis1 which seems impossible for persons in these countries1 one cannot fully understand the grammar4 ,as ,i proceeded with the explanation of the subject1 he proposed that ,i should accompany the party1 and said that they rode until two o'clock in the afternoon every day1 but that after that hour they always had plenty of leisure1 during which he wished to learn grammar4 ,moreover1 he offered to pay me suitable fees and give me food during the journey1 if ,i would consent to his request4 ,this was just what ,i was longing for2 even if he paid me no fee1 ,i should have been glad to comply with his wish4 ,when ,i awoke at four the next morning the party were making tea on a fire of dry yak dung4 ,presently everybody was up1 and seven or eight men went out to collect the mules and horses1 which had been left during the night to find pasture for themselves4 ,these animals often wander over the mountains1 and it will take at least one hour to bring them back1 and at times three hours4 ,but these horses did not try to get away from the men who went to fetch them1 for they knew that they would be well fed with beans as soon as they reached the tents and before being loaded4 ,the meal served to the caravan consisted chiefly of the flesh of sheep1 yaks and goats1 and occasionally pork4 ,the grooms had thus to catch and feed the horses1 strike the tents1 load them on the horses1 harness the horses for their own use1 and drive up their own especial charges4 ,my companions were sixteen in number1 fifteen of whom rode1 and one walked4 ,the latter was going to ,lhasa for the purpose of prosecuting his studies1 and was in company with the caravan simply for the reason that they came from the same province4 ,he and ,i1 being pedestrians1 took tea before the caravan packed its effects1 and left the place in a south-easterly direction4 ,my walking companion was a pedantic scholar4 ,he had a very high opinion of himself1 but he knew nothing of the essential principles of ,buhism1 nor did he recognise the existence of any sectional differences4 ,it seemed as if he had only a vague notion of the doctrines4 ,i was glad to have his company1 such as it was1 but he vexed me greatly by his evident animosity towards me1 which unfortunately grew more violent as time progressed4 ,the cause of this animosity was1 as ,i learned afterwards1 the fact that ,i had explained on a previous evening the ,tibetan grammar1 which1 scholar though he was1 was all untrodden ground to him4 ,he was of opinion that the knowledge of grammar1 unaccompanied by that of true ,buhism1 was a worthless acquisition1 which only fools would take the trouble to make4 ,as his manner disclosed his jealousy1 ,i treated him with circumspection4 ,on that day we passed over a large hill and spent the night at a swampy place1 after having walked nearly twenty miles in all4 ,a lecture on grammar was again given1 by request4 ,on the #eth1 ,i again walked in company with the pedantic monk4 ,after we had arrived at ,lhasa he fell into a destitute condition1 and ,i1 being then in happier circumstances1 did all ,i could to help him4 ,but this occurred long afterwards4 ,during the journey1 after some interesting conversation was held in connexion with religious questions1 the monk applied himself to the work of systematically investigating my personality4 ,apparently he suspected that ,i was an ,englishman1 or at least a ,european1 on account of my complexion1 and his suspicion speedily grew into conviction4 ,but as his questions did not soar above what ,i had expected1 ,i was able to reply in a manner which dissipated his doubts4 ,after we had traversed the desert for five miles1 we again reached the ,brahmapura1 and a thaw having set in at that time1 we found the water was flowing on smoothly4 ,the clashing sound of the blocks of ice was inspiriting1 and the sun was beautifully reflected on the surface of the river4 ,we walked eastward along the bank for about seven miles1 and then1 leaving the river1 walked in a north-easterly direction by an up-hill road along the ,brahmapura for another seven miles4 ,then we crossed the river on horseback4 ,a post-town called ,niuk-,tazam stood a little to the north on the river bank1 but we did not visit it4 ,we travelled two miles and a half in an easterly direction and encamped on the slope of a hill4 ,that day ,i walked about twenty three miles4 ,until we had come to the neighborhood of a town called ,lharche the caravan which ,i accompanied avoided stopping in towns1 for the grass on which their horses fed was not to be found abundantly in such places4 ,that night ,i felt for the first time safe from the man whom ,i had left behind at ,tadun1 which was now sixty-five miles off4 ,i felt that it had been most fortunate that he had not awaked from his drunken sleep until it was too late for him to inform the authorities of my presence1 for if he had had the least suspicion of my escape1 he would not have missed the opportunity for making money1 enough to enable him to indulge himself in a good bout of drinking4 ,the usual lessons in the ,tibetan grammar and ,buhism over1 the suspicious monk1 who posed for a learned scholar1 suddenly addressed me1 saying that having been in ,india1 ,i must have seen ,sara ,chanra s1 who explored ,tibet4 ,i replied that ,i did not know him1 even by name4 ,there were three hundred millions of people in ,india1 and however famous a man might be1 he must always be unknown to some4 ,there was a great difference between ,india and ,tibet1 and ,i asked to hear something about the man the monk referred to4 ,the monk then narrated how ,sara ,chanra s1 twenty-three years ago1 had cheated the ,tibetan authorities with a passport2 how he had robbed ,tibet of her ,buhism1 with which he had returned to ,india2 how on the discovery of the affair1 the greatest scholar and sage in ,tibet1 ,sengchen ,dorjechan1 had been executed1 not to mention many other priests and laymen who were put to death and many others whose property was confiscated4 ,after this the monk added that as ,sara ,chanra s was a renowned personage in ,india1 it was impossible for me not to be acquainted with him4 ,probably ,i pretended not to know him4 ,these words were spoken in a most unpleasant manner1 but ,i put him off with a smile1 saying that ,i had never seen the face of the ,queen of ,england1 who was so renowned1 and that such a big country as ,india made such investigations hopeless4 ,the stories about ,sara ,chanra s are quite well known in ,tibet1 even children being familiar with them2 but there are few who know him by his real name1 for he goes by the appellation of the #8school bb' 7school-master74 ,the story of the ,tibetans who smuggled a foreigner into ,tibet and were killed1 and of those who concealed the fact from the ,government and forfeited their property1 are tales that ,tibetan parents everywhere tell to their children4 ,owing to the discovery of the adventures of ,sara ,chanra s1 all the ,tibetans have become as suspicious as detectives1 and exercise the greatest vigilance towards foreigners4 ,i was fully acquainted with these facts1 so that ,i too exercised great caution even in dropping a single word1 however innocent and empty that word might be4 ,but the ,tibetans were very cunning questioners2 and the monk was one of the most cunning4 ,when ,i tried to laugh away his questions1 he put other queries on every imaginable point4 ,other ,tibetans who were equally suspicious joined him in harassing me4 ,i felt for the moment just as though ,i were besieged by an overwhelming force of the enemy4 ,i thought myself in danger1 and with the view of changing the subject of the conversation ,i turned the tables on them by asking them which they revered more1 the ,buha or ,lobon ,rinpoche1 the founder of the old religion of ,tibet4 ,there is a saying in ,tibet3 8,padma ,chungne is superior to ,buha10 ,padma ,chungne meaning 8born from the ,lotus10 the founder of ,lamaism4 ,this question is an old one1 and one about which ,tibetans are never tired of disputing1 so when this subject was introduced a most violent debate was started1 and no one questioned me any more about my personality4 ,but the incident was sufficient to put me on my guard4 ,the ,mongols have a saying 8,semnak ,poepa10 meaning 8black-hearted ,tibetans40 ,tibetans are extremely inquisitive1 and one of their characteristics is to conceal their anger behind a smile1 and to bide their time for vengeance4 ,the word1 #8,poepa' means ,tibetans1 and they call their own country #8,poe'4 ,they do not know that their country is called ,tibet4 #8,poe' means in ,tibetan #8to summon'4 ,the founders of that country1 according to the tradition1 were a man of the name of ,te-u ,tonmar 7red-faced monkey7 and a woman named ,tak ,shimmo 7stone she-devil74 ,the former was the incarnate ,god of ,mercy1 and the latter the incarnate ,yogini1 who induced ,te-u ,tonmar to be her husband4 ,to them were born six sons1 whom they summoned into being1 respectively1 from the six quarters of the universe3 namely3 ,hell1 ,hunger1 ,animalism1 ,asura 7fighting demon71 ,humanity and ,heaven4 ,thus the ,tibetans called their country #8the summoned' or #8,poe'4 ,this tradition was perhaps fabricated by some inventive ,lama1 for the purpose of connecting ,tibetan religion with ,buhism4 ,but it is a tradition which is believed by the natives4 ,the ,hins do not call this country by the name of ,tibet4 ,they call it ,boha1 one of the meanings of which is #8knowing' or #8idea'4 ,it is not known how they came to call ,tibet ,boha1 but according to their scholars ,poe is a contraction of ,boha4 ,the ,hins have another name for ,tibet1 namely1 the country of #8,hungry ,devils'4 ,this is clear even from the fact that ,paldan ,asha invented1 as ,i have already mentioned1 the name of ,preapur 7town of hungry devils74 ,tibet has many other names which deserve study1 but which are too peculiar to be expounded4 ,at all events the #8pa' of ,poepa means men1 so that ,poepa means the ,tibetans4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvii4 ,across the ,steppes4 ,on ,november #fth1 #aijj1 we took our way to the south-east1 and marched up and down several rolling hills1 till after walking more than twenty miles we reached the foot of a great snow-covered peak and lodged there4 ,on the #gth we again climbed up and down the spurs of the ,himlayas for a distance of over five miles1 and arrived at the ,chaksam ,tsangbo 7river of the iron bridge74 ,it was no fine suspension bridge1 but an iron rope1 fastened to the rocks on either side1 by which travellers crossed the river hand over hand1 and which gave the river its name4 ,for ,i heard that there is in the vicinity of ,lhasa another iron bridge1 which consists of two iron chains1 by means of which one can very comfortably pass over the river4 ,the bridge over the ,chaksam does not now exist2 but the name of the river of the iron bridge seems to have been derived from the fact that it was crossed by one of these iron ropes1 though which kind it was is more than ,i can say4 ,the river had a tremendously rapid current1 thickly strewn with blocks of ice2 but ,i easily crossed it on my horse4 ,then we had to travel through a plain between the hills1 which were generally bare and devoid of vegetation except when there was a swamp where grasses were seen growing4 ,the scene was exceedingly dismal1 and there was nothing to relieve the eye4 ,we went on for some four miles1 and came to a rivulet1 and at the end of another four miles arrived at a castle called ,sakka ,zong4 ,we lodged beside a swamp on the west of the castle1 which stands upon the summit of a hill4 ,the style of its architecture differs not much from that of a temple1 though it presents a certain martial aspect4 ,there were no regular troops stationed there4 ,when needed the people in that vicinity1 some two hundred in number1 take up arms4 ,i was told that the year before last a tribe on the northern plain had made an attack on this locality1 with the result that the latter lost twenty or thirty men and about two thousand yaks4 ,the trouble was still pending as a subject of litigation4 ,thus the castle seems to be a fortification against the attacks of roaming tribes1 though it also has a revenue office in it4 ,that day we travelled some fifteen miles1 and the evening was spent in my lecture on grammar1 as were many succeeding evenings4 ,the following day1 after we had travelled eight miles1 we passed the southern fort1 on a snow-clad mountain called ,chomo-,lhari4 ,then we travelled five miles more in a south-easterly direction1 and encamped for the night4 ,nothing occurred worthy of mention4 ,on the #ith we travelled for seventeen miles along the same lonely mountain-pass leading to the south-east1 and reached a valley in which we observed an exceedingly large animal ahead of us4 ,this strange beast resembled a yak1 though there was no doubt that it was not an ordinary yak4 ,on asking its name1 ,i was informed that it was what the ,tibetans called a dongyak 7wild yak74 ,its size was twice or three times that of the domesticated animal1 and it stood about seven feet high4 ,it was smaller than the elephant1 but its eyes looked dangerous4 ,its horns measured twenty-five inches in circumference and five feet in length4 ,these measurements were taken afterwards at ,lhasa1 where ,i saw the horns of a wild yak4 ,it is described as graminivorous2 when it becomes angry it will attack men or animals with its horns1 often inflicting fatal injuries4 ,its tongue is extremely rough and anything licked by the animal would be torn to pieces4 ,once ,i saw the dried and very large tongue of a young dongyak1 which was being used as a brush for horses4 ,illustration3 ,,meeting ,a ,,furious ,,wild ,,yak4 ,an honest fellow in the party asked me to prophesy1 by my art of divination1 whether that night was to be passed in safety or not4 ,i thought he was afraid of the dongyak1 but the truth was not so4 ,he pointed to a place a little below the slope1 and said that in the preceding year six merchants had been killed by robbers there4 ,he was therefore going to keep watch that night1 and wished to know whether robbers were coming4 ,in order to pacify him1 ,i said that nothing of the kind was going to take place that night4 ,but the features of the place were anything but agreeable1 as may be guessed from the fact that the dongyak was quite at home there4 ,the night was1 however1 spent without any accident4 ,the following day we travelled over the steppes for a distance of fifteen miles1 and again lodged near a swamp2 we always preferred swampy places for lodging1 on account of the abundant grass4 ,on the #aath we travelled again for fifteen miles1 and on the #abth crossed a steep pass called ,kur ,la1 seven miles in length1 and walked seventeen miles eastwards1 lodging again beside a swamp4 ,it was about that time that a change for the better came over the relations between the pedantic monk and myself4 ,proud as he was1 he seems to have thought that hostility could not be maintained without serious loss to himself1 as the majority of the party had come to entertain a sincere love for and confidence in me4 ,he approached me with a kindly face1 which could not be repelled2 whatever his motives may have been1 it would have been very ill-advised for me to quarrel with him1 so ,i reciprocated his kindness1 with the result that our relations became perfectly smooth1 and ,i was glad to get rid of the fear that he might inform the ,tibetan authorities of his suspicions about me4 ,the following day1 ,november #acth1 we passed over two long slopes1 and the night was spent at the foot of a steep and rugged mountain4 ,on the morrow we proceeded about seven and a half miles in a south-easterly direction1 along a river flowing between rocks4 ,a gentle slope of about twelve miles was then accomplished1 and the night was spent on the bank of the river4 ,on the #aeth we proceeded further to the south-east along the river-side route4 ,when five miles were covered1 we came out upon a plain1 which we crossed in an easterly direction4 ,a journey of about seven and a half miles over the plain brought us to a post-town called ,gyato ,tazam1 where ,i found a far greater number of stone buildings than at any other post-town ,i had visited en route4 ,i was informed that the inhabitants of the town numbered about four hundred1 representing sixty families4 ,the people differed much from the nomadic population found in the ,jangthang which we had visited before1 something of urbanity being visible in their manners4 ,while the nomads are so rude and vulgar that1 whenever they speak1 they speak bluntly1 without any regard to the persons addressed1 the inhabitants of ,gyato ,tazam have a more refined tone in their language1 though it is of course modified by the local dialect4 ,after making some purchases in the town1 we resumed our journey4 ,wending our way about five miles into a mountain region1 we reached the bank of a stream1 where we decided to pass the night4 ,being the middle of ,november it was pretty cold1 but fortunately my companions proved themselves so obliging that1 on our arrival there1 they went to the trouble of gathering a great mass of yak-dung1 which was burnt within the tent throughout the night4 ,as ,i gave them lectures on ,tibetan grammar1 the head priest of the party and a junior ,lama were very hospitable towards me and provided me with bedding1 so that ,i felt no cold at all4 ,the following day1 after proceeding a little less than fifteen miles over two long steep slopes1 we found ourselves on the edge of a plain4 ,we went about four miles further1 and found in the centre of the plain a temple standing upon two large pillar-like rocks1 which stood together and towered high into the sky4 ,as these rocks alone are #cfj yards high1 the entire height may well be imagined4 ,the temple is called the ,sesum ,gompa1 and belongs to one of the old schools of ,lamaism4 ,passing under the temple1 we proceeded further and reached a marsh lying to the east1 where we stopped for the night4 ,the following day we made a journey of about twenty miles through a mountain district situated to the south-east1 at the end of which journey we found ourselves at a post-town called ,sang ,sang ,tazam4 ,we did not take lodging in the town1 but encamped upon a plain in the eastern suburb1 where we made as big a fire as we could1 and yet felt pretty cold1 especially late at night4 ,we awoke in the morning to find ourselves completely frost-bound2 indeed ,i wondered1 at first sight1 if it had not snowed during the night4 ,thereupon ,i produced a short uta1 which may be rendered into ,english thus3 ,how beautiful ,it is to see grass dead1 but blooming yet ,with frost1 upon a high plateau4 ,,chapter ,,xxxviii4 ,holy ,texts in a ,slaughter-,house4 ,heading in a south-easterly direction as before1 we proceeded about four miles1 now over hills and then across moorland1 and arrived at the base of a mountain1 where there stood three buildings4 ,a strange sensation came over me when ,i saw dozens of sheep's hides dangling from the eaves of these buildings4 ,nor was that all4 ,they were also in the habit1 so ,i was told1 of butchering yaks on the premises4 ,it is the custom of the ,tibetans1 ,i was told1 to butcher cattle towards the latter part of autumn1 and dry the meat for preservation1 there being no fear of decomposition1 owing to the cold climate of the country4 ,the ,tibetans esteem this dried meat as quite a luxury1 and claim that it is the best food in the world4 ,not infrequently ,i heard people speak anxiously about their stocks of preserved meat in summer4 ,i was told that autumn was the best time for killing cattle1 because they yielded excellent meat after their feast upon the rich summer grass4 ,tibetans1 however1 dare not slaughter animals in their own villages1 or near their tents1 and the three buildings in question are used as a common slaughter-house by neighboring inhabitants4 ,generally the slaughter is not carried out on behalf of a single individual or family1 but of the whole village4 ,the beasts butchered on the day we visited the place included two hundred and fifty sheep and goats1 and thirty-five yaks4 ,of the latter1 fifteen were despatched after our arrival there4 ,they told me that the cries of the yak were very strange1 and invited me to witness the scene of the slaughter4 ,what cruelty6 how could ,i bear to see it8 ,desirous1 however1 of knowing something about the operations1 ,i stood and watched the spectacle4 ,sadly and slowly a yak was conducted into the yard1 two men pushing the animal on from behind4 ,as soon as the proper point was reached1 the legs of the poor creature were tied1 and tears were seen standing in its eyes1 as if it were conscious of its impending death as soon as it found itself in the pool of blood left by its companions4 ,the scene was indeed unbearable4 ,i wished ,i had money enough to redeem their lives1 but ,i could see no help for it4 ,just then a priest came in1 ,holy ,texts in hand1 and read them for the doomed animal1 on whose head the book and a rosary were placed4 ,the natives believe that this religious proceeding will enable the poor yak to enter into a new state of existence and also absolve the doer of the cruel deed from the evil consequences which might otherwise follow4 ,i hoped so1 too1 but even the ,holy ,texts read by the priest were now too much for my endurance4 ,a flood of tears came into my eyes1 and ,i could no longer stand the ghastly spectacle1 but ran indoors4 ,presently1 thump6 something fell outside the doors2 alas6 the poor creature was beheaded4 ,the natives handle a sharp knife so dexterously1 that a single blow with it is said to be sufficient to finish the deadly work4 ,the blood gushing forth from the body of the dead beast was received in a pail1 and afterwards boiled down into a kind of food said to be very delicious4 ,when desirous to obtain this food1 the ,tibetans often draw blood even from the bodies of living yaks2 this is done by means of a gash made in the neck of the poor beast1 wide enough to cause a flow of the blood1 but not to kill it4 ,the blood taken in this way is said to yield much less delicious food than that obtained from the slaughtered animal4 ,i then thought that the scene was the very extreme of cruelty1 but afterwards found that ,i had been miserably mistaken1 for ,i observed during my subsequent residence at ,lhasa that more than fifty thousand sheep1 goats and yaks were slaughtered there during the three months ending in ,december every year4 ,but to return to my itinerary4 ,leaving the scene of this tragedy1 we had to proceed up a very steep slope about nine miles long1 and then down another1 seven and a half miles long4 ,at the end of the latter distance we found a river1 on the banks of which we passed the night4 ,the next day1 ,november #aith1 we skirted the base of a mountain 7upon which there stood a big temple of the ,old ,school1 called the ,tasang ,gompa7 until we reached the bank of a river where we encamped for the night4 ,on the #bjth we made a journey of five miles1 again in a mountain region1 at the end of which we found ourselves at a village called ,larung1 which was situated on the western shore of a lake bearing the name of ,manuyui ,tso4 ,it was about twelve miles in circumference1 and appeared to be very deep4 ,for the first time during my journey1 ,i observed in this village patches of wheat-fields1 dotted with cottages4 ,,chapter ,,xxxix4 ,the ,third ,metropolis of ,tibet4 ,owing to the cold season ,i could not observe the condition of the wheat actually growing in the fields1 but ,i learned at the above village that in that locality the wheat crop was considered ordinary when it was at the rate of two bushels from two pecks of seeds1 and unusually abundant when the rate reached three bushels4 ,in the neighborhood of ,lhasa four or five bushels are obtained from two pecks of seeds1 if the weather proves favorable1 but three bushels are passed as fair4 ,this testifies to the primitiveness of the methods of farming obtaining in ,tibet4 ,one cannot but be surprised at the ill-kept condition of the fields which1 with their #8rich' deposits of pebbles1 cannot be termed cultivated land in the proper sense of the word4 ,i do not mean to speak ill of the ,tibetans1 but this curious neglect of cleaning the land is a fact2 indeed1 it is a universal feature of the country4 ,i once suggested to a native farmer the advisability of removing the pebbles1 but the reply was simply that such practices were not endorsed by tradition4 ,tradition is to the ,tibetans a heavenly dictate1 and controls all social arrangements4 ,those residing in more civilised parts of the country1 however1 entertain somewhat more progressive ideas1 and have learned to utilise the products of modern ingenuity from the ,west4 ,the case is quite different with the mass of the people1 who are still laboring under a thousand and one forms of conservatism4 ,a very curious story1 in a way substantiating the foregoing statement1 was told me by a village padi whom ,i could hardly credit1 because of the apparent absurdity of his narrative4 ,the story1 which is given below1 was subsequently confirmed1 quite to my surprise1 by more than one citizen of ,lhasa4 ,in ,tibet1 as in other countries1 taxes are assessed on cultivated fields1 but1 as the ,tibetans are practically strangers to mathematics1 as stated in a preceding chapter1 a very curious and primitive method is adopted with regard to the land-measuring which forms the basis of the assessment4 ,the method consists in setting two yaks1 drawing a plough1 to work upon a given area1 the assessment being made according to the time taken in the tillage4 ,in other words1 the different plots of cultivated lands are classified as lands of half a day's tillage1 or a day's tillage1 and so on1 as the case may be1 and assessed accordingly4 ,after being entertained by the aforesaid scholar with many other interesting stories concerning the manners and customs of ,tibet1 as well as the conduct of native priests1 we left the village and1 proceeding for twelve miles along the edge of the lake mentioned above1 reached a spot where we passed the night4 ,on ,november #bast we struggled on our way through a gorge extending over a distance of five miles1 till we found ourselves again on the edge of a big lake1 called ,nam ,tso ,goga4 ,it measured about twelve miles in circumference1 and its water was very pure4 ,proceeding along the northern bank of the lake1 we passed into a valley commonly called the ,senge ,rung1 or ,lions' ,vale4 ,this name must have been derived from the surrounding rocks1 which somewhat resemble the figure of the king of beasts4 ,after a journey of seven and a half miles through the vale1 we arrived at a village bearing the same name1 and then at another1 where we took lodgings4 ,we covered more than twenty-five miles that day1 this forced journey being due to the necessity of altering our travelling arrangements4 ,the fact was that1 while our previous journey was through ,jangthang1 so that it was necessary for us to stop early and graze our horses sufficiently1 we had now entered into a more peopled and cultivated part of the country1 where pastures were few1 so that we could not stop until we reached a village where we could secure sufficient fodder for our animals4 ,the fodder1 which in ,tibet usually consists of wheat and barley stalks and the stems of bean plants1 is generally purchased from inn-keepers4 ,the latter1 however1 extort such high prices1 that fodder enough to feed a horse during a night often costs the traveller full thirty sen1 though in some cases half that sum will be sufficient4 ,in addition1 beans and a solution of butter are sometimes given to horses1 so that the caravan trade in the interior of ,tibet is at once trying and expensive4 ,on ,november #bbnd we proceeded about twelve miles over a steep slope and across plains1 and arrived again on the northern bank of the ,brhmapura4 ,at this place the river was not quite as it was when we crossed it on our way4 ,it now appeared quite fathomless1 with its waters azure-blue1 though it was only about two hundred yards wide4 ,there was no hope of negotiating the stream on horseback1 and we were told that the river-bed would become much wider in summer4 ,there was1 however1 a ferry-boat service1 a rectangular flat-bottomed boat1 resembling those we see used for the purpose in ,india4 ,the boat had in the middle of her stern a figure representing the head of a serpent1 and had capacity enough to accommodate thirty or forty persons and twenty horses4 ,when we landed on the opposite bank of the river1 we found ourselves in the outskirts of ,lharche1 the city which is the third in importance in ,tibet4 ,once there1 we could fairly claim that we had gone far into the interior of the forbidden country1 for it is only five days' journey thence to ,shigatze1 the second ,tibetan city4 ,looking southward1 we could see a caravanserai erected by the ,chinese4 ,it is spacious but unfurnished1 no one being in charge of it4 ,it serves the double purpose of accommodating the ,chinese itinerant traders and the native soldiers on march4 ,we betook ourselves to the building for the night1 which proved a jolly as well as a noisy one4 ,it was thought very fortunate for us to have escaped from the dangers of robbers and wild beasts which infested the north-western regions1 and my companions decided to celebrate the successful journey to their hearts' content4 ,throughout the night they indulged themselves in a carouse1 which was enlivened by the attendance of several girls4 ,during the next day1 ,november #bcrd1 ,i was still staying with the rest of our party at the caravanserai1 but as ,i was to part company with them on the #bdth ,i read the gospel of ,hokekyo1 as a mark of appreciation of the kindness accorded to me by them throughout my journey with them4 ,when the date of my departure came1 the head ,lama gave me ten tankas as a reward for my lectures on ,tibetan grammar1 while the rest of the party also collected among themselves a certain sum of money which they presented to me4 ,a few of the party were to accompany me1 for the ,lama1 with the junior ,lama and a servant1 decided to go with me1 so that ,i was not alone on my road4 ,we then set out1 taking the road leading to the grand ,sakya monastery4 ,as for the men of the caravan1 they were to proceed to ,shigatze through ,puntso-ling by the highway4 ,besides kindly carrying my personal effects together with their own1 the senior ,lama and party offered me the use of one of their horses1 so that my trip with them was a very comfortable one4 ,we proceeded in a southerly direction1 and for a distance of five miles our way passed through wheat-fields1 the soil of which appeared to be very rich4 ,of all the districts in ,tibet1 ,lharche can supply barley1 wheat1 beans1 and butter at the lowest possible prices1 which testified to the position held by it with regard to agricultural products4 ,we then ascended a rapid slope for another five miles1 again traversed cultivated fields for about eleven miles1 going in a south-easterly direction1 and reached a hamlet called ,rendah4 ,the next day1 after we had proceeded along a river for some eighteen miles1 we saw before us the imposing monastery of ,sakya1 which was surrounded by high stone walls of about two hundred and twenty yards square1 twenty feet high and six feet thick4 ,all the structures were of stone1 painted white1 and the main edifice alone measured sixty feet in height1 two hundred feet from east to west1 and two hundred and forty feet from south to north4 ,over the walls1 which were bow-shaped1 rose a dark-colored castle1 crowned with ,saisho-doban 7the victorious ,standard of ,buhism71 and rodai 7the disc for the dew of nectar7 of dazzling gold4 ,the spectacle was sublime and impressive1 at least so far as outward appearances were concerned4 ,,chapter ,,xl4 ,the ,sakya ,monastery4 ,we lodged at a neighboring inn which placed a cicerone at our service1 and proceeded to pay a visit to the celebrated monastery4 ,going through the front gate and past several smaller buildings1 we arrived in front of the main edifice4 ,at first sight the interior of the latter appeared to be completely enclosed1 but a closer examination showed that light was let in through a courtyard4 ,entering the front hall1 seventy-eight feet by forty-two1 we saw standing on both sides statues of ,vajrapni1 each about twenty-five feet high1 one painted blue and the other red1 such as are seen on each side of the gate of every great ,japanese ,temple4 ,each image has its right leg a little bent and the left one put forward1 while the right hand is raised towards the sky and the left one vigorously stretched downward4 ,the workmanship seemed even to my lay eyes representative of ,tibetan art1 the muscles1 for instance1 being very excellently moulded4 ,there are also images of the four heavenly kings1 each thirty feet high1 standing on the right side4 ,again1 looking to the left1 we saw on the wall 7which was of stone over-laid with mud and then with some lime-like substance7 beautiful pictures of deities and saints1 which covered a space twenty-four feet by twenty-one4 ,there is no fissure visible in the pictured area1 in spite of its dimensions4 ,the structure as a whole is in good repair4 ,the front hall opens to an inner courtyard1 paved with stone1 thirty-six feet by thirty1 where the priests of the inferior orders gather to dine and to read the scriptures1 while the higher ,lamas have the privilege of living inside the building4 ,passing this courtyard we entered the main chamber 7which faces west7 where the images of ,buhist deities are placed4 ,there are two entrances to this chamber1 the southern one being open to the priests and the northern one to the visitors4 ,once inside1 we were lost in a sea of dazzling gold2 the splendor was simply beyond description4 ,the ceilings and pillars are all covered with gold brocade1 and the images1 more than three hundred in number1 are emblazoned with very fine gold4 ,in the centre of the room there stands a statue of ,shkyamuni ,buha1 thirty-five feet high1 which1 we were told1 is made of mud covered with gold4 ,in front of this image are placed seven water-trays1 some candle-sticks and a table for oblations1 all of pure gold1 with the exception of a few articles made of silver4 ,the disorderly manner in which the images are arranged1 however1 greatly detracts from the impression produced by their intrinsic merits4 ,the spectacle is a grand exhibition of ,buhist fine arts1 but put together without much order4 ,in short1 the chief feature of the chamber consists in its splendor1 but its effect is greatly impaired by the tasteless and excessive decorations4 ,at the rear of this chamber there is another1 sixty feet high and two hundred and forty feet wide1 which is full of valuable collections of ancient ,buhist manuscripts1 some written in gilded letters on dark blue-colored paper and others in ,samsk on the leaves of the fan palm tree 7,borassus flabelliformis74 ,many of these scriptures were brought all the way from ,india by the founder of the temple1 ,sakya ,pani1 and his successors1 who sent their priests to that country for the purpose4 ,with regard to the scriptures in the ,tibetan language1 ,i was told that they had a great number of them there1 and that they were all written1 not printed4 ,we left this chamber1 and while we were again looking round the main chamber ,i was struck with a strong and offensive smell which1 as my subsequent experiences taught me1 is a curious feature of every monastery in ,tibet4 ,i wondered how ,i had been insensible to such a stench up to that time4 ,where did it come from8 you may ask4 ,well6 in ,tibetan temples clarified butter is used in lighting the lamps offered to ,buha1 and the priests are so careless as to throw away upon the floor the residue of tea and butter1 which not only keeps the floor always wet but also putrefies4 ,this is why the chamber is filled with such a sickening odor4 ,strangely enough1 ,tibetans regard this smell as a sweet one1 but ,i declare myself emphatically to the contrary4 ,on both sides of the main chamber we found two more chambers where different figures were also kept4 ,of these images1 the one which especially attracted my attention was that of ,padma ,chungne1 the founder of the old school of ,lamaism1 for it is made entirely of precious stones4 ,the surrounding walls and the floor are also inlaid with gems1 which are amazingly beautiful4 ,outside the main edifice there are several dormitories where some five hundred men of the order live4 ,then standing to the south is the stately residence of the #8great instructor' of the temple1 ,chamba ,pasang ,tinle1 who looks after the spiritual education of five hundred souls4 ,we had an interview with this spiritual superior1 who looked very saint-like1 seated on a dais covered with two mats in one of the upper rooms4 ,i wanted to ask him a few questions with regard to the difference between the ,sakya doctrines and those of the other sects of ,lamaism1 but he told me that he was busy then and asked me to come again the next day4 ,we then retired and left the temple grounds4 ,i noticed several palatial buildings rising above a far-off willow plantation4 ,my companions told me that these buildings were the residence of the ,abbot of the temple1 ,sakya ,koma ,rinpoche1 and we proceeded to pay our respects to him4 ,koma ,rinpoche means the #8highest treasure' and is used only in addressing the ,chinese ,emperor and the ,abbot of the ,sakya ,monastery1 whom ,tibetans esteem as one of the two sacred beings of the world4 ,this being so1 the natives who are honored with an audience by the ,abbot pay special respect to him1 and when he gives them his blessing in return it is not infrequently accompanied by some presents4 ,but in reality the ,abbot is a layman1 the essential point of his excellence being that he is the descendant of ,sakya ,pani himself4 ,he is married1 takes meat for dinner1 and even drinks wine1 as do all the secular people4 ,in spite of these facts1 not only the public at large but also priests salute him with the rite of #8three bows' which as laid down by ,buha is a mark of reverence due only to high priests and not to laymen4 ,when we were received by the ,abbot1 ,i therefore paid him only such respect as would be due to a personage of his rank4 ,he has1 however1 a very dignified mien1 which bespeaks his noble descent4 ,while we were returning to our lodgings1 ,i was blamed by my companions for my failure to give the ,abbot the #8three bows1' and when ,i told them the reason of the omission they were astonished at my rigid observance of the ,buha's teachings4 ,the next day1 when ,i called upon the #8great teacher' at the appointed hour1 ,i found him playing with a boy who was behaving toward him in a very familiar way1 as if he were his son4 ,i could not think that such a man1 who was a genuine priest1 was married1 and yet ,i very much suspected some such relation--a suspicion which was afterwards confirmed during my sojourn at ,lhasa4 ,at first ,i had intended to stay and study at the temple for at least two weeks1 but after this discovery ,i was now loath to remain with such a degenerate priest4 ,i left the town the next day1 and as ,i was now separated from my companions ,i had to carry my effects myself4 ,for a distance of two and a half miles the road gradually ascended along a mountain rivulet in a south-easterly direction and then1 turning eastwards1 became a steep descent of five miles4 ,proceeding ten miles further in a south-easterly direction and along the stream ,i found two dwellings1 in one of which ,i lodged for the night4 ,the next day ,i again ascended a steep slope1 two and a half miles long1 and climbed down another twice that length4 ,as the day was snowy and my baggage got wet1 ,i was obliged to take lodgings at the first house ,i could find4 ,the next day1 ,november #cjth1 ,i fortunately met seven or eight men who seemed to be transport agents1 and were driving forty or fifty asses1 and ,i was glad to place my things in their charge4 ,thus freed from encumbrances1 ,i1 with the party1 descended the ,tharu river for five miles4 ,it then turned to the south-east1 and after proceeding fifteen miles further along the riverside1 we found a village where we stopped4 ,the drivers1 however1 encamped in a neighboring meadow1 where they unburdened their animals and surrounded themselves on all sides except one with the goods thus unloaded4 ,as was customary with them1 the men improvised a kind of fire-place4 ,on the first of ,december we proceeded along the river for about ten miles and then left it2 again for ten miles1 we ascended the eastern mountain called ,rangla with its perpendicular peaks of red rock4 ,we lodged under the rock and on the following day we ascended ,rangla for five miles and marched more than another five miles on the mountainous plains2 we reached a big monastery named ,kang-chen and passed that night in a field south of the monastery4 ,at first1 when ,i saw my drivers recklessly making their way through the cultivated fields1 ,i expressed my fear to them that we might be caught by the farmers4 8,no10 was their reply1 8you need not bother yourself on that score40 ,they explained to me that these fields were fallow ones1 8which were enjoying their holidays0 for this year1 so that any person might choose them as roads4 ,it was a custom in this locality to raise the wheat-crop every other year1 leaving the fields unemployed for the intervening year--a custom which did not obtain in ,lhasa and the neighborhood4 ,moreover1 ,i was told1 it was winter1 when the privilege held good in any year1 and no one need entertain any fear of intruding4 ,at night ,i preached to my drivers1 and the next day we set out together1 taking an easterly direction4 ,we proceeded seven and a half miles1 when we found rising among the mountains a magnificent temple1 still under construction4 ,on making enquiries ,i learned that the work had been undertaken by the ,tibetan ,government1 which is acting under the advice of a soothsayer4 ,the latter had1 ,i was told1 declared that there exists a spring just beneath the site of the building1 that it is the mouth of a monstrous dragon1 and that unless a temple be erected over it1 it will ultimately burst out and deluge the whole country4 ,unfortunately this idea is supported by a book of prophecies brought from ,china1 which is apparently the work of some priest with hidden motives4 ,i read the book and found it to be full of awe-inspiring predictions4 ,it states1 for instance1 that as wickedness obtains on the earth1 a flood of water will be brought upon it and everything on the face of it destroyed2 that fatal calamities1 such as a great famine or war1 will break out as a prelude to such a flood4 ,in addition1 it is stated that the book had been sent from heaven1 and that therefore any one who is so careless as to doubt its truth will be punished with immediate death4 ,i declared that these prophecies were all false1 but of course nothing extraordinary happened to me4 ,the book may be well meant1 but it is full of nonsensical sayings4 ,but ,tibetans believe in it so firmly that translated copies are being circulated all over the country4 ,it is most surprising that such superstitions should have led the ,government to begin a foolish undertaking at a great cost4 ,but indeed1 oracle-mongers are held in high esteem1 not only by the ,government but also by the general mass of the people1 who consult them whenever they are at fault4 ,passing under the above-mentioned temple we proceeded further1 and before we had gone far1 we found some five vultures 7known among the natives by the name of ,cha-goppo7 perched on a hill-side4 ,on questioning my companions1 ,i was told that there exists in ,tibet a very curious and unpleasant custom of offering the corpses of dead men to vultures as a part of the funeral ceremony2 that as in this locality the people do not bring enough carrion to these birds1 the latter are always hungry2 and that therefore they are granted an allowance of meat from the kitchen of a temple called the ,tashi ,lhunpo4 ,how they are fed on human flesh at a funeral ceremony ,i shall relate later in my account of ,lhasa4 ,after some further journeying we arrived at an 8abstinence house0 7,nyun ne ,lhakhang in ,tibetan71 in the neighborhood of which there stood a temple called the ,nartang4 ,wanting to make some enquiries1 ,i decided to stay at this house1 so that ,i parted company with my carriers1 who proceeded towards ,shigatze4 ,this house is used both by priests and laymen for observing the #8,eight rules of abstinence' enjoined by the ,buha1 or other forms of religious self-denial1 such as silence or abstinence from meat4 ,abstinence from flesh is considered an austerity by ,tibetan priests1 because they eat meat1 contrary to the ordinary usages of ,buhist monks4 ,the next day ,i visited the ,nartang ,temple1 where ,i inspected the most valuable of its treasures1 which are immense heaps of wooden printing-blocks1 comprising the collection of all the ,buhist writings in ,tibet1 divided into two departments--,buha's own preachings and the works of the saints4 ,in addition1 they have an equally large number of printing-blocks for the commentaries prepared by the native ,lamas4 ,these blocks are kept in two large buildings1 one of which measures about #ahj feet by sixty4 ,this temple is the sole publisher of the #8collection of all the ,buhist writings1' the three hundred priests who live there being printers4 ,i called upon the head priest of the temple1 who had been specially sent from the ,tashi ,lhunpo ,temple1 and found him very clever in conversation4 ,the interview was at once very instructive and agreeable to me1 for the priest not only gave me valuable information on ,buhism but also accorded me cordial treatment4 ,,chapter ,,xli4 ,shigatze4 ,illustration3 ,,outline ,,of ,,the ,,monastery ,,of ,,tashi ,,lhunpo4 ,the next day1 ,december #eth1 ,i proceeded for about eight miles across a plain in a south-easterly direction1 when the gold-colored roof of a palatial building1 with many white-painted dormitories for priests close by1 presented itself before my view4 ,in addition1 temple-like buildings in red paint were seen rising amidst these structures1 making in all a grand and beautiful spectacle4 ,the town before me was ,shigatze1 the second capital of ,tibet1 and the palatial building was the ,tashi ,lhunpo ,temple4 ,the name means #8a glorious mass' or #8,mount ,sumeru1' a legendary mountain mentioned in ,buhist ,scriptures4 ,the monastery owes its name to its founder1 ,gendun ,tub1 who thought that the mountain at the rear of the temple resembled ,sumeru4 ,there were altogether three thousand three hundred priests in the temple1 but sometimes the number increases to over five thousand2 and though it is but the second temple in the country it maintains the same dignity as the papal see4 ,the secular part of the city lay beyond the temple and consisted of some three thousand five hundred dwellings4 ,the number of the inhabitants was stated by the natives to be over thirty thousand1 but this calculation cannot be much trusted1 as the science of statistics is utterly unknown in ,tibet4 ,i visited the temple1 where ,i asked for the dormitory called ,peetuk ,khamtsan1 which is allotted to the ,lamaist monks from the north-eastern plateau1 since ,i had feigned myself to be one of these4 ,at length ,i found it and settled myself in it1 for ,i intended to stay there for some time and to pick up any knowledge ,i could from those with whom ,i might come into contact4 ,the ,lama ,superior of this temple is regarded as the second ,grand ,lama of ,tibet1 for1 though he does not possess any political influence1 yet with regard to the rank bestowed by the ,chinese ,emperor he is superior even to the ,dalai ,lama himself4 ,sometimes a kind of regency under this #8second ,grand ,lama' takes place during the interval between the ,dalai ,lama's death and the enthronement of what in ,tibet is believed to be his re-incarnated self4 ,this second ,grand ,lama is commonly called ,panchen ,rinpoche1 but his real title is ,kyab-kon ,chen-bo1 meaning #8,great ,protector1' while his name is ,lobsang ,choe-ki ,nima1 the #8noble-minded religious sun'4 ,i was told he was eighteen years old1 having been born in the year of 8sheep10 and was believed to be an incarnation of ,amida-nyorai4 ,at the time of my visit he was away at a distant palace1 so that ,i could not see him4 ,during my stay in the town my only business was to visit various ,lamas and scholars1 with whom ,i discussed the teachings of ,buha4 ,one day ,i called upon the tutor of the second ,grand ,lama1 ,tsan ,chenba1 a venerable priest1 seventy-four years of age1 who was very kind to me4 ,as he was reputed to be the highest authority on ,tibetan grammar and rhetoric among the three thousand priests in the temple1 ,i asked him several grammatical questions1 and in doing so ,i took care to select such questions as were familiar to me1 for ,i wanted to know in what way my host would try to explain them4 ,i was1 however1 disappointed1 as he confessed that he could give no answer and said that he could only refer me to a learned physician living at ,engon on the road to ,lhasa1 who1 he was inclined to believe1 could give me a satisfactory answer4 ,i was1 therefore1 glad to take leave of him4 ,en passant it may be stated that five branches of science--phonetics1 medicine1 logic1 engineering and religious science and philosophy--were centuries ago introduced into ,tibet from ,india1 but now-a-days very few--,i will almost say no--,tibetans are proficient in them1 or even in one of them4 ,under present circumstances1 those who take to the study of grammar belong to very limited classes1 the majority of them consisting of the men in the ,government service who learn just the elementary rules of grammar1 in order to be able to prepare official documents4 ,it is not wonderful therefore that there should be scholars who1 in spite of their zeal in the investigation and exposition of ,buha's doctrines1 are absolute strangers to history and other branches of science4 ,after a stay of several days at the temple1 ,i was one day thinking of leaving the town1 when ,i was informed that the ,grand ,lama was expected home presently1 so ,i went out to witness his procession4 ,it must be noted that owing to the absence of roads in ,tibet the procession passed through the more beaten parts of the country1 which served as roads4 ,on both sides of the route there stood cylindrical posts upon which incense was burnt by the waiting crowds1 both sacerdotal and secular1 most of whom prostrated themselves on the advent of the cortge4 ,the second ,grand ,lama was borne in a palanquin decorated with gold brocades and gorgeous kinds of silk1 and was accompanied by about three hundred mounted attendants who1 instead of being armed1 carried ,buhist utensils4 ,the procession was heralded by the native band1 using some kind of wind instruments and drums4 ,the spectacle was so splendid that ,i congratulated myself on my good fortune in having witnessed it4 ,during that night1 in compliance with the request of the priests in my dormitory1 ,i delivered a sermon on the ten ,buhist virtues1 which seemed to please them greatly4 ,they confessed to me that1 priests as they were1 they found no interest in the theoretical and dry expositions of ,buha's teachings to which they had been used to listen1 but that my delivery was so easy and pleasing that it aroused in them a real zest for ,buhism4 ,this fact is a sad commentary on the ignorance of the average ,tibetan priests4 ,i learned subsequently1 however1 that the priests in this temple were very rigid in their conduct1 except in the habit of drinking4 ,with regard to this latter an amusing story is told4 ,one day the ,dalai ,lama of ,lhasa met with the ,grand ,lama of the ,tashi ,lhunpo monastery4 ,in the course of conversation1 the former said he was very sorry that his priests were addicted to the use of tobacco4 ,panchen ,rinpoche sympathised1 but stated that he was no less sorry that his own priests were exceedingly partial to alcoholic drinks4 ,they then discussed which of the two luxuries was the more sinful1 and also whether or not some effective measures could be taken to prevent these vicious habits4 ,but even their great influence could do nothing1 and the vicious practices were open secrets4 ,a curious rule was however enacted in order to prevent the habit of drinking4 ,every priest returning from the street was bound to present himself before the priestly guard at the gate of the temple1 who examined his breath1 any disclosure of his drunkenness being followed by an immediate punishment4 ,some impudent priests often attempted to conceal their inebriation by eating a good deal of garlic1 the strong smell of which impregnated their breath and thus might prevent detection4 ,leaving the temple at ten on the morning of ,december #aeth1 ,i proceeded about two miles across the city of ,shigatze1 when ,i reached the ,tsanchu river4 ,the great bridge erected over it is called the ,samba ,shar1 which means eastern bridge4 ,it measures about three hundred and sixty yards in length and eight yards in breadth4 ,it is unlike our own bridges1 for it consists of slabs of stones covered with earth1 which are in turn placed upon rows of long wooden boards spanning stone structures erected in the water at equal distances of about ten yards4 ,the bridge has parapets made of stone4 ,passing over the bridge1 ,i proceeded four miles to the north1 till ,i found myself on the bank of the ,brahmapura4 ,the road now turned to the east along that river1 and a further journey of about twelve miles brought me to a village called ,pe1 where ,i lodged at a poor farmer's4 ,there ,i noticed with curiosity that turf instead of the usual yak-dung was heaped besides the fire-place4 ,i was told that in that locality the dried roots of grasses were used as fuel2 hence the heaps of turf4 ,i also found a boy of about twelve years old sitting beside the fire-place and learning to write4 ,he had a bamboo stick for his pen1 and was writing with it upon white powder sprinkled over a small piece of wood4 ,every now and then he presented his work to his father and had its ill-done portions corrected by him1 this process being repeated over and over again4 ,i wondered at the care with which the child was taught to practise penmanship1 in spite of the poor condition of the family1 but ,i soon learned the secret4 ,agriculture was the sole industry in this locality1 and if the tenant did not know how to write and count1 he would possibly be imposed upon by his landlord in the payment of his rent4 ,as to the art of counting1 it was taught in a very primitive way1 stones1 sticks or rosaries being used for the purpose4 ,with respect to writing and counting the poorer classes of this locality were far above those in ,lhasa1 who were totally ignorant4 ,at night ,i preached to the members of the family1 and the next day ,i proceeded about five miles along the river already mentioned4 ,the road1 which sloped eastward1 now became very narrow1 with the river on the left and a very steep and rugged mountain on the right4 ,i struggled on for about four miles further1 and then came out upon a wide space4 ,looking to the right1 ,i saw two large buildings standing on the summit of a mountain4 ,these buildings constitute the ,engon temple where1 as the old priest of the ,tashi ,lhunpo temple had kindly informed me1 lives the celebrated grammarian4 ,i climbed the mountain1 and reached the temple after an arduous ascent of more than two miles4 ,there ,i learned that the larger of the two edifices accommodates two hundred and thirty male priests1 while the other1 situated a little lower1 is a nunnery where live seventy-two nuns4 ,the history of this temple is very interesting1 but ,i need not dwell on it here in detail4 ,i stayed at the temple for the night1 and the next day ,i had an interview with its principal priest4 ,the latter1 however1 talked only something of ,buhism1 being ignorant of grammar and rhetoric1 but was kind enough to refer me to the physician1 ,amdo ,ka-sang1 of whom the old priest of the ,tashi ,lhunpo had such a high opinion4 ,i then called upon this physician and grammarian1 to whom ,i gave some presents in token of my respect4 ,after the usual greetings had been exchanged1 the host questioned me how long ,i had been studying the ,tibetan language4 8,three years10 ,i replied4 ,my host declared that the study of grammar and rhetoric greatly depended upon the method used and that1 if the method were a poor one1 the period of three years would prove too short to accomplish anything4 ,he then asked me a few questions on grammar1 which1 as they were very simple1 ,i answered quickly4 ,i asked him to put to me some more difficult questions on rhetoric1 but1 to my great disappointment1 he confessed that he had no knowledge of rhetoric4 ,i next asked him which of the ,tibetan grammarians he thought the best1 to which question he answered that he preferred ,ngul-chu ,lama's grammar 7,ngul-chu being the name of a temple7 which1 in reality1 is very imperfect4 ,i almost doubted his sincerity1 so that ,i again asked him why he did not follow the views taken by ,situ ,lama1 who is well-known as the highest authority on ,tibetan grammar4 ,to my great surprise1 my host had never read ,situ's works1 though he had heard something of the grammarian4 ,i then turned my questions to the number of vowels in the ,tibetan alphabet1 about which there are two different opinions among grammarians4 ,this question1 simple as it may appear1 has been the subject of much discussion1 so that the study of the ,tibetan language must be started with this theme4 ,my question on this subject seemed to embarrass my host who1 after some pondering1 said that there were sixteen vowels in the ,tibetan alphabet1 and began to enumerate them4 ,curiously enough1 all the vowels mentioned by him were those of the ,samsk alphabet1 so ,i asked him what he thought of the opinion that the number of the ,tibetan vowels was five4 ,the doctor seemed abashed4 ,he apologised for his mistake in having mentioned the ,samsk vowels1 and admitted that the ,tibetan vowels numbered only five4 7,this five-vowel opinion is erroneous1 though several western scholars maintain it in their works4 ,it must be noted that the ,tibetan characters were invented by ,thumi ,sambhota1 who tells us in his work that there were only four vowels in his language47 ,in short1 the interview proved a disappointment4 ,the doctor possessed very limited knowledge1 being a great grammarian and rhetorician only in the eyes of ignorant native priests4 ,i returned to my room1 where ,i was asked by a priest on what subject ,i had talked with the #8learned' doctor4 ,when ,i answered him that ,i had discussed some grammatical questions with the doctor1 the priest said with an air of importance that the doctor was the highest authority on grammar and rhetoric throughout the province of ,tsan1 that one or two interviews with him would be insufficient to secure any benefit1 and that ,i should stay with him for at least two or three years if ,i really wished to study grammar4 ,in addition1 the priest confessed that1 long as he had had the fortune to listen to the doctor's lectures1 he was still a total stranger to grammar4 ,i was so much tickled by these remarks that ,i burst out laughing1 which seemed somewhat to embarrass the priest4 ,the next day1 ,december #ahth1 ,i proceeded about five miles over an undulating country1 going in a south-easterly direction1 when ,i again reached the ,brahmapura river4 ,crossing a vast plain which stretched along the river1 ,i made my way eastward1 and was within some two miles and a half of the ,pombo ,ri-o-che1 a temple belonging to an older sect of ,lamaism1 and situated upon a towering peak1 when ,i was unexpectedly called and stopped by someone4 ,,chapter ,,xlii4 ,a ,supposed ,miracle4 ,turning about to see what it could be1 ,i caught sight of two stout fellows armed with ,tibetan swords4 ,on their approach1 ,i asked them what they wanted4 ,abruptly picking up a stone1 the younger of them threatened me and said3 8,what do you mean80 8,run off10 he menaced1 8or you shall die40 ,then ,i took my seat on a stone by the roadside and gave myself up for lost4 ,the men strode toward me1 and violently seized my stick4 8,tell us what you have and where you come from10 they said4 8,i am a pilgrim10 ,i answered1 8and ,i come from ,tise40 8,you have money80 8,i have a little10 ,i said1 8not worth taking1 as ,i was robbed at ,jangthang40 8,what have you on your back80 8,some food and the ,scriptures40 8,unpack it and let us see2 you may have much money there40 8,no1 the money is in my pocket10 ,i said 8and not in the baggage4 ,being a priest1 ,i never tell a lie4 ,you may have either the money or the baggage1 if you wish40 ,i was just going to give them money when three horsemen appeared riding towards us1 and at sight of them the highwaymen took to their heels1 leaving the stick and everything else4 ,thus ,i was saved4 8,who are they80 asked the horsemen1 and on my answering that they had demanded of me my money and baggage1 they expressed their disgust4 8,go to yonder temple10 they added after a little pause1 8and you will find a village4 ,be quick and we will see you safe there40 ,i thanked them and walked on toward the village1 and the horsemen went away westward after a little while4 ,instead of stopping there for the night1 ,i proceeded eastwards as far as ,nya-mo-,hotta1 a little village about seven miles off1 where ,i lodged4 ,the following day ,i took lunch at ,teshok1 and stopped at ,tak-tsu-kha in the evening4 ,on ,december #bjth at dawn1 ,i went south-east through the deep snow1 it having snowed very hard the night before4 ,while going along the river ,brahmapura1 ,i saw some cranes walking in the snow1 and was so delighted that ,i forgot that ,i was in so cold a climate4 ,then ,i amused myself with composing ,utas1 of which the following is one3 ,with crystals of the snow1 how white the sand ,all spotted gleams upon the river banks6 ,the flocks of cranes to me appear to sing ,the changeless glories of the ,path of ,truth ,in their melodious joyful bursts of song3 ,on those bejewelled banks they tread in pride2 ,with gait majestic slow they strut about4 ,amid such beautiful scenes ,i went down along the southern bank of the river1 and after about eight miles' walk ,i came to ,kurum ,namse1 where ,i took lunch4 ,i proceeded still further east along the same stream for about five miles1 and found the river running north-east1 while my road lay south-east into the mountain4 ,i went up the hill about four miles1 and stopped at ,shab-,tontub4 ,on the following morning ,i went eastwards again along a clear stream1 and after about four miles ,i could see from its banks a rocky mountain1 at the foot of which there was a temple called ,cham ,chen ,gompa 7meaning #8the monastery of the great image of ,charity'1 i4e41 the ,bohisava of that name71 where there was an image of the ,buha ,maireya about thirty-five feet high4 ,bohisava ,maireya 7which name means #8,charity'7 is honored as next to ,buha in rank1 but in ,tibet he is worshipped as a ,buha who will hereafter appear again on earth4 ,i worshipped at this temple1 and then at the shrine of the divinities1 and of ,shkyamuni ,buha beside the temple4 ,then ,i entered a lamasery4 ,this temple1 which is the largest between ,lhasa and ,shigatze1 has two hundred dormitories1 with three hundred priests4 ,the chief priest of the house where ,i stopped was in great distress on account of some bad dreams which he had had on several successive nights4 ,he had dreamed that he was dying1 and this troubled him much1 for he had immense wealth4 ,so he asked me to read the ,scriptures to him1 so that he might be free from the supposed evil4 ,i knew of no gospel specially suitable for such purposes1 but ,i thought that the reading of the ,buhist canon might do him good1 so ,i told him that ,i would do as he wished1 and from the following day began reading ,the ,aphorisms of the ,white ,lotus of the ,wonderful ,law and other ,scriptures in ,tibetan4 ,it was on the #bhth of ,december1 as ,i remember1 that a priest was going to ,ktmndu in ,nepl1 and ,i seized the occasion to send a letter home by him1 addressed to my bosom friend ,tokujuro ,hige4 ,i paid him a comparatively large sum of money and asked him to send it registered from the post office of ,nepl4 ,the man was reputed so honest that he had never been known to tell a lie1 but strangely enough the letter failed to reach its address1 as ,i have since discovered4 ,during the afternoon of the #cast ,i was sped on my way by the head priest1 who lent me a horse4 ,i got on the horse1 loaded it with my baggage1 and going east for about three miles1 came to ,ta-mi-la1 where ,i was asked to read the ,scriptures4 ,while riding to the village1 ,i lifted up my thanks to ,buha for the grace by which ,i had been saved through so many calamities and afflictions during the year1 it being the last day of the #ccrd year of ,meiji according to the ,japanese mode of reckoning 7,a4,d4 #aijj74 ,i did not know what adversities were yet in store for me1 but ,i could not but think that ,i might be kept safe to do all ,i could for the cause of ,buhism4 ,the ,new ,year's ,day dawned1 but ,i met with nothing special to mark the day1 as the ,tibetans use the old calendar4 ,still ,i got up early at three o'clock in the morning1 and turning east1 as ,i had done every ,new ,year's ,day1 ,i began the ,new ,year's reading of the ,scriptures4 ,for1 as ,buhism teaches us1 it is our duty to pray for the health of the sovereign1 and every ,buhist reads the ,scriptures on ,new ,year's ,day1 in however remote a place he may happen to be1 and prays for the welfare of the ,imperial ,family4 ,i read the ,scriptures at the village till the #eth1 and on the following day ,i proceeded seven miles to ,omi1 where ,i stopped for the night4 ,in a temple of this village there was an image called in ,tibetan ,sung ,chung ,dolma 7the ,mother of ,salvation who utters a command7 which was about three feet high1 and so beautiful that it seemed as if it might even speak4 ,the ,tibetans told me that the image at one time actually spoke4 ,i read the ,scriptures there for two days1 and received many gifts4 ,i had met the highwaymen1 and had been robbed of my money1 but money was constantly given to me1 and my reading the ,scriptures earned me so many gifts1 that ,i had now laid by a considerable sum of money1 and ,i was living on the food given to me by others4 ,on the #abth of ,january1 at #e o'clock in the morning1 ,i set out on my journey with a coolie1 who carried my baggage4 ,we went on south-east along the bank of a stream flowing through the mountains4 ,here we found the snow turned into ice1 and so slippery was the ground that we had to take great care1 lest we should fall4 ,going on for about twelve miles1 we found ourselves at ,choe ,ten1 where there were many hot springs1 three of them warm enough to bathe in4 ,i do not know for what disease they might be really efficacious1 though they seemed to me to be good for rheumatism4 ,i saw several places in the stream where steaming springs could be seen boiling up4 ,we took our lunch and again went on eastward for about nine miles1 till we came in sight of a temple called ,mani ,lha-khang1 in a willow plantation along the river4 ,this temple was so called1 because it enshrined a large bronze cylinder holding many pieces of paper each bearing the spell mani1 consisting of the following six sounds #8,om-ma-ni-pad-me-hum' and meaning 8all will be as we will40 ,the tube was beautifully wrapped in copper foil1 and ornamented with gold and silver4 ,it had an iron axle through it and was so formed that it would revolve from left to right4 ,this temple is among the most famous in ,tibet4 ,the founder of the temple was ,je ,tsong-kha-pa1 who started a new sect4 ,his memory is held in great esteem in the country1 and especially in this temple1 mostly because he was the inventor of the 8prayer-cylinder04 ,i stopped at this temple1 the keeper of which was very rude2 without any scruple he asked me to read his face for him1 for he said ,i looked out of the common4 ,i had never studied physiognomy1 but ,i thought that ,i might thus teach a lesson to the ,tibetans1 who are very superstitious4 ,so ,i told him that ,i was very sorry for him1 for he seemed to be a man who1 though often given money and other things1 would sustain much loss through other men1 and for whom the future would have nothing but debt4 ,singularly enough1 this exactly told his past life1 and he was so surprised at my words1 that he told all about me to his richest neighbor1 called ,dorje ,gyalpo 7,prince ,diamond74 ,that very evening a fine lady1 who ,i was told was the wife of the rich man1 came to me with a child1 and asked me to tell its fortune4 ,this troubled me not a little4 ,but when ,i saw the sickly and feeble state of the child ,i could easily guess what would happen1 so ,i ventured to tell her that ,i was very sorry1 for the child seemed likely not to live long1 and ,i also told her about the philosophy of retribution4 ,she asked me if there was no way of saving its life4 ,i thought how glad ,i should be if ,i could have an opportunity of reading the #8complete ,text1' as ,i knew that ,i should have very little chance of doing so after reaching ,lhasa4 ,i said therefore that a long reading of the ,scriptures might do some good4 ,she went home early that evening4 ,very strange indeed6 the child fell so ill the following morning that the whole family was struck with my chance prediction1 and ,i was asked to come to the house to read the ,scriptures1 even though it might take several days to do so4 ,i said ,i would1 but as they had no copy of the #8complete ,scriptures' ,i asked for a man to be sent to ,rong ,langba1 a little further up the hill1 to borrow a copy4 ,in the meanwhile ,i sat in the usual religious meditation1 when suddenly my ears caught the sound of weeping and crying women in the kitchen4 ,what could all that mean8 ,something serious must have happened in the house4 ,still ,i kept quiet1 as it was none of my business to go and see4 ,soon1 however1 the mistress of the house came to tell me that the child had died as predicted1 and she asked me to save it4 ,i was also surprised to learn how my words had come true1 and hurried into the room1 only to find the child quite senseless and cold4 ,i felt the child's pulse1 which was beating faintly1 though his body was not warm and his neck was nearly stiff4 ,i thought the disease might be congestion of the brain1 as ,i had read a few books on medicine4 ,so ,i called for some cold water1 and put on to his head a piece of wet cloth1 while1 at the same time1 ,i rubbed his neck and head vigorously for twenty minutes4 ,it was only a short faint1 and the child began to come to his senses4 ,you can easily imagine how glad was his grandmother1 who was almost beside herself with joy to see restored to life the child whom they had supposed to be dead4 ,i told her to keep quiet and to continue rubbing till the child was perfectly well4 ,this won for me no small respect from all present1 and ,i was asked to stay for a long time to read the ,scriptures4 ,i1 too1 was glad to stay there over two months during the cold season1 enjoying my reading4 ,besides reading the ,scriptures1 ,i often took walks among the hills and valleys and on these occasions many children1 with the one ,i had saved1 followed me in my walks quite as if they were my own children4 ,i loved the children so much1 or rather was so loved by them1 that my only business besides my reading was to take them for walks4 ,,chapter ,,xliii4 ,manners and ,customs4 ,the ,tibetans are very foul in their habits1 some of which ,i may mention here4 ,in the house in which ,i stayed there were some twenty servants1 and they brought me a cup of tea every morning4 ,they never washed the cup which ,i used1 but brought tea in it every day1 and they would say that it was quite clean1 for ,i had used it only the night before1 though it was as dirty as it could be4 ,they think cups are unclean if they have been used by their inferiors1 but they never wash those used by themselves or their equals1 for these are clean in their eyes1 though it is disgusting even to look at them4 ,if ,i asked a servant to wash my cup1 it was wiped with his sleeve1 which might be quite wet and dirty from being used as a handkerchief4 ,then he said it was clean1 and poured tea into it4 ,just think of it6 ,it is impossible to drink out of such a cup1 but still one must do so1 for it would only arouse their suspicions to be too strict about such matters4 ,it seems to be nothing compared with his other unclean habits that the ,tibetan does not wash his plates and dishes4 ,he does not even wash or wipe himself after the calls of nature1 but behaves like the lower animals in this respect4 ,to this there is no single exception1 from the high priest down to the shepherd2 every one does the same4 ,i was1 therefore1 much laughed at and suspected when ,i followed the ,japanese custom in this particular1 and even the children would laugh at me4 ,i was much troubled at this2 still ,i could not do otherwise4 ,this was a still greater trouble in the tents1 for in ,jangthang ,i used to have four or five dogs beside me whenever ,i retired for private purposes4 ,you can well imagine how terrified ,i was at first1 though ,i soon got accustomed to them4 ,and no sooner had ,i gone away than the dogs devoured the excrement4 ,for this reason there is little or no filth lying about in ,jangthang4 ,nor are these the ,tibetan's only unclean habits4 ,he never washes his body2 many have never been washed since their birth4 ,one would scarcely believe that they boast in the country1 if not in towns or cities1 of never having been washed4 ,it calls forth laughter from others to wash even the hands and face1 and so the only clean part about them are the palms of the hands and eyes1 all other parts being jet-black4 ,the country gentlemen and the priests1 however1 have partially cleaned faces1 mouths and hands1 though the other parts of their bodies are just as black as can be4 ,they are quite as black on their necks and backs as the ,african negroes4 ,why then are their hands so white8 ,it is because they make dough with their own hands with flour in a bowl1 and the dirt of their hands is mixed with the dough4 ,so ,tibetan dishes are made of dirt and flour1 and the ,tibetans eat with their teeth black with sordes4 ,it is a sickening sight6 ,why do they not wash their bodies8 ,because they have a superstitious belief that it wipes off happiness to wash the body4 ,this belief is not quite so prevalent among the inhabitants of ,central ,tibet as among those of the remote provinces north of the ,himlayas4 ,it is necessary at betrothal to show not only the countenance of the girl1 but also to show how black she is with filth4 ,if she is all black except her eyes1 and her dress is bright with dirt and butter1 she is regarded as blessed4 ,if she has a white face and clean hands she will be less fortunate1 for she is said to have washed away her luck4 ,girls are equally superstitious about this1 for they too attach much importance in courting to the blackness of the boys4 ,i know it is difficult to credit what ,i have just stated2 even ,i myself could not believe it until ,i had visited several places and seen ,tibetan habits for myself4 ,people below the middle class have no change of clothes1 but generally dress themselves in torn and filthy rags4 ,they blow their noses into their clothes in the presence of others4 ,their dress is often as hard as hide with dried dirt4 ,it is as it were a concrete of butter1 filth and mucus4 ,but people above the middle class are a little less untidy4 ,the priesthood especially are instructed to wash their hands and faces and keep their clothes clean4 ,they are somewhat cleaner1 therefore1 but only in comparison with their people4 ,it was often very difficult for me to accept invitations to dinner and tea amid these foul habits4 ,while at ,tsarang ,i tried very hard to get accustomed to them1 but it is difficult to overcome physical revolt4 ,still1 amid these disagreeable things1 the natural beauty of the country often much comforted me4 ,once before the ,tibetan ,new ,year ,i was reading as usual at my desk1 while the people were busy preparing for the ,new ,year4 ,i looked out of my window to see the snow4 ,oh the splendor of the sight6 ,you can little imagine how much ,i was delighted when a crane appeared1 strolling along in the snow1 and filling me with sentimental and poetical reminiscences of my native land4 ,in this wise ,i was comforted1 amid the unpleasant habits of the people1 by the beautiful charms of nature1 as well as by some interesting things which ,i noticed among the ceremonies of the ,new ,year4 ,the ,tibetans use neither the ,indian calendar1 nor the ,chinese1 but the ,turkistan1 which resembles the ,chinese in that it has one leap year in every four1 but it is always one year behind the latter4 ,we find many strange things in its way of counting days4 ,there are often given1 say1 two seventh days1 or we sometimes find the eleventh day after the ninth but without the tenth4 ,i could not quite make out what all these meant4 ,upon inquiring from an astrologer1 ,i was told that it was sometimes necessary to add one day1 or to leave one out1 because they were lucky or unlucky1 and a lucky day was duplicated1 while an unlucky one must be omitted4 ,in this convenient way is constructed the calendar as generally used in ,tibet1 though some disagreements are found between the calendars used in different parts of the country1 as for instance in fixing the ,new ,year or other great days4 ,but this is a matter that should cause little wonder4 ,the ,tibetan calendar is computed by four officials appointed by the ,government1 who count days with black and white stones or shells4 ,when their calendars differ1 the best ones are chosen1 and an oracle is consulted to decide which is the proper one to be adopted4 ,the ,new ,year's ceremony is generally held on the day given in the ,government calendar1 but it is very rarely that the ,new ,year's ,day of the ,tibetan calendar falls on the same day as that of the ,chinese1 there being generally a difference of one1 two1 or even three days between them4 ,on ,new ,year's morning a piece of fire-colored silk1 or handkerchiefs sewn together in the shape of a flag1 is put over a heap of baked flour1 on which are strewn some dried grapes1 dried peaches and small black persimmons4 ,the head of the house first picks up some of the fruits with his right hand1 tosses them up three times1 and eats them4 ,then his wife1 guests and servants follow his example one after another4 ,next comes ,tibetan tea1 with fried cakes of wheat flour for each4 ,these are brought in on a tray1 something in the shape of a copper plate1 gilded and white at the centre4 ,they drink the tea and eat the cakes1 but1 unlike the ,japanese1 exchange no words of congratulation1 and seem mostly to enjoy the eating4 ,they take meat dried1 raw1 and boiled1 but roast meat is regarded as unceremonial4 ,tibet produces fresh-water fish1 but the ,tibetans do not usually eat it2 they subsist chiefly on the meat of the yak1 goat1 and sheep1 for they consider it sinful to kill fish4 ,pork is eaten1 but only by the ,tibetans who have dealings with the ,chinese4 ,after the morning ceremony1 they again meet at about ten o'clock to drink tea or wine1 and eat cake or fruits4 ,at two in the afternoon they have dinner1 at which they eat1 if rich1 a sort of macaroni mixed with eggs4 ,the soup has mutton or something else dipped in it4 ,at nine or ten o'clock in the evening they make a sort of meat gruel1 commonly composed of wheat flour1 wheat dumplings1 meat1 radishes1 and cheese4 ,but the course of dishes mentioned above is not settled1 for they sometimes eat the gruel in the morning1 though generally in the evening4 ,the above are the dishes taken by the ,tibetans of the higher circles4 ,the lowest class find it hard to get cheese and meat for their gruel1 and put fat in their stead4 ,nor is it less difficult for them to get radishes4 ,if they put wheat dumplings in the gruel1 which they make on special occasions1 it is reckoned among their best dishes2 their usual gruel is made very thick with baked flour with some herbs and flowers put in it4 ,in the winter1 when they have no fresh herbs or flowers1 they use what they have stored and laid by during the summer4 ,the radish is however much grown in some parts of ,tibet1 where it is largely used4 ,the ,tibetan is fonder of baked flour than of rice1 all classes generally living on the former4 ,the ,tibetans at ,darjeeling live on baked flour from ,tibet1 for they fall ill if they live on rice4 ,baked flour can of course be had in ,india1 but the ,tibetan seems much superior to the ,indian1 for they send orders to ,tibet for their native productions4 ,in this way ,i passed the festive ,new ,year season1 and1 while reading my ,scriptures amid these charming scenes1 learned much about ,tibetan customs and homes1 and found good material for my study4 ,illustration3 ,,reading ,,the ,,texts4 ,a little white and black bird like a crow1 called ,kyaka in ,tibetan1 used to come to my window4 ,it was a knowing bird1 and could tell one man from another1 and was very regular in its ways4 ,one day while ,i was looking out of my window ,i saw one of a flock1 seemingly their head1 pecking another to death1 as if angry with the latter because it had quarrelled with the other members of the flock4 ,i was surprised and told my landlord about it1 when he told me that birds were more regular than men1 and related several stories which showed how strict the birds were4 ,it is a common saying1 he added1 that one might deviate from human laws by the breadth of a log1 before a hair-breadth's deviation from bird's law would be tolerated4--7,cha tim ta nga tsam shikna mi tim nya shing tsam shik go47 ,having stayed in this place a long time in order to read the ,scriptures1 ,i was determined to leave on the #adth ,march1 as it was getting warmer4 ,in the morning the family asked me to recite to them the ,three ,refuges1 and the ,five ,commands or moral precepts of ,buhism1 which ,i did with pleasure4 ,after dinner as ,i was leaving the house ,i was presented with some money and a priest's robe1 red in color and made of wool1 which must have cost some thirty-five yen4 ,i departed accompanied by a servant1 who carried my luggage1 for they told me they could not send me off on horseback1 much though they desired to do so1 for all their horses were away on trading journeys4 ,up the ,yak-,chu river ,i went for about ten miles eastwards1 till ,i came to a post village called ,che-sum1 where ,i stopped for the night4 ,i started at six o'clock the next morning1 and went on along the river for another seven miles4 ,it was a narrow pass1 walled up between high mountains2 the snow lay deep in the valleys and the water of the streams was frozen4 ,at the end of about seven miles ,i came to a little opening and1 looking up to the top of a mountain on the left1 ,i noticed a white building which looked neither like a temple nor like the dwelling of a priest4 ,what could it be8 ,upon inquiring of my companion ,i was told it was a hail-proof temple4 ,i had never heard of such a temple1 and was surprised at seeing one4 ,when ,i heard the name for the first time ,i could not believe my own ears1 but when ,i asked more particularly about it at ,lhasa1 ,i found that what had been told me was true4 ,i will now relate the strange method which the ,tibetans have for keeping off hailstones1 which they dread exceedingly1 especially in summer1 for then the crops of wheat and barley1 which they can reap only once in a year or two1 may be entirely destroyed4 ,so they naturally try to find some means to keep off the hailstones1 and the method they have discovered is certainly curious enough4 ,the nation is so credulous in the matter of religion that they indiscriminately believe whatever is told to them by their religious teachers1 the lamas4 ,thus for instance they believe that there are eight kinds of evil spirits which delight in afflicting people and send hail to hurt the crops4 ,some priests therefore maintain that they must fight against and destroy these evil demons in order to keep them off1 and the old school profess that in order to combat these spirits effectually they must know when the demons are preparing the hail4 ,during the winter when there is much snow1 these spirits1 according to the priests1 gather themselves at a certain place1 where they make large quantities of hail out of snow4 ,they then store the hail somewhere in heaven1 and go to rest1 until in the summer when the crops are nearly ripe they throw down the hail from the air4 ,hence the ,tibetans must make sharp weapons to keep off the hail1 and consequently1 while the spirits are preparing their hail1 the ,tibetans hold a secret meeting in some ravine where they prepare #8hail-proof shells1' which are pieces of mud about the size of a sparrow's egg4 ,these are made by a priest1 who works with a servant or two in some lonely ravine1 where by some secret method he makes many shells1 chanting words of incantation the while1 whereby he lays a spell on each shell he makes4 ,these pellets are afterwards used as missiles when hail falls in the summer1 and are supposed to drive it back4 ,none but priests of good family may devote themselves to this work4 ,every village has at least one priest called ,ngak-pa 7the chanters of incantations of the old school7 and during the winter these ,ngak-pas offer prayers1 perform charms1 or pray for blessings for others4 ,but the ,tibetans have a general belief that the ,ngak-pas sometimes curse others4 ,i was often told that such and such person had offended a ,ngak-pa and was cursed to death4 ,having spent the winter in this way1 the ,ngak-pas during the summer prepare to fight against the devils4 ,let me remark1 in passing1 that ,tibet has not four seasons1 as we have1 but the year is divided into summer and winter4 ,the four seasons are indeed mentioned in ,tibetan books1 but there are in reality only two4 ,the summer there is from about the #aeth of ,march to the #aeth of ,september and all the rest of the year is winter4 ,as early as ,march or ,april the ploughing of the fields and sowing of wheat begins1 and then the ,ngak-pa proceeds to the ,hail-,subduing-,temple1 erected on the top of one of the high mountains4 ,this kind of temple is always built on the most elevated place in the whole district1 for the reason that the greatest advantage is thus obtained for ascertaining the direction from which the clouds containing hail issue forth4 ,from the time that the ears of the wheat begin to shoot1 the priest continues to reside in the temple1 though from time to time1 it is said1 he visits his own house1 as he has not very much to do in the earlier part of his service4 ,about ,june1 however1 when the wheat has grown larger1 the protection of the crop from injury by hail becomes more urgent1 so that the priest never leaves the temple1 and his time is fully taken up with making offerings and sending up prayers for protection to various deities4 ,the service is gone through three times each day and night1 and numberless incantations are pronounced4 ,what is more strange is that the great hail storms generally occur when the larger part of the crops are becoming ripe1 and then it is the time for the priest on service to bend his whole energies to the work of preventing the attack of hail4 ,when it happens that big masses of clouds are gathering overhead1 the ,ngak-pa first assumes a solemn and stern aspect1 drawing himself up on the brink of the precipice as firm as the rock itself1 and then pronounces an enchantment with many flourishes of his rosary much in the same manner as our warrior of old did with his baton4 ,in a wild attempt to drive away the hail clouds1 he fights against the mountain1 but it often happens that the overwhelming host comes gloomily upon him with thunders roaring and flashes of lightning that seem to shake the ground under him and rend the sky above1 and the volleys of big hailstones follow1 pouring down thick and fast1 like arrows flying in the thick of battle4 ,the priest then1 all in a frenzy1 dances in fight against the air1 displaying a fury quite like a madman in a rage4 ,with charms uttered at the top of his voice he cuts the air right and left1 up and down1 with his fist clenched and finger pointed4 ,if in spite of all his efforts1 the volleys of hail thicken and strike the fields beneath1 the priest grows madder in his wrath1 quickly snatches handfuls of the bullets aforementioned which he carries about him1 and throws them violently against the clouds as if to strike them4 ,if all this avail nothing1 he rends his garment to pieces1 and throws the rags up in the air1 so perfectly mad is he in his attempt to put a stop to the falling hailstones4 ,when1 as sometimes happens1 the hail goes drifting away and leaves the place unharmed1 the priest is puffed up with pride at the victory he has gained1 and the people come to congratulate him with a great show of gratitude4 ,but when1 unluckily for him1 the hail falls so heavily as to do much harm to the crops1 his reverence has to be punished with a fine1 apportioned to the amount of injury done by the hail1 as provided by the law of the land4 ,illustration3 ,,priest ,,fighting ,,with ,,hail4 ,to make up for the loss the ,ngak-pa thus sustains1 he is entitled at other times1 when the year passes with little or no hail1 to obtain an income under the name of 8hail-prevention-tax20 a strange kind of impost1 is it not8 ,the 8hail-prevention-tax0 is levied in kind1 rated at about two sho of wheat per tan of land1 which is to be paid to the ,ngak-pa4 ,in a plentiful year this rate may be increased to two and a half sho4 ,this is1 indeed a heavy tax for the farmers in ,tibet1 for it is an extra1 in addition to the regular amount which they have to pay to their ,government4 ,there is another custom even more singular than that4 ,the power of jurisdiction over the district resides in the person of the ,ngak-pa1 this being founded on the belief that the plentitude or deficiency of the crops each summer is dependent entirely on his power4 ,the ,ngak-pa being thus the administrator of justice receives a large salary in that capacity in addition to his income as preventer of hail4 ,it might therefore be supposed that this class of priests is quite wealthy1 but the ,tibetan ,ngak-pas are most of them singularly poor4 ,their gains1 coming from deception founded upon the superstition of the people1 are soon dissipated1 for what is ill-got is ill-spent1 as the saying is4 ,but the influence they exercise over the people is very strong4 ,for instance1 when a poor-looking ,ngak-pa1 attired like a beggar1 meets with a fine gentleman on the road1 the latter is sure to stick out his tongue and to bow down in profound respect4 ,so these ,ngak-pas gain much in peaceful days1 though they are at the same time subject to a heavy penalty when the hail season sets in4 ,occasionally too1 some of them are flogged on their naked bodies4 ,the ,tibetans are very strict in this respect1 and no nobleman who has committed wrong is spared a flogging because of his caste4 ,so far about the hail tax4 ,from this temple ,i went eastwards for about seven miles1 when ,i came to a village called ,yase4 ,from the mountains east of this village flows a river called ,yakchu1 which1 running north-west1 empties itself into the ,brahmapura4 ,some ,european maps incorrectly give the ,yakchu as having its source in lake ,yamdo4 ,going on some two miles1 ,i found one of the strangest lakes in the world4 ,it is called lake ,yamdo-,tso in ,tibetan1 but some foreign maps call it lake ,palti4 ,palti however is not the name of the lake1 but of the village on the western side4 ,the lake is about one hundred and eighty miles in circumference1 and has an island with a mountain range in its centre4 ,many lakes have small islands in them1 but authoritative geographers state that none has so large a mountain as this4 ,i must1 however1 here say that the land in the lake is connected with the main land at two points on the south1 so that it is not actually an island4 ,no words can describe the beautiful scenery here4 ,the lofty peaks of the ,himlayas stand high in a line from the south-east to the south-west of the lake1 and add to its magnificence1 and the tempest often lashes it into high waves1 which dash roaring upon the shore4 ,standing on a high rock by the shore1 ,i marvelled to see the terrible scene of the angry lake waves1 with the peaks of the ,himlayan mountains amidst the clouds1 looking like a superhuman being4 ,i proceeded for about four miles to the east1 and then the road turned to the north-east4 ,on the left stood a wall of high mountains1 while on the right ,i could see the peaks of mountains in the lake4 ,i went east and then north along a rather wide path by the lake for about six miles1 till ,i came to ,palti4 ,there is a castle on a hill in this village1 and very beautiful the lake looks when the castle throws its shadow on the water4 ,i lodged at a house at the foot of this castle4 ,i had walked twenty-five miles that day1 but the invigorating mountain scenery dispelled my fatigue1 though ,i had been very tired4 ,on the following day1 ,march #afth1 ,i started at four o'clock1 in the snow and ice1 and went north-east along the lake4 ,there were mountains on the left and the lake on the right1 as before4 ,the path went pretty nearly north1 but straight up and down in a zig-zag along the mountain4 ,often ,i slipped on the ice1 or went deep into the snow1 and ,i encountered much trouble1 which was1 however1 almost nothing when compared with those which ,i had met in passing over the ,himlayas4 ,at dawn ,i climbed up the mountain in deep snow1 and looked down upon the surface of the lake4 ,i could see among the shadows of the mountains the crescent moon beautifully reflected dimly and faintly on the water4 ,the bright day was soon coming1 the moon began already to lose its dim light1 and the morning star twinkled on the surface of the water4 ,amid the charms of nature ,i lost all my fatigue and weariness1 and ,i stood quite entranced4 ,soon the water-fowl were heard on the sands along the lake1 and some mandarin ducks were amusing themselves in the water1 while cranes were wildly flying about with noisy cries4 ,what a contrast it was with the scene of the day before6 ,no pleasure on a journey can be greater than travelling in this way at dawn4 ,i still went on for about twelve miles along the lake and came to a little stream in the mountains at about nine o'clock4 ,it is here that travellers make tea1 and bake their wheat for eating4 ,the lake is full of water1 but it is poisonous4 ,a strange story is told about how it turned poisonous4 ,about twenty years ago1 as the ,tibetans tell1 the famous ,sara ,chanra s1 an ,indian by birth1 who passed for an ,englishman1 came from ,india and pronounced a spell upon the lake2 the water at once turned as red as blood4 ,a lama1 they say1 came along and turned the water back to its original color1 but it still remained poisonous4 ,one cannot believe anything that the ,tibetans say1 but the water seems to have really turned red4 ,sara ,chanra s cannot have done that1 but1 unfortunately for him1 it was just after his return from ,tibet that the water thus changed4 ,sara ,chanra s1 as every one knows1 is an ,indian1 but ,tibetans1 with few exceptions1 think him to be an ,englishman4 ,any way the water of the lake must have been poisonous for a long time1 for the water is stagnant1 there being no current1 and there are divers poisonous elements near the lake4 ,there also seem to be places where ,i think there must be coal2 ,i saw several kinds of strange ores and many kinds of herbs which ,i think may have dissolved in the water and have colored it4 ,i have seen some foreign maps in which the water of this lake is made to flow into the ,brahmapura1 which is quite false4 ,i found several persons taking lunch as we did amid this beautiful scenery4 ,this being the way that runs between ,lhasa and ,shigatze there were travellers on it1 among whom was a soldier from ,nepl4 ,he was one of the most humorous fellows ,i ever saw1 and was very good company for me4 ,,chapter ,,xliv4 ,on to ,lhasa4 ,the soldier1 whose company proved not altogether unwelcome in a travel like mine1 happened to be one of the ,legation ,guards of the ,minister of ,nepl at ,lhasa4 ,his love of his mother had tempted him from his duty1 but at ,shigatze on his way to ,nepl his thought turned to his love of a woman at ,lhasa and this was so much greater than his love for his mother that he suddenly changed his mind and determined to go back to ,lhasa4 ,among other things ,i asked him how many soldiers the ,nepl ,government kept stationed at ,lhasa1 and he answered that it was but a few years ago that his ,government first sent a guard to the ,tibetan capital4 ,he told me that a great calamity befell the capital over ten years ago4 ,it seems that there were about three hundred merchants of the ,palpo tribe of ,nepl at ,lhasa4 ,they are the most active and alert of the ,neplese tribes1 with regard to trading1 and follow ,indian1 not ,tibetan ,buhism4 ,they engage in trade at ,lhasa in woollen cloth1 cotton1 silk1 coral1 jewels1 dry goods1 rice1 beans and corn4 ,some thirteen years ago1 a ,palpo merchant at ,lhasa searched a ,lhasa woman on the charge that she had stolen a piece of coral from his shop4 ,when the coral was not found he became so angry that1 in spite of her protesting tears1 he took her by force into his house4 ,when she was allowed to go out again1 she told the people all that had happened4 ,the #8warrior-priests' of the ,sera monastery heard of the affair and became so irritated about the ill-treatment of the woman that some of them came to enquire into the matter1 and having ascertained what they wanted went back to ,sera and told their chief1 who at once called out the warrior-priests4 ,these warrior-priests are under one chief1 at whose summons they gather themselves together4 ,many of them were not in residence at that time1 but about one thousand assembled4 ,these were preparing to march on ,lhasa to wreck vengeance on all the ,palpo merchants1 when the latter got wind of the matter1 ,sera being only about four miles from the capital4 ,so they had fled from the city before the bellicose priests entered ,lhasa1 each armed with sword or a large iron hook4 ,these men broke into the deserted houses of the merchants1 and carried off what they found4 ,among the raiders there were1 besides the priests1 vagabonds of the city1 who dispersed with their spoil the next morning at daybreak4 ,presently the merchants returned to their houses1 and were much distressed to find their merchandise gone--their only property1 as they owned no land4 ,their loss was estimated at something under #bcj1jjj yen4 ,this affair became a diplomatic question1 and it took over five years to settle it4 ,the ,tibetan ,government had to compensate the merchants and a party of twenty-five ,neplese soldiers came to be stationed at ,lhasa4 ,the chief diplomatist in this affair on the ,nepl side was ,jibbahaur1 whose name has already been mentioned2 he was the ,clerk of the ,neplese ,government1 and is the present ,neplese ,minister to ,tibet4 ,as we walked on we found ourselves at the foot of a steep hill called ,genpala1 which has an incline of about two and a half miles to its top1 from which ,i obtained my first view of ,lhasa4 ,from the summit ,i could see1 to the north-east1 the ,brahmapura running south-east4 ,there is a large tributary called ,kichu running from the north-east that flows into this river4 ,it runs through a large plain1 in the middle of which is a mountain with a high building2 and this ,i saw showing beautifully in the golden sunshine4 ,this was the residence of the ,dalai ,lama of ,lhasa1 and is called ,tse ,potala4 ,beyond the castle are to be seen roofs towering high in the air1 which look like those of a town4 ,these are the streets of ,lhasa1 which look very small1 when seen so far off4 ,i rested for a while1 and then gradually went down a great slope for about seven miles till ,i came to ,pache1 where ,i stopped for the night4 ,having walked all day in the snow and ice ,i was very foot-sore and fatigued1 as well ,i might be1 for ,i had made twenty-five miles on foot that day4 ,the following day1 the #agth of ,march1 ,i descended for another two miles and a half and found myself on the banks of the ,brahmapura4 ,i walked some six miles along the southern bank of the river before ,i came to the ferry of ,chaksam1 where ,i had to cross the river4 ,formerly there was an iron bridge at this place1 the remaining chains of which may still be seen a little lower down the stream4 ,the ferry boats are rectangular in shape like ,indian boats4 ,but it is only in the winter that these boats are used1 for in the summer large vessels cannot pass across4 ,the ,tibetans then use instead the yak-hide canoe4 ,they sew together the hides of three yaks1 and the seams are painted over with a sort of lacquer1 to make them waterproof4 ,these hide canoes float on the water1 and are used as ferry-boats even in the winter when there are not many passengers4 ,in ,tibetan the word ,kowa 7meaning #8hide'7 also signifies a boat4 ,the hide boat naturally absorbs much water and soon gets too soft and heavy for use1 and the ,tibetan therefore dries his hide boat in the sun after he has used it for half a day in the water4 ,it is so light that a man can easily lift it1 and the ,tibetan will carry it on his back to the higher part of a stream1 and will float it down for a day or two loaded with goods or men4 ,when the boat is unloaded1 it is again carried up the stream4 ,but our party being too many for a hide canoe ,i was ferried over the river in one of the regular wooden boats4 ,walking for about three miles on the dry sandy bed of the river1 ,i came to a beautiful place where ,i saw rocks and high trees casting their shadows on the water4 ,the ground about ,lake ,yamdo1 of which ,i have spoken elsewhere1 is so elevated that it looks as much as #ac1ejj feet above sea level1 but here it is only #aa1ejj feet high4 ,here1 in sunny places beside the water1 the buds of the willows were already out4 ,after seeing only bald mountains and dead leaves for a long time1 the green leaves were a delightful sight4 ,though my coolie carried my baggage1 and ,i was not much troubled on that score1 the old wounds on my feet began to smart again1 and ,i could hardly walk4 ,in the midst of my trouble there came along a horseman1 to whom ,i gave a little money to carry me on horseback4 ,about two miles and a half further on we came to a town called ,chu-shur1 a rather bustling place1 situated in the delta formed by the rivers ,kichu and ,brahmapura1 the former running from the north-east and the latter from the north-west4 ,i hardly know any town on the way to ,lhasa worse and more wicked than this4 ,the people of the town are indifferent1 even unkind1 to strangers1 and are much skilled in robbing them of their luggage4 ,they will steal both luggage and goods in transport in such a skilful manner that they can hardly be detected4 ,it is widely known in ,tibet that no place is richer in thieves than ,chu-shur and ,i had often been warned to be on my guard against them4 ,there being so many skilful thieves and the place being so much frequented by travellers1 there is consequently a good circulation of money1 and one would suppose that ,chu-shur had many rich men2 but strange to say1 ,i was told upon enquiry that there were more poor men in that town than in most of the other towns and villages of ,tibet4 ,after dining there1 ,i started towards the north-east 7on foot1 as ,i could procure no horse7 along the stream of the ,kichu river and walked on until ,i felt so much pain in my feet that ,i could proceed no further4 ,i had laid myself down on the grass to rest when1 to my boundless joy1 a donkey-driver came along and ,i was given a lift on the back of his animal for some ten miles1 till ,i arrived at ,jang4 ,at ,jang something happened that prevented my coolie from following me any further1 and he deserted me4 ,my feet were aching worse than ever1 for ,i had travelled about twenty-five miles that day by the help of the donkey2 but what to do on the following day ,i was at a loss to conceive4 ,happily ,i was told of some men who were going with tax-meat to the ,government at ,lhasa1 and ,i asked them to take me on one of their horses4 ,they were going to pay the tax to the ,government1 yet they did not take their horses from their own village1 but hired them elsewhere4 ,they did not travel more than eight or nine miles a day1 and ,i1 too1 hired a horse for myself1 placed my luggage in their charge1 and started together with them4 ,we halted at a little village named ,nam to take rest1 and here stopped for the night4 ,on the following day we went about six miles along a narrow rocky mountain path1 which ran north-east along the ,kichu river1 till we came to ,nethang4 ,,chapter ,,xlv4 ,arrival in ,lhasa4 ,at ,nethang there is a temple of the ,mothers of ,salvation1 who are most devoutly worshipped in ,tibet1 and it is said that it was founded by an ,indian hermit1 ,shr ,asha by name1 who organised a new sect in ,tibet4 ,i went there to worship the twenty-one ,mothers of ,salvation 7,dolma ,nishu tsa chik in ,tibetan7 whose images ,i found very well made4 ,on the following day1 the #bjth1 ,i again went on towards the north-east1 along the river1 over a plain of about five miles1 till ,i came to a large bridge which ,i crossed1 went on north-east for another four miles1 and came to a village called ,sing ,zonkha1 where ,i stopped for the night4 ,i was to arrive at ,lhasa1 the capital of the country1 on the following day1 ,march #bast4 ,i hired a horse at the village1 and asked my companions to take care of my baggage while ,i rode on amid the beautiful scenes of the place4 ,after about two miles1 ,i saw on the left a splendid monastery1 which at first sight looked more like a large village1 though it was in reality the ,rebung monastery1 the largest of the kind in the vicinity of ,lhasa4 ,it is indeed the largest monastery in the ecclesiastical district under the ,dalai ,lama1 and has an army of priests who number some #g1gjj as a general rule1 though sometimes their number rises as high as nine thousand4 ,during the summer1 when the priests go out into the country on pilgrimage1 there remain some six thousand only4 ,this is one centre of ,tibetan learning1 and has a college4 ,i saw in all three colleges in ,central ,tibet1 the other two being the ,sera college in ,lhasa and that at ,ganden4 ,the former has #e1ejj students1 and the latter #c1cjj4 ,but these numbers are only nominal1 and the colleges can1 like the ,rebung monastery1 take in either more or fewer students than their fixed number4 ,at the side of the road below this monastery is a place where yaks1 sheep1 and goats are killed for the table of the ,dalai ,lama1 and the ,tibetans have so superstitious a regard for the sheep 7seven in number7 the meat of which is offered to the ,dalai ,lama daily1 that they ask for such things as the wool and other parts of the animal as keepsakes4 ,besides sheep1 the ,dalai ,lama eats other kinds of meat1 which is also sent from the same place4 ,it is not very sensible of the ,pontiff to get his meat from such a distant place1 while he lives in the city of ,lhasa2 but he takes another view4 ,lhasa is too near to his palace for the slaughter of animals1 and he does not want to have it thought that the animals are killed for him4 ,he desires to get his meat without being responsible for giving the order to kill the animals4 ,this looks very good1 but since it is settled that the meat served to him shall be taken from this place1 special care is taken in selecting the animals for slaughter1 and at bottom1 therefore1 it makes no difference whether his meat is bought at ,lhasa or at that particular place4 ,i went on for another five miles1 and came to the foot of the hill on which stood the palace of the ,grand ,lama1 the place which ,i had seen from ,genpala4 ,illustration3 ,,outline ,,of ,,the ,,residence ,,of ,,the ,,dalai ,,lama4 ,the palace is so splendid that even its picture looks beautiful4 ,i am not going to describe it in detail1 but there is a quaint little story about it which shows the impression it creates at first sight4 ,a certain countryman once drove to ,lhasa some asses heavily loaded with butter4 ,he saw the magnificent palace1 and was so struck with its beauty that he stood gazing at it1 thinking that it must be a palace of the ,gods4 ,when he recovered himself1 he was mortified to find that his asses had strayed away4 ,when he had gathered them1 he found that there were nine instead of ten1 and looked about anxiously to find the lost one4 ,when asked what he was looking for1 he answered that some one must have stolen his ass while he was looking at the palace1 for he had come thither with ten asses4 ,it was some time before he found that he had not counted the ass on which he was riding4 ,this shows how the magnificence of the palace had affected him4 ,i went half a mile along a wide road1 south-east of the palace hill1 and came to a bridge called ,yuthok ,samba1 a hundred and twenty feet by fifteen1 over which is built a roof in the ,chinese style4 ,i crossed the bridge and went on another hundred and twenty yards before ,i found myself at the western gate of ,lhasa1 constructed somewhat after the ,chinese fashion4 ,i passed through the gate and rode on some two hundred and fifty yards1 when ,i came to a sort of large open court4 ,here ,i had to alight1 for ,i was before the large temple of ,buha4 ,i enquired how the image of ,buha came to be placed in the temple4 ,it was before king ,srong-tsan ,gambo 7who later introduced ,buhism into the country7 was won to the religion1 and when he was engaged to ,princess ,un-ching1 a daughter of the ,chinese ,emperor ,ta-sung of the ,thang dynasty4 ,she demanded a promise from his father that ,buhism should be widely preached in ,tibet1 and required at the same time that she might be permitted to take with her an image of ,buha1 which had just been brought from ,india4 ,the request being granted1 the ,princess took it to the city of ,lhasa1 where it has remained ever since4 ,the image was thus brought into the country by the ,princess at the same time as ,buhism itself4 ,it was soon found necessary to preach a new form of ,buhism and to invent new characters in which to write its teachings4 ,so learned men1 sixteen in number1 were sent to ,india to study ,buhism1 and to invent new characters4 ,consequently1 new ,tibetan letters were formed1 and ,buhist doctrines were translated into ,tibetan4 ,budhism was thus taught for over thirteen centuries1 to the great advantage both of ,tibet and of ,buhism4 ,this image of ,buha was not originally carved in ,china1 but was made by a ,buhist sculptor1 ,vishvakarma by name1 in ,india1 whence it was introduced into ,tibet through ,china4 ,when ,i lifted up my thanks before this image of ,buha for my safe arrival in ,tibet1 ,i could not help shedding tears over the goodness of ,buha1 which enabled me to see ,his image at this temple as well as at ,buhagay in ,india4 ,i need not say1 for the whole story shows it1 how great is my faith in ,buha4 ,i do not mean that ,i do not respect other ,buhist deities2 still ,buha claims the greatest worship from me1 and ,i have entirely given myself up to ,him and ,his religion4 ,there are many cheap inns and hotels in ,lhasa1 but as ,i had been informed that they were not respectable1 ,i desired to stay with a friend1 a son of the premier of ,tibet4 ,while at ,darjeeling ,i had become acquainted with this young noble1 and he had offered me a lodging during my stay in ,lhasa4 ,i liked him1 and did many things for him1 and now1 though ,i did not mean to demand a return for what ,i had done for him1 ,i had no alternative but to go to him4 ,so ,i called at his house4 ,it was known as ,bandesha--a magnificent mansion on a plot of about three hundred and sixty feet square4 ,i entered the house and asked if he was in1 but heard that my friend had become a lunatic4 ,they told me that he had gone out of his mind two years before1 and that he went mad at regular periods4 ,i learned that he was staying at his brother's villa at ,namsailing1 and was obliged to go there for him1 but there also ,i could not find him1 and was told the same thing4 ,i waited there for over two hours1 as ,i was told he might come1 and then ,i reflected that it would be of no use for me to see a madman1 on whom ,i could not depend1 so ,i made up my mind to direct my steps to the ,sera monastery1 for ,i thought it would be better for me to be temporarily admitted in the college1 and then to pass the regular entrance examinations4 ,so ,i at once hired a coolie to carry my baggage1 and started for the monastery4 ,like the ,rebung monastery1 it was built on the slope of a hill1 and when seen from a distance looked like a village4 ,guided by the coolie1 ,i arrived at the monastery at four o'clock and at once called at the dormitory of ,pituk ,khamtsan1 giving myself out as a ,tibetan1 as ,i came from ,jangthang4 ,hitherto ,i had passed for a ,chinaman1 but as such ,i should have had to go to ,pate ,khamtsan1 where ,i feared ,i might be detected4 ,i had not trimmed my hair nor shaved my face1 nor bathed for a long time1 and ,i cannot have been much cleaner than a ,tibetan1 so ,i made up my mind to pass for one and to live among them4 ,the examinations for a ,tibetan might be too difficult for me2 still ,i could command the ,tibetan language almost as well as a native1 and ,i was often treated as one4 ,i thought1 therefore1 that ,i could pass without detection1 and so for my own safety ,i entered the monastery in this guise4 ,the dormitory is occupied by several priests1 who in turn1 by the year1 take the charge of the house4 ,the then head of the dormitory was a very kind and simple old man1 called ,la-toe-pa1 and when ,i told him about my desire to obtain temporary admission1 he gave me every particular as to what to do4 ,before ,i go any further in my narrative1 ,i must say something briefly about the ,sera college4 ,it is divided into three departments--,je-,ta-tsang1 ,maye ,ta-tsang1 and ,ngakpa ,ta-tsang4 ,the first department contains #c1hjj priests1 the second #b1ejj and the third five hundred4 ,the former two departments have eighteen dormitories1 named ,khamtsan4 ,they differ in size1 for the small ones have about fifty priests in them1 while there are over a thousand priests in the largest ones4 ,there were two hundred priests in the house at which ,i stayed4 ,each ,khamtsan has its own property1 and all the ,khamtsans as a whole are called ,sera4 ,these are the largest divisions of the monastery1 but ,i will not enter into the sub-divisions4 ,,chapter ,,xlvi4 ,the ,warrior-,priests of ,sera4 ,in ,tibet there are two classes of priests1 scholar-priests and warrior-priests1 who in ,tibetan are called ,lob-nyer and ,thab-to respectively4 ,the former class of priests come to ,sera1 as their name shows1 with the purpose of study1 at an expense of three yen or1 if they take the regular course1 of eight yen a month4 ,they graduate from the college after a study of twenty years1 during which time their special study is the ,buhist ,catechism and philosophy1 the principal course of the ,sera college4 ,as they come to the college after they have finished the study of the regular courses1 most of them are from thirty to thirty-five or thirty-six years of age when they graduate1 though a few clever priests receive the decree of doctor at the age of twenty-eight years4 ,the warrior-priests have no money to pay for a course of study in the college4 ,they earn their way by gathering yak-dung from the fields or by carrying from the bank of the river ,kichu to the monastery wood which has been brought in boats from ,sam-ya-e or ,kongbo4 ,then they serve the scholar-priests as their servants4 ,it is also among their daily tasks to play flutes1 lyres1 harps1 flageolets1 to beat drums1 and to prepare offerings for the deities4 ,the above tasks may not be too humble for a low class of priests1 but the warrior-priests have another strange daily task to do by which they deserve their strange name4 ,every day they repair to certain hills and practise throwing large stones at a target1 and thus test their muscles4 ,they jump1 run up mountains1 or leap down from high rocks4 ,at intervals they sing popular songs as loudly as they can1 for they are proud of their good voices4 ,then they practise fighting with clubs4 ,when they have no fixed task in the temple1 they are seen going by threes or fives to their respective places of practice4 ,the reader may wonder of what use these priests are in ,tibet1 and will perhaps be surprised to know that they are of great use4 ,when1 for instance1 the higher class ,lamas travel in the northern plains or in some remote district1 they take these priests as their body guards4 ,they are very daring4 ,having no wives to look after1 they meet death calmly4 ,so invincible and implacable are these fighting priests that they are the most feared of any in ,tibet4 ,they are very quarrelsome1 too1 though they rarely fall out with one another without some serious provocation4 ,they scarcely ever fight for a pecuniary matter1 but the beauty of young boys presents an exciting cause1 and the theft of a boy will often lead to a duel4 ,once challenged1 no priest can honorably avoid the duel1 for to shun it would instantly excommunicate him from among his fellow-priests and he would be driven out of the temple4 ,there are chiefs among the warrior-priests1 and they have rules of their own1 with officers to see them well carried out4 ,this is an open secret1 and the warrior-priests are therefore allowed sometimes to do things quite unbecoming to priests or anybody else4 ,when any grave matter occurs1 the chiefs are often ordered to attend to it with the other warrior-priests4 ,a duel being agreed upon1 both the fighters go to the appointed place1 mostly in the evening4 ,they fight each other with swords while the umpires judge their way of fighting4 ,if either of the combatants does anything cowardly or mean1 the umpire leaves the fighters to themselves1 till one or the other is killed4 ,if both fight bravely till they are wounded1 the umpire bids them stop fighting4 ,he tells them to make peace1 and takes them to ,lhasa1 where they make friends over a cup of chang 7beer or wine74 ,the use of all intoxicants being strictly prohibited in the ,sera monastery1 many warrior-priests1 when they go to ,lhasa1 take the opportunity of drinking much of them1 and under that influence they do many rude things4 ,one day1 some one accidentally discovered that ,i was a doctor1 and from that time ,i came to be paid undeserved respect by these priests4 ,when they were wounded in their feet or hands during their practice they came to me for cure1 and ,i was strangely successful with them4 ,i think that half-civilised people are more easily cured of wounds than civilised people4 ,a sprained arm was so easily set right1 that the warrior-priests began to consider me to be a doctor indispensable among them4 ,besides1 ,i scarcely ever took fees from them for their recovery1 and ,i gave them medicine gratis1 except when they offered me something in return and compelled me to accept it4 ,this kindness won me their hearts4 ,they saw that it often made them worse to go to a native doctor when they were wounded in a duel1 while ,i treated their wounds1 or set their bones1 gratis and far better than their native doctors did4 ,this pleased them so much that ,i became a great favorite among them4 ,everywhere ,i was greeted with the protruded tongue of salutation4 ,besides1 ,i was helped and guarded by them in many respects4 ,they are very true to their duties and obligations4 ,they may look a little rough1 but they are much more truthful than the nobles and other priests of the land1 who1 though kind and truthful at first sight1 are deceitful and crafty in seeking their own benefit and happiness4 ,the warrior-priests are as a rule not deceitful and cunning at heart1 and ,i have found in them many other points that claim my respect and liking4 ,on the other hand1 ,i was often troubled in my intercourse with the ,lamas1 who hide a mean and crafty behavior under their warm garments of wool4 ,so far for the two classes of priests4 ,i had trimmed and shaved neither hair nor beard in my journey of over ten months1 so that they had grown very long4 ,on the day after my arrival1 therefore1 when ,i got a priest to shave my head1 ,i asked him to shave off my beard also4 ,he wondered why ,i wanted to have it shaved off1 and told me that it would be very unwise of me to do so when it had grown so beautiful4 ,he seemed to think that ,i was joking1 and ,i was obliged to let it grow4 ,a beard is much valued by the ,tibetans1 because they generally have none1 though the inhabitants of ,kham and other remote provinces grow beards4 ,they are so eager to have a beard1 that after ,i was known to be a doctor ,i was often asked to give medicine to make the beard grow4 ,they would say that ,i must have used some medicine to make my beard grow so long4 ,as my object was to be a student priest ,i bought a hat1 a pair of shoes1 and a rosary1 according to the regulations of the monastery4 ,i did not buy a priest's robe1 as ,i could in time use the one which had been given to me4 ,so ,i went to ,je ,ta-tsang1 chief professor of the department which ,i was to enter1 for him to question me before ,i was admitted as a probationary student2 but ,i found that no examinations were to be given4 ,i called on the professor with a present of the best tea to be procured in ,tibet4 ,his first question was3 8,where are you from8 ,you look like a ,mongolian2 are you not one80 ,being answered in the negative1 he asked me several geographical questions1 for he was well acquainted with the geography of the country4 ,but ,i answered well1 as ,i had travelled through the provinces on my own feet4 ,it was thus settled that ,i might be admitted on probation4 ,so ,i saluted the ,lama with my tongue out1 and he put his right hand on my head1 as usual1 and put a red cloth about two feet long round my neck as the sign of my admission4 ,the reader must know that one has to put such a piece of cloth round the neck in the presence of all noble ,lamas in ,tibet4 ,i had then to appear before the priest who sees that the laws are carried out1 and to get his permission1 and ,i found that as ,i had a permit from the professor ,i could easily get the sanction of the priest1 and thus ,i was admitted into the college4 ,i had then to prepare myself for the regular entrance examination of the department of logic4 ,on the following day ,i found a teacher to help me in my preparation4 ,finding however that one teacher was not sufficient for the many subjects ,i had to study1 ,i engaged a second1 and ,i was thus soon busy preparing myself4 ,there was a ,lama living in the dormitory opposite to mine1 a stout priest who seemed to be very learned4 ,one day ,i was called to his room to see him1 and among other questions ,i was asked if ,i had not come with a caravan of ,ruto from ,jangthang to the ,sakya temple4 ,i was told that among the disciples of the ,lama there was one ,tobten1 a nice gentle ,tibetan1 and this person happened to be the one who had treated me very kindly during my journey with the caravan4 ,it was this man who had asked me if ,i would take meat1 and whom ,i had told that ,i did not take it4 ,i had hitherto been supposed to have come from ,jangthang1 but now ,i was entirely unmasked4 8,then you are not from ,jangthang10 said the ,lama1 and then he told me that he had heard ,i was a ,chinaman and good at writing ,chinese characters4 ,on my confessing that ,i was not a ,tibetan he was grieved1 because he feared that my deceit might bring trouble upon the dormitory1 for a ,chinaman must go to ,pate ,khamtsan4 ,he then asked me why ,i had violated the regulations of the place1 and ,i replied that ,i had been robbed1 as he might have heard from his disciple1 at ,jangthang1 and that ,i had not money enough to enter into the ,pate ,khamtsan as a ,chinaman4 ,besides1 ,i said1 ,i should have to pay something for service every year1 if ,i went to the ,chinese house4 ,having told him all these secrets1 ,i then asked him to help me to stay with him1 as ,i could not go to the other house4 ,the ,lama said that his disciple had told him of the robbery1 and that he was very sorry for me1 adding that he would leave the matter till objection should be made4 ,so ,i was left there without further trouble1 and ,i passed for a man from ,jangthang4 ,in this way ,i kept on studying day and night1 till ,i had a great swelling in my shoulders4 ,i was obliged to draw some blood from the shoulders by a device of my own1 and then ,i went to a druggist in the city to buy some medicine1 which soon cured the swelling4 ,,chapter ,,xlvii4 ,tibet and ,north ,china4 ,on the #gth of ,april ,i went to see a great service of prayer for the ,chinese ,emperor in connexion with the 8,boxer0 war4 ,it was held not only at ,sera1 but at every temple in ,tibet4 ,at the monastery where ,i lived they held a secret meeting for seven days1 during which time special priests offered secret prayers4 ,they were then to perform something secret for the victory of ,china4 ,on enquiry ,i was told that ,peking was invaded by the troops of several foreign countries1 and that the ,chinese seemed to have been beaten4 ,they might be too late1 they said1 but they prayed for the safety of the ,emperor of ,china4 ,i was quite anxious to know more particulars1 but they were all kept secret1 and no one would tell me any more4 ,the prayer service was held in the ,tsochen ,hall at ,sera1 and commenced with a long warlike procession4 ,first came the players on lyres1 flageolets1 drums1 and large flutes1 followed by men carrying incense-burners4 ,then came ten nice looking ,tibetan boys1 still in their teens1 all dressed in fine ,buhist robes ornamented with colored ,chinese crape1 and each burning incense4 ,next followed fifty spear-like objects on each side of the road1 each surmounted with a movable blade like that of a ,chinese spear4 ,these blades had hilt guards1 under which hung gold brocade or fine colored ,chinese crape1 sixteen feet long1 thus making the spear twenty-five feet long altogether4 ,the spear1 the handle of which was either of gold or gilt1 seemed rather heavy1 for two strong warrior-priests carried each of them4 ,then came a triangular board about six feet high1 with various figures made of butter on it1 and after it another triangular board1 four feet high1 with some red figure made of a mixture of baked flour1 butter and honey4 ,these boards were borne by seven or eight men4 ,after them came some two hundred priests1 dressed in handsome robes and scarfs quite dazzling to the eye4 ,half of these beat drums1 while the other half carried cymbals4 ,after these priests came the chief ,lama1 who was to offer the secret prayer4 ,he had dressed himself in the splendid robes of his high rank4 ,last of all his disciples followed4 ,thus the procession presented a grand sight1 and the people of ,lhasa came out in great crowds to see it4 ,it marched out about two hundred yards from the great hall to an open yard outside the stone fence1 where the view opened as far as ,lhasa4 ,another two hundred yards further1 the procession came before a grass-roofed shed1 built of bamboo1 wood and straw4 ,there the chief ,lama recited something in front of the triangular figures of butter and of baked wheat1 and of the spear-shaped objects1 while the two hundred priests around him chanted verses from the ,buhist ,scriptures1 and beat drums and cymbals4 ,a priest with a pair of cymbals walked through the lines of the priests2 he seemed to be a sort of band-master1 for he marched through their ranks beating time4 ,his steps and gait were very odd and different from any dancings that ,i had ever seen4 ,soon the chief ,lama was seen pretending to throw away his rosary1 at which signal the spear-bearers threw their spears at the shed and then the triangular board of baked flour was thrown at it also4 ,they then set fire to the shed1 at the burning of which the priests as well as the spectators clapped their hands1 crying out 8,lha-kyallo6 ,lha-kyallo60 ,this is a ,tibetan word1 meaning 8surely the ,gods will triumph40 ,thus was the ceremony over1 one of the most splendid ,i had ever seen in ,buhism4 ,on the following day all the priests of the monastery were invited to ,lhasa to attend the ,cho-en ,joe service1 which lasted a month1 to pray that the ,dalai ,lama of ,tibet might be kept from all evil during the year4 ,this was a celebration said to be only second in importance to the other4 ,i also went to ,lhasa1 and took lodging in the house of a ,palpo merchant4 ,in the capital ,i got more definite information about the ,boxer trouble4 ,perhaps some merchants who had returned from ,china1 or some who had came from ,nepl or some who had been to ,india1 might have brought the news2 but it was all very laughable and unreliable4 ,some would say the ,emperor of ,china had bequeathed his throne to the ,crown ,prince and absconded1 while others told me that the ,emperor was defeated and was then in ,sin-an4 ,the trouble was brought about1 some said1 by a wicked minister1 who married an ,english lady to the ,emperor1 while others asserted that there was a country called ,japan1 which was so strong that her troops took possession of ,peking4 ,another said that a famine prevailed in ,china and people were all famished2 indeed1 every sort of rumor was abroad in the ,tibetan capital4 ,i was especially pleased to hear something about ,japan1 even the very name of which had not yet been heard in ,tibet1 and some merchants told me that ,japan was so powerful and so chivalrous that even when her army had taken possession of ,peking1 she had sent shiploads of rice1 wheat and clothing to the ,chinese capital to relieve tens of thousands of natives who were suffering from famine4 ,but others would say against ,japan that she could not be such a friendly country1 but must have done what she had done merely out of her crafty 8land-grabbing diplomacy10 as the ,british nation did4 ,rumor after rumor was making its way through ,tibet1 and ,i did not know what to believe4 ,only ,i was pretty sure that a war had broken out between ,china and other ,powers4 ,in the meantime the ,palpo merchant with whom ,i was staying was going to ,nepl4 ,i utilised the occasion and through his kindness sent two letters1 one to ,rai ,sara ,chanra s in ,india1 and the other to ,mr4 ,i4 ,hige of my native province4 ,i was glad to find afterwards that they reached their destination1 but it was very difficult to send a letter in that way2 one must first see that the man by whom it is to be sent is honest and not likely to betray one's secret1 and one cannot easily trust a ,tibetan4 ,but my ,tibetan had more than once been shown to be true to his trust4 ,the ,cho-en ,joe was a meeting of a kind ,i had never seen before4 ,in the first place there was a ,sakya temple over two hundred and forty yards square1 with another and central ,sakya temple1 one hundred and twenty yards square4 ,a wide pavement ran along inside the walls1 where the ordinary priests sat4 ,the same kind of pavement was found on the second and third floors4 ,no priest was admitted into the ,sakya temple but the ,dalai ,lama or the 8greater0 professors1 though they did not always attend the meetings4 ,some twenty thousand priests attended that celebration1 while over twenty-five thousand assembled on the occasion of the festival held at ,lhasa for the safety of the ,emperor of ,china4 ,about five in the morning the sound of flutes called all the priests in ,lhasa to the place of meeting4 ,they chanted the ,scriptures and were given butter and tea1 as usual1 three times1 at intervals of thirty minutes4 ,of the twenty thousand very few were regular priests1 the rest being either warrior-priests or loafers1 who came only with the mean object of filling their stomachs4 ,instead of reciting from the ,scriptures1 therefore1 they were openly doing all sorts of things during the meeting1 such as singing profane songs1 or pushing each other about4 ,one could see the rowdiness of these warrior-priests1 who sat there making obscene jokes1 and often quarrelling with one another4 ,the warrior-priests being so lawless1 some guard-priests are detailed to keep order among them4 ,the guard-priest does not judge between the quarrelling priests1 but strikes them any time he sees them quarrelling4 ,so he is much feared by the other priests1 who take to their huts at the first sign of his presence4 ,still he often takes them by surprise1 and thrashes them most mercilessly on head1 limbs or body1 so that occasionally they even die from the effects of his rough treatment4 ,this is not1 however1 considered to be murder1 the perpetrator of the deed is not punished1 and the body of his victim is simply thrown away for the birds to devour4 ,warrior-priests train themselves for two hours in the morning4 ,they take baked flour in tea during that time1 and at the end they are given some gruel4 ,usually the gruel is made of rice1 with much meat in it1 and is given gratis4 ,each priest brings a bowl which holds a pint or more1 and he takes a bowlful of gruel and three cups of tea4 ,on their way back to their respective lodgings1 they receive ge1 which in ,tibetan means #8alms1' from the officers4 ,it is said that some believers give as much as twenty-five sen or fifty sen per head to each of the priests4 ,in this respect some ,tibetan merchants1 landowners and high officers are very generous1 for they are sometimes known to give eight or nine thousand yen in alms to these priests4 ,there are many who give that sum in that way1 and much money is known to be sent for that object from ,mongolia4 ,there once was among these priests a ,russian spy from ,mongolia4 ,he had the degree of doctor1 and held the office of ,tsan-ni ,kenbo4 ,he often made such donations1 and his fame had spread far and wide4 ,such alms-giving1 without religious faith1 did not improve his spiritual condition in the least2 but so many merchants give money for the sake of their business1 that this doctor was content to think his alms had also promoted his virtue4 ,in these ways the priests get much money1 and the festival season is the best time of the year for them4 ,sufficiency begets bad conduct1 and it is during such times that the priests are most contentious and vindictive1 and that duels are most frequent4 ,a duel is not generally fought in ,lhasa itself2 as a rule they only appoint the place and time for it and fight it after they get back to their own dormitories1 because while they are in ,lhasa they are under the authority of the magistrate priest of the ,rebung temple1 and not of their own temples4 ,this magistrate is known to be so severe1 strict and exacting1 that they are afraid to fight a duel before him1 and they patiently wait till they return to their own temples4 ,on the day that the great celebration was over1 ,i saw a festival procession4 ,first came groups dressed as the four divine kings1 followed by the eight devil kings1 each with a special mark4 ,each group was followed by three or five hundred priests1 differently dressed4 ,unlike a religious procession in ,japan1 which is as a rule very solemn1 the ,tibetan procession marched in a sportive manner1 for the persons in it played with one another while moving4 ,they would even joke with the spectators4 ,they carried in the procession various treasures and musical instruments1 such as drums1 lyres1 pipes1 flageolets and ,indian flutes1 the most attractive objects being some imitations of dragons4 ,there were many strange figures formed1 as they told me1 after the model of the treasures of the submarine dragon's palace4 ,imitations were there of every instrument1 treasure1 or dress found in ,tibet1 and of the old costumes that are found in ,tibetan history2 and several ,indian tribes were to be seen in the long procession of over two and a half miles4 ,it is impossible to enter into details1 as ,i saw it only once2 my memory does not serve me for other particulars4 ,this procession had one of the strangest of origins4 ,it is said that ,ngak ,wang ,gyamtso1 the fifth ,pontiff of the ,new ,sect1 devised the procession after one which he saw in a dream in the ,buhist ,paradise1 and it seemed quite fitting that such a curious procession should have so vague an origin4 ,,chapter ,,xlviii4 ,admission into ,sera ,college4 ,i did not see as much of the festival as ,i might have done1 because ,i had to go through my formal entrance examinations before the festival was entirely over1 and ,i devoted all spare moments to preparation4 ,once more ,i overworked myself1 but ,i bought some more medicine1 and was soon well again4 ,this caused no little wonder among my neighbors1 and ,i was often asked if ,i had studied medicine4 ,i must have studied it1 they would say1 because ,i could cure my own illness1 and ,i was obliged to tell them that ,i had read a few books on medicine4 ,this led me to practise it among them afterwards4 ,before the celebrations were over1 ,i went back to my own monastery for my examination4 ,it was on ,april #ahth that ,i presented myself with forty other candidates4 ,i was given both written and oral examinations1 besides the recitation of a passage from the ,scriptures4 ,the examinations were such as are generally given to those who have finished the common course in ,tibetan schools4 ,they were not so difficult for me as ,i had expected1 and ,i was admitted to the college1 though all were not equally fortunate1 for only seven out of the forty passed4 ,among the successful members were a few warrior-priests also4 ,they had run into debt1 and had since studied hard to be admitted4 ,but1 let me say1 their object was something more than mere study4 ,scholarships were awarded1 from fifty sen to one yen and sometimes two yen a month per scholar-priest4 ,the amount was not fixed1 but it generally came to some ten yen a year4 ,it was on account of that sum of money that many warrior-priests tried to pass the examination4 ,i was admitted as a student of the first class1 in which priest-students varying from boys in their teens to men in the forties and fifties were studying the ,buhist catechism1 according to the ,tibetan fashion4 ,their way of studying was so interesting and active1 and they were so earnest and fervent1 that one would have thought they were quarrelling with one another while discussing4 ,the catechism is a very pleasant performance1 and the ways of questioning1 emphasis1 and intonation are quite interesting4 ,the catechised sits in a certain attitude1 and the questioner stands up with a rosary in his left hand1 and walks towards him4 ,he stretches out his hands with the palm of the left hand downwards and that of the right hand upwards and claps them together1 uttering the words1 ,chi6 chi tawa choe chan4 ,here #8,chi' means the heart of the ,bohisava ,majushr and its utterance is supposed to make the questioner one with ,him1 whose real body is knowledge4 ,the rest of the utterance literally means1 8in that nature of the truth40 ,the sense of the whole is 8,we shall begin the discussion following the nature of ,truth as it is manifested in the ,universe40 ,then the discussion begins in earnest according the rules of the logic of ,nyya4 ,the first question1 for instance1 may be whether ,buha was human or not4 ,whether the answer is in the affirmative or the negative1 the questioner goes on to ask2 8,but he was not above mortality1 was he80 ,if he be answered in the affirmative1 he will say that it could not be so1 for ,buha was no more than mortal4 ,the answerer1 if bright enough1 will then reply that ,buha1 though himself above death1 submitted himself to it in his incarnated body4 ,he must say also that ,buha had three bodies1 called in ,sask harmakya1 ,sambhogakya and ,nirmnakya1 and in ,tibetan1 ,choeku1 ,lonjoeku and ,tulku4 ,these terms mean3 #8,the all pervading body consisting of the purest virtue of ,truth in him'1 #8the body derived from his countless virtues1 enjoying complete happiness with the light of ,truth1' and #8the body derived from his boundless mercy and transcendental knowledge for the good of all beings4' ,illustration3 ,a ,,vehement ,,philosophical ,,discussion4 ,if the catechised shows any weak point in his answers1 the questioner never fails to take advantage of the opportunity1 and drives him on1 saying for example that ,buha was a real man born in ,india4 ,whether the answer be in the affirmative or negative1 he will go on asking many questions in succession1 and that with so much animation that1 when he utters the words of a question1 he beats time with hands and feet4 ,the teacher always teaches the catechists that the foot must come down so strongly that the door of hell may be broken open1 and that the hands must make so great a noise that the voice of knowledge may frighten the devils all over the world1 by a fearless heart and a brave attitude4 ,the object of the questions and answers is to free the mind from all worldliness1 and to get into the very bottom of ,truth1 giving no power to the devils of hell in the mind4 ,to show how excitedly the catechism is carried on1 it is said that a countryman once came to see the scene4 ,the question happened to be about physiognomy 7kan-sa71 which in ,tibetan is synonymous with a tobacco-pipe4 ,the countryman thought that they were disputing over a tobacco-pipe1 and was very much surprised that a pipe should be the matter of the quarrel1 for the priests were seemingly very much provoked and railed at each other and exchanged blows6 ,three years later1 the same countryman came to worship at the temple of ,sera1 and again happened to see the priests disputing hotly about what he thought to be a pipe4 ,he saw them strike each other at the end of the dispute1 and felt very sorry for them4 ,so he thought he would settle the dispute by arbitration4 ,he then walked among the priests1 holding out his pipe1 which he meant to give them4 ,though it was none of his business to come among the priests1 he offered the pipe and begged them to settle the dispute1 thereby causing great laughter among them4 ,it is with such excitement and with hardly any formality that the questions are asked and answered4 ,still it must not be supposed that one could answer these questions without a knowledge of ,buhism4 ,one has to read many texts and reference books before one can go through these questions4 ,it takes the natives twenty years of hard and unceasing study1 with examinations every year1 to obtain the degree of a doctor4 ,the catechism forms the chief part of the education of ,tibetan priests4 ,this method seems to excite so great an interest among priest-students that there are always many ,mongolians in ,tibet1 who come so far and through so much hardship with the sole object of receiving education there4 ,there are three hundred ,mongolians at the ,sera college1 and hardly fewer at other large temples1 such as that of ,tashi ,lhunpo4 ,the ,new ,sect of ,buhism owes a great deal of its fine prospects to its catechism1 while the ,old ,sect has already lost popularity and is now tottering4 ,it is by this spirited ,catechism that the naturally dull and lazy ,tibetans are goaded on to understand ,buhism1 and are very rich1 for a half-civilised nation1 in logical ideas4 ,but let me add1 it is only the learned that are rich in logical ideas2 the people at large1 who have received little education1 are far from being intelligent4 ,the ,catechism is generally held at some beautiful place1 where there are many fine trees1 such as elms1 willows1 nuts1 peaches and various others which are not found in ,japan1 though on the whole ,tibet does not possess a large variety of trees4 ,the ground under the trees is covered with beautiful white sand4 ,when the first ,catechism is over1 the priests have what is termed the ,garden of ,truth1 at some equally well-wooded place1 where there are varieties of flowers4 ,the ground there is also covered with white sand1 and enclosed by stone walls five or six feet high with a gateway constructed in ,chinese fashion4 ,the priests gather themselves there to read from the ,scriptures1 and after the reading1 they begin questioning one another4 ,here they make no difference of classes1 but ask one another concerning their text books and everything else4 ,this helps them a great deal to improve their knowledge and wisdom4 ,at the other place1 there may be no more than one questioner and one answerer1 the rest keeping silence1 whether the class consist of fifty or a hundred priests4 ,the questioner and the answerer might change1 but they could be taken only from that one class4 ,in the garden1 however1 there are no such limitations1 there is no difference of classes1 and young and old priests are seen questioning each other4 ,so one may easily fancy how noisy and excited they are4 ,while ,i was having a ,catechism among them under a peach-forest in blossom1 snowflakes began to fall on us4 ,i stopped questioning and1 struck with the beautiful scene around me1 ,i wrote two ,japanese poems which served to give my friends at home some idea of my thoughts4 ,in spring the blooming flowers of the peach ,are fully blown in 8,dharma-garden0 there1 ,greeting with welcome glee the friendly snows4 ,under their shades the wrangling priests discuss1 ,with their vehement1 uncouth gestures strange1 ,their doubts to melt1 like to the melting snows ,beneath these trees emitting odours sweet4 ,day and night ,i studied in this way4 ,but finding soon that it left me too many precious hours to have only one teacher1 ,i now found another priest to teach me4 ,i went to them to receive their instruction1 while they too sometimes came to teach me4 ,i thus made considerable progress in my learning4 ,there is a strange custom which a new college student has to observe as a sign of his admittance4 ,i had to go to ,lhasa and to travel1 as a sign of my admittance1 for two days to beg for fuel4 ,but one day a young priest next door quarrelled with another young priest and hit him with a stone1 which dislocated the bone of his upper arm4 ,the wounded lad was a special favorite of his instructor1 who feared very much that he might be deformed4 ,bone-setting is quite unknown to the ,tibetans1 and their doctors1 who have no knowledge of how to set a dislocated bone1 apply heated iron1 or give some medicine to drink or use4 ,i was on my walk and happened to hear the pitiful cries of the wounded boy1 and was told1 when ,i asked why they did not send for a doctor1 that it was far better not to do so1 as it would only be a heavy expense for nothing4 ,they were not going to have one4 ,when ,i asked if no doctor in ,tibet could set a dislocated bone1 they seemed to be much surprised at my improbable question4 ,it was with some difficulty that ,i made them believe that a dislocated bone can be easily set4 ,so going to the wounded boy1 ,i easily set his bone1 while a ,tibetan held his head and left hand4 ,then ,i acupunctured that part where the muscle was a little swollen1 and the boy was soon cured4 ,,chapter ,,xlix4 ,meeting with the ,incarnate ,bodhisattva4 ,this healing made me an object of much talk1 and ,i soon found myself surrounded by many patients4 ,i now began to fear that ,i should thus be prevented from studying1 and so fail to accomplish my chief end4 ,so ,i tried every means to keep the patients from me1 but the more ,i declined1 the more patients ,i found brought to me1 and ,i was at last obliged to get some medicines from ,thien-ho-thang 7a ,chinese druggist7 in ,lhasa4 ,i gave the medicines to these patients1 most of whom recovered either through their faith in me or through the efficacy of the drugs2 for ,i had studied the rudiments of medical science 7of the old school1 it is true7 and this enabled me to use the medicines4 ,there is one disease which is most feared as fatal by the ,tibetans4 ,it is dropsy1 little1 if at all different from beri-beri4 ,no one in the neighborhood of ,lhasa seemed to know how to cure the disease4 ,i prepared for it a medicine of which ,i had been told by a ,tibetan hermit1 and gave it to some patients suffering from dropsy4 ,i am glad to say that this medicine cured six or seven patients out of every ten1 though ,i could not heal cases that were far gone4 ,this made me quite famous and my name1 known only in my own monastery at first1 began to be known in the whole city of ,lhasa and in the country as far as ,shigatze4 ,often two horses were sent on for me from places of three days' journey distant to take me to patients4 ,i took no reward from the poor1 but gave them medicine gratis4 ,this may have had a great deal to do with my popularity1 and ,i came to be regarded as a ,god of medicine4 ,there are many cases of consumption in ,tibet4 ,i gave my medicine to those patients who were in the first stages of the disease1 but chronic cases ,i left without any medicine1 to meditation or religious services that they might gain salvation1 and die at ease4 ,this1 ,i was told1 made some patients fear to come to me1 for it was said that those to whom medicine was given recovered1 while the others1 whom ,i taught about death and the future1 without giving them any medicine1 were sure to die4 ,some did not like to be told that death was near them1 and women especially were frightened to come before me4 ,the ,tibetans have a strange habit4 ,when they fall ill1 before any doctor is sent for1 a sorcerer is asked to see which doctor is best and what kind of medicine is good4 ,some doctors1 therefore1 are so wicked as to bribe the sorcerer to recommend them to the patients4 ,the sorcerer1 too1 being pleased enough to see the patients cured by the doctor whom he suggested1 began to recommend me to his patients when he saw my name was making so great a stir in ,tibet4 ,he would tell his patients to be sure to come to me4 ,i never asked him to mention me1 nor even saw him in person2 nor is it probable that he ever saw me4 ,his recommendation must have come out of his love of fame4 ,when1 therefore1 a high officer or priest fell ill and was told by his sorcerer to see me1 ,i was sure to be sent for4 ,a horse was sent to bring me1 generally with a letter of introduction4 ,often ,i received a letter politely requesting me to come1 and wherever ,i went1 therefore1 ,i was very kindly received1 for the life of the patient was supposed to depend entirely on me4 ,fame travels surprisingly fast1 and at last mine reached the ,royal ,court1 so that ,i was one day called there4 ,the ,dalai ,lama was not in reality ill1 but desired to see what ,i looked like4 ,in ,tibet it is no easy matter to see ,his ,holiness4 ,he may be seen while passing1 but no ordinary priests or even high priests can have the privilege of talking to him4 ,this was1 therefore a great honor to me1 and ,i took the liberty of riding the horse sent to take me to the ,royal palace4 ,the ,grand ,lama was not then at ,potala1 but at his country palace called ,nolpu ,lingka1 in a forest along the ,kichu1 south-west of ,potala4 ,this palace is much newer than the other1 and the ,pope enjoys the coolness there in summer4 ,i rode along a wide road in the forest for about three hundred and fifty yards1 till ,i came to a high stone wall over twenty feet high and three hundred and fifty yards square4 ,i went west through the large gate in the wall1 and found on both sides of the road inside the gate many white boxes in the shape of post pillars about six yards apart4 ,in them incense is burned when the ,dalai ,lama goes along the road4 ,lofty trees are grown in the courtyard on both sides of the road1 though there is a very wide lawn within the court4 ,after about a hundred yards1 ,i came to a square piece of ground enclosed by stone fences about one hundred and fifty yards square1 along which were seen many beautiful stone houses for the priest officials to live in4 ,these houses have each a flower garden which is beautifully decorated with as many trees and plants as can be found in ,tibet4 ,what is stranger still1 at the four corners as well as some other parts of the stone fences are found little kennels1 in which two or three score strong ,tibetan dogs are chained4 ,they bark terribly from their high pens4 ,the ,dalai ,lama is said to be so fond of dogs that whoever brings him a strong hound is treated very kindly and receives great rewards4 ,hence many dogs are brought from great distances4 ,none of his predecessors1 however1 have had such a liking for dogs4 ,the gates to the ,papal palace are at the east and west corners of the walls and face south4 ,about thirty yards from the gate was a large house into which my horse was led4 ,then ,i was taken to the house of the ,court ,physician4 ,this residence of the ,court ,physician has four large rooms1 parlor1 study1 servants' room and kitchen4 ,the house is approached through a garden full of beautiful flowers1 and one then comes to a curtain of white linen4 ,going under the curtain1 one enters another garden1 at one side of which is the entrance to the parlor4 ,the parlor has ,chinese sliding doors in white1 with panes of glass4 ,in the room were two images1 one of ,buha and the other of ,tsong-kha-pa1 the founder of the ,new ,sect1 set on a gilt stand1 with pictures of dragons1 peacocks1 and flowers4 ,such images are found in most shrines of the ,new ,sect4 ,before the images were ,tibetan candlesticks of silver1 with three butter-candles that were left burning both day and night4 ,the ,physician was sitting on a ,tibetan carpet with painted flowers1 and there were two beautiful high desks before him1 in front of which there was a fur cushion for the guest to sit upon4 ,i was told to sit on this fur cushion1 and very soon a servant priest brought in the very best tea1 which he poured into the physician's cup and then into mine on the desk4 ,the physician was said to be very kind and gentle1 and his face resembled mine so much that we might be taken for brothers4 ,the physician told me that the ,dalai ,lama was not seriously ill and that it was because ,i had healed so many patients that he wished to see me4 ,but1 he added1 as he was very busy1 ,i must not talk long with him4 ,he said that the ,dalai ,lama might have something that the physician must consult me about4 ,after this talk with the physician1 ,i was led by him to the ,palace1 and we went north towards the gate mentioned above4 ,there was a guard-priest at the gate1 who was dressed in a tight-sleeved priestly cloak1 which no common priests are allowed to put on4 ,he keeps guard with a club4 ,inside the gate there was a stone pavement some twenty yards square1 surrounded by covered ways1 where there were some things in the shape of stools4 ,there was another gate about nine yards wide in front of this4 ,the inner gate was guarded by four priests1 each with a short club instead of a long one4 ,walking about ten yards from the inner gate into the inner court1 ,i found on both walls a picture of a fierce looking ,mongolian leading a tiger by a rein2 and the walls1 which were roofed over1 had a court between them4 ,instead of going straight through the court1 ,i went left along the covered way till ,i came to the end of the western wall1 when the ,dalai ,lama appeared from his inner chamber4 ,he was preceded by ,dunnyel ,chenmo the ,lord ,chamberlain1 and ,choe ,bon ,kenbo the ,papal ,chaplain4 ,after ,his ,holiness came ,yongjin ,rinpoche the ,papal ,tutor4 ,the ,dalai ,lama took his seat on the right hand chair in front1 and the two former attendants stood on each side1 while the ,tutor sat on the chair a little below them4 ,seven or eight high priests sat before ,his ,holiness4 ,the ,court ,physician leading me a little to one side1 in front of the ,dalai ,lama1 saluted him4 ,i saluted him three times1 and taking my robe off one of my shoulders ,i stepped before him1 when ,his ,holiness stretched out his right hand to put it on my head4 ,then ,i withdrew about four yards and stood beside the physician4 ,illustration3 ,,an ,,audience ,,with ,,the ,,dalai ,,lama4 ,the ,dalai ,lama then began by praising me for having healed many poor priests at ,sera4 ,he told me to stay long at ,sera and to do as ,i had done1 and ,i answered that ,i would do with pleasure as he wished me4 ,i had been told that the ,pope was well versed in ,chinese1 and ,i feared that he might speak in ,chinese1 for then my imposture would be discovered4 ,i had made up my mind1 therefore1 that ,i would in that case frankly tell him to what nationality ,i belonged1 that ,i might be worthy of a ,japanese1 for ,i deemed it to be a great honor to be granted an interview with him4 ,luckily1 however1 he did not talk ,chinese1 but instead inquired in ,tibetan about ,buhism and ,buhists in ,china1 which ,i answered to his satisfaction4 ,he was pleased to tell me that he was thinking of appointing me to some high office4 ,after the talk ,i was honored by a cup of tea in the presence of the ,dalai ,lama and drank it with much ceremony1 though he retired to his chamber before ,i had finished drinking4 ,the ,dalai ,lama was dressed in a cloak different from that of a common priest4 ,he had on a silk hood and a great robe called saghi and under it a fine putuk of ,tibetan wool about his waist4 ,his under dress was what is called tema woven of the best ,chinese sheep wool4 ,he wore a fine ,papal crown on his head though he is said to be often bare-headed1 with no crown at all4 ,he held a rosary in his left hand4 ,he was then aged twenty six4 ,he is about five feet eight inches high1 a moderate height in ,tibet4 ,the ,dalai ,lama looks very brave4 ,his eye-brows are very high1 and he is very keen-eyed4 ,once a ,chinese phrenologist remarked that the ,tibetan ,pope would bring about war one day1 to the great disturbance of the country1 for though brave-looking1 he had an unlucky face4 ,whether the prophesy comes true or not1 he really looks the very man of whose face a phrenologist would be sure to say something4 ,he has a very sharp and commanding voice1 so that one could not but pay reverence in his presence4 ,from my long acquaintance with the ,dalai ,lama1 during which ,i heard and saw much of him and had frequent interviews with him1 ,i judge that he is richer in thoughts political than religious4 ,he was bred in ,buhism1 and in it he has great faith1 and he is very anxious to clear away all corruption from the ,buhism and ,buhists in ,tibet4 ,but political thoughts are working most busily in his mind4 ,he seems to fear the ,british most1 and is always thinking how to keep them from ,tibet4 ,he seems to give full scope to all designs calculated to check the encroaching force of the ,british4 ,i could plainly see this while remaining near him4 ,had he not been on his guard1 however1 which he always is1 he must have been poisoned by his retainers4 ,he has often been on the point of being poisoned1 and each time his caution has detected the conspiracy and the intriguers were put to death4 ,none of the five ,dalai ,lamas from the fourth to the ninth in ,tibet reached their twenty fifth year2 all were poisoned when eighteen or twenty-two years old4 ,this is almost an open secret in ,tibet1 and the reason is that1 if a wise ,dalai ,lama is on the throne1 his courtiers cannot gratify their selfish desires4 ,some of these seem to have been wise ,dalai ,lamas1 for they received special education until they were twenty-two or three years old4 ,history proves that they have written books to instruct the people4 ,i could not help shedding tears when the ex-,papal ,minister of ,finance1 at whose house ,i was staying at one time1 told me about the fate of the predecessors of the present ,dalai ,lama4 ,the ,papal ,court is a den of disloyal thieves who go by the name of courtiers1 and they do all they can to neutralise the force of the few loyal courtiers1 who are too weak to do anything against them4 ,the ex-,minister for ,finance was among the ill-fated party driven out of the court by these toadies1 who pretended to pay great reverence to the sacred ,monarch before the people1 simply because they could not otherwise stay in their offices4 ,when anything happened against their interests1 they conspired to communicate with one another and to accuse falsely the loyal courtiers4 ,they would often go so far as to slander them shamelessly1 and say that such and such a person had been guilty of a disrespectful act against the ,dalai ,lama4 ,in this subtle way some wicked courtiers turned honest scholars or priests out of the court1 and the ,dalai ,lama is surrounded by these pretended loyalist devils4 ,hence he is so dangerously situated1 that he is obliged to pay the greatest attention to what is offered him to eat1 lest some poison should have been put in it4 ,i could not but shed tears for him1 when ,i thought that there could be no court on earth so full of wicked courtiers4 ,but the present ,dalai ,lama is so prudent and particular that these evil doers can get no chance of doing anything against him4 ,still1 he is really in great danger4 ,he is wise for his age1 for1 young as he is1 he seems to have great sympathy with the afflicted1 and is much respected1 and indeed almost worshipped1 by his people1 though much disliked by the evil local governors1 whom he has been known to punish1 to deprive of their estates1 and to imprison for their evil deeds4 ,illustration3 ,,inner ,,room ,,of ,,the ,,dalai ,,lama',s ,,country ,,house4 ,i often had occasion to see the inner chamber of the palace and found that it was magnificent4 ,it is built in the ,indian1 ,chinese and ,tibetan styles4 ,the garden has an artificial hill in it after the ,chinese fashion1 while1 as is seen in a ,indian garden1 it has a lawn outside with some charming flowers4 ,the place seems very good for walks4 ,the inside of the palace is built after the ,tibetan style1 while a part of the roof is ,chinese and the rest purely ,indian4 ,the royal garden has various rocks and has here and there such trees as willows1 peaches1 elms and many other strange trees found only in ,tibet4 ,in ,tibet only few flowers bloom in summer1 though there are many in winter4 ,a variety of flowers1 such as chrysanthemums1 poppies1 magnolias1 tulips1 and others are planted in front of the palace veranda4 ,the pavement is decorated here and there with glittering jewels1 and the walls are painted by the best painters in ,tibet4 ,the papal throne stands on two ,tibetan mats at the farther side of the room1 and beside the throne is spread a thick ,tibetan carpet1 over which is a ,chinese carpet of wool4 ,a table of costly wood is set on the carpets4 ,there is a tea-bureau1 over which hangs a picture of ,je ,rinpoche1 painted on a gold-dusted canvas4 ,there are many such rooms1 besides1 which ,i was not allowed to enter1 but which looked very beautiful from the outside4 ,i was often invited to the chief physician's to talk about medicine with him4 ,he taught me several things about medicine that ,i did not know1 though the medical knowledge which ,i had gained from my own books enabled me to keep up with him in the talk4 ,this must have done a great deal to make the chief physician welcome me so much4 ,he even said he would be most glad to recommend me as a ,court ,physician4 ,he said that he would do his best to that end1 telling me at the same time to see the premier and some other ,ministers of ,state4 ,my answer was however that ,i could not very well stay long in ,lhasa1 for ,i was most earnest to study ,buhism4 ,i told him also that ,i intended to go to ,india to study ,samsk1 and at this he felt very sorry1 for when ,i left there would be no good doctor in the city4 ,when ,i said that my object was not medicine1 but to study ,buhism1 the physician very plausibly argued that as it was the ultimate object of ,buhism to save men1 ,i might as well stay in the city as a doctor to practise medicine4 ,the doctor1 ,i said1 only relieved men of earthly pains1 but could hardly do anything toward the salvation of souls4 ,what doctor1 however skilful1 could save a dying patient8 ,besides1 ,i feared ,i might do them more harm than good1 for ,i had only a smattering of medicine after all4 ,i might heal them of their diseases1 but ,i could not give peace to their souls1 while a priest could free them from the most painful and durable of all diseases4 ,it was more urgent to study how to heal this4 ,buha was the greatest doctor1 who had given eighty-four thousand religious medicines to eighty-four thousand mental diseases1 and we1 as ,his disciples1 ,i said1 must study ,his ways of healing4 ,on these grounds ,i declined his offer4 ,finding me so firm in my resolution1 the physician went on to say that1 if ,i ever tried to leave the city for ,india1 or some other far-off country1 the ,dalai ,lama would give orders to keep me in the country1 and that my only happiness lay in staying to work among the priests4 ,when ,i heard this ,i began to repent that ,i had been telling him my secrets rather too plainly4 ,i feared it would put me to some inconvenience to insist on going to ,india1 and soon changed the subject of our talk4 ,so far about my medical practice2 but now1 something took place of which ,i had never dreamed4 ,,chapter ,l4 ,life in the ,sera ,monastery4 ,what happened was this4 ,it became a matter of hot discussion among the priests of our dormitory ,pituk ,khamtsan whether they should leave me to stay there or not1 because ,i was being received by the ,grand ,lama1 the noblemen and the ,ministers1 as a great doctor4 ,after a long discussion1 the priests came to an agreement that they should make a special rule on my account1 and put me in one of the best rooms4 ,i was1 of course1 pleased to be removed from my strangely smelling1 dark and dirty room to a free1 clean apartment4 ,i saw the ,dalai ,lama on ,july #bast1 and was removed into the good room toward the end of the same month4 ,it is one of the regulations of the college that no new-comer shall have a separate room for himself1 but that he shall live with some one else in a room1 though occasionally a rich student may enjoy the possession of a dirty room for himself on admission4 ,though not among the poor1 ,i was not eligible to have a room1 even a dirty one1 all to myself4 ,a priest must reside there some ten years before he is allowed to live in a room of the fourth class2 after three years more he may be removed to a study room of the third class4 ,but it must be remembered that everything depends on money4 ,when he receives the degree of a doctor1 he is given a second-class room4 ,the rooms of the first class are used only by incarnate ,lamas1 who come to study4 ,as things were ,i was given a second-class study4 ,it was a cosy structure of two storeys with a kitchen and a closet4 ,some studies have third floors1 but my new quarters were only two-storied4 ,the room upstairs was the best4 ,to live in such a house1 however1 one must have articles of furniture as well as some servant-priests4 ,i was now like a poor boy1 who had grown up all of a sudden and had been given a house to keep4 ,i was obliged to procure many articles needed for my new condition1 all of which ,i had fortunately money enough to buy4 ,the priests1 though diverse in studies1 may be classified into three large divisions1 higher1 middle1 and lower4 ,by the middle class of priests1 ,i mean those who spend about seven yen a month for their keep4 ,they do not pay for their dwellings1 which are provided by their temple1 though some ,khamtsans1 which are in debt1 take rents from their priests for their studying-rooms4 ,when a ,khamtsan is too full of priests1 some of them go to seek rooms for themselves in some other1 in which case they pay from one to three yen a month1 or twenty-five sen for a dirty room4 ,a suit of clothing as used by student-priests consists of a hood of common wool cloth1 a shirt1 and a priest's robe1 besides a pair of shoes4 ,it costs twenty yen to provide all these articles4 ,at breakfast they take butter-tea and baked flour4 ,rich priests make tea for themselves every morning1 though three large bowlfuls are given in the hall of the monastery4 ,in the afternoon they drink tea again1 this time with some meat1 chiefly dried1 though at times raw4 ,in the evening they take some gruel of baked flour1 cooked with cheese1 radishes and fat4 ,butter-tea is always found in a bowl on the table4 ,the ,tibetan in general drinks much tea1 because very few vegetables are eaten as compared with the amount of meat4 ,a tea-cup is covered with a silver lid4 ,when it gets cool1 it is drunk and new tea is poured in again and left some twenty minutes to cool1 though in winter no more than five or six minutes are needed1 during which time those at table will talk to one another1 or read from the ,scriptures or do some private business4 ,such are the meals of a middle-class priest4 ,most priests have some landed property1 and some of them breed yaks1 horses1 sheep and goats in the provinces1 though it would be rare for one of the middle-class to have more than some fifty yaks and ten horses4 ,these animals are also employed in ploughing the fields1 but no more than ten lots of land may be ploughed by two yaks in a day4 ,the priests can hardly lead a well-to-do life without such property or some private business1 for what they are given from their temples and by the believers is not sufficient for them4 ,few priests are without some private business or other--indeed1 most of them are engaged in trade4 ,agriculture comes next to trade1 and then cattle-breeding4 ,manufacturers of ,buhist articles1 painters of ,buhist pictures1 tailors1 carpenters1 masons1 shoemakers and stone-layers are found among the priests2 there is hardly any kind of business in ,tibet1 but some of the priests are engaged in it4 ,there are1 besides1 many kinds of business in which none but priests engage4 ,the lower class of priests as well as the middle-class engage in trade1 but some rich priests have as many as from five hundred to four thousand yaks and from one to six hundred horses4 ,they have from one to six hundred lots of land1 each lot being as large as will take two yaks to cultivate in a day4 ,but there are not more than three or four of the priests who have started in trade with a capital of five hundred thousand yen4 ,they live very luxuriously1 wear priestly cloaks of the best woollen texture produced in ,tibet1 and use very thick butter-tea every morning1 which is considered a great delicacy4 ,to make the best butter-tea1 the tea is first boiled for half a day1 till it gets dark brown4 ,after being skimmed1 it is shaken several times in the cylinder with some fresh yak butter and salt4 ,this makes the best tea1 and a tea-pot full of such tea costs thirty-eight sen to make4 ,tea-pots1 or jars1 are made of clay in the shape of ordinary ,japanese tea pots4 ,i could not at first drink the tea1 when ,i saw that it looked like thick oil4 ,still1 it is one of the best drinks among the best circles in ,tibet1 who drink it every morning4 ,it is usually taken mixed with what is called tsu and baked flour4 ,the tsu is a hardened mixture of cheese1 butter and white sugar4 ,the ,tibetan puts this substance into his tea4 ,he eats meat dried1 raw or cooked1 even at breakfast4 ,at dinner the priests eat rice imported from ,nepl1 the price of which is about fifty sen per sho4 ,they do not however eat boiled rice by itself1 but a bowlful of it mixed with grapes and sugar and butter4 ,after the rice1 baked flour or egg macaroni is sometimes eaten4 ,in the evening wheat dumplings with gruel are served at table2 what they call gruel has in it some meat1 radishes1 cheese and butter4 ,the above is the usual course of dishes at the tables of the highest circles4 ,they cannot live a day without meat1 and if on some occasion they are kept from it1 they are sure to say they are getting thinner4 ,the priests of the higher class live very comfortably1 for they build their own villas1 or have their own temples2 besides1 they have always the best dwellings of the temples to which they belong4 ,they are supported by their estates1 as ,i said1 and they keep1 each one of them1 from five or six to seventy or eighty servants in their houses4 ,from among these servants are often selected treasurers and stewards4 ,the lower class of priests1 on the contrary1 live pitifully4 ,no words can half describe their poor condition4 ,the warrior-priests1 though among the poorest1 are still able to keep the wolf from their doors1 for they are employed as farmers or as guards1 or in some other private business1 so that they earn money with which they live from hand to mouth4 ,there is another and far poorer class of priests--the scholar-priests who have to support themselves in their studies1 but who must earn their living as well as their expenses as students4 ,they are too busy with their study to go out to make any money4 ,what they receive as offerings from the believers and as salary from their temples1 does not together amount to a little more than two or three yen a month1 and it is insufficient to support them4 ,they can drink tea gratis every morning at the temple1 but they cannot get any baked flour1 which makes the chief part of a meal4 ,baked flour costs at least one and a half yen a month4 ,during the catechisms they go to ,ta-tsang where they are given three cups of tea for dinner4 ,but it takes them a month to review what they study in a month in catechisms4 ,during the period of review they must get some one to help them1 and they have to pay some fifty sen a month in return4 ,then they must have some fire to keep them warm in the evening besides something to refresh them4 ,for refreshments they get tea-leaves with which the richer priests have made their tea4 ,then they must get fuel to make tea out of these leaves4 ,the fuel is generally yak-dung1 which costs thirty-five sen a bag of two and a half bushels4 ,a priest will burn three or four bagfuls a month if he is not particular and careful1 while a poor priest may have to manage with a bagful a year4 ,the poorest priest has in his room a sheep's fur1 a wooden bowl1 a rosary and a dirty cushion1 which makes a bed at night4 ,in a corner are found a stove1 an earthen pan1 and a pot or jar1 which all belong to the room4 ,a bag hanging in one corner contains the baked flour which supports his life2 but it is very rarely full4 ,the most precious items of their property are the text books of the catechism4 ,there are no priests1 however poor1 but have five or six copies of the catechism4 ,these books1 however1 are not their permanent property1 for they will sell them as soon as their examinations are over4 ,at night their bed consists of their hood1 an underdress and a bed covering1 besides an old blanket1 which1 however1 is in the possession of only a limited number4 ,he who has a room of his own is among the best of this poor class of priests4 ,in most rooms of nine feet square1 three or four priests often have a pan in common4 ,i felt so sorry sometimes when ,i was called to see a patient among them that ,i not only gave medicine for nothing1 but sometimes gave him some money4 ,such is the condition of the poorest priests1 and ,i was told that they often passed a couple of days without eating1 when they were given little in the way of help4 ,when they receive a little money they will hurry to ,lhasa1 over three miles off1 to buy some baked flour4 ,some of them do not come home directly from the city1 for hunger often takes them to some little restaurant1 where they eat some macaroni4 ,the consequence is that they spend their money and are plunged again into such poverty that they must live another couple of days without anything to eat4 ,i hardly ever passed them without giving them something1 so that they at last came to pay so much respect to me that they would stop when they saw me1 and wait in reverence while ,i passed4 ,,chapter ,,li4 ,my ,tibetan ,friends and ,benefactors4 ,to go back a little in my story1 my prosperity as a doctor obliged me to buy much medicine1 and ,i often went to ,thien-ho-thang1 a drug store which was kept by ,li ,tsu-shu1 a ,chinese from ,yunnang4 ,in ,china they make decoctions of their medicines1 but the ,tibetans take every medicine in powdered form4 ,every medical herb and root is pulverised1 as well as some kinds of horns and stones4 ,to get some of these medicines ,i was often obliged to stop a couple of days in his house2 and as ,i bought great quantities of medicine1 ,i came to be treated very civilly as a good customer4 ,he lent me a book on medicine1 the reading of which added not a little to my small knowledge1 and ,i boldly undertook every kind of patient4 ,i know ,i made a very dangerous doctor1 but ,i was obliged to go on as a pedant domineering over a society of ignoramuses4 ,still1 ,i admit ,i possessed more knowledge of physiology than most of the doctors in ,lhasa1 and ,i was in consequence more trusted than they4 ,i frequently went to this druggist1 who owned the largest of the three ,chinese drug stores in ,lhasa4 ,li ,tsu-shu was about thirty years old and had a very fine house4 ,he lived with his wife1 a son and a daughter1 a mother-in-law and three maids4 ,they treated me as if ,i were a member of the family1 probably because ,i was kind to them and gave them all sorts of things that ,i received from my friends and clients4 ,when1 for instance1 somebody gave me too much cake1 sugar1 milk or grapes1 for my own use1 ,i used to take them to the druggist to give them to the children1 who were consequently quite impatient to see me4 ,if ,i happened not to visit the house for a couple of days1 they became anxious about me4 ,i was soon so much beloved by the children that we seemed to have been friends for over ten years1 and ,i was sometimes asked if ,i had known them in ,china4 ,this acquaintance with the children helped me very much afterwards1 when ,i was leaving ,tibet4 ,this ,gyami ,menkhang or ,chinese druggist had his house in the street of ,wan-dzu ,shing-khang1 in ,lhasa4 ,among those who used to come to his store was ,ma ,tseng1 ,secretary to the ,chinese ,amban4 ,he was a great scholar and a man of worldly knowledge4 ,he had a ,tibetan mother and was born in ,tibet4 ,he spoke ,tibetan without a shade of ,chinese accent1 while he spoke and read ,chinese quite as well4 ,he had read much in ,chinese1 and had been twice in ,peking4 ,three times he had gone to ,india1 visited ,calcutta and ,bombay as a peddler1 and come back with a great store of knowledge about foreign affairs4 ,his office hours being very short1 he had much time to spare1 and as he was a great friend of the druggist's1 he came to him very often4 ,this led me to get acquainted with him1 and ,i found him very amusing4 ,he told me many ,tibetan secrets and many of their habits and customs both good and bad4 ,i soon found that what was told by him was always true4 ,being the ,secretary of the ,chinese ,amban1 he was also acquainted with the secret relations of the ,tibetan and ,chinese ,governments4 ,he was so talkative1 that he would tell me anything before ,i asked4 ,his acquaintance pleased me so much that when ,i was tired of reading ,i would take a walk to the druggist's1 with no other object than to talk with this ,secretary4 ,once while standing at the door of the druggist's1 ,i saw a man apparently of quality come towards me with his servant4 ,the store stands at the corner where the streets leading to ,panang-sho and ,kache-hakhang meet1 and this man came along ,ani-sakan street toward ,panang-sho4 ,he passed a few steps by me1 when he turned and looked at me4 ,then ,i heard his servant say that ,i must be the man4 ,walking to me the nobleman said 8,is it you80 ,i looked at him and found him1 though much thinner than before1 to be the son of ,para the ,premier1 whom ,i had met at ,darjeeling4 ,he did not look like a man out of his senses1 as ,i had been told4 ,he said that he was much pleased that ,i had come to his country4 ,he was on some important business1 but went with me into the house of the druggist4 ,the wife of the druggist1 who knew him1 gave him a chair1 and the young noble seemed to be desirous to talk with me4 ,i hinted that it was not good for us to let it be known that we had seen each other at ,darjeeling1 and began our talk by saying that it was about half a year since we had met each other at ,gyangtze4 ,he also was aware that his staying at ,darjeeling should be kept a secret1 and carefully avoided talking about our having met in that town4 ,from what he said and did there1 ,i could not find anything in him that showed him to be an idiot2 on the contrary1 he was evidently a man of much sense4 ,among other things he told me that three months before1 one of his servants committed theft and1 when reproved severely1 had pierced him through the side with a sword with the result that a part of his intestines could be seen4 ,this1 he added1 made him so haggard4 ,when1 after a long talk1 he went on his way1 the wife of the druggist told me that the young man had hoodwinked me about the wounds1 which really were given him for wrong-doing on his side4 ,she told me that everything concerning his family was known to her1 for she had before been wife to his brother1 who1 not being allowed to live long with her1 simply because she was of birth too humble for his family1 divorced her and was now adopted at ,namsailing4 ,the young man1 she told me1 was very prodigal1 and deeply in debt1 on account of which he was wounded4 ,to my question whether he was then beside himself1 she answered that he was mad or otherwise as it suited him1 and not a man to be easily trusted1 for he was very good at taking money from others4 ,in ,tibet1 when people go out to enjoy the flowers 7for the flower-season is very short there7 they pitch tents in the wheat-fields or in a forest1 and have every sort of merriment4 ,this is called a picnic of lingka1 or forest party1 and forms one of the merriest amusements in ,tibet4 ,i was invited once to one of these villas in the wheat-fields4 ,i found there an old nun of about sixty years of age1 with seven or eight nun-attendants beside her4 ,hers was not a tent1 but a splendid house of wood1 the walls of which were covered over inside with painted cloth and outside with white cloth4 ,though temporary1 the building was well furnished4 ,this old lady had been ill for over fifteen years1 and was aware that she was sinking4 ,she said she knew that her disease was incurable1 but nevertheless desired to have such a famous doctor as myself to feel her pulse1 and would be satisfied if ,i could only relieve her a little of her pain4 ,i examined her and found that her trouble was rheumatism1 so ,i gave her a little tincture of camphor1 besides some medicine for her stomach1 which was a little out of order4 ,faith works wonders4 ,my medicine told well and1 her pain of fifteen years gradually abating1 she was soon able to enjoy sound sleep1 which had long been desired by her4 ,finally she became so well that she could walk a little4 ,her raptures can be imagined1 and she at once reported the condition of her health to her family4 ,it seems that she was married1 though not legally1 to the ,ex-,minister of ,finance1 who was also a priest of the ,new ,sect4 ,shame on ,buhism therefore that he was living with the nun4 ,priest nobles are generally supposed to have wives1 though not legally married to them2 most of them keep such women somewhere1 and the nuns are the best class of women to be their wives--at least so had thought the ,ex-,minister of ,finance4 ,this particular nun was old now and bent with age1 though she was stoutly built4 ,when one of the man servants in the residence of the ,minister of ,finance fell ill1 ,i was sure to be summoned1 for they put great faith in me and ,i could not but believe that the ,lord ,buha was working through me to cause me to succeed so wondrously among them4 ,in this wise ,i became acquainted with the ,ex-,minister of ,finance1 who was a deeply learned scholar1 as well as an experienced diplomatist4 ,aged sixty-two1 he was about seven feet six inches in height--taller than any other ,tibetan ,i saw4 ,his dress took twice as much cloth as that of an ordinary person4 ,he knew men well1 and was shrewd in business1 exceedingly kind and faithful and never deceitful4 ,his only fault was his living with the nun4 ,while talking with me1 they often repented with tears of the folly they had committed with each other when young4 ,he was not bad at heart1 but his passionate behavior soiled what should have been his stainless purity1 and also he was much influenced by worldly thoughts4 ,he had great sympathy with my condition1 and often said that he was very sorry for me to have to see a patient1 who had been sent to me from ,lhasa1 when the patients in ,sera were keeping me so busy4 ,besides being sorry for my lack of time for study1 he warned me to be on my guard4 ,upon my asking him what he meant1 he disclosed his fear that ,i might be poisoned like many other envied persons1 for ,i had already robbed many doctors of their business4 ,when ,i expressed my concern1 he asked me if ,i should be contented with a moderate living4 ,being assured that ,i should be quite satisfied if ,i could only obtain a mere living1 he said that he would support me1 and offered me a dwelling in his residence4 ,it was not pretty1 he said1 but quiet and comfortable4 ,it was situated out of the way1 so that few patients1 except those who were very dangerously ill1 would be likely to trouble me1 and ,i could then study more devotedly4 ,not only1 he said1 could ,i give more time to study1 but ,i should also be on better terms with the city physicians1 if at the cost of some inconvenience on the part of general patients4 ,i was very glad to accept this kind offer1 for ,i had been much regretting the little time and opportunity ,i had to study ,buhism1 which was the sole object of my coming to ,lhasa through so many hardships4 ,,chapter ,,lii4 ,japan in ,lhasa4 ,everything went well with me1 for ,i had earned much money1 and besides everything needed for my livelihood was to be given to me by the ,ex-,minister4 ,so at last1 leaving a young lad in charge of my quarters at ,sera1 ,i removed to the residence of the ,ex-,minister with my furniture4 ,i told the lad never to let it out of his mouth that ,i was with the ,ex-,minister1 and to try to send most patients to some other doctor in the city4 ,i provided for him some way of living and study4 ,still1 ,i went to ,sera occasionally to have my catechism4 ,my new dwelling was six yards by four4 ,it was divided in the middle into two rooms1 and being the dwelling of a noble1 the walls were brightly colored green with various pictures4 ,the thick carpet had flowers of gold woven in it in the ,tibetan style4 ,there was a desk of ebony1 as well as a little ,buhist shrine4 ,the accommodation was very complete1 and everything was clean4 ,beside this residence there was another1 that of the present ,minister of ,finance4 ,it was three storied1 the ,ex-,minister ,cham-ba ,choe-sang's being a two-storied house4 ,it was quiet there and my priest friends no more troubled me in my study by their calls1 but it was a little too far for me to go to my teacher's4 ,illustration3 ,,room ,,in ,,the ,,finance ,,secretary',s ,,house4 ,now it happened that ,i found a very good tutor4 ,the ,ex-,minister had a natural half-brother1 ,ti ,rinpoche 7the present ruler of ,tibet7 by title1 whose father was a ,chinaman4 ,he was of ,sera extraction1 and had been made a priest when seven years old1 and was then sixty-seven years of age4 ,the previous year he was created the highest priest in all ,tibet4 ,the title of his priestly rank is ,ti ,rinpoche of ,ganden4 ,there is1 in the temple of ,ganden1 a priestly seat on which ,je ,tsong-kha-pa1 the ,founder of the ,new ,sect1 had sat1 and on which none may sit but the ,dalai ,lama and this highest priest4 ,the former1 however1 cannot always seat himself on it1 while the latter1 living at ,ganden1 can sit on it any time4 ,the ,grand ,lama had the right to sit on it by birth1 while ,ti ,rinpoche had had to have a secret training of thirty long years after he had received the degree of doctor in ,buhism1 before he was given the privilege4 ,when this training of long years had made him a priest perfectly learned and virtuous1 he was elected the highest priest in ,tibet and given the privilege to sit on the seat4 ,any person or priest who has attained moral and intellectual perfection after a study and training of some fifty or sixty years may use this seat1 except sons of butchers1 blacksmiths1 hunters1 and men of the lowest caste4 ,hence in reality1 the highest priest must be more learned and virtuous than the ,grand ,lama4 ,i was very fortunate to have as my tutor such a high personage4 ,this is a privilege denied to most people in ,tibet1 where the distinction of castes is given so much importance1 that it is among the most difficult things for any one to have an interview with such a great man4 ,in this way1 ,i succeeded in learning much about the secrets of ,tibetan ,buhism4 ,the highest priest at the first glance at me seemed to know what kind of a man ,i am1 and treated me as what ,i suppose he thought me to be4 ,he hinted1 if indirectly1 that he felt some fear for me1 and ,i1 too1 began to fear him4 ,still1 he must have found faithfulness in me1 for he taught me ,buhism in its true form1 and ,i felt correspondingly grateful to him1 for none of the many doctors1 learned scholars1 religionists1 and hermits with whom ,i studied ,buhism influenced me half so much as this highest priest4 ,it must have been this virtuous ,buhist1 ,i believe1 who influenced the ,ex-,minister1 his brother1 when fallen into so great a folly1 to repent of his sin and to live a peaceful life4 ,and the nun-wife of the ,ex-,minister1 let me add1 was of hardly less active temper1 though she had not so many ideas as her husband4 ,this nun-wife had made a pilgrimage of repentance about twenty years before to ,ktmndu in ,nepl4 ,i was much delighted to hear the story of this pilgrimage and its hardships1 the more so as ,i had been in ,nepl myself4 ,i could not but be moved by the charitable deeds of both the ,ex-,minister and the nun1 and instead of blaming them for their bad behavior1 which brought shame on ,buhism1 ,i rather sympathised with them for it1 as they had so many things in common4 ,they taught me how great was the power of charming love1 and warned me against it4 ,the more acquainted ,i became with this family1 the more fully ,i began to know about it4 ,i came to understand the state of the family1 the conditions of the servants1 and every particular of the house4 ,on the other hand1 ,i had little opportunity to talk with the present ,minister of ,finance1 who lived next to my house1 for he was too busy to receive guests4 ,his name was ,ten-,jin ,choe ,gyal2 he was quiet and very strong-willed1 but when he talked to me he smiled and made me feel quite at home with him4 ,he put off all the dignity of a ,minister1 mainly because1 ,i believe1 ,i was being treated by the ,ex-,minister and his nun-wife as if ,i were their son4 ,being in the ,ministerial chair1 he was often able to disclose to me some important secrets of the ,government1 and we talked quite confidentially with each other4 ,if any grave subject presented itself at the court1 he usually gave no opinion of his own there1 but would consult with the ,ex-,minister1 whom he regarded as his superior1 and the ,ex-,minister then gave him his opinions about the subject1 discussing it from various points of view4 ,the ,ex-,minister would have been by that time promoted to the position of the highest priest had it not been for his ill-famed deeds of love1 which were a cause of impeachment against him4 ,had this strong man been appointed ,premier under the present able ,grand ,lama1 we might have expected much wiser government in ,tibet4 ,i was often present at the meetings of the two ,ministers1 and was requested to give my humble opinions about the subjects discussed4 ,this gave me a good opportunity of studying ,tibetan politics4 ,while in the monastery1 where was discussed only the philosophy of ,buhism1 ,i could hear little or nothing about the ,government of the ,grand ,lama1 which was generally supposed to be good4 ,the priests know only how reverently to bend their heads before the ,dalai ,lama1 but are entirely ignorant of the secrets of their ,government1 or ,i should say the secrets are kept from the priests2 but now ,i succeeded in hearing many of the diplomatic secrets about the relations of the ,government with ,china1 ,britain1 ,russia and ,nepl4 ,i have already told how ,i met the ,prince of ,para at the druggist's2 now ,i met no less unexpectedly a merchant of ,darjeeling1 ,tsa ,rong-ba by name1 who also proved afterwards a great help to me at the time of my departure from ,tibet4 ,i think before ,i go on further ,i shall do well to narrate how ,i happened to meet him4 ,once ,i was walking along ,parkor1 the #8,middle path for the circumambulation of the holy temple of the ,buha' and the busiest street in ,lhasa4 ,at the sides of the street are many shops1 not very different from those in most other countries4 ,many portable shops or stalls may also be seen in the street1 in which daily necessaries are sold1 and articles of food1 clothing and furniture4 ,most of these things are of course made in ,tibet1 though some are imports from ,calcutta and ,bombay as also from ,china4 ,but the thing that attracted my eye most was a box of ,japanese matches4 ,japanese matches1 manufactured by ,doi of ,osaka1 are imported into the capital of ,tibet1 besides some other kinds without the names of the manufacturers on them4 ,there were to be seen1 among others1 those which have the trade mark of two elephants and of one1 as well as the wax candles with the trade mark of an elephant coming out of a house4 ,the paper was red with a white picture on it4 ,some matches of ,swedish make were also imported1 but they are now ousted by the ,japanese4 ,some ,japanese bamboo blinds with pictures of women may also be seen in ,tibet4 ,some kutani porcelain is seen in the high circles1 but rarely in stores or shops4 ,japanese scroll pictures too are often found hanging in the houses of rich families4 ,these inanimate ,japanese articles are more daring than the people who made them6 ,wishing that these articles1 an outcome of ,japanese civilisation1 might be conducive to light in dark ,tibet1 ,i walked along the street1 till ,i came to a shop where ,i saw a cake of soap4 ,it looked as good as any that could be found in the ,tibetan capital4 ,i walked into the shop and asked how much it cost1 and ,i noticed the master staring at me4 ,he looked very much like a merchant with whom ,i became acquainted in ,darjeeling but ,i could not believe that he could be settled there1 and wondered if he were a kinsman of that merchant4 ,no1 it was1 as ,i found afterwards1 the man himself1 whose name was ,tsa ,rong-ba4 ,but ,i had then so different an appearance myself that he too could not easily recognise me4 ,for while in ,darjeeling ,i had usually dressed myself in ,japanese dress and scarcely went out in a ,tibetan costume1 though ,i often put it on indoors4 ,after my arrival in ,tibet1 ,i clothed myself entirely as a ,tibetan4 ,moreover ,i now had my beard growing long1 which ,i had not at ,darjeeling4 ,the man told me that the soap was too dear1 and showed me another cheap and good kind1 but ,i liked the dearer one better and bought two cakes of it4 ,when ,i came home and showed them to the ,minister of ,finance1 he was so pleased with them for their good smell that he asked me to let him have one cake1 so ,i gave him both4 ,illustration3 ,,unexpected ,,meeting ,,of ,,friends4 ,a couple of days afterwards ,i again went to ,tsa ,rong-ba's to buy a few cakes of the same soap1 as ,i feared it might soon be out of stock4 ,instead of selling me the soap1 the master stared me in the face4 ,when ,i tried to pay the price1 he began asking me if ,i knew him4 ,the sound of his voice plainly told me his identity and ,i laughed as ,i replied that ,i knew him4 ,he looked much surprised and told me to come into his house4 ,telling his servants to close the doors of the shop1 for it was now getting dark1 he led me into his house1 which was small in size but neat and clean4 ,i was led into his parlor upstairs1 and found his wife who came with him from ,darjeeling4 ,i recognised her at once1 but she seemed to have quite forgotten me4 ,even when her husband said she must know me1 as she had received much kind treatment from me1 she could not recollect me1 until he told her how she had received medicine from me when ill at ,darjeeling4 ,she then expressed her joy at seeing me in such a strange place and so unexpectedly4 ,then the husband and wife expressed their great wonder that ,i1 a stranger1 had succeeded in entering ,tibet1 when it was exceedingly difficult for even a ,tibetan to come or go to the capital4 ,they did not believe me when ,i told them that ,i had come by the way of ,jangthang2 for they said there were soldiers placed on guard all along the road4 ,i said ,i had come through pathless wilds1 but they refused to believe me4 ,but now ,i thought myself to be within a hair's breadth of the danger of detection1 which would bring everything in my plan to naught4 ,were ,i known to be a ,japanese1 some evil or other would certainly befall me1 and all the kindness of the ,ministers and the priests at ,sera to me would end in air-bubbles4 ,i feared this merchant might betray me to the ,government for his own benefit4 ,i must get the better of him1 ,i thought1 and ,i tried to do so4 ,assuming a serious attitude1 speaking in a determined tone of voice1 and looking the man and the woman straight in their eyes1 ,i said3 8,here is a fine job for you2 you can give me up to the authorities2 tell them that ,i am a #8,japan ,lama' in disguise1 who smuggled himself into the country against its laws4 ,by so doing you may serve a double purpose1 for ,i have been thinking that sooner or later ,i shall have to do the same thing myself1 only ,i was afraid that they might not believe me4 ,but if you do it for me you will save me the trouble1 while the authorities will believe2 besides1 you may come into a nice bit of fortune2 for they will reward you for your information with a large sum of money4 ,i have long made up my mind40 ,i noticed a change come over the looks of the woman first3 she turned pale and even began to tremble2 but the man spoke first1 and1 in a tone of both appeal and reproach1 earnestly protested that he had no such intention as that of which ,i seemed to suspect him4 ,indeed he went the length--quite voluntarily--of swearing by 8,cho-o ,rinpoche0 that he would never betray me1 lest he should die4 ,still ,i urged them both4 ,he once more gave his pledge1 in which the woman joined in the most fear-stricken manner1 both raising their hands1 with which they pointed in the direction of the #8,buha temple' of ,lhasa4 ,i knew what the latter act with the words of the oath meant4 ,i became convinced of their sincerity1 and saw that ,i was safe in their hands4 ,for ,cho-o ,rinpoche means 8,holiness of the ,savior0 and forms in ,tibet the most solemn words of swearing which1 when uttered in the manner described1 furnish the strongest possible proof of sincerity4 ,it is true that ,tibetans are much given to swearing1 and possess a great variety of expressions for the purpose1 there being forty-five of them to my own knowledge4 ,those most commonly in use are 8,konjogsum0 7,holy three treasures7 and 8,ama tang te60 7separate me from my mother74 ,the natives are in the habit of using these oaths as words of interjection4 ,but when1 in all seriousness1 they subject themselves to the form observed by my host and his wife1 they may safely be depended upon for their absolute sincerity4 ,as it was1 ,i pressed them no further1 and they seemed to be well pleased at the final dispelling of all my suspicion against them4 ,before ,i took leave of them they asked me about my lodging1 and finding out ,i was the 8,serai amchi10 the doctor of ,sera1 they were most astonished and pleased--pleased to know that they had as acquaintance a man of so great renown as ,i was then in ,lhasa4 ,from that time onward ,i was a frequent visitor and trusted friend at ,tsa ,rong-ba's1 with always something to give the good couple1 as was the case with me at ,gyami menkhang's1 the ,chinese druggist4 ,,chapter ,,liii4 ,scholastic ,aspirants4 ,first1 to speak of the nationalities of the aspirants2 the students in the three great colleges are not solely natives of ,tibet2 they comprise ,mongols proper1 and also ,khams1 who belong to a somewhat different race4 ,in fact it is customary to place ,mongols first in point of numbers1 then ,tibetans1 and last of all ,khams4 ,these three groups of students are as distinct in their characteristics as they are in their nationalities4 ,tibetans1 generally speaking1 are a very quiet1 courteous1 and intelligent set of students1 but are not at all inclined to be diligent--indeed they are as a rule as lazy as they can be4 ,the fact that they are very dirty in their habits seems to come from this their national weakness of being extremely and eternally idle4 ,during winter days1 for instance1 a ,tibetan bonze who possesses the ordinary means of living will simply do no work1 beyond attending to the routine of chanting the sacred text in the service-hall1 and making trips to the monastery kitchen for his ration of tea4 ,when the weather is fine he spends all his leisure hours basking in the warm sun and squatting naked in front of his cell4 ,nothing can be more significant of his instinctive indolence than the sight of him as he sits dozing there the whole day long1 putting on his head to dry a waste scrap of some woollen stuff1 with which he occasionally blows his nose4 ,such behavior1 excusable only in an old or decrepit person1 is nothing unusual in many of the young ,tibetan priests4 ,how lazy and sluggish the average ,tibetans are1 it is almost beyond the power of ,westerners to imagine4 ,not so with the ,mongols3 one never sees them enjoying themselves in such an indolent fashion4 ,they study very hard and always take a very active part in the catechetical exercises1 principally because they are alive to the purpose for which they have come so far from their home and country4 ,four hundred out of the five hundred ,mongols are generally fine students2 while the ratio has to be inverted in the case of ,tibetans1 four hundred and fifty out of five hundred of whom are but trash4 ,in consequence of this1 the bulk of the 8students militant0 or warrior-priests of whom ,i have already spoken are ,tibetans1 ,khams and ,mongols being seldom found among them4 ,mongols are studious and progressive1 but one common fault with them is that they are very quick-tempered1 so that the slightest thing causes them to flare up in tremendous rage4 ,being always conscious of the fact that they are the most assiduous of the students1 and that the largest number of the winners of the doctor's degree always come from amongst them1 they are very proud and uppish4 ,this ,mongolian pride makes most ,mongols1 even those that try to be calm and well-balanced1 to be pitied for their narrow-mindedness and petulance1 in spite of all their other numerous good qualities4 ,a ,mongol has it in him to become a great leader like ,genghis ,khan2 but the career of that great conqueror was but a meteoric burst of short-lived splendor1 and1 like him1 the ,mongols as a nation seem to be incapable of consolidating their national greatness on anything like a permanent basis1 or of carrying out any schemes calculated to secure the permanent progress and improvement of their country4 ,the ,khams1 on the other hand1 are infinitely superior in this respect both to the ,mongols and the ,tibetans1 and this in spite of the fact that their country is generally supposed to be no better than a den of thieves and robbers4 ,a ,kham is excitable1 but he does not lose his temper like a ,mongol3 indeed1 he can be admirably patient and persevering when he wills4 ,in point of physique1 too1 he is far ahead as a rule of both the others4 ,the ,khams are chivalrous men1 blunt and outspoken1 and averse to flattery4 ,my observations among the students of ,sera lead me to infer that more open-hearted1 unaffected students are to be found among the ,khams than among any other of the nationalities represented there4 ,mongols will occasionally demean themselves by fawning upon others in order to gain some object dear to their hearts1 but the worst sinners in this respect are the ,tibetans--so much so that the ,khams1 unless they are thoroughly ,tibetanised ,khams1 are unwilling to enter into friendship with them4 ,it is said to the honor of the ,khams that even their robbers are honorable and will often give a helping hand to the poor and weak1 and rescue those who stand in imminent peril4 ,the ,kham women and children1 as a rule1 share in the apathetic appearance of the men4 ,they are often very unbecomingly dressed and have none of the attractiveness of the ,tibetan women1 who1 like their husbands1 fathers1 and brothers1 are generally well-spoken and affable in outward demeanor1 however full of thorns and brambles their innermost hearts may be4 ,i have been able to give here only a brief and cursory notice of some of the characteristic features of the principal tribes that inhabit these unfrequented regions of ,central ,asia1 with a few of the most essential of the points of difference between them4 ,i might carry my subdivision much further1 and speak of the ,khams as ,mankhams1 ,bas1 ,tsarongs1 etc41 but that would involve a very long and not very profitable discourse1 and ,i therefore pass on to topics of greater interest4 ,to interpret correctly the aspirations of ,tibetan ,lamas1 their ideals1 or the final goal which they strive to attain1 it may safely be said that their main purpose in entering the priesthood is only to procure the largest possible amount of fortune1 as well as the highest possible fame in that entirely secluded world of theirs4 ,to seek religious truth and to practise religious austerities with a view to acquiring knowledge and character sufficient to carry out the noble work of delivering men and leading them to salvation1 is not at all what they wish to do4 ,if they study1 they do so as a means of gaining reputation1 of extending their influence1 and mainly of accumulating wealth4 ,they simply desire to escape from the painful struggle of life in the world of competition1 and to enjoy lazy and comfortable days on earth as well as in heaven4 ,nine hundred and ninety-nine out of a thousand seem to have no conception of the problems of the future life1 and there is nothing deep in their religious life4 8,it is more blessed to receive than to give0 is their motto1 and hence the monastic life1 study and service1 in its fullest sense1 goes in their eyes for nothing4 ,the reason why these priests and scholars1 who ought to be the noblest and most unselfish of all men1 have been brought to this state of apostasy1 seems to be this4 ,in ,tibet1 the social estimation of priest and scholars is made1 not according to their learning or virtue1 nor yet according to the amount of good they have done for their fellow-men1 but entirely according to the amount of property which they possess4 ,thus1 a priest who owns an estate of a thousand dollars1 however mean and ignorant he may be1 is much more influential and far more highly esteemed in society than a learned and virtuous priest who lives on a small income4 ,they believe in the almighty dollar1 and twist ,s4 ,paul's saying3 8,though ,i have the gift of prophecy1 and understand all mysteries and all knowledge2 and though ,i have all faith1 so that ,i can remove mountains1 and have not0 money1 8,i am nothing40 ,they are earnest therefore in making money1 in whatever way they find profitable4 ,some of them1 as ,i have said1 are engaged in trade or industrial enterprises1 and others in agriculture or stock-farming4 ,besides1 it is their custom to appropriate to themselves the remuneration which they receive when they visit laymen's houses for the purpose of chanting the ,sacred ,text for them1 in accordance with their priestly duty4 ,it is pitiful to contemplate the condition of the students who1 without scholarship or support1 are preparing in the colleges for their degrees4 ,they live hard struggling lives of study in the midst of want1 and yet the only stimulus that encourages them is the expectation that they will be able to enjoy the comfortable life of high priests1 when they have got through the prescribed course of study and have achieved the ,doctorate4 ,they do really suffer1 but their sufferings are not1 so far as ,i know1 those of the man of self-denial who strives hard and struggles against difficulties for the noble ambition of winning souls to salvation1 or for some humanitarian purpose2 they are exceedingly patient in suffering1 simply with the hope of reaping ease and comfort in the latter part of their lives4 ,after a hard monastic life of some twenty years when they have completed the whole course of study1 these poor students will have the honor of getting the ,doctor's degree1 a title implying the highest learning1 but in undue proportion costly2 for besides spending nearly half their lives in toils and struggles to get it1 they have to give a grand feast to all their schoolmasters to celebrate their graduation4 ,it is true1 the feast consists only of meat gruel1 a sort of porridge of meat mixed with rice1 but the quantity given is enormous1 as there are many capacious stomachs to be filled4 ,to give a feast of this sort requires some five hundred yen at the very least1 each bowlful costing over twenty-five sen4 ,of course1 the poverty-stricken priests cannot possibly provide the money themselves1 but fortunately the diploma has its use this time2 their credit has so much improved that the wealthy priests who turned up their noses at needy students are very willing now to supply them with the necessary money1 simply because they have the degree and chance to pay interest4 ,by the means of this convenient credit transaction they can procure the means of giving the necessary banquet and the wealthy priests get not only credit for their generosity1 but also interest for their money4 ,but nothing is more disappointing than the future life of those poor priests1 who will probably never succeed in paying off the burden of debt1 or1 if exceptionally fortunate1 they may succeed in doing so only after long and hard struggles4 ,it is a sad thing to contemplate1 but such is the hard lot of most ,tibetan priests4 ,,chapter ,,liv4 ,tibetan ,weddings and ,wedded ,life4 ,as ,i was lodging at the house of the ,minister of ,finance1 ,i had the good fortune to become acquainted with and occasionally to call on the other ,ministers of ,state1 among whom was one of the ,prime-,ministers1 of the name of ,sho ,khangwa4 7,in ,tibet1 there are four ,prime-,ministers and three ,ministers of ,finance2 the senior ,minister1 in either case1 taking the actual business and standing responsible for the conduct of affairs1 while the others hold only nominal portfolios1 assisting in the work of the ,department as vice-,ministers4 ,sho ,khangwa was the second ,prime-,minister74 ,during my stay in ,lhasa1 his daughter married the son of a noble called the ,prince of ,yutok4 ,i was invited to the wedding1 a ceremony most solemnly performed1 which ,i attended with curiosity and interest4 ,before proceeding to relate what ,i saw on that occasion1 ,i may make a few observations on ,tibetan marriages in general4 ,no general statement can be made however with regard to marriage-customs1 as they vary vastly according to the different localities4 ,there are several books containing descriptions of ,tibetan marriages1 but these are from the pens of ,european travellers1 who may perhaps have been in ,chinese ,tibet1 or on the northern frontier of ,tibet proper1 but were surely not permitted to visit ,lhasa4 ,so although their descriptions may be correct1 so far as they go1 yet no detailed account of a marriage in ,lhasa is1 so far as ,i know1 to be found in any of these books4 ,it is next to impossible for a passing visitor1 especially in such a country as ,tibet1 where marriage-customs and manners differ so much with the widely separated tribes1 to give any really trustworthy descriptions2 still1 as circumstances have given me special opportunities of observing minutely the people's life1 social and domestic1 in ,lhasa1 and even of attending several wedding ceremonies of the natives1 it is not only proper1 but may also possibly be of some value1 to relate my observations and experiences during my stay in the city4 ,it is generally known that a peculiar system of marriage prevails in ,tibet--a plurality not of wives but of husbands4 ,the cases of polyandry are2 first1 when several brothers take the same woman as their wife at the same time2 second1 when two or more men not brothers1 marry the same woman by mutual agreement2 and thirdly1 when a woman1 already married to one man1 gains influence over her husband1 and1 with his consent1 marries another in addition4 ,in case the mother of a family dies1 either the father or the son takes a new spouse1 who becomes at the same time the wife of the other male members of the family without infringing the law of the country4 ,they are quite insensible to the shame of this dissolute condition of matrimonial relations1 which can scarcely be even imagined by people with a civilised moral sense2 and yet there do exist some restrictions3 marriage of brothers with sisters1 or between cousins1 is not only censured by the public as immoral1 but also prohibited by the law as criminal4 ,the wife's authority over her husbands is something surprising4 ,all the money which the husbands have earned has to be handed over to their wife1 and if one of the husbands is found less clever or less successful in making money than the others1 she will give him a severe scolding4 ,when a husband needs money1 he has to beg his wife to give him so much for such and such a purpose1 just as a child does to its mother4 ,if she happens to find any of her husbands keeping back his earnings1 she will break out in anger1 and give him slaps instead of caresses4 ,in short1 a wife generally exercises a commanding authority over her husbands4 ,she will order them to go out shopping and to do this or that1 and husbands are quite obedient to the wife1 too1 and quite ready to do everything that is required1 or that they find suitable to soothe her4 ,when two or more men have anything to agree upon among them1 they do not decide for themselves1 but run home and ask their wife's opinion before coming to a final decision1 and1 if she has no objection1 they will meet again and settle the matter4 ,though polyandry is the prevailing system of marriage in ,tibet1 there are a few exceptional cases of monogamistic couples1 generally in cases where the husband is in a comparatively influential position4 ,another peculiarity in connexion with marriage is that an agreement1 to the effect that either husband or wife may divorce the other whenever he or she has become averse to continuing as the other's partner1 is acknowledged as a legitimate condition of a matrimonial contract4 ,i come now to a description of the marriage ceremony as observed in ,lhasa4 ,the ,tibetans1 whether men or women1 marry generally between the twentieth and twenty-fifth years of age4 ,although there are some exceptions 7especially in the case of couples married late in life1 where the husband's age much exceeds that of his wife7 usually both bride and groom are of about equal age4 ,if a woman who has five brothers as her husbands gives birth to a child1 the eldest of the brothers is called the father of the child and the rest the uncles4 ,one ,european writer says that in ,tibet the eldest of the brothers1 who have the same woman as their wife1 is called the great father of her children1 and the younger brothers their small fathers2 but this ,i have not been able to verify4 ,there is almost no such thing1 so far as my experience of the ,tibetans has gone1 as a woman choosing her own husbands4 ,the choice of husbands and all decision connected therewith are made by the parents only1 and the daughter herself who is going to be married is never permitted to make any choice of her partner1 nor even to take any part in the consultation regarding her own marriage4 ,she is compelled to marry whomsoever her parents decide upon for her husband4 ,not only so1 but parents never tell their daughter at all that a proposal has been made1 or that they are going to give her in marriage1 until the very day of the wedding4 ,these compulsory marriages1 therefore1 frequently end in divorce4 ,however1 in the remote country or even in the city1 sometimes a girl selects her partner and obtains permission from her parents to marry the man of her choice4 ,such cases1 however are very exceptional4 ,it is the universal usage throughout the country for the parents of a young man of marriageable age to make enquiries for a suitable bride among families equal in lineage1 fortune and rank with their own4 ,when such a girl is found1 they at once communicate through a middleman with the girl's parents1 asking whether she may be given as wife to their sons4 ,if the answer is a simple negative1 the middleman understands that the case is an entirely hopeless one2 but if they say3 8,we will see about it0 or something to that effect1 he will call on them several times and talk of all the good qualities of the young man1 his parents and everything about him4 ,then the girl's parents1 after giving a conditional consent to the proposal1 go to a fortune-teller or a high priest to ask his judgment and advice in this important matter1 or they will go to a sorcerer who is believed to be able to give information about the future1 and then only will they give a definite answer to the middleman4 ,the parents on each side keep the whole thing a secret from their son or daughter1 even after the betrothal has been decided upon4 ,thus both bride and groom go to the very day of their wedding1 without knowing anything of their own marriage--neither the preliminary consultations nor the name of the bride or groom2 they are brought face to face for the first time on the wedding day4 ,there is no custom of exchanging presents between bride and bridegroom1 or of the bride's bringing a dowry to her husband as in ,japan1 and no consultation or arrangement is made1 or anything like a marriage-contract regarding the property of the parties concerned2 only the bride's parents1 to keep up the honor of the family1 have to furnish their daughter with all things needed for her marriage1 suitable to their social standing2 else they would be disgraced in the public eye4 ,on the groom's side also his parents send a present of some money to the bride's mother as #8breast money' or nurse expense1 remuneration for her marriage and care in bringing up the girl4 ,then1 again1 the parents on both sides go and enquire of a fortune-teller or sorcerer1 before fixing upon the day of the wedding or of beginning to make the necessary preparations4 ,on the morning of the wedding1 the girl's parents1 who have already been informed of the time when the middleman is to come from the groom's house1 casually tell the girl that the weather being very fine they intend going to the ,temple1 and that she had better go with them1 and that as they are going to have a 8lingka feast0 she had better have her hair done1 or words to that effect4 ,the girl is generally much delighted at hearing this1 and starts at once to dress herself quite unconscious of the stratagem4 ,but sometimes a clever girl sees through the artifice and breaks into tears of sorrow at her unexpected departure from her old home4 ,illustration3 ,,girl ,,weeping ,,at ,,being ,,suddenly ,,commanded ,,to ,,marry4 ,a girl who is unaware of this artifice will wash and scrub her face and body as her parents bid her1 and make herself as smart as they please4 ,it is to be noted that1 as a general custom in ,tibet1 ordinary people never wash their faces or bodies at all1 though the nobles do so every morning just after leaving their beds4 ,the manner in which they wash their faces is almost more like a joke4 ,when a nobleman gets up in the morning1 a maid or attendant will bring him a ladleful of warm water which he first takes in the palms of his hands and then puts into his mouth4 ,after holding it in there for a while he spits it back into his palms little by little and then washes his face with it4 ,when the water in the mouth is all gone1 he will spit several times on to his palms and again rub his face4 ,it is true that basins are used by some ,tibetans3 the above is however the normal way4 ,to return1 the girl1 knowing nothing about the trick in store for her and expecting to go out for amusement1 is cheerful and gay1 busily engaged in her toilet1 and adorning her hair with her old comb and pins1 when her parents come to her with a new comb1 pins and other toilet articles 7all of which have been secretly presented by the groom's parents through the middleman7 and say to her3 8,your pins and comb are too old1 my dear1 we have some new ones for you2 here they are2 and a good bottle of hair-oil too4 ,you must dress yourself up as nicely as possible10 and so on4 ,then when at last the toilet is complete1 the parents tell her for the first time that an engagement has already been made with so and so1 whom she has to marry that day4 ,this is the general custom not only in ,lhasa1 but also in ,shigatze and other towns4 ,but1 as ,i have already said1 a sagacious girl who can see through her parents' artifices is not generally willing to dress herself up for the occasion1 but will be found weeping at her unforeseen calamities and sets herself to complaining in this strain 8,oh6 dear me6 ,i don't want to leave my home4 ,it is not fair of father and mother to marry me off to a person whom ,i shall probably not like4 ,how can ,i get out of it80 ,and then she becomes very depressed1 and devotes absolutely no attention to her hair-dressing4 ,in this case1 however1 the girl's friends1 who are there to help in the preparations for her wedding1 try to cheer her up and encourage her to obey her parents1 and even help her to adorn and dress herself4 ,after all these preparations are over1 the bride's parents have to give a series of farewell banquets for their daughter1 which will last two weeks1 or even more sometimes1 if their family is rich or high in social rank1 but two or three days only in the case of the poor4 ,during these festivities1 the relatives and acquaintances of her parents visit the family with presents of money1 food1 or clothes1 to congratulate them on their daughter's happy wedding1 the value of the presents differing according to the visitor's wealth as well as their intimacy with the family4 ,these visitors are cordially entertained with ,tibetan tea and cold spirits1 which they drink to excess1 visitors and host alike enjoying the good things provided1 and having a regular good time or what they call a chachang pemma1 the happiest state in the world4 ,while drinking1 they eat nothing at all2 but at the afternoon meal they take some meat and wheat-cakes4 ,the meat they eat is generally the flesh of the yak1 or that of goats or sheep2 pork is sometimes used in ,lhasa1 but beef is very rare throughout the country1 and is especially rare in the case of wedding feasts4 ,their cooking and bill of fare are very simple3 three dishes of meat1 raw1 dried and boiled 7roast meat is never seen at a wedding74 ,the boiled meat is cooked in oil and salt1 or sometimes in salt and water and is brought in first1 together with tsu1 a concoction of cheese1 butter and sugar4 ,when these are all gone1 a big dish of boiled rice mixed with butter1 sugar1 raisins and ,chinese persimmons is served4 ,in the evening1 again1 the guests are entertained to a dinner in which a sort of vermicelli1 made of wheat-flour and eggs1 or pure ,chinese cookery is set before the guests4 ,in this manner they have three or four meals a day2 and besides these1 tea and intoxicants are constantly served during the intervals between the meals4 ,while eating and drinking the guests are regaled with pleasant talk1 and when the feasts begin to flag they revive the fun by singing and dancing4 ,it is very interesting to see men and women like the moving beads of a rosary1 dancing and jumping promiscuously round and round the circles4 ,they dance in a regular and systematic manner1 each keeping step with the music as carefully as if he were a soldier at drill1 and yet the regularity and solemnity of the dance does not in least interfere with the keenness and zest of their enjoyment4 ,the instrument used in their dance music is called damnyan1 and is often used in accompanying singing as well as dancing4 ,towards the close of the festive time 7,i may observe that it is only the poorest folk that dispense with the prenuptial feasts71 usually on the eve of the wedding1 the parents of the bridegroom send their representative and the middleman1 with a number of attendants1 to the bride's home to receive the bride4 ,they bring with them a present of some money as nurin or #8breast money' for the bride's parents1 who are obliged to seem a little backward about taking it1 etiquette demanding that they should require a good deal of coaxing before accepting such a present4 ,the nurin may vary in amount from a couple of dollars to two hundred or even five hundred dollars4 ,some parents 7not many7 refuse it absolutely1 saying that the girl being their beloved daughter1 it is not their expectation or their desire to receive any nurin1 but that they 8only hope heartily that their daughter will be loved by and enjoy a happy life among the family to which she is given in marriage40 ,then the middleman gives the bride the dress1 belt1 ,chinese shoes and all other articles necessary for a bride during the wedding ceremony1 these too being presented by the groom's parents1 and these the bride cannot refuse2 she must wear them even though they do not suit her4 ,in addition to these gifts the bride generally receives a precious gem1 such as is usually worn by a woman of ,lhasa on the middle of her forehead4 ,this gem is said to be a sign of a woman's being married1 though in ,lhasa there seems to exist no strict discrimination in the matter1 for unmarried women in that city often wear it as a mere ornament4 ,in ,shigatze and the neighboring provinces1 however1 the use of the gem is strictly restricted1 as a matter of fact1 exclusively to married women1 who wear it high up at the back of the head1 so that they can be easily distinguished from single females4 ,in the case of a divorce1 a husband has simply to pluck off the gem from his wife's head without the trouble of going to court1 or asking the authorities to alter the census4 ,this single act on the part of the husband properly and perfectly certifies and legalises the divorce4 ,besides the things necessary for a bride to wear during the ceremony which the bridegroom's parents have to provide1 many valuable ornaments1 a fringe1 neck-rings1 ear-rings1 finger-rings1 ornamented armlets and breast-jewels1 are given by the bride's own parents1 for what the groom's parents send the bride-elect is confined to the dress1 belt1 under-wear and shoes1 to be worn on the occasion of the wedding ceremony4 ,then1 those who come to receive the bride stay at the bride's house that night1 and enjoy a few pleasant hours drinking with the family4 ,an interesting feature of this drinking feast is that the middleman and the representatives of the bridegroom's family have to be very careful not to drink too much that night1 because it is the custom for the friends and relatives of the bride's family to try to steal something from them if the drink should happen to make them drowsy4 ,if they succeed1 they show what they have stolen before all the guests assembled the next morning1 and boast of the success of their trick1 and their victims have to pay them some twenty tanka of ,tibetan silver1 or two dollars and a half in ,american gold1 as a penalty for their carelessness4 ,so the middleman and the others do all they can not to be tempted to drink1 while the bride's friends and relatives ply their guests with liquor and will take no refusal4 ,the reader can imagine the noise and uproar that sometimes ensue4 ,but in urging their guests to drink1 the friends of the bride must strictly observe the old ancestral customs1 or else the middleman and the representatives of the groom's family will ridicule them for their ignorance1 and thus everlasting shame will come upon the bride's family4 ,the others1 in their turn1 have to arm themselves with suitable reasons for abstinence4 ,they have to say that chang is the worst of all sorts of poison1 that it is a maker of quarrels or a robber of wisdom4 ,the refusal to drink must always be clothed in some proverbial expression of this kind1 according to the old time-honored customs1 and the ordinary ,tibetan would be very much disappointed and almost feel that he had not been to a proper wedding1 if it was not accompanied with their friendly wranglings over the cups4 ,,chapter ,,lv4 ,wedding ,ceremonies4 ,early in the morning of the nuptial day the father and mother give a farewell banquet in the house of the bride4 ,at the same time the priests of the ,old ,school1 generally known as the #8,scarlet-,hoods' or ,red-,caps1 are asked by the family to hold a festal service in honor of the village and family ,gods4 ,the object of the festival is to inform the ,gods of the daughter's being engaged and to take leave of them1 and further to pray the ,gods not to do any injury to their family because of their daughter's leaving them for ever1 as in return they promise to make offerings to them and recite the ,sacred ,text for their pleasure4 ,such ceremonies in general are held at the temple to which the #8,scarlet-,hoods' belong4 ,simultaneously with the above another festival is held in the house of the bride by the priest of the ,bon religion 7pronounced ,pon1 but written ,bon71 the old religion of ,tibet1 to propitiate the ,god ,lu-i ,gyalpo1 or ,king-,dragon1 who according to the ,tibetan mythology is the protector of the fortunes of each individual family4 ,it is a constant fear with ,tibetans that if it should ever happen that a man should provoke this ,god's anger by any means whatever1 the consequence will be the entire destruction of his fortune4 ,therefore lest the ,god should leave the family and follow the daughter to whom he is affectionately attached1 and thus abandon the family to utter poverty1 no efforts whatsoever are spared by the family to keep him away from the daughter4 ,the passages from the ,bon scripture which are read on the occasion of the ceremony are very interesting4 ,in most of the cases the sentences are the same1 and1 in the main1 are to the effect that the family to which the daughter has been engaged is not enjoying such happiness as the maiden's own family enjoys2 and again that it is not dignified for the ,king-,dragon to go to another house in pursuit of a girl3 it is advisable for the ,god to stay with the present family and look after its interests1 as before2 for boundless will be the happiness that he shall enjoy in case he stays with the present family as hitherto4 ,after all1 this is not a matter of mere traditional formality1 for among the people of ,tibet the superstition is common that if the ,king-,dragon should leave a family for ever to follow a daughter on her marriage1 the family will be reduced to utter poverty2 hence these customs are universally observed by the people4 ,the banquet over1 there enters the preacher who is to exhort the bride4 ,he stands in front of the bride1 and instructs her by means of a collection of maxims which he has well committed to memory previous to the ceremony4 ,the preacher is a kind personage1 selected from people who are accomplished in such things4 ,in almost all cases the words of exhortation are about the same1 and they are composed of very easy expressions1 so that anybody can understand them4 ,the sentences say that when the bride goes to the house of her husband1 she must behave with uniform kindness2 that1 as it is the duty of a woman to be obedient to her superiors1 once she goes to her husband's she must not only be obedient to her parents-in-law1 but must also wait upon her husband and his brothers and sisters with equal kindness1 and more especially must she love her husband's younger brothers and sisters with the same kindness that she has for her true brothers or sisters2 she must treat her servants as if they were her own children1 and the like4 ,here and there in the intervals of the exhortations is inserted a story1 which is told by the preacher with such skill that the bride is generally deeply impressed4 ,when the exhortation is over1 the father and mother of the bride sit before her1 and with tears repeat exhortations similar to those previously recited by the regular preacher4 ,then also come the relatives and friends of the bride1 who1 bursting into tears1 and taking the bride by the hand1 make their exhortations most tenderly and in a most caressing manner4 ,after these ceremonies1 the bride has at last to leave her old home4 ,there is no fixed standard as to the property which a bride takes with her to her husband's on the occasion of her marriage4 ,some are rich enough to take a piece of land as a dowry1 but some can afford only to take a few clothes4 ,when she leaves her house1 the bride weeps bitterly1 and all efforts to get her on horseback are in vain1 she prostrates herself on the ground and lies there obstinately helpless4 ,her features become those of one whose heart is too heavy to part with her parents and her home4 ,in such a case1 the bride is lifted up and placed by friends on horseback4 ,she does not ride in the same manner as westerns do1 but astride1 after the ,japanese fashion4 ,women in ,tibet are very good riders2 they do not ride with long stirrups1 but with legs bent back1 as if they were astride on a very low bench1 and use an extremely short stirrup leather4 ,there is no difference between men and women in the manner of riding4 ,while in ,tibet ,i used to ride in the same manner1 and during the first part of my experiences ,i had a hard time of it1 more especially in the case of a long ride1 after which ,i often felt much pain about my legs4 ,now the bride1 thus placed on horseback1 makes her way to the house of the bridegroom4 ,she is dressed in the wedding garment which has been presented to her by the bridegroom1 and also wears the ornaments for head and arms which have been presented to her by her own parents1 and her head and face are covered with rin-chen na-nga1 the precious cloths woven from sheep's wool1 in stripes of yellow1 green1 red1 white and black4 ,on account of the cloth1 no glimpse of her face can be caught4 ,the back of her neck is also covered with a small banner1 called the #8banner of good omen'4 ,this #8banner of good omen' is made of a fine silk stuff dyed in five different colors1 and is some fourteen inches or so in length2 it is inscribed with good wishes for her future4 ,the people who have come to see the bride off and those who have come to receive her all go on horseback1 and on their way to the bridegroom's house six banquets altogether are given by the relatives of the bride and of the bridegroom4 ,those who have come to see the bride off give three banquets at three different points on the road1 and those who have come to welcome her give three similar banquets4 ,sometimes the banquets are given at places two miles apart1 and sometimes three1 as the case may be1 and after the sixth banquet has duly taken place1 the gate of the bridegroom's house is at last reached by the wedding procession4 ,in these banquets1 however nobody drinks anything to excess1 because every one is impressed with the fact that he has been entrusted with the very important duty of taking the bride in safety to the house of the bridegroom1 and so the others1 recognising the situation1 never press any one to drink to excess4 ,as a rule1 it is customary in ,tibet to press one's guests to eat the dainties which have been set before them1 while for the guests it is considered very impolite to taste such dainties immediately2 to do so without a great deal of pressure is to be as vulgar as a ,chinaman4 ,the banquets are given by the friends of the bride and bridegroom at the houses of their friends or at their own1 but on the whole it is more usual to have tents erected at convenient places in fields on the way to the bridegroom's house1 and to entertain the wedding procession there4 ,illustration3 ,,at ,,the ,,bridegroom',s ,,gate4 ,illustration3 ,,throwing ,,an ,,imitation ,,sword ,,at ,,the ,,bride4 ,thus the gate of the bridegroom's house is reached4 ,it would not occur to anybody that there should be any question as to whether the bride could at once be admitted to the house of the bridegroom or not1 as those who had come to receive the bride on the way were the relatives of the bridegroom4 ,however1 the fact is quite the reverse4 ,this is where the ,tibetan custom appear so strange in the eyes of a foreigner4 ,when the bride reaches the gate1 she finds it locked1 bolted1 and barred against her ingress4 ,in the crowd gathered in front of the gate of the bridegroom's house1 there is a man whose duty it is to drive away the evil spirits1 or epidemic diseases1 which1 it is believed by the people1 may have followed the bride on her way to the bridegroom's4 ,hidden under his right hand1 the man has a sword which is called the ,torma1 or the sword of the secret charm1 with which he tears such evil spirits or epidemic diseases to pieces4 ,the sword is made of a mixture of baked flour1 butter and water1 fried hard and colored with the red juice of a plant4 ,its shape is long and triangular1 like a bayonet2 it looks like a sword1 and is said to have some secret charm1 pronounced by a priest1 concealed in it4 ,the spectators do not know which one in the crowd has the sword1 but some one must have it1 and as soon as the bride arrives the man1 taking advantage of any opportunity that may offer1 throws it in the face of the bride1 and runs inside the gate1 the door of which opens to receive him as he discharges this duty4 ,no sooner has the man fled inside the gate1 than the door is again closed1 and the bride is left standing outside1 all covered with the red fragments of the stuff that has been thrown at her4 ,one may wonder what can be the origin of such a custom1 and one is told that the bride1 on taking leave of her family1 has lost the protection of the ,gods of the village and of the house in which she has been a resident1 and the people are afraid that1 for want of the divine protection1 the bride must have met with a crowd of evil spirits1 or epidemic diseases1 on her way to the bridegroom's house1 and that these might cause some injury to the new couple2 hence the use of the ,torma to conquer such evil spirits1 or epidemic diseases4 ,then one wants to know why the man fled inside the gate1 and caused the door to be closed after him1 immediately after throwing the sword in the face of the bride4 ,there is a peculiar sort of custom prevalent at weddings1 by which every one caught by the bride's friends is bound to pay them a penalty of twenty tanka1 and therefore the man flies inside the gate lest he should be caught by the people who have come to see the bride off4 ,by this time the people inside the gate1 who have been waiting for the arrival of the wedding procession1 demand that the bride's party give sheppa 7explanation7 at the gate1 or else the bride cannot be admitted4 ,the sheppa consists of many beautiful words and fine phrases1 indicating wishes for good luck and happiness4 ,in response to their demands1 the man in the wedding procession whose duty it is to say the #8explanation' has to say3 8,we want to say sheppa1 but for lack of the kata we cannot do so40 ,on hearing this the man inside the gate shows a tiny piece of kata through a chink in the gate and says3 8,here is the kata10 but no sooner has he done so than he promptly pulls it back again4 ,one may wonder why the people should pull the cloth in so quickly1 and one is told that it is in consideration of a peculiar custom1 that the man must pay twenty tanka as penalty to any of the bride's friends that can catch hold of the cloth2 naturally therefore1 it is quickly pulled away4 ,on seeing the kata1 the man in the wedding procession whose duty it is to say sheppa solemnly says as follows3 8,this is the gate which leads to the store-house where many precious and valuable things are kept2 the pillars are built of gold and the door of silver and inside the gate there is a hall of worship which is made of natural cloisonn2 there is also a palace1 the inmates of which are as virtuous and beautiful as angels and ,gods40 ,words similar to these are said1 and at the termination of the sheppa the gate is open4 ,i must here not omit to say that on her way to the bridegroom's1 as she is riding past a certain village1 the bride is sometimes caught hold of and carried off by the people of the village1 on the pretext that her coming will cause some injury to them1 as it is believed by them also that the bride has lost the protection of the ,gods of her native place1 and that during her journey many evil spirits and epidemic diseases must have taken hold of her1 and that these1 on arriving at the village1 will do great damage to its farms and cause much injury to the inhabitants4 ,so the people of the village carry off the bride as a compensation for such prospective damage1 and in order to get a safe passage through the village the attendants of the bride must pay ransom4 ,i may say that this is a very rare occurrence in a town1 but in lonely parts of the country it will sometimes take place4 ,it must be understood that it is generally in the case of a family which is not popular with its neighbors that the bride receives such treatment4 ,upon the gate being opened1 the mother of the bridegroom comes out with some sour milk and chema in her hands4 ,chema is a mixture of baked flour1 butter1 sugar and taro-root4 ,taro-root is a kind of potato1 produced in ,tibet1 as large as a man's little finger1 and very nice to eat4 ,chema and sour milk are used only when there is a celebration of some extraordinary occasion4 ,a little of this is distributed to each person in the procession1 who receives it on his palm and eats it4 ,this ceremony over1 the mother leads the party into her house and gives a banquet in honor of the bride1 when the priest of the 8,old ,school0 is called upon to inform the ,gods of the village and of the house that an addition has been made to the members of the family by the arrival of the bride1 and that1 therefore1 the ,gods are prayed to extend their arms to the bride1 and to be her protectors henceforward4 ,these prayers over1 the father and mother of the bridegroom give a piece of kata to the couple1 and to all the other people who have come to see the bride off or to receive her4 ,such is the ceremony that makes the happy couple husband and wife4 ,before the feasting has begun to flag the newly married couple are removed to an adjacent room4 ,the people who have come either to see the bride off or to receive her1 stay in the house of the bridegroom1 and attend the banquets which are given daily1 and during this time the friends and relatives come to join the banquet1 every one bringing with him a reasonable amount of presents4 ,the feasting lasts for two or three days at least1 and for a month at most4 ,tibetans are very fond of meat1 and most of their food is more fatty even than ,chinese cookery4 ,they give long banquets richly furnished with such food1 and the reader can well imagine how foolishly idle are the people of ,tibet in their habits4 ,the feasting over1 the people who have come to see the bride off1 or to receive her1 say good-bye to the house1 but still1 for several days following1 the friends and servants of the bride remain in the house with the bride1 this being the custom4 ,if the bride is from a well-to-do family1 she takes with her a servant from her father's house1 and make her stay with her in the new family to serve her as long as she lives4 ,in this way the wedding ceremonies come to an end4 ,in one month or one year after the marriage the bride1 together with the bridegroom1 comes to her old home1 and they stay there as long as she likes1 sometimes for one month and sometimes for three4 ,when making the first visit to her father's house1 the bride takes with her not more than two or three persons4 ,her husband stays with her for several days1 and then returns to his house1 but when the day comes on which the bride has promised her husband to return to his house1 the husband comes for her and takes her home again4 ,in case the bridegroom has a brother1 the bride must marry him also in six or twelve months after marrying the eldest brother4 ,the wedding ceremony in such a case is carried on privately at the house of the bridegroom1 the mother of the bridegroom acting as the middleman4 ,in this case the eldest brother1 to whom the bride was first married1 takes himself off from the house on business1 or for pleasure1 so as to let the bride and his younger brother marry during his absence4 ,it makes no difference if the bridegroom has three or more brothers2 the bride has to marry each one of them separately1 and in the same manner4 ,sometimes the bride and her brothers-in-law live together at their pleasure1 without having any formal ceremonies to celebrate their weddings4 ,such is the polyandry practised by the people of ,tibet1 and called the sa-sum4 ,in a family where the bride has more than one bridegroom1 it is very seldom that we find the brothers living together4 ,if one of the brothers is at home the other absents himself1 either on business1 if he is a merchant1 or on official duties4 ,in this way all possible means are taken to keep only one of the brothers at home1 each in his turn4 ,polyandry flourishes in ,tibet even at the present time1 and it is considered by the general public to be the right thing to follow and1 in consequence1 if ever a merchant 7having been out of the country and seen much of the outside world and observed how shameful his habits at home have been7 should protest against this sort of wedlock1 he is shunned by his fellow-men as a crank1 and his protest brushed away with 8,luk-su-mindu10 which means 8there is no such a custom 7in ,tibet740 ,this peculiar and ridiculous wedlock1 as well as this unreasonable relationship between a husband and wife1 has its origin in the ,bon religion1 and in spite of the introduction of true ,buhism into ,tibet the habit has come down to the present time and remains flourishing4 ,the fact is that among the ,buhist believers there has scarcely been any one who has ever given any thought to social problems1 and moreover1 as the priests of ancient times were generally recluses1 who paid no attention whatever to the application of their religion to the needs of the practical world1 or to making the principles of true ,buhism as distinct as possible1 the natural outcome has been that this shameful custom1 altogether contradictory to the principles of ,buhism1 has remained in this part of the world4 ,the blame lies entirely with the priests2 it must not be laid at the door of ,buhism4 ,,chapter ,,lvi4 ,tibetan ,punishments4 ,one day early in ,october ,i left my residence in ,lhasa and strolled toward the ,parkor4 ,parkor is the name of one of the principal streets in that city1 as ,i have already mentioned1 and is the place where criminals are exposed to public disgrace4 ,pillory in ,tibet takes various forms1 the criminal being exposed sometimes with only handcuffs1 or fetters alone1 and at others with both4 ,on that particular occasion ,i saw as many as twenty criminals undergoing punishment1 some of them tied to posts1 while others were left fettered at one of the street crossings4 ,they were all well-dressed1 and had their necks fixed in a frame of thick wooden boards about #a-a_/e inches thick1 and three feet square4 ,the frame had in the centre a hole just large enough for the neck and was composed of two wooden boards fastened together by means of ridges1 and a lock4 ,from this frame was suspended a piece of paper informing the public of the nature of the crime committed by the exposed person1 and of the judgment passed upon him1 sentencing him to the pillory for a certain number of days and to exile or flogging afterwards4 ,the flogging generally ranges from three hundred to seven hundred lashes4 ,as so many criminals were pilloried on that particular occasion1 ,i could not read all the sentences1 even though my curiosity was stronger than the sense of pity that naturally rose in my bosom when ,i beheld the miserable spectacle4 ,i confess that ,i read one or two of them1 and found that the criminals were men connected with the ,tangye-ling monastery1 the ,lama superior of which is qualified to succeed to the supreme power of the pontificate in case1 for one reason or another1 the post of the ,dalai ,lama should happen to fall vacant4 ,the monastery is therefore one of the most influential institutions in the ,tibetan ,hierarchy and generally contains a large number of inmates1 both priests and laymen4 ,shortly before my arrival in ,lhasa this high post was occupied by a distinguished priest named ,temo ,rinpoche4 ,his steward went under the name of ,norpu ,che-ring1 and this man was charged with the heinous crime of having secretly made an attempt on the life of the ,dalai ,lama by invoking the aid of evil deities4 ,norpu ,che-ring's conjuration was conducted not according to the ,buhist formula1 but according to that of the ,bon religion4 ,a piece of paper containing the dangerous incantation was secreted in the soles of the beautiful foot-gear worn by the ,dalai ,lama1 which was then presented to his ,holiness4 ,the incantation must have possessed an extraordinary potency1 for it was said that the ,grand ,lama invariably fell ill one way or another whenever he put on these accursed objects4 ,the cause of his illness was at last traced to the foot-gear with its invocation paper by the wise men in attendance on the ,grand ,lama4 ,this amazing revelation led to the wholesale arrest of all the persons suspected of being privy to the crime1 the venerable ,temo ,rinpoche among the rest4 ,some people even regarded the latter as the ring-leader in this plot and denounced him as having conspired against the life of the ,grand ,lama in order to create for himself a chance of wielding the supreme authority4 ,at any rate ,temo ,rinpoche occupied the pontifical seat as ,regent before the present ,grand ,lama was installed on his throne4 ,norpu ,che-ring was the ,prime-,minister to the ,regent1 and conducted the affairs of state in a high-handed manner4 ,things were even worse than this1 for it is a fact1 admitting of no dispute1 that ,norpu was oppressive1 and mercilessly put to death a large number of innocent persons4 ,he was therefore a persona ingrata with at least a section of the public1 and some of his enemies lost no time in giving a detailed denunciation of the despotic rule of the ,regent and his ,prime-,minister as soon as the present ,grand ,lama was safely enthroned4 ,naturally therefore the former ,regent and his ,lieutenant were not regarded with favor by the ,grand ,lama1 and such being the case1 the terrible revelation about the shoes was at once followed by their arrest1 and they were thrown into prison4 ,all this had occurred before my arrival4 ,when ,i came to ,lhasa ,temo ,rinpoche had been dead for some time1 but ,norpu ,che-ring was still lingering in a stone dungeon which was guarded with special severity1 because of the grave nature of his crime4 ,the dungeon had only one narrow hole in the top1 through which food was doled out to the prisoner1 or he himself was dragged out whenever he had to undergo his examinations1 which were always accompanied with torture4 ,hope of escape was out of the question1 and the only opportunity offered him of seeing the sunshine was by no means a source of relief1 for it was invariably associated with the infliction of tortures of a terribly excruciating character4 ,the mere description of it chilled my blood4 ,the torture1 as inflicted on ,norpu ,che-ring1 was devised with diabolical ingenuity1 for it consisted in driving a sharpened bamboo stick into the sensitive part of the finger directly underneath the nail4 ,after the nail had been sufficiently abused as a means of torture1 it was torn off1 and the stick was next drilled in between the flesh and the skin4 ,as even criminals possess no more than ten fingers on both hands the inquisitor had to make chary use of this stock of torture1 and took only one finger at a time1 till the whole number was disposed of4 ,such was the treatment the ex-,prime-,minister received at his hands4 ,norpu ,che-ring bore this torture with admirable fortitude2 he persisted that the whole plot originated in him alone and was put in execution by his own hands only4 ,his master had nothing to do with it4 ,the inquisitors' object in subjecting their former superior and colleague to this infernal torture was to extort from him a confession implicating ,temo ,rinpoche1 but they were denied this satisfaction by the unflinching courage of their victim4 ,it is said that this suffering of ,norpu ,che-ring had so far awakened the sympathy of ,temo ,rinpoche himself that the latter tried1 like the priest of noble heart that he was1 to take the whole responsibility of the plot upon his own shoulders1 declaring that ,norpu was merely a tool who carried out his orders1 and that therefore the latter was entirely innocent of the crime4 ,temo even advised his steward1 whenever the two happened to be together at the inquisition1 to confess1 as he1 that is ,temo1 had done4 ,the steward1 on his part1 would reply that his master must have made that baseless confession from the benevolent motive of saving his1 the steward's life1 but that he was not so mean and depraved as to seek an unmerited deliverance at the cost of his venerable master's life4 ,and so he preferred to suffer pain rather than to be released1 and baffled all the attempts of the torturers4 ,by the time ,i reached ,lhasa ,norpu had already endured this painful existence for two years1 and during that long period not one word even in the faintest way implicating his master had passed his lips4 ,from this it may be concluded that ,temo had really no hand in the plot4 ,at the same time it must be remembered that ,temo was an elder brother of ,norpu1 and the fraternal affection which the latter entertained towards the other might therefore have been too strong to allow of his implicating ,temo1 even supposing that the late ,regent was really privy to the plot4 ,be the real circumstances what they might1 when ,i heard all these painful particulars1 my sympathy was powerfully aroused for ,norpu1 whatever hard words others might utter against him2 for the mere fact that he submitted so long to such revolting punishments with such persevering fortitude and with such faithful constancy to his master and brother1 appealed strongly to my heart4 ,the pilloried criminals whom ,i saw on that occasion were all subordinates of ,norpu ,che-ring4 ,besides these1 sixteen ,bon priests had been executed as accomplices1 while the number of laymen and priests who had been exiled on the same charge must have been large1 though the exact number was unknown to outsiders4 ,the pilloried criminals were apparently minor offenders1 for half of them were sentenced to exile and the remaining half to floggings of from three hundred to five hundred lashes4 ,the pillory was to last in each case for three to seven days4 ,looking at these pitiable creatures ,i felt as if ,i were witnessing a sight such as might exist in the ,nether ,world4 ,my heart truly bled for the poor1 helpless fellows4 ,heavy with this sad reflexion ,i proceeded further on1 and soon arrived at a place to the south of a ,buhist edifice2 and there1 near the western corner of the building1 flooded by sunshine1 ,i beheld another heart-rending sight4 ,it was a beautiful lady in the pillory4 ,her neck was secured in the regulation frame1 just as was that of a rougher criminal1 and the ponderous piece of wood was weighing heavily upon her frail shoulders4 ,a piece of red cloth made of ,bhtn silk was upon her head1 which hung very low1 for the frame around her neck did not allow her to move it freely4 ,her eyes were closed4 ,three men1 apparently police constables1 were near by as guards4 ,a vessel containing baked flour was lying there1 and also some small delicacies that must have been sent by relatives or friends4 ,all this food she had to take from the hands of one or other of the three rough attendants1 for her own hands were manacled4 ,she was none other than the wife of ,norpu ,che-ring1 whose miserable story ,i have already told1 and was a daughter of the house of ,do-ring1 one of the oldest and most respected families in the whole of the ,tibetan aristocracy4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,wife ,,of ,,an ,,ex-,,minister4 ,,punished ,,in ,,public4 ,when her husband was arrested1 he was at first confined in a cell less terrible than the stone dungeon to which he was afterwards transferred4 ,but this early and apparently more considerate treatment only plunged his family into greater misery4 ,his wife was told that the jailer of the prison in which her husband was incarcerated was not overstrict and that he was open to corruption1 and what faithful wife1 even though ,tibetan1 would resist the temptation placed before her under such circumstances1 of trying to seek some means of gaining admission to the lonely cell where her dear lord was confined8 ,and so it came to pass that ,madame ,norpu bribed the jailer1 and with his connivance was often at her husband's side2 but somehow her transgression reached the ears of the government1 and she also was thrown into prison4 ,on the very morning of the day on which ,i came upon this piteous sight of the pillory1 she was led out of the prison1 as ,i heard afterwards1 not however for liberation1 but first to suffer at the gate of the prison a flogging of three hundred lashes1 and then to be conducted to a busy thoroughfare to be pilloried for public disgrace4 ,poor woman6 she seemed to be almost insensible when ,i saw her1 and the mere sight of her emaciated form and death-pale face aroused my strongest sympathy4 ,the sentiment of pity was intensified when ,i saw a group of idle spectators1 among whom ,i even noticed some aristocratic-looking persons1 gazing at the pillory with callous indifference4 ,they were heartless enough to approach her place of torture and read the judgment paper4 ,the sentence1 as ,i heard it read aloud by these fellows1 condemned her to so many whippings1 then to seven days pillory1 and lastly to exile at such-and-such a place1 there to remain imprisoned1 fettered and manacled4 ,the spectators not only read out the sentence with an air of perfect indifference1 but some of them even betrayed their depravity by reviling and jeering at the lady3 8,serve her right10 ,i heard them say2 8their hard treatment of others has brought them to this4 ,serve them right40 ,these aristocrats were giving sardonic smiles1 as if gloating over the misery of the house of ,norpu ,che-ring4 ,really the heartless depravity of these people was beyond description1 and ,i could not help feeling angry with them4 ,these same people1 ,i thought1 who seemed to take so much delight in the calamity of the family of ,norpu ,che-ring1 must have vied with each other in courting his favor while he was in power and prosperity4 ,even if it were beyond the comprehension of these brutes to appreciate the meaning of that merciful principle which bids us 8hate the offence but pity the offender10 one would have expected them to be humane enough to show some sympathy towards this woman who was paying so dearly for her excusable indiscretion4 ,but they seemed to be utterly impervious to such sentiments1 and so behaved themselves in that shameful manner4 ,i1 who knew that political rivalry in ,tibet was allowed to run to such an extreme as to involve even innocent women in painful punishment1 felt sincerely sorry for the ,lady ,norpu1 and returned to my residence with a heavy heart4 ,my sentiment on that particular occasion is partially embodied in this uta that occurred to me as ,i retraced my heavy steps3 ,you1 everchanging foolish herds of men1 ,as fickle as the dew upon the trees1 ,to blooming flowers your smiling welcome give2 ,why should your tears of pity cease to flow ,when blooms or withering flowers pass away8 ,on my return1 when ,i saw my host1 the former ,minister of ,finance1 ,i related to him what ,i had seen in the street1 and asked him to tell me all he knew about the affair4 ,he fully shared my sympathy for the unfortunate woman4 ,while ,norpu ,che-ring was in power1 my host told me1 he was held in high respect4 ,nobody dared to whisper one word of blame about him and his wife4 ,now they were fallen1 and he felt really sorry for them4 ,it was true1 he continued1 that some people used to find fault with the private conduct of ,norpu ,che-ring1 and the former ,minister could not deny that there was some reason for that4 ,but ,temo ,rinpoche was a venerable man1 pure in life1 pious and benevolent1 and had met with such a sad end solely in consequence of the wicked intrigues of his followers4 ,my host was perfectly certain that ,temo ,rinpoche had absolutely no hand in the plot4 ,he said that he could not talk thus to others2 he could be confidential to me alone4 ,tortures are carried to the extreme of diabolical ingenuity4 ,they are such as one might expect in hell4 ,one method consists in drilling a sharpened bamboo stick into the tender part of the tip of the fingers1 as already described4 ,another consists in placing #8stone-bonnets' on the head of the victim4 ,each #8bonnet' weighs about eight pounds1 and one after another is heaped on as the torture proceeds4 ,the weight at first forces tears out of the eyes of the victim1 but afterward1 as the weight is increased1 the very eye-balls are forced from their sockets4 ,then flogging1 though far milder in itself1 is a painful punishment1 as it is done with a heavy rod1 cut fresh from a willow tree1 the criminal receiving it on the bared small of his back4 ,the part is soon torn open by the lashing1 and the blood that oozes out is scattered right and left as the beater continues his brutal task1 until the prescribed number1 three hundred or five hundred blows as the case may be1 are given4 ,very often1 and perhaps with the object of prolonging the torture1 the flogging is suspended1 and the poor victim receives a cup of water1 after which the painful process is resumed4 ,in nine cases out of ten the victims of this corporeal punishment fall ill1 and while at ,lhasa ,i more than once prescribed for persons who1 as the result of flogging1 were bleeding internally4 ,the wounds caused by the flogging are shocking to see1 as ,i know from my personal observations4 ,a prison-house is in any case an awful place1 but more especially so in ,tibet1 for even the best of them has nothing but mud walls and a planked floor1 and is very dark in the interior1 even in broad day4 ,this absence of sunlight is itself a serious punishment in such a cold country4 ,as for food1 prisoners are fed only once a day with a couple of handfuls of baked flour4 ,this is hardly sufficient to keep body and soul together1 so that a prisoner is generally obliged to ask his friends to send him some food4 ,nothing1 however1 sent in from outside reaches the prisoners entire1 for the gaolers subtract for their own mouths more than half of it1 and only a small portion of the whole quantity gets into the prisoners' hands4 ,the most lenient form of punishment is a fine2 then comes flogging1 to be followed1 at a great distance1 by the extraction of the eye-balls2 then the amputation of the hands4 ,the amputation is not done all at once1 but only after the hands have been firmly tied for about twelve hours1 till they become completely paralysed4 ,the criminals who are about to suffer amputation are generally suspended by the wrists from some elevated object with stout cord1 and naughty street urchins are allowed to pull the cord up and down at their pleasure4 ,after this treatment the hands are chopped off at the wrists in public4 ,this punishment is generally inflicted on thieves and robbers after their fifth or sixth offence4 ,lhasa abounds in handless beggars and in beggars minus their eye-balls2 and perhaps the proportion of eyeless beggars is larger than that of the handless ones4 ,then there are other forms of mutilation also inflicted as punishment1 and of these ear-cutting and nose-slitting are the most painful4 ,both parties in a case of adultery are visited with this physical deformation4 ,these forms of punishment are inflicted by the authorities upon the accusation of the aggrieved party1 the right of lodging the complaint being limited1 however1 to the husband2 in fact he himself may with impunity cut off the ears or slit the noses of the criminal parties1 when taken in flagrante delicto4 ,he has simply to report the matter afterwards to the authorities4 ,with regard to exile there are two different kinds1 one leaving a criminal to live at large in the exiled place1 and the other1 which is heavier1 confining him in a local prison4 ,capital punishment is carried out solely by immersion in water4 ,there are two modes of this execution3 one by putting a criminal into a bag made of hides and throwing the bag with its live contents into the water2 and the other by tying the criminal's hands and feet and throwing him into a river with a heavy stone tied to his body4 ,the executioners lift him out after about ten minutes1 and if he is judged to be still alive1 down they plunge him again1 and this lifting up and down is repeated till the criminal expires4 ,the lifeless body is then cut to pieces1 the head alone being kept1 and all the rest of the severed members are thrown into the river4 ,the head is deposited in a head vase1 either at once1 or after it has been exposed in public for three or seven days1 and the vase is carried to a building established for this sole purpose1 which bears a horrible name signifying 8,perpetual ,damnation40 ,this practice comes from a superstition of the people that those whose heads are kept in that edifice will forever be precluded from being reborn in this world4 ,all these punishments struck me as entirely out of place for a country in which ,buhist doctrines are held in such high respect4 ,especially did ,i think the idea of eternal damnation irreconcilable with the principles of mercy and justice1 for ,i should say that execution ought to absolve criminals of their offences4 ,several other barbarous forms of punishment are in vogue1 but these ,i may omit here1 for what ,i have stated in the preceding paragraphs is enough to convey some idea of criminal procedure as it exists in the ,forbidden ,land4 ,i stayed in ,lhasa till about the middle of ,october #aija1 when ,i decided to return to ,sera4 ,my host kindly placed at my disposal one of his horses and on this ,i jogged towards my destination4 ,the snow had been falling since the previous evening1 and already the road was covered with a thick layer of its crystal carpet4 ,it was the first snow of the season4 ,on the road from ,lhasa to ,sera1 by ,shom-khe-,lamkha 7priest's road71 there is a river about half a mile on this side of ,sera4 ,this river dries up in winter1 and on the day ,i am speaking of its bed was covered with snow4 ,there ,i noticed a party of five or six young priestlings of ,sera1 absorbed in the innocent sport of snowballing4 ,this highly amused me1 calling forth in my mind's eye the sights ,i had frequently come across at home1 and reminding me that human nature is1 after all1 very much alike the world over4 ,and so these little fellows were pelting each other with soft missiles1 running and pursuing1 shouting and laughing1 forgetting for once the stern reprimanding voices of their exacting masters1 and ,i amused myself with composing an uta1 as follows4 ,on yonder fields of snow the children play1 ,and fight with snow-balls in great glee4 ,they throw and scatter these amongst themselves1 ,and in these heated contests melts the snow4 ,while ,i was watching the snow-fight1 a burly fellow coming from the direction of ,lhasa overtook me and began to stare at me4 ,i at once recognised in him one of my old acquaintances1 the youngest of the three brothers whom ,i accompanied on the pilgrimage round ,lake ,mnasarovara1 who gave my face a sharp parting smack1 as already told4 ,he seemed to be quite astonished1 even frightened1 when he saw me1 his whilom companion of humble attire1 now transformed into an aristocratic-looking personage1 such as ,i must have appeared to him4 ,at any rate he avoided my eyes1 and was about to walk off with hurried steps1 when ,i bade him stop1 and asked him if he had forgotten my face4 ,the man could not but confess that he had not1 and told me that he was going to ,sera4 ,i made him come along with me1 and treated him quite hospitably at my quarters in the monastery1 besides giving him a farewell present on parting4 ,when ,i thanked him for all the trouble he had taken for me during our pilgrimage1 the man bowed his head as if in repentance1 and even shed tears1 no doubt of remorse4 ,before taking his departure he told me that his brothers were living together at their native place1 and that they were all doing well4 ,,chapter ,,lvii4 ,a grim ,funeral and grimmer ,medicine4 ,it was just previous to the grand monthly catechising contest that ,i returned to the ,sera monastery4 ,while ,i was busy with preparation1 and in eager expectation of taking part in this important function1 one of my acquaintances died and ,i had to attend his funeral4 ,incidentally therefore ,i took part in a ceremony which is perhaps unique in the world4 ,i may observe here that in ,tibetan funerals neither a coffin nor urn is used in which to deposit the corpse4 ,it is simply laid on a frame made of two wooden poles1 with a proper space between and two cross pieces tied to them4 ,the rectangular space thus described is filled in with a rough sort of network of ropes1 and over the netting is spread a sheet of cloth for the reception of the corpse4 ,another piece of cloth1 pure white in color1 is thrown over the corpse1 and that completes the arrangement4 ,the whole burden is then carried on the shoulders of two men1 who insert their heads between the projecting ends of the two longer poles4 ,generally a funeral is performed on the third or fourth day after death1 the interval being spent in observances peculiar to ,tibet4 ,first of all a properly qualified ,lama is consulted as to the auspicious day for performing the ceremony2 then as to the special mode of funeral and the final disposal of the corpse4 ,the ,lama consulted gives his instructions on all these points after referring to his books1 and bids the relatives of the deceased read such and such passages in the ,sacred ,texts1 conduct the funeral ceremony on such and such day1 and take the bier from the house at such and such an hour of the day4 ,the priest also advises on the mode of burial1 of which there are four in vogue2 the four modes being distinguishable from each other by the agencies to be brought into service1 namely3 water1 flame1 earth1 and birds of the air4 ,this last corresponds to the 8air-burial0 of ,buhism4 ,of the four kinds of burial1 or more properly modes of disposing of corpses1 the one generally regarded as the best is to leave the corpse to the vultures1 known under the name of ,cha-goppo in ,tibet2 then comes cremation2 then water-burial1 and last land-burial4 ,this last method of interment is never adopted except when a person dies from small-pox4 ,in this particular case alone the ,tibetans observe some sanitary principles1 though probably by mere accident and not from any conviction1 for they think that this dreadful epidemic is likely to spread if the corpse of a person stricken down by small-pox is left for birds or consigned to a river4 ,though cremation is considered as a superior way of disposing of dead bodies1 the process is by no means easy in a country where faggots are scarce1 for the dried dung of the yak is hardly thought proper for the purpose4 ,hence cremation is confined to the wealthier class only4 ,water-burial generally takes place near a large stream2 but1 in consigning a dead body to the water1 it is first thoroughly dismembered1 and thrown into the water piece by piece4 ,this troublesome course is adopted from the idea that a dead body thrown in whole will not speedily disappear from sight4 ,these four processes of disposing of corpses originate from ,hin philosophy1 according to which human bodies are believed to consist of four elements1 earth1 water1 fire and air1 and it is thought that on death they should return to these original elements4 ,land-burial corresponds to the returning to earth1 cremation to fire1 water-burial to water1 and the bird-devouring to the air1 of which birds are the denizens4 ,the bodies of ,lamas are mostly disposed of by this last process1 while those of a few privileged persons only1 such as the ,dalai ,lama1 sub-,dalai ,lama and other venerable ,lamas1 believed to be incarnations of ,bohisavas1 are given a special mode of burial4 #8,air-burial' was chosen for the friend whose funeral ,i attended1 and ,i shall briefly describe how this #8burial' was performed4 ,leaving the college at ,sera1 the cortge proceeded eastward till it reached the bank of a river near which1 in a small valley formed between two contiguous hills1 stood a big boulder about twelve yards high4 ,the top of this stone was level and measured about fifteen feet square4 ,this was the #8burial-ground' for this particular kind of interment4 ,on the summits of the surrounding hills1 and even on the inaccessible parts of the rock itself1 were perched a large number of vultures1 with their eyes glistening with greed4 ,they are always waiting there for #8burials'4 ,when the bier was placed upon this rock1 the white sheet was taken off1 and the priest who had come1 with the rest of the mourners and sympathisers1 began to chant their texts to the accompaniment of drums and cymbals4 ,at the same time one man approached the corpse with a broadsword1 with which to #8dress' it4 ,in #8dressing' the abdomen was first cut open and the entrails removed4 ,next all the various members of the body were severed1 after which some other men1 including a few priests1 undertook the finishing work of final #8dressing'1 which consisted in separating the flesh and bones1 just as butchers do with slaughtered cattle4 ,by this time the vultures had gathered in a flock round the place1 and big pieces1 such as the flesh of the thighs1 were thrown to them and most voraciously did they devour them4 ,then the bones had to be disposed of1 and this was done by first throwing them into one of the ten cavities on the rock1 and pounding the heap with big stones4 ,when the bones had been fairly well pulverised a quantity of baked flour was added to the mass1 and this dainty mixture was also given to the birds4 ,the only thing that remained of the dead body was the hair4 ,illustration3 ,,funeral ,,ceremonies3 ,,cutting ,,up ,,the ,,dead ,,body4 ,the ,tibetans may practically be considered as a kind of cannibals4 ,i was struck with this notion while witnessing the burial ceremony4 ,all the cloths used in the burial go as a matter of course to the grave-diggers1 though they hardly deserve this name1 as their duty consists not in digging the grave but in chopping the flesh of the corpse and pounding the bones4 ,even priests give them help1 for the pounding business is necessarily tedious and tiresome4 ,meanwhile the pounders have to take refreshment1 and tea is drunk almost incessantly1 for ,tibetans are great tea-drinkers4 ,the grave-diggers1 or priests1 prepare tea1 or help themselves to baked flour1 with their hands splashed over with a mash of human flesh and bones1 for they never wash their hands before they prepare tea or take food1 the most they do being to clap their hands1 so as to get rid of the coarser fragments4 ,and thus they take a good deal of minced human flesh1 bones or brain1 mixed with their tea or flour4 ,they do so with perfect nonchalance2 in fact1 they have no idea whatever how really abominable and horrible their practice is1 for they are accustomed to it4 ,when ,i suggested that they might wash their hands before taking refreshment1 they looked at me with an air of surprise4 ,they scoffed at my suggestion1 and even observed that eating with unwashed hands really added relish to food2 besides1 the spirit of the dead man would be satisfied when he saw them take fragments of his mortal remains with their food without aversion4 ,it has been stated that the ,tibetans are descendants of the ,rkshasa tribe--a tribe of fiendish cannibals who used to feed on human flesh2 and what ,i witnessed at the burial convinced me that1 even at the present day1 they retained the horrible habit of their ancestors4 ,while the burial ceremony is going on1 a religious service is also conducted at the house of the deceased1 and when the ceremony is over1 those who have attended it call at the house of the bereaved family1 where they are feasted by its members4 ,i noticed that at this entertainment intoxicants are served only to the laity4 ,this discrimination is not observed1 however1 in the country districts4 ,i shall next describe the mode of burying a ,dalai ,lama or a high-priest4 ,when a person of high distinction dies1 his body is put in a big box and marsh salt is copiously sprinkled over it till it is thoroughly imbedded in this alkaline padding4 ,all this while1 religious chanting goes on1 accompanied by the music of flutes1 pipes and other instruments4 ,the box is then kept in a temple for about three months1 during which time offerings are made regularly1 as when the deceased was yet alive1 and his disciples keep vigil over it by turns4 ,before the coffin lights are kept burning in several golden burners containing melted butter1 while holy water is offered in seven silver vessels4 ,flowers of the season are also offered with other things4 ,every one allowed to worship near the remains is expected to make some offering in kind1 accompanied by a small sum of money4 ,by the time the three months have elapsed1 all the watery portion of the corpse has been absorbed by the salt1 and it has become hard and dry4 ,it seems to me 7though ,i am not quite sure7 that the ,tibetan salt contains a large percentage of soda or other alkalies2 at any rate it is somewhat different from the salt found in ,japan4 ,perhaps some special ingredients are mixed in the salt1 when it is used for packing a corpse4 ,be that as it may1 when it is taken out of the coffin the corpse is thoroughly hardened1 and has all its parts shrunk up1 owing to the loss of all fluid elements1 and the eyes are sunk in their sockets4 ,then follows the process of #8dressing' the hardened corpse4 ,the #8dressing' in this case is made with a compound of a certain kind of clay and pulverised particles of white sandalwood1 and also probably certain drugs of foreign production4 ,this compound is carefully spread over all parts of the body4 ,it is finally gilded1 and a #8natural' image is the result4 ,this image is put in a tabernacle enclosed in a small outer structure1 which is highly decorated1 and the whole thing1 image and all1 is kept in a shrine4 ,such shrines are found in many parts of ,tibet2 in the premises of the ,tashi ,lhunpo monastery at ,shigatze five such edifices are found1 their roofs resplendent with gold4 ,in construction these roofs very much resemble the double roof of a palace or similar building in ,china1 and of course the decoration and size of the edifice and tabernacle are different according to the rank of the canonised ,lamas1 some of these structures being inlaid with gold and others with silver4 ,at any rate1 these images are objects of veneration to the ,tibetans2 both priests and ordinary people visit and worship them4 ,this peculiar mode of embalming high ,lamas has been wittily commented upon by a certain ,chinaman1 who remarks that the practice is inconsistent with the strong prejudice which ,tibetans possess against earth-burial1 as this mode of burial1 according to their superstition1 sends the dead person to hell4 ,for the treatment accorded to the dead body of a ,grand ,lama1 or other distinguished priest1 is in fact a sort of earth-burial1 in that the corpse is not given to birds or consigned to rivers or flames1 but is preserved in clay after it has been salted and hardened4 ,now ,i come to the most wonderful medicines in the world4 ,the first is the salt used in packing corpses4 ,this salt is considered as an article of great virtue1 and accessible only to a limited number of the privileged class4 ,it is distributed only among aristocratic people1 and among priests of distinction4 ,only the wealthy merchants and great patrons of temples may hope1 through some powerful influence1 to obtain a small quantity of this precious dirt4 ,the salt is a panacea for the ,tibetan1 who swallows a small dose either by itself or dissolved in water for all kinds of ills that flesh is heir to--from a slight attack of cold to a serious case of fatal disease4 ,whatever medical quality this loathsome compound possesses1 one thing is certain--that it exercises a powerful influence upon the untutored minds of the ignorant ,tibetans1 and so excellently serves the purpose of 8mental cure04 ,the salt medicine reminds me of the existence in ,tibet 7and happily nowhere else7 of another sort of panacea equally abominable4 ,the mere mention of the real nature of this second series of so-called medicines1 would1 instead of curing the people of other countries1 infallibly make them sick1 as the essential ingredients are nothing less than the excreta1 both liquid and solid1 of the ,grand ,lama or other high priests4 ,these are mixed with other substances and are made into pills1 which are gilded over and sometimes colored red4 ,these pills1 known under the name of ,tsa ,chen-norpu 7precious balls7 are not on sale1 they being accessible to ordinary people only through some powerful influence1 and even then only by paying for them a large sum of money4 ,the ,tibetan is glad1 however1 to procure these pills at any cost1 for he is under a fond delusion that they possess a most effective curative power4 ,they are kept as something like a family treasure1 and are used as the last resort1 when all other means of treatment have failed4 ,when1 by some accident1 a patient despaired of by doctors recovers after he has been dosed with a few of the #8precious pills1' the people of course extol their merit to the skies2 while if he dies1 his case is regarded as having been beyond cure1 and the pills remain therefore the object of undiminished faith4 ,to do justice to this superstition1 ,i ought to add that the common ,tibetans are kept entirely in the dark as to the ingredients of the pills2 they are taken as medicines prepared by the ,grand ,lama himself according to a certain secret formula1 and the shocking secret is known only to a select few1 who are entitled to attend the ,dalai ,lama's court4 ,,chapter ,,lviii4 ,foreign ,explorers and the ,policy of ,seclusion4 ,during the first decade of ,november1 #aija1 ,i returned to ,lhasa to enjoy as before the hospitality of the ex-,minister4 ,at that time the ,finance ,minister of the day was somewhat less occupied1 and being1 as ,i stated before1 a nephew of the nun who was mistress of the house where ,i was a guest1 and a gentleman of refined and affable manners1 he used often to call on and be invited to sit with the ex-,minister1 the nun and myself1 and to take part in our chats4 ,sometimes ,i called upon the ,minister of the day in his apartments to talk with him4 ,on one occasion our conversation touched on the subject of a ,british female missionary1 who attempted to visit ,lhasa4 8,i wonder why ,british people are so desirous to come to our country10 observed the ,minister in the course of our talk4 8,i cannot at all understand their motive4 ,for instance1 a ,british woman arrived some eight or nine years ago at a place called ,nakchukha on the boundary between ,tibet and ,china4 ,she came there with two servants determined to enter ,tibet40 ,it at once occurred to me that the ,minister was referring to the case of one ,miss ,annie ,r4 ,taylor1 a missionary1 who attempted to travel from northern ,china to ,darjeeling via ,lhasa4 ,my host did not know1 or could not remember1 her name1 but ,i knew it very well1 having been told of her bold venture while ,i was staying at ,darjeeling1 where ,i accidentally met with one of the guides who had accompanied her4 ,but ,i prudently kept what ,i knew to myself1 and listened to the ,minister as one eager to hear a strange and interesting story4 ,the ,minister went on to tell me how the lady was stopped by the natives of the place from proceeding further4 ,it was very fortunate that the chieftain of the local tribe was a man of a merciful turn of mind1 as otherwise she would have been murdered there and then4 ,a report on the matter was soon forwarded to ,lhasa by the magistrate of the district1 and my host was then ordered by his ,government to hasten to the spot1 and deal with the foreign adventuress in a suitable manner4 ,in other words his commission was to cause the lady at once to quit ,tibetan soil4 ,the ,minister took with him two of his servants1 besides a number of coolies1 the party altogether numbering about thirty4 ,arrived at ,nakchukha1 he at once caused the lady to be brought to him2 but when he saw her1 he at first could not understand what she was saying1 for although she spoke ,tibetan1 it was in a dialect differing from that in vogue at ,lhasa4 ,at last he succeeded in gathering the drift of what she had to say1 which was to this effect4 ,she had come to ,tibet in order to acquaint herself with the sacred teachings of ,tibetan ,buhism4 ,with that object she wanted to make a pilgrimage to ,lhasa and to return home by way of ,darjeeling4 ,she then showed to the ,minister a passport she had obtained from the ,emperor of ,china4 ,the ,minister told her that personally he highly appreciated the lady's purpose1 but he was under strict orders from the ,grand ,lama's ,government to forbid the entrance of the lady and of any other foreigner within his dominions4 ,should she1 in disregard of this intimation1 dare to push her way into the interior1 she would be sure to meet with some terrible mishap1 perhaps death1 for the ,grand ,lama's ,government could not extend its protection to a foreigner who1 in defiance of its well-meant warning1 should attempt a journey through the wild districts of ,tibet4 ,his ,government did not like the idea of being entangled needlessly in trouble with another country1 and therefore absolutely demanded the withdrawal of the lady from ,tibet4 ,as a messenger of the ,grand ,lama's ,government1 especially despatched for this purpose1 he must ask the lady to retrace her steps4 ,the ,minister dwelt on this point courteously but firmly4 ,the lady on her part equally remained unyielding in her original declaration1 and persisted on repeating her request1 not for one or two days only1 but even for four or five days in succession4 ,when the ,minister pointed out how foolhardy she was in her desire1 and why she should rather return the way she had come under the protection of the ,grand ,lama's ,government1 which would1 in that case1 escort her back as far as some safe place1 the lady demanded an explanation as to why a person1 possessing a passport obtained from the ,emperor of ,china1 could not travel through ,tibet1 which was a protectorate under that ,emperor4 ,the ,minister admitted the suzerainty of the ,chinese ,emperor1 but said that1 at the same time1 they were not obliged to obey the ,emperor's will in everything1 and that especially in the matter of seclusion they were determined to oppose even the ,emperor1 should he try by force to set aside this traditional policy4 ,he further added1 as he told me1 that if the lady should still persist in her intention1 he would be constrained to put her two ,tibetan guides under arrest1 and punish them according to the laws of the land4 ,this punishment would be waived1 however1 if the lady desisted from her purpose and withdrew from ,tibet4 ,after all these protracted negotiations1 the lady was at last induced to give up her point1 and in about half a day's time after their last meeting she came to acquaint him with the change in her resolution4 ,as it was ascertained that the lady and her guides were subject to much discomfort1 having suffered robbery on the way1 the ,minister kindly gave her some necessaries before she left ,tibet for ,china4 ,after having narrated all these things the ,minister once more gave vent to his feeling of wonder at the inexplicable eagerness which foreigners were wont to show in their desire to visit his country4 ,i for my part replied discreetly that neither did ,i know why they should wish to enter it1 but that ,i had heard that such attempts on the part of foreigners were not a novelty4 ,the ,minister himself knew that cases of strangers making attempts similar to that of the ,british lady were not rare1 and our conversation next turned to this part of ,tibetan history4 ,the first authentic story of the arrival of a foreigner in ,tibet is recorded in the year #acbh1 when a priest of ,pordenone1 named ,friar ,odoric1 entered ,tibet as a propagandist of the ,roman ,catholic ,church4 ,his attempt failed1 chiefly because the ,tibetans of the time had nothing in particular to learn from ,odoric1 for ,tibet possessed many priests of its own1 who were able to perform many things differing little from those recorded of ,jesus ,christ in their miraculous character4 ,indeed ,odoric himself seems to have profited by what he saw in ,tibet1 instead of imparting anything new to the natives4 ,he took notes of many wonderful things performed by ,tibetan priests1 and took them home1 but he burnt most of those notes1 for fear that their publication might compromise the interests of his own religion4 ,so only a fragment of the account of his travels was preserved4 ,some persons attribute this destruction of his own notes by ,odoric to the inaccuracies which he had subsequently discovered1 and claim that he destroyed them in order not to mislead future generations4 ,this explanation has generally been accepted in preference to the other--that the ,tibetan ,buhism of the fourteenth century possessed a larger number of miracles than those of ,christianity4 ,that the latter was the more correct explanation of the two may be inferred1 however1 from the fact that the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 while devoting great energy to propagating its doctrines in ,china1 kept itself aloof from ,tibet1 having come to the conclusion that that country was beyond its evangelising power4 ,in #affa two brothers named ,grueber and ,d',orville1 probably ,frenchmen1 entered ,tibet4 ,it is doubtful whether they proceeded as far as ,lhasa1 though it is stated that they went from ,pekin to ,lhasa and thence through ,nepl to ,india4 ,when ,warren ,hastings was the ,viceroy of ,india1 he conceived the idea of establishing a regular trade connexion between ,india and ,tibet1 and dispatched a commissioner1 named ,george ,bogle1 to the latter country in the year #aggd4 ,bogle was accompanied by his wife4 ,he failed to reach ,lhasa1 but remained at ,shigatze1 and his account of the journey is still extant in print4 ,in #agha ,hastings again dispatched a commissioner1 this time under ,captain ,turner1 who stayed in ,tibet for two years4 ,only one ,english explorer reached ,lhasa from ,india4 ,that man was ,thomas ,manning1 and it was in #ahaa4 ,about that time trade between ,india and ,tibet had grown active1 but with the termination of ,hasting's viceroyalty and his return to ,england the trade began to flag for lack of encouragement1 till it ceased altogether4 ,all channels of communications have since that time become almost closed between the two countries4 ,meanwhile other ,christian missionaries had begun pushing on their work with great activity1 even up to ,lhasa1 which they entered freely1 and also to other places1 some of them not far from that city1 and this movement on the part of foreign propagandists put the ,grand ,lama's ,government on its guard4 ,coming down as late as #ahga1 a ,russian ,colonel named ,prejevalsky entered ,tibet across its eastern border through ,kham1 and reached a place about five hundred miles from ,lhasa4 ,but he was compelled to return thence homeward1 at the bidding of ,tibet's hierarchical ,government4 ,apparently he at first passed through the ,chinese region of ,tibet1 but was stopped as soon as he had set his feet in the ,dalai ,lama's dominions4 ,this ,russian ,officer1 undaunted by his first failure1 next tried to enter ,tibet from the north1 and this time he reached a place about one hundred and seventy miles from ,lhasa on the boundary line between the ,chinese and the ,tibetan territories1 but was again obliged to withdraw4 ,in #ahgi an ,englishman named ,captain ,hill entered ,tibet from the direction of ,ta-chien-lu1 but he also had to withdraw from ,ba-lithang on the boundary between the ,chinese and ,tibetan dominions4 ,it was at this place also that the ,japanese priests1 ,messrs4 ,nmi and ,teramoto1 were driven back4 ,my host the ,minister once incidentally referred to ,mr4 ,nmi's attempt1 and said that two priests from a country named ,japan reached ,ba-lithang some years ago1 but they were ordered to withdraw1 as it was not sufficiently clear whether they were really ,buhist priests or persons of other callings4 ,the last exploration ,i would mention here is that undertaken in #ahha and #ahhb by ,sara ,chanra s1 my own teacher1 of whom mention has been made several times already4 ,this ,hin had obtained in a very ingenious way a pass from the ,tibetan ,government1 and1 armed with it1 he first proceeded as far as ,shigatze1 where he remained for two months2 after awhile he returned to ,india4 ,that was in #ahha4 ,the result of his exploration was reported to the ,british ,government1 and he was for a second time asked to undertake another trip into ,tibet in the following year1 having secured as before a ,tibetan passport4 ,on his second visit he first reached ,shigatze and afterward entered ,lhasa4 ,as ,i heard from a ,tibetan1 he conducted his mission with extreme caution1 seldom venturing abroad in the daytime1 and when obliged to do so he took every care to avoid attracting the attention of the natives4 ,he spent most of his time in a room of a temple1 and there secretly carried out his investigations4 ,in this way he stayed in ,lhasa for twenty days2 then he went back to his sphere of work in other parts of ,tibet and at last returned to ,darjeeling after an absence of less than a year4 ,i have mentioned1 in a preceding chapter that when the real nature of the mission of ,sara ,chanra s had become known to the ,tibetan ,government1 it caused extraordinary disturbance1 involving all the officials who had been on duty at the barrier-gates through which the ,hin had passed1 as well as all the persons who had extended any sort of hospitality to him during his stay in the country4 ,all these persons were thrown into prison and their property was confiscated4 ,a number of those whose complicity1 unwitting though it was1 was judged more serious than that of the others were condemned to death and executed4 ,after this memorable occurrence1 ,tibet resolved more than ever to enforce strictly the policy of exclusion against all foreigners4 ,in #ahhf a ,secretary of the ,american ,legation at ,peking1 ,mr4 ,rockhill1 tried to enter ,tibet1 only to repeat the failure of others1 and all other ,christian missionaries who made similar attempts about that time were also unsuccessful4 ,the number of abortive ,tibetan explorers must be quite large2 ,i myself heard of some twenty-five or twenty-six4 ,i should not wonder if the number would reach forty or even fifty1 when all the would-be explorers are taken into account4 ,i have frequently seen in our ,japanese magazines and newspapers articles about ,tibet1 which are highly misleading and often fictitious4 ,the fact must be that those articles are written on the incorrect information found in most works on ,tibet1 and that the inaccuracy is further aggravated by the inventive brains of the writers of the articles4 ,one of the most conspicuous instances of this kind is furnished in the case of ,a4 ,csoma de ,krs1 a ,hungarian1 who first compiled a ,tibetan-,english dictionary1 having learned the language from a ,lama in ,ladak1 a district on the south-western boundary of ,tibet1 next to ,british ,india1 where the compiler resided for more than three years4 ,the author wanted to study the ,tibetan language on its native soil and for that reason attempted to enter ,tibet4 ,he found it impossible to carry out his plan from ,ladak1 as the ,tibetan frontier guards there forbade the entry into their country of a stranger4 ,then it occurred to him that he might succeed in his project if he started from ,darjeeling1 and thither he went4 ,unfortunately1 he caught jungle-fever while travelling in the neighborhood of ,darjeeling and died there1 never having put his foot on ,tibetan soil4 ,his tomb even now stands at a place near ,darjeeling1 probably at the place where he fell ill4 ,writers on ,tibet1 both ,japanese and ,western1 mostly represent this ,csoma as having spent many years in ,lhasa1 and that is where the fiction comes in4 ,another lexicographer1 ,jaeschke1 compiled a ,tibetan dictionary based on1 but much better than ,csoma's4 ,jaeschke never entered ,tibet1 and yet he is generally credited with having successfully crossed the border and reached ,lhasa1 and lived there for a considerable period4 ,all such errors being made by ,western writers as well as by the ,japanese1 ,i do not of course mean to blame the latter alone4 ,besides the attempts at ,tibetan exploration already referred to1 there have from time to time been a number of missionaries or spies despatched by either ,russia or ,england1 who have frequently appeared at ,tibetan frontier stations only to arouse the suspicions of the ,grand ,lama's ,government1 until the latter has become irrevocably committed to the policy of absolute seclusion4 ,to do justice to the ,tibetans1 they were originally a people highly hospitable to strangers4 ,this sentiment was superseded by one of fear and even of antipathy1 as the result of an insidious piece of advice which1 probably prompted by some policy of its own1 the ,government of ,china gave to ,tibet2 it was to the effect that if the latter allowed the free entrance of foreigners into her territories1 they would destroy her ,buhism1 and replace it with ,christianity4 ,the simple-minded ,tibetan became dreadfully alarmed at this warning2 but even then he did not all at once put the policy of exclusion into full force4 ,the absolute exclusion dates from the discovery of ,sara ,chanra s' mission4 ,since then1 the enforcement of the exclusion policy has become so strict that it now seems as though ,tibet has been converted into a nation of detectives and constables4 ,especially for ,european people1 with such visible marks of racial distinction on the surface and also because they are accustomed to make their attempts on a large scale1 it has become morally impossible to enter ,tibet4 ,dr4 ,sven ,hedin1 for example1 tried to enter repeatedly from the north1 while ,i was staying at ,lhasa1 but each time the renowned explorer was baffled in his attempt1 and he finally gave it up altogether#c4 ,in view of such repeated attempts on the part of foreigners1 both the ,lamas and ordinary people could not but suspect the motive of these adventurers1 and they have therefore naturally come to the conclusion that all those foreigners must be entertaining some sinister designs on ,tibet4 ,the popular idea about the supposed designs of ,england is interesting1 for the natives attribute it to the desire on the part of ,english people to take possession of gold mines which are plentifully found in their country4 ,this is of course a very superficial view1 so far as the interest ,england seems to feel toward ,tibet is concerned2 for the ,tibetan policy of that country1 in my own humble opinion1 comes from the desire to prevent ,russia from bringing ,tibet under her sway and from using that highland as a base of operations in carrying out her ambitious projects on ,india1 for it is evident that1 with ,russia securely established up there1 ,england would hardly be able to feel secure about the safety of ,india4 #c ,dr4 ,sven ,hedin succeeded in entering ,tibet from ,kashmir in #aijf4 ,the ,tibetan ,minister of the ,treasury once said to me that it would indeed be a great humiliation to ,tibet if ever she were reduced to being a tributary of another country1 but that there might be another calamity far more disastrous and unbearable in its effect1 and that was the danger of her national religion being superseded by a strange faith4 ,therefore1 the ,minister continued1 ,tibet must oppose1 at all costs1 any plans made by foreigners against her1 and consequently the latter should be prevented from hearing of the existence of factious rivalries in the ,hierarchy1 for should they get an inkling of this state of affairs1 it would not take them long to turn this internal dissension to serve their own mischievous ends4 ,hence it was absolutely necessary for ,tibet that she should forbid the entry of all foreigners and keep them in the dark as to the real condition of the country4 ,it will thus be seen that the seclusion policy1 which primarily originated in religious motives1 has since acquired a greater force from political considerations1 and it is not strange that no foreigners have been allowed to enter ,tibet since the revelation of the secret mission of ,sara ,chanra s4 ,that incident1 the then ,minister of ,finance told me in referring to it1 impressed the ,tibetans more strongly than ever with the necessity of locking their door against the intrusion of all foreigners4 ,,chapter ,,lix4 ,a ,metropolis of ,filth4 ,shortly after ,i had the conversation recorded in the last chapter with the ,finance ,minister1 ,i went out with the ex-,minister and his attendants for a walk round the lingkor 7circuit7 of ,lhasa1 this being the outermost circuit surrounding the city1 and measuring about six miles4 ,the journey round this circuit is considered as a highly pious act by ,tibetans1 who believe that it amounts to visiting every temple and sacred stone house contained within the circuit4 ,there are several modes of performing this journey--walking steadily along1 making a bow at each step1 or making one at every three steps4 ,our journey on that occasion had no such religious meaning2 it was merely a walk4 ,the walk1 however1 was rather trying to me1 for my host was very tall and had very long legs1 so that ,i had to hurry to keep pace even with his leisurely steps4 ,by the side of this circuit and to the east of ,lhasa stood a queerly shaped high fence1 made of countless yak's horns4 ,the fence measures from one hundred and twenty to two hundred and forty yards in length and as it is entirely composed of the horns1 it is hardly possible to form an idea even in imagination of how many horns went to the construction of the fence4 ,the enclosure is used as a slaughtering place for yak4 ,it was not the first time that ,i had seen that fence1 but on that particular day ,i was able to observe it with greater care than ever before4 ,when ,i remarked to the ex-,minister how immense must be the number of the beasts that had been slaughtered in the enclosure1 my host replied that he felt pity for the beasts4 ,we soon arrived at an opening in the fence and1 peeping in1 ,i saw some thirty yaks brought there for slaughter4 ,the work was done in a manner quite improper for such a ,buhist country as ,tibet1 for no pious ceremony was performed1 such as the touching of the head of a beast about to be slaughtered with a ,buhist ,text4 ,it was butchered quite unceremoniously1 in a thoroughly business-like manner4 ,i subsequently learned that the slaughter of animals is undertaken in ,lhasa exclusively by ,chinese ,muhammeans1 who are of course not expected to care much about such ceremonies4 ,as it was1 ,i saw a slaughterman chop off the head of a yak in a very impious manner1 and in the presence of the other poor beasts1 which were staring with tearful eyes at the butchery of their comrades4 ,i really felt pity for the beasts4 ,the ex-,minister was apparently impressed with a similar sentiment1 for he told me that he felt as though he could hardly swallow a morsel of meat after he had witnessed such a horrible scene2 yet such is human depravity1 he continued1 that people soon forget this tender feeling of compassion when they return home1 and are displeased if no meat is served to them at table4 ,he could not but conclude therefore that the ,tibetans must be the descendants of ,rkshasas or devils1 and that the blood of those impious savages must be still running in their veins4 ,the circuit is kept in excellent repair 7comparatively speaking1 that is to say7 for the ,hierarchy maintains a regular staff of road-commissioners who are charged with the duty of keeping the circuit in good condition for the benefit of the pilgrims1 who not unfrequently have to kneel on the ground for their devotions4 ,the contrast which the condition of the circuit makes with that of ordinary thoroughfares is beyond description4 ,it is not merely that the other roads are full of holes1 but also that they have in their midst open cesspools1 specially constructed and openly frequented by both men and women4 ,the filth1 the stench1 the utter abomination of the streets are extremely loathsome1 especially after rains in summer1 for though there are plenty of dogs feeding about in the streets they are not enough for the supply4 ,then remember that the ,lhasa people drink water from the shallow wells standing amidst such abominable surroundings4 ,the meaning of the word ,lhasa itself is indeed absolutely inappropriate2 it signifies the #8ground of deities1' and therefore supposedly a place of purity4 ,as ,panden ,asha remarked1 a place in ,tibet is really a city of devils1 who subsist on vile substances4 ,i have often heard of the filthy condition of the streets in ,chinese cities1 but ,i hardly believe they can be as filthy as the streets in ,lhasa1 where the people live in utter defiance of all rules of hygiene and even decency4 ,the wonder is how they can escape being exterminated by pestilence1 which would be sure to visit most other places that neglected1 even in a far lesser degree1 the laws of sanitation2 and yet1 from what ,i observed during my residence in ,lhasa1 the people did not seem to suffer to any perceptible extent from such unhygienic surroundings4 ,my own theory is that this immunity from epidemic must be due to the extremely healthy climate of ,lhasa4 ,the winter there is sufficiently cold1 but is less uncomfortable than in our ,hokkaido1 for though at night the mercury falls below freezing point1 it rises to forty or fifty degrees ,fahrenheit in the daytime4 ,in summer1 too1 the thermometer rarely rises much above eighty4 ,indeed of all the places ,i have travelled in or heard of1 ,lhasa seems to come first in point of a healthy climate4 ,it is owing to this precious gift of nature that the people of ,lhasa can live with impunity amidst filth and general contaminations4 ,all these thoughts occurred to me while ,i walked round the circuit with the ex-,minister1 and also whenever ,i took a walk in the city4 ,,chapter ,,lx4 ,lamaism4 ,i must here give a brief description of the ,tibetan religion1 for without it any intelligent explanation of the political system is impossible1 while some notice1 however cursory1 of the administrative organisation must precede an account of ,tibetan diplomacy1 upon which ,i also wish to touch briefly4 ,in describing the ,tibetan national religion1 ,i must confine myself only to a popular exposition of the subject1 and must leave out of consideration as much as possible other matters that are ulterior and technical4 ,with that premise ,i must first of all state that ,lamaism is divided into two main branches1 one older and the other more modern1 the former being popularly known as the #8,red ,cap ,sect' and the latter as the #8,yellow ,cap4' ,the older ,sect is subdivided into a large number of sub-sects1 such as ,sakya1 ,karmapa1 ,dukpa1 ,zokchenpa1 and others1 but they all agree upon cardinal points and in the formula for attaining perfection4 ,the founder of the ,old ,sect was a nric priest named ,lobon ,padma ,chungne in ,tibetan4 ,that name was derived from a popular tradition that he was born into this world out of a lotus flower in the ,pond of anakosha1 in a ,royal garden of the ,kingdom of ,urken1 now in ,cabul4 ,his career is full of myths far more fantastic than any of those in the ,japanese mythology1 and there is very little that is tangible and rational about it4 ,one thing seems to be certain--that1 although a priest1 he strictly enjoined on his disciples the practices of flesh-eating1 marriage and drinking4 ,he ingeniously grafted carnal practices on to ,buhist doctrines1 and declared that the only secret of perfection for priests consisted in leading a jovial life1 and that by this means alone a man born into this world of #8five impurities' can hope to attain quickly to ,buhahood and salvation4 ,illustration3 ,,lobon ,,padma ,,chungne4 ,the doctrine that it is necessary to satisfy carnal desires is based on the theory that great desires partake of the nature of ,mahbohi2 that as the greatest of human desires is sensuality1 therefore man can attain ,mahbohi by indulging this passion1 for by it he can best realise the first essential of the reality of man1 that is oblivion of self4 ,the eating of animal flesh1 another craving of men1 conforms to the principle of mercy1 because the soul of the animal can be brought under the beneficial influence of the ,bohi in the eater1 and is thus enabled indirectly to attain this supreme state4 ,liquors give pleasure to men1 so that to enjoy ourselves by drinking them and to live a pleasant life is an ideal state obtained by an intelligent act4 ,in short1 according to the doctrines of the ,old ,sect1 men can attain ,buhahood by holy contemplation accompanied by drinking liquors1 eating flesh1 and indulgence in carnal desires4 ,such are1 in the main1 the fundamental tenets of this particular ,sect1 the details of which ,i could not give here even if ,i had ample space at my disposal1 for they are too full of obscenity4 ,i may say1 however1 that this ,sect tries to justify the indulgence of human desires under the sanction of ,buhism4 ,in ,japan also there once existed the ,tatekawa school of the ,shingon ,sect1 which did much to corrupt social order and morals by preaching similar pernicious theories1 though it is not possible to speak authoritatively on this subject1 as very few fragments of the texts and canonical writings of that suppressed school are now extant4 ,however1 the scope and plan of that quasi-religion must have been extremely limited4 ,the ,old ,sect of ,tibet is1 on the other hand1 on a large scale and its doctrine has obtained a wide credence throughout the country4 ,the texts of this sect are still extant in ,tibet and the ,samsk texts prepared in ,india with ,tibetan translations are fairly numerous4 ,the ,old ,sect has undergone considerable modifications since its introduction into ,tibet1 for the ,lama priests have freely modified the original according to their own views and opinions4 ,in fact the ,tibetan texts of this particular ,sect are far from preserving the original forms of teaching and expression4 ,i have brought home1 among other ,lamaistic writings1 quite a large number of volumes treating on the esoteric side of the doctrines of the ,old ,sect1 which are credited as being most authentic1 but ,i have to keep them in a closed box1 for they are too full of obscene passages to allow of their being read by the many4 ,these degenerate doctrines were widely spread throughout ,tibet until1 about five hundred years ago1 they proved to be too pernicious even for such a corrupt country as ,tibet4 ,a reaction arose against the ,old ,sect1 which took the shape of the so-called ,new ,sect4 ,this was founded by ,paldan ,asha1 a priest from ,india1 in the eleventh century ,a4 ,d41 and was after three centuries further perfected by ,je ,tsong-kha-pa1 who was born in a house 8amidst onion plots0 in ,amdo1 a ,chinese part of ,tibet1 situated to the north of ,tibet proper4 ,this priest1 perceiving the fearful state of corruption into which the ,tibetan religion had fallen1 assigned to himself the ,herculean task of purging that ,augean stable4 ,he took his ground on the fundamental proposition that priesthood must stand on asceticism1 that priesthood devoid of asceticism was also void1 and that of all the conditions of asceticism abstinence from carnal desires was the most important1 for a priest indulging in these had nothing to distinguish him from a layman4 ,je ,tsong-kha-pa set an example of following his own precepts1 but first he declared for the necessity of enforcing rules of moral discipline for priests4 ,but there were not a sufficient number of priests qualified to receive ordination4 ,at last a number of his first convents and of the supporters of his precepts were collected to form the nucleus of the new movement1 and they raised the standard of a spiritual campaign at ,ganden1 a place about forty miles from ,lhasa4 ,illustration3 ,,je ,,tsong-,,kha-,,pa4 ,but the ,new ,sect1 in superseding the degenerated national religion1 had to conform itself to the national partiality for esoterism1 which is more or less present in every form of religion or cult prevailing in ,tibet1 and it therefore included in its system certain esoteric forms as distinct from the esoterism of the ,old ,sect4 ,the ,new ,sect did not denounce the images worshipped by the followers of the ,old ,sect1 although they all consisted of dual figures of men and women1 often represented in offensive postures2 it had1 however1 to give to them a new interpretation of an abstract nature4 ,thus men were explained as representing #8proper means' and women as representing #8transcendental knowledge1' and it was said that the proper combination of the two elements gave birth to ,buhas4 ,therefore the birth of ,buhas1 according to this interpretation1 did not come from carnal indulgence4 ,animal flesh1 again1 was interpreted as representing mercy1 and therefore not intended for eating1 while liquors were considered as embodying human intelligence1 and as giving an object-lesson to teach men how to exercise their inborn intelligence4 ,in that symbolic way the ,new ,sect explained the precepts inculcated by its older rival4 ,the images that had been used by the latter were also adopted1 only with a new interpretation1 so that externally the two sects do not differ much from each other4 ,strange as it may appear1 it is highly probable that worldly circumstances obliged the ,new ,sect to assume this anomalous position4 ,i have to stop here in my description of the doctrinal side of the ,tibetan religion1 for to go further would lead me into technical and abstruse points4 ,i shall describe next that peculiar practice or belief of the ,tibetan religion which is called incarnation4 ,the idea embodied in the doctrine of incarnation is that the ,buhas1 or saints whose bodies are invisible to man1 are reincarnated in the shape of priests of pious virtue for the salvation of the people4 ,the scope of this incarnation is rather comprehensive in ,tibet1 for almost every lama with any pretensions above the common level believes that he is destined to be reborn into the world to work for salvation4 ,this idea seems to have undergone considerable modifications since it was first conceived1 so that such incarnations as are accepted to-day appear quite different from those of older days1 as ,i shall describe further on4 ,,chapter ,,lxi4 ,the ,tibetan ,hierarchy4 ,more than four centuries ago there lived a priest named ,gendun ,tub who was a disciple of the founder of the ,new ,sect4 ,it was this priest who first originated the practice of invocation of oracles which was subsequently elaborated into a peculiar habit of selecting incarnations4 ,it happened in this way4 ,when ,gendun ,tub was about to expire1 he left word that he would be reborn at such and such a place4 ,enquiry was made1 and the birth of a boy was ascertained to have taken place at the specified place4 ,this would not be particularly marvellous were it not for the fact1 as recorded in tradition1 that1 as soon as he could articulate1 the boy declared his wish to return to his temple1 the name of which he declared to be ,tashi ,lhunpo1 the very temple where the venerable ,gendun ,tub had died4 ,there was no longer any doubt in the minds of his faithful disciples and followers that their master had been reborn in that boy4 ,the boy was conveyed to the temple1 was there brought up1 and was finally installed as the second ,grand ,lama1 called ,gendun ,gyamtso4 ,nothing particular occurred in this matter of incarnations during the periods of his third and fourth successors1 but they grew quite popular afterwards1 especially in the days of the fifth and the sixth ,grand ,lamas1 till at last the whole system of the consultation of divine oracles assumed the shape in which it is found to-day4 ,the fifth ,grand ,lama was a great promoter of the oracle system4 ,his name was ,ngakwang ,gyamtso1 and though the head of the ,new ,sect1 he investigated the texts and all matters of the ,old ,sect and introduced into his own sect many things pertaining to the ,old4 ,oracle-invocation was extensively practised in his time1 and the privilege of undertaking this solemn work was entrusted to four temples1 or rather the deities presiding over them1 namely ,nechung1 ,samye1 ,lamo and ,gatong4 ,from the fifth ,grand ,lama also dates another innovation of far greater importance1 that is to say1 the establishment of ,hierarchical ,government4 ,before his time1 the ,grand ,lamas held only spiritual power1 and had nothing to do with temporal or administrative affairs1 for the ,grand ,lamas had no territories to administer except a small glebe4 ,about that time a powerful ,mongolian chieftain named ,shr ,gaumi ,tenjin ,choe ,gyal invaded ,tibet and subdued all the petty tribes that had hitherto existed there4 ,these numbered thirteen1 each counting according to tradition ten thousand families4 ,tibet may thus be considered to have contained one hundred and thirty thousand families1 and1 strange to say1 this is also believed to be the present number of the population1 according to popular accounts4 ,the ,mongolian conqueror disposed of the districts he had subdued in a very interesting manner1 for instead of bringing them under his direct control he presented the whole region to the ,grand ,lama of the day4 ,thus originated the system of the ,hierarchy1 which therefore dates only about three centuries back4 ,but to return to the subject of oracle-consultation4 ,by this time the process of consultation had to undergo considerable modifications1 owing to the fact that the high ,lamas who were to be reborn not unfrequently omitted the trouble of enlightening others about the places of their re-appearance on the earth4 ,these places had to be discovered therefore1 for the ,tibetans firmly held1 as they do even to-day1 that high ,lamas who die are sure to re-incarnate somewhere after the lapse of forty-nine days from the day of death4 ,hence arose the necessity to determine the place of such re-incarnation1 and this task devolved on the oracle-invokers of one of the four particular temples mentioned before4 ,the process as it is in vogue at present is essentially identical with that prevailing in former times1 and is exceedingly strange1 to say the least of it4 ,the mediums or invokers who perform this holy business behave themselves in such an extravagant way that the uninitiated would consider them to be stark mad4 ,the consultation of the oracle is performed by a number of priests1 one of whom is a medium1 the rest being assistants4 ,these beat drums and strike cymbals1 whilst others chant the ,texts4 ,the medium is attired in a gorgeous fashion4 ,he wears a big head-cloth with silk pendants of five hues hanging from behind4 ,sometimes strips of glittering brocade are used instead4 ,the garment is not unlike that worn by ,japanese priests1 and is of yellow or red satin1 decorated with figures of flowers4 ,from the knot of the sash hang long strips of cloth4 ,thus attired1 the medium waits for response from the deities1 remaining with closed eyes in a half sitting posture1 while all the time the discordant sounds made by the orchestra are kept up4 ,after a while he begins to tremble and shake1 this movement gathering force1 till all of sudden he either falls on his back or jumps up1 according to the nature of the deity who responds to the invocation1 and has now descended into the body of the medium4 ,he will then say1 still continuing to shudder1 that the particular ,lama has re-appeared at such and such a place1 and in such and such a house which faces in a certain direction2 that the family consists of a certain number of members2 that a baby born on a certain day is a re-incarnation of the dead ,lama1 and so on4 ,an enquiry is then made according to the direction and of course the pronouncement of the oracle is confirmed1 and a baby corresponding to the description given is found in the house4 ,the boy is left under the care of his mother till he can be weaned1 and then he is brought to the specified temple where he is educated4 ,in education special care is taken to inspire in him the strong self-confidence that he is a holy re-incarnation4 ,at any rate the practice of invoking divine oracles extensively came into vogue from the time of the fifth ,grand ,lama1 and is used for all matters great or small1 from vexed international problems to trifling questions that easily admit of solution4 ,the oracle-giving deities1 as ,i mentioned before1 are four1 and they are regarded as the guardian angels of the ,lama ,hierarchy4 ,of the four ,nechung is the most powerful4 ,suppose a ,grand ,lama dies1 and a necessity arises to determine the place of his re-incarnation4 ,the four temples dedicated to the four deities are ordered by the authorities to undertake the mysterious business of identification1 this order being generally issued about a year after the death of the august ,lama4 ,all the priests of the four temples are summoned on that occasion1 and they separately consult their own respective oracles4 ,their deities are1 however1 not infallible1 and often prove just as divided in their judgment as ordinary mortals are1 for very rarely do the four oracles coincide1 and usually those oracles produce three different candidates4 ,the choice has therefore to be made from among the three4 ,the three or four boy-candidates 7as the case may be7 are brought to ,lhasa1 when they have reached the age of five years4 ,the ceremony of selection is next performed4 ,this is of course conducted with great pomp and solemnity4 ,the dignitaries who are privileged to take part in it are the ,chinese ,commissioner residing in ,lhasa and the ,regent ,lama2 also the ,prime ,ministers and all the ,ministers1 ,vice-,ministers and a number of high ,lamas are allowed to be present4 ,first the names of the boy-candidates 7three or four in number1 as the case may be7 are written on so many pieces of paper1 and put in a golden urn which is then sealed4 ,for the period of a week a kind of high mass is performed in the ceremony-hall1 in order to entreat the divine intercession for the selection of the real re-incarnation4 ,when this period expires all the dignitaries before-mentioned are once more assembled around the sealed urn4 ,this is carefully inspected and the seal is then taken off4 ,the ,chinese ,commissioner then takes a pair of tiny ivory sticks something like ordinary chop-sticks in shape and size and1 with his eyes shut1 puts them into the urn and solemnly picks out one of the papers4 ,the name written on that paper is read1 and the bearer of that name is acknowledged as ,grand ,lama-elect4 ,from what ,i have described1 there is apparently little room1 if any1 for trickery1 but ,i have heard from the ,secretary of the ,chinese ,commissioner that dishonest practices are in reality not infrequent4 ,indeed the temptations are too strong for greedy and dishonest minds to resist1 owing to the keen rivalry among the parents of the boy-candidates to have their own boys selected4 ,strong interest urges them on in this rivalry1 for the parents of the ,lama-elect are not only entitled to receive the title of ,duke from the ,chinese ,government1 but also enjoy many other advantages1 above all the acquisition of a large fortune4 ,under these circumstances the parents and relatives of eligible boys are said to offer large bribes to the ,chinese ,amban1 and to others who are connected with the ceremony of selection4 ,i do not affirm the fact of bribes1 but at least ,i have heard that cases of such under-hand influence have occurred not unfrequently4 ,the selection of the ,grand ,lama is thus made by an elaborate process1 in which the influence of the oracle-invokers plays an important part4 ,the priests who have charge of this business are in most cases men who make it their business to blackmail every applicant4 ,most of the oracle-priests are therefore extremely wealthy4 ,the ,nechung who are under the direct patronage of the ,hierarchy1 are generally millionaires1 as millionaires go in ,tibet4 ,this1 taken in conjunction with another fact1 that the re-incarnations of higher ,lamas are generally sons of wealthy aristocrats1 or merchants1 and that it is only very rarely that they are discovered among the lowly1 must be considered as suggesting the working of some such practices4 ,i have even heard that some unscrupulous people corrupt the oracle-priests for the benefit of their unborn children1 so as to have their boys accepted as ,lamas incarnate when born4 ,from a worldly point of view the expense incurred on this account not unfrequently proves a good #8investment1' if ,i may use the profane expression1 for the boys who are the objects of the oracles have a good chance of being installed in the temples where their spiritual antecedents presided1 which are sure to possess large property4 ,this property goes1 it need hardly be added1 to the boys1 after they have been duly installed4 ,whatever may have been the practical effect of incarnation in former times1 it is1 as matters stand at present1 an incarnation of all vices and corruptions1 instead of the souls of departed ,lamas4 ,i once remarked to certain ,tibetans that the present mode of incarnation was a glaring humbug1 and that it was nothing less than an embodiment of bribery4 ,to do justice to the incarnations themselves1 they grow up1 in eight cases out of ten1 to be ,lamas of more than average ability1 perhaps because they are brought up with special care4 ,their teachers and guardians treat their wards with kindness and never use rough language to them even when they behave as they ought not to behave4 ,in such case the teachers and guardians appeal to their sense of honor and great responsibility4 ,this reminds me of the necessity of treating children with consideration1 and that to abuse them as blockheads or fools1 when they err in their conduct or over their lessons1 deprives them of the sense of self-confidence1 and hence prevents its natural development4 ,they must be educated in such a way as to allow full play to their sense of self-respect4 ,the ,tibetans have not adopted this particular mode of education for their boy-incarnations from any deep conviction as to educational policy2 they are doing so out of their respect towards their boy-masters4 ,i should add1 also1 that the general mass of the people are left in complete ignorance of all the tricks and intrigues that are concocted and extensively carried on in the higher circles4 ,with guileless innocence the ordinary people swallow all the fabulous tales that are circulated about the alleged evidences fabricated for establishing the re-incarnation of ,lamas4 ,those only who are acquainted with what is going on behind the scenes at ,lhasa and ,shigatze treat those #8evidences' with scorn1 and denounce the re-incarnation affair as downright imposture and a mischievous farce4 ,to them the re-incarnation is an embodiment of bribery1 nothing more nor less4 ,at best it is a fraud committed by oracle-priests at the instance of aristocrats who are very often their patrons and protectors4 ,oracles are not confined in their operation to matters of incarnation2 they are consulted for many other purposes4 ,a ,cabinet ,minister who has committed some error will hasten to those priests1 especially to the ,nechung1 to prevent his being punished1 or to have the punishment modified4 ,in such a case a ,minister has to pay to the priests a sum varying from the minimum of one thousand yen to ten or twenty times that amount1 according to the gravity of the offence4 ,when in time that offence comes to the ears of the ,government1 and the question of punishing the offender is brought on the tapis1 the latter can sit silent without much perturbation1 secure in the thought that he has forestalled the ,government and has secretly #8purchased' a favorable understanding with the consulters of the oracles4 ,for to these consulters the matter is sure to be brought1 sooner or later1 for their decision1 or more properly for the decision of their deity4 ,the priests will then consult the oracles1 but with a foregone conclusion as to the nature of the response1 being bound by the accused party with fetters of gold4 ,the oracles will say3 8,don't punish the man1 for to do so will be to invite calamity on the country4 ,only reprimand is enough1 for the man is at heart well-meaning4 ,his fault came from inadvertence40 ,and so the ,minister is absolved from the charge1 or is sentenced merely to a nominal punishment4 ,on the other hand1 a ,minister or any other high personage who is a persona ingrata to the ,nechung priests is in danger of bringing down on his head an oracle of terrible nature at any moment1 and in the presence of the ,grand ,lama himself4 ,the unscrupulous priests will even turn the virtues of their unfortunate victim into a means of denouncing him4 ,the power which those oracle-priests wield in the official circles of the ,grand ,lama's ,government is therefore a formidable one1 and the officials hold them in even greater awe than they do their supreme chief4 ,the ,nechung priests may be even regarded as wielding the real power in the ,hierarchical administration4 ,it is true that the present ,grand ,lama1 being a man of great force of mind1 does not blindly adopt in all cases the insidious advice of the priests2 still in the great majority of cases he has to follow it1 for to reject the ,nechung's words is contrary to the traditions of the country4 ,the ,nechung1 who exercise such power even in small affairs1 very often prove to be broken reeds when they are confronted with grave national questions4 ,suppose1 for instance1 they are asked to consult the oracles about a diplomatic trouble1 in the presence of the ,dalai ,lama and other great dignitaries4 ,the priests proceed to do so with pomp and solemnity1 attired in gorgeous dress befitting the occasion4 ,in time the deity responds to the invocation1 and is consulted about the policy which the ,government has to adopt1 say1 about the trouble which is supposed to have appeared between it and ,england4 ,the medium will remain silent1 and simply continue to tremble for some time4 ,he will next make one high jump1 and then drop down apparently unconscious4 ,the attendants of the medium are then thrown into consternation1 all whispering to each other with significant nods and head-shakes that the deity must have been offended at the impious question put to him1 and must have therefore gone off in holy wrath4 ,and so for a grave question1 for which the aid of the oracle is most needed1 the ,hierarchical ,government is left in the lurch and is compelled to give decision according to its own mother-wit4 ,such is the farce of the oracle-system4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,soothsayer ,,under ,,mediumistic ,,influence ,,falling ,,senseless4 ,men of learning and priests of sincere piety and honest conviction are therefore bitterly 7though not openly7 opposed to the doings of those oracle-priests1 whom they denounce as ,ministers of devils1 and as the worst enemies of religion4 ,fortunately1 however1 the two ,lamaist chiefs are not installed only by the agency of the ,nechungs1 as above mentioned4 ,i may1 for instance1 refer in passing to the supposed parentage of the present ,tashi ,lama1 the second ,grand ,lama1 of ,tashi ,lhunpo4 ,he is said to have been born of a dumb woman by some unknown father4 ,some say that his father was a hermit1 while others are of opinion that he was a priest1 but the most probable account is the one which ,i heard from a certain authority1 who informed me that a learned doctor1 one ,meto-ke-sang 7chrysanthemum-flower7 of the monastery of ,sera1 was the real father of the present head of the ,tashi ,lhunpo4 ,this doctor became a monomaniac after having studied the literature of the ,old ,sect1 roamed about the country1 and at last cohabited with a dumb woman4 ,the result was the birth of the boy on whom fell the great honor4 ,the ,lama is therefore1 said to bear a great personal resemblance to that mad doctor4 ,though this opinion was held by a reliable authority of the ,sera monastery with whom ,i was acquainted1 of course ,i cannot vouch for the authenticity of his explanation4 ,,chapter ,,lxii4 ,the ,government4 ,i shall next describe the system of the ,hierarchical ,government1 and other matters relative to it based on the information ,i incidentally obtained on those subjects during my stay in ,lhasa4 ,the information is far from being complete1 for besides the fact that the subjects were entirely foreign to the primary objects of my ,tibetan expedition1 and therefore ,i was not impelled to make any systematic inquiries1 ,i could not without inviting strong suspicion put any questions to my friends in ,lhasa about matters of ,tibetan politics4 ,whatever knowledge ,i could gather on the subject was derived incidentally in the course of conversations with my distinguished host and some others1 and as the result of enquiries made in a highly guarded and roundabout way4 ,hence there still remain many points in the ,government system of which ,i myself am ignorant4 ,with this reserve1 ,i may state first of all that the ,hierarchy is composed of both clerical and lay departments1 each consisting of an equal number of men4 ,the priests of higher rank who attend to the affairs of ,state bear the title of 8,tse ,dung0 and they number one hundred and sixty-five1 and there are lay officials of corresponding rank and number known under the title of 8,dung ,khor04 ,the priestly functionaries of higher rank are subject to the control of four ,grand ,secretaries1 bearing the title of 8,tung yk chen mo0 but the real power is vested in the senior priest4 ,similarly four 8,shabpe0 7,premiers7 are appointed over the head of the higher lay officials4 ,of these four 8,shabpe0 the one enjoying precedence in appointment holds the real power1 the other three being his councillors and advisers4 ,the ,cabinet is composed of four ,prime-,ministers1 three ,ministers of ,finance1 two ,ministers of ,war1 a ,minister of the ,household1 a ,minister of ,religion1 a ,minister of ,justice1 and four ,grand ,secretaries belonging to the ,order4 ,all these higher posts1 both of priests and laymen1 are in most cases filled only by men belonging to the privileged classes2 very rarely do they fall to the ,ngak-pa1 ,bon-bo and ,shal-ngo castes4 ,the ,tibetan administration is of an anomalous description--a hybrid partaking of feudalism on the one hand and of the modern system of ,local ,government on the other4 ,the relation between ,peers and commoners apparently resembles feudalism4 ,the first recipient of the title was granted a certain tract of land in recognition of his service1 and there at once sprung up between this lord of the manor1 as it were1 and the inhabitants of that particular place a relationship akin to that between sovereign and subject4 ,this lord is an absolute master of his people1 both in regard to their rights and even their lives4 ,the lord levies a poll-tax on the inhabitants1 and even the poorest are not exempted from this obligation4 ,the levy varies considerably according to the means of the payer1 from say one tanka paid by a poor inhabitant to even a hundred paid by a wealthier member of the community4 ,besides1 every freeholder must pay land tax1 the land held by him being understood theoretically to belong to the lord4 ,however heavy the burden of the poll-tax may be1 each person is obliged to pay it1 for if he neglects to do so he is liable to be punished with flogging and the confiscation of his property to boot4 ,the only means of escape from this obligation consists in becoming a monk1 and there must be in the ,tibetan priesthood a large number of men who have turned priests solely with this object of avoiding the payment of taxes4 ,the witty remark once made to me by my teacher1 ,ti ,rinpoche1 on this subject may illustrate the state of affairs in the ,tibetan priesthood4 ,he said3 8,i do not know whether to rejoice at or to regret the presence of so many priests in ,tibet4 ,some seem to take this as a sign of the flourishing condition of the national religion and on that ground seem to be satisfied with it4 ,i cannot quite agree with this argument2 on the contrary ,i rather hold that it is better to have even two or three precious diamonds than a heap of stones and broken tiles40 ,the motives that lead people to become priests lying in that region1 it is not strange that the ,tibetan priesthood should contain plenty of rubbish with very few diamonds among them4 ,however1 when it is remembered how heavy are the burdens imposed on the shoulders of the people1 it is not strange that they should try to evade them by entering the ,order4 ,the condition of even the poorest priest presents a great contrast to that of other poor people1 for the priest is at least sure to obtain every month a regular allowance1 small as it is1 from the ,hierarchical ,government1 while he can expect more or less of extra allowances in the shape of occasional presents from charitable people4 ,but a poor layman cannot expect any help from those quarters1 and he has to support his family with his own labor and to pay the poll-tax besides4 ,very often therefore he is hardly able to drive the wolf of hunger from his door1 and in such case his only hope of succor lies in a loan from his landlord1 or the lord of the manor wherein he resides4 ,but hope of repayment there is none1 and so the poor farmer gets that loan under a strange contract1 that is to say1 by binding himself to offer his son or daughter as a servant to the creditor when he or she attains a certain age4 ,and so his child when he has reached the age of 7say7 ten years is surrendered to the creditor1 who is entitled to employ him as a servant for fifteen or twenty years1 and for a loan which does not generally exceed ten yen4 ,the lives of the children of poor people may therefore be considered as being foreclosed by their parents4 ,those pitiable children grow up to be practically slaves of the ,peers4 ,the relationship existing between the ,peers and the people residing on their estates1 therefore1 partakes of the nature of feudalism in some essential respects1 but it cannot be said that feudalism reigns alone in ,tibet to the exclusion of other systems of ,government4 ,on the contrary a centralised form of ,government prevails more or less at the same time4 ,the ,peers1 it must be remembered1 do not generally reside on their own estates2 they reside in ,lhasa and leave their estates in charge of their stewards4 ,and they are not unfrequently appointed by the ,central ,government as ,governors of certain districts4 ,consequently the ,tibetans may be said to be divided into two classes of people1 one being subject to the control of the lords of the manors and other to that of the ,central ,government4 ,not unfrequently the two overlap1 and the same people are obliged to pay poll-tax to their lords and other taxes to the ,central ,government4 ,the work of revenue collection is entrusted to two or three ,commissioners appointed from among the clerical or lay officials of higher rank1 and these1 invested with judicial and executive powers1 are despatched every year to the provinces to collect revenue1 consisting of taxes1 imposts and import duties1 these being paid either in money or kind4 ,the demands on revenue are many and various1 and among the items of ordinary expenditure may be mentioned first of all the sums required for supporting1 either wholly or partially1 a large number of priests residing both in ,lhasa and in the provinces1 the former alone numbering about twenty-five thousand4 ,the outlay on account of building temples and religious ceremonies is not small1 but that on account of salaries paid to the officials of the ,central ,government appears to be less4 ,a ,premier draws the yearly salary of about six hundred koku or four thousand bushels of wheat1 the stipend being generally paid in this grain4 ,the first ,lord of the ,treasury draws three hundred and sixty koku4 ,what is very interesting about these salaries is that the ,state functionaries very often relinquish the right of receiving their salaries1 and leave them unclaimed4 ,my host1 who continued to hold for ten years the post of the ,minister of ,finance1 had persistently refrained during that long period from claiming what was his due4 ,when ,i marvelled at this strange act of disinterestedness on his part1 he replied that his own estate supplied what he wanted and so he did not wish to give trouble to the ,grand ,lama's ,exchequer4 ,and he further informed me that most of his colleagues who were men of means generally omitted to claim their salaries wholly or in part1 though there were some who punctually received the money to which they were entitled by right4 ,not that even those who showed themselves so disinterested in the matter of official stipends are above corruption1 for ,i heard that some of the ,ministers who declined their salaries did not scruple to receive or even to exact bribes4 ,in justice to them ,i may add that bribery is a universal vice in ,tibet1 and is not regarded in so serious a light there as in more enlightened countries4 ,my host was a gentleman of strict integrity and morals1 but he used to accept presents offered out of respect to him4 ,the clerical and lay high functionaries1 each numbering one hundred and sixty-five1 attend to the various affairs of ,state4 ,they are sometimes appointed as ,governors of provinces1 while at other times they are sent on judicial business4 ,in such cases appointments are never given to clerical or lay officials only1 but both are invariably appointed as associates1 and in equal number1 one each or two1 or sometimes four4 ,the ,judicial ,commissioners were formerly often guilty of injustice and open to the charge of judging cases1 not according to their real deserts1 but according to the amount of bribes offered4 ,they are no longer so now1 thanks to the vigilance and energy of the present ,dalai ,lama who1 whenever such a case of wrong-doing comes to his ears1 does not hesitate to confiscate the property of the offending parties and to deprive them of their rank4 ,sometimes when a case of grave moment occurs it is submitted to the personal judgment of the ,grand ,lama himself4 ,the ,grand ,lama is therefore placed in a highly anomalous position1 for while he is the dispenser of benevolence and the supreme head of a religion preaching mercy and forbearance1 he is obliged to pass judgment and to sentence persons to exile or even to capital punishment4 ,as head of a religion he is positively forbidden by its teachings to pass a decree of that nature1 whether that decree is justifiable in the worldly sense or not4 ,but the ,grand ,lama does issue decrees of this irreligious description4 ,he is not1 however1 a political chief1 inasmuch as he faithfully adheres to the rules of mortification enforced by his religion2 he has no wife1 for instance1 nor does he drink intoxicating liquor4 ,his position is really highly anomalous4 ,and yet all the priests in ,tibet take from the ,grand ,lama the holy vow of discipline2 ,i myself was advised by my ,tibetan friends to pass that ceremony1 but my religious scruples stood in the way1 so ,i did not follow the advice4 ,however ,i was initiated by the ,grand ,lama in the #8,hidden ,teaching1' for this ceremony had nothing to do with my religious convictions4 ,the ,grand ,lama himself being placed in this false position1 all the priests under him are naturally open to a similar charge4 ,they are partly priests and partly men of the world1 and sometimes it is hardly possible to distinguish them from ordinary laymen4 ,for instance1 the ,tibetan priests1 as ,i have mentioned elsewhere1 undertake farming or business1 while the young rowdies among them attend to the work of ordinary soldiers4 ,the only things that distinctly distinguish the priests from laymen are that the former shave their hair and wear priestly robes1 and the latter do not2 that is all4 ,i am compelled to say that ,lamaism has fallen1 and that it has assumed a form quite contrary to that to which its great reformer ,je ,tsong-kha-pa elevated it1 and ,i am sincerely sorry for this degeneration4 ,i shall next describe the education and the caste system in ,tibet4 ,,chapter ,,lxiii4 ,education and ,castes4 ,education is not widely diffused in ,tibet4 ,in the neighborhood of ,shigatze children are taught comparatively well the three subjects of writing1 arithmetic and reading1 but in other places no provision exists for teaching children1 except at monasteries1 so that the boys and girls of ordinary people are generally left uneducated1 especially the latter4 ,as might naturally be expected1 educational establishments are few and far between4 ,the only institutions worthy of the name are found on the premises of the ,palace at ,lhasa1 and of the ,tashi ,lhunpo monasteries in ,shigatze2 all the rest are only #8family schools'4 ,from the important position which priests command in ,tibet1 the system of training them is pretty well developed1 and it is only at religious schools that one can obtain even a comparatively advanced education4 ,sons of ordinary people can enjoy the benefit of that education only by joining the order1 for otherwise they are refused admission to ,government schools4 ,the doors of those schools are1 of course1 shut against boys of humble origin4 ,in ,tibet there exists one class which is the lowest in the scale of social gradation4 ,this lowest grade is subdivided into fishermen1 ferry-men1 smiths1 and butchers4 ,smiths are relegated to this grade in ,tibet just as in ,india1 and for the same reason--that they pursue an objectionable occupation in making edged tools used for slaughtering living things1 the most sinful occupation of all4 ,people of this lowest grade are even prohibited from becoming priests1 and if ever they enter the privileged order it is by some surreptitious means and by concealing their real rank4 ,in this way some men of the lowest origin have become priests at places remote from their native villages4 ,compared with these despised classes1 the ordinary people may be said to enjoy a great advantage4 ,the classes who are entitled to enter the ,government institutions are only four3 #a4 ,ger-pa1 ,peers2 #b4 ,ngak-pa1 the manra clan1 #c4 ,bon-bo1 the ,old ,sect clan2 #d4 ,shal-ngo1 families of former chieftains4 ,the ,peers consist of the descendants of former ministers and generals1 and contain the supreme class called ,yabshi which is composed of families of the thirteen ,grand ,lamas1 past and present1 and also of the descendants of the first ,king of ,tibet1 called ,tichen ,lha-kyari4 ,they all hold the rank of ,duke4 ,the descendants in the direct line of that ,king still exist to this day1 and their head is entitled to occupy the same rank as the ,grand ,lama1 only he does not possess any power in public affairs4 ,the highest posts in the ,tibetan ,hierarchy are within the easy reach of the ,yabshi men1 who can become ,prime ,ministers or other great dignitaries of state provided they are judged to possess qualifications for undertaking those high functions4 ,even when they do not occupy such elevated positions1 they at least hold posts that are of next in importance4 ,all the remarks about the ,yabshi apply to the families of the ,dalai ,lamas1 installed at ,lhasa1 for though the other ,patriarchs at ,tashi ,lhunpo also possess ,yabshi of their own1 they do not enjoy the same privileges as the others4 ,the descendants of the ,dalai ,lama's relatives1 and those of the former ,king1 may therefore be considered as forming in practice the royal families of ,tibet4 ,these should1 for convenience1 be set apart as a distinct class1 though there are other families that do not differ much from them in origin and privilege4 ,of these1 one called ,de-pon ,cheka 7families of generals7 represents the descendants of the generals and captains who rendered distinguished services when ,tibet engaged in war4 ,the merits of those warriors1 long since dead1 obtain for their descendants great respect from the public and they enjoy great privileges4 ,the next grade of the ,peerage1 but considerably below these1 consists of the descendants of families of great historic renown1 or of ministers of distinguished service4 ,though occupying the lowest grade in the herald-book of the ,peerage1 even the portfolio of the ,premier is accessible to these ,peers1 provided that they are men of ability4 ,in general1 honor and ability seldom go together in ,tibet1 for official posts are freely sold and purchased1 though buyers are limited4 ,high officials of real ability are even regarded as a nuisance by their colleagues1 and are liable to be dismissed through their intrigues4 ,such being the case1 by far the greater majority of high official posts are held by men who have obtained them in exchange for money4 ,the class that ranks next to ,peers is that of the ,ngak-pas or miracle workers1 who are the descendants of ,lamas who worked miracles1 not the least of them being their marriage in violation of the rules of ,lama priesthood4 ,those ,lamas transmitted their #8hidden arts' exclusively to this social grade1 which thus possesses hereditary secrets4 ,the ,ngak-pas play an important part in the social organism of ,tibet4 ,for instance they are entitled1 as already mentioned1 to levy the #8hail-tax' in summer1 and therefore to assume the function of administrators4 ,they are also held in great awe by provincials and townsmen1 as being magicians of power4 ,the simple-minded folk believe that if once they incur the displeasure of a ,ngak-pa they may be cursed by him1 and therefore may bring upon themselves some calamity4 ,as ,i mentioned before1 the ,ngak-pa people occupy the advantageous position of being able to procure money in the shape of proceeds of the #8hail-tax1' and of presents coming from all classes of people4 ,strange as it may appear1 the ,ngak-pa men1 while commanding such advantages1 are notoriously poor2 they even stand as synonyms for poverty4 ,their sole consolation is that they are conscious of the great power they hold over all classes of people2 and even ,peers are often seen to dismount from horseback and give a courteous salute when they happen to meet a beggarly ,ngak-pa in the street4 ,the third caste is the ,bon-bo the name of an old religion which prevailed in ,tibet long before the introduction of ,buhism4 ,the priests of this practically extinct religion were allowed to marry1 and have left behind them the class of people who represent this old social institution in ,tibet4 ,the ,bon-bo people have to play a certain distinct rle in public affairs4 ,this is more of a ceremonial than of a religious nature4 ,it consists in worshipping local deities1 and undertaking ceremonies intended to secure their favor4 ,when people marry1 they ask a ,bon-bo man to pray for them to their local deity4 ,sometimes he undertakes other kinds of prayer or even performs symbolic rites with a benevolent or malevolent aim1 according to circumstances4 ,families of this particular class are found almost everywhere throughout the country1 though in limited numbers4 ,in some remote villages1 as ,tsar-ka in the ,himlayas1 all the villagers are said to belong to this class1 but in most cases only one or two families are found in one village or in one district4 ,in such cases the ,bon-bo are objects of great respect1 and they sometimes act as local magistrates or administrators4 ,even when they pursue any other kind of business1 they still command great respect from their neighbors as descendants of ancient families4 ,though the ,bon-bo are descendants of an old religious order1 their present representatives are no longer priests1 for they do not preach their tenets to others1 nor try to persuade them to become converts4 ,they are simply content to hand down their ancestral teachings and traditions to their children and so maintain their distinct position in society4 ,not unfrequently the young ,bon-bo enter the priesthood1 and these take precedence over all the other ,bon-bo4 ,strictly speaking the respect which the people belonging to this particular class enjoy over others at present is due to their honorable lineage4 ,the fourth class is 8,shal-ngo0 and is composed of the descendants of ancient families who acquired power in the locality on account of their wealth in either money or land4 ,the ,tibetans are in general a highly conservative race1 and therefore they succeed in most cases in keeping intact their hereditary property4 ,their polyandrous custom too must be conducive to that result1 preventing as it does the splitting up of family property among brothers4 ,by far the great majority of the ,shal-ngo people possess therefore more or less property2 and even a poor ,shal-ngo commands the same respect from the public as his richer confrre4 ,common people are divided into two grades1 one called tong-ba and the other tong-du4 ,the former is superior1 and includes all those common people who possess some means and have not fallen into an ignoble state of slavery4 ,tong-du means etymologically 8petty people10 and their rank being one grade lower than that of others1 the people of this class are engaged in menial service4 ,still they are not strictly speaking slaves2 they should more properly be considered as poor tenant-farmers1 for formerly these people used to stand in the relation of tenant-farmers to land-owners1 though such relation no longer exists4 ,some tong-ba are reduced to more straitened circumstances than the tong-du1 but1 generally considered1 the tong-ba are distinguished from the others by the possession of property1 greater or less as the case may be1 while poverty is a special feature of the tong-du4 ,however low the tong-ba may fall in the worldly sense of the word1 and1 on the other hand1 however thriving the tong-du may become1 a strict line of demarcation still continues to separate the two classes4 ,society continues to treat them as before1 and as if nothing had happened in their relative fortunes4 ,no ordinary people deign to eat with one belonging to the tong-du class1 nor do they ever intermarry with them4 ,this strict rule of social etiquette is in force even among the four divisions of the lowest class1 that is to say1 ferry-men1 fishermen1 smiths and butchers4 ,of the four1 the first two rank higher than the other two4 ,thus1 though smiths and butchers are not permitted to eat in the same room with common people1 the other two classes are allowed to do so1 only they may not sit at table with a privileged plebeian1 but must eat or drink from their own vessels4 ,it is hardly necessary to add that a strong barrier is set up between these four kinds of social outcasts and the ordinary common people1 to prevent their intermarriage2 a man or woman belonging to the latter class1 who is so indiscreet as to obey the bidding of his or her heart and to marry one of the despised race1 is socially tabooed from his or her own kith and kin4 ,this punishment is permanent1 and even when the bond of this msalliance has been dissolved by divorce1 or any other cause1 the fallen man or woman can never hope to regain the caste which he or she has forfeited4 ,the mark of social infamy will follow him or her to the grave4 ,it is curious1 however1 that the issues of these msalliances form a social class of their own4 ,they are called tak ta ril1 which means a #8mixed race produced by black and white twisted together'4 ,they occupy a position even lower than that of the four despised classes mentioned above1 and are in fact the lowest caste in ,tibet4 ,there is one interesting feature in regard to this rigid canon of social caste1 and that is the presence of gentlemen-smiths1 who1 being men of a mechanical turn of mind1 have become smiths from preference4 ,these gentlemen-smiths do not forfeit their birth and rank on this account4 ,both by law and custom the higher classes enjoy special privileges1 and these go a long way4 ,the children of aristocrats1 for instance1 are entitled to exact from their humbler playmates great respect and courtesy4 ,when the latter so forget themselves in their disputes and quarrels with their noble associates as to use rough language1 they are at once punished1 even when they are in the right4 ,it is evident therefore from what has been stated that a plebeian1 no matter how wealthy1 is obliged to behave respectfully under all circumstances to a man belonging to the ,ngak-pa or ,bon-bo1 even though the latter may be as poor as a church mouse4 ,as each social class forms practically one distinct community with its own particular etiquette1 customs and so forth1 ranks are more plainly visible on the surface in ,tibet than in most other countries4 ,the ,tibetan proverb corresponding to the western saying that 8blood will out0 gains a special significance when applied to the state of affairs prevailing in that semi-civilised country4 ,the aristocrats of ,tibet are distinguished by noble mien and refined manners4 ,conscious of their elevated position1 they possess on the whole a high sense of honor4 ,the other privileged castes occupying a lower plane1 such as the men of the ,ngak-pa and ,bon-bo races and the descendants of ancient grandees1 still bear the marks of their respectable birth and can easily be distinguished even by strangers from the common people4 ,the common people are plebeian in their general bearing and appearance1 but one thing to their credit is that they are known for strict honesty1 and even extreme poverty seldom tempts them into committing arts of larceny4 ,on the other hand1 the lower classes or social outcasts are notorious for their criminal propensities to robbery and murder4 ,in practice they are characterised by crime and wretchedness2 they are criminals and beggars4 ,beggars in fact form a community of their own1 the profession being hereditary4 ,these classes are deservedly held in contempt by the public1 and their faces even seem to justify such treatment1 for they are remarkable for ferocity1 depravity and vileness4 ,as ,i have mentioned before1 lads belonging to the higher ranks are entitled to enter ,government schools1 but the subjects taught there are at best imperfect4 ,the lessons consist only of learning by memory1 penmanship and counting4 ,the first subject is the most important1 next comes penmanship1 the latter receiving even a larger allotment of hours than the other4 ,counting is a primitive affair1 being taught by means of pebbles1 pieces of wood1 or shells4 ,the subject matters of learning by memory are ,buhist ,texts1 the elements of grammar1 and lastly rhetoric4 ,this last is a subject of great ambition for ,tibetan scholars1 who are just like ,chinese in their fondness for grandiloquent expressions4 ,documents to be presented to the ,dalai ,lama and other high personages bristle with high-flown phraseology and with characters rarely used in ordinary writing1 and not found even in ,buhist ,texts4 ,the fact is that ,tibetan scholars at present hold strange ideas about writing1 being of opinion that they should aim at composing in a style unintelligible to ordinary persons4 ,the more characters they can use which cannot easily be understood by others1 the better proof1 they think1 have they given of the profundity of their scholarship4 ,the most scholarly compositions are practically hierographic so far as their incomprehensibility is concerned4 ,illustration3 ,,flogging ,,as ,a ,,means ,,of ,,education ,the birch-rod is considered to be the most useful implement in teaching2 not exactly a birch-rod1 however1 but a flat piece of bamboo4 ,the cramming of difficult passages of rhetoric being the principal mode of learning imposed on pupils1 their masters are invariably of opinion that they must make free use of the rod in order to quicken their pupils' progress4 ,the relation between masters and pupils does not differ much from that between gaolers and convicts4 ,the latter1 poor fellows1 hold their masters in such dread that they find it exceedingly trying1 at the sight of them and their formidable pedagogic weapons1 to compose their minds and to go on unfalteringly with their lessons4 ,they cower with fear1 and are filled with the perturbing thought that the rod is sure to descend upon them for the slightest stumble they make in the path of learning4 ,the ordinary way of using the rod is to give thirty blows with it on the left palm of the pupil4 ,prudence counsels the pupil to stretch out his hand with alacrity at the bidding of his hard master1 for in case he hesitates to do so the penalty is generally doubled1 and sixty blows instead of thirty are given4 ,it is a cruel sight to see a little pupil holding out his open hand and submitting to the punishment with tearful eyes4 ,surely this is not education but mere cruelty4 ,i once made an earnest remonstrance on this subject with the ,minister of ,finance who1 in common with the rest1 used to teach his boys with a liberal application of the rod4 ,to do justice to the ,minister1 his method of teaching was much more considerate than that of most of his countrymen1 and he very seldom resorted to rough handling1 such as binding pupils with cords over-night or compelling them to go without dinner or supper4 ,when however ,i remonstrated with him on the ground that the infliction of corporal punishment was entirely opposed to all sound principles of education1 he at first defended the ,tibetan system with great earnestness4 ,we had a somewhat animated though courteous dispute on the subject2 but at length1 being a man of great candor of mind1 he seemed to perceive the merit of my position4 ,at any rate he ceased to use the rod as he did before1 and generally confined himself to giving a reprimand when any of his boys went astray with his learning4 ,the ,minister afterward informed me that his boys seemed to make better progress when they were spared the rod4 ,abuse is also considered as an efficient means of educating boys4 8,beast10 8beggar10 8devil10 8ass10 8eater of parents' flesh10 are epithets applied to backward boys by their teachers1 and this custom of using foul language is naturally handed on from teachers to pupils1 who when they grow up are sure to pass on those slanderous appellations to the next generation4 ,while the education of the sons of laymen is conducted with such severity1 that of boy disciples by ,lama priests is extremely lenient1 and is quite in contrast to that of the others4 ,the disciples are not even reprimanded1 much less chastised1 when they neglect their work4 ,the priests generally leave them to do as they like1 much as uxorious husbands do towards their wilful wives1 so that it is no wonder that the disciples of ,lamas very seldom make any good progress in learning4 ,they are spoiled by the excessive indulgence of their masters4 ,some of these masters own the evil of their way of education1 and are careful not to spoil the youthful pupils placed under their care1 and it is precisely from among these latter disciples that priests of learning and ability may be expected4 ,the memorising part of the ,tibetan system of education1 as mentioned above1 is a heavy burden on the pupils4 ,to give some idea of what an important part this work occupies in their system1 ,i may note that a young acolyte1 who has grown to fifteen or sixteen years old1 has to commit to memory1 from the oral instruction of his teachers1 from three hundred to five hundred pages of ,buhist texts in the course of a year4 ,he has then to undergo an examination on what he has learned4 ,even for a lad of weak memory1 the number of pages is not less than one hundred in a year4 ,for those who have grown older1 that is for those whose age ranges between eighteen and thirty1 the task imposed is still more formidable1 being five to eight hundred and even one thousand pages4 ,i was amazed at this mental feat of the ,tibetan priests1 for ,i could barely learn fifty sheets in six months1 that being the minimum limit allotted for aspirants of poor memory4 ,,chapter ,,lxiv4 ,tibetan ,trade and ,industry4 ,i shall now describe the trade of ,tibet1 though my account must necessarily be imperfect for obvious reasons4 ,i shall begin with an interesting incident that occurred to me in ,november1 #aija1 when ,i was enabled to send home letters for the first time after my arrival in the country4 ,that was on the #ahth of the month1 and through the agency of ,tsa ,rong-ba1 a ,tibetan trader with whom ,i had become acquainted at ,darjeeling4 ,this man started for ,calcutta on ,government business to buy iron1 and as ,i knew him to be trustworthy ,i entrusted him with a letter addressed to ,sara ,chanra s1 in which were enclosed several others addressed to my friends and relatives in ,japan4 ,the iron which he was commissioned to procure was for the purpose of manufacturing small arms at an arsenal situated at ,dib near ,che-,cho-ling1 on the bank of the river ,kichu1 which flows to the south of ,lhasa4 ,this industry was an innovation in ,tibet1 and in fact had begun only about eight years before that time4 ,it was introduced by a ,tibetan named ,lha ,tse-ring who had lived for a long time at ,darjeeling and1 at the request of his ,government1 brought back with him about ten gunsmiths1 mostly ,hin and ,cashmere ,mohamedans4 ,only two of these smiths remained in ,tibet at the time ,i reached ,lhasa1 the rest having returned home or died2 but as several of the ,tibetan smiths had acquired the art from them1 no inconvenience was experienced in continuing the industry4 ,this was a great improvement on the old state of affairs1 for ,tibet had formerly possessed only flint-lock muskets1 and even these could not easily be introduced from ,india4 ,the manufacture of improved firearms was therefore a great boon to the country1 and the ,government did not spare expense and trouble to encourage the development of the art4 ,hence it came about that my acquaintance was authorised by the ,government to proceed to ,calcutta and procure a supply of iron4 ,it ought to be mentioned that about this time the departure of ,tibetan merchants to foreign countries for the transaction of business had become quite frequent4 ,they proceeded first of all to ,british ,india1 next to ,china1 and lastly to the ,russian territories4 ,the trade with the last was1 however1 quite insignificant as yet1 and whatever relations ,tibet may have with ,russia are in most cases political and very rarely commercial4 ,i shall first describe the ,tibetan trade with ,british ,india and ,nepl4 ,of ,tibetan products exported to ,india wool is the most important1 and next musk and the tails of yaks1 furs and leathers4 ,buhist images and books1 being liable to confiscation when discovered1 seldom go abroad1 though they are more or less in demand in ,india4 ,other goods exported to ,india are insignificant4 ,formerly more or less ,chinese tea for consumption by the ,tibetans residing at ,darjeeling used to go to ,india1 but this is no longer the case4 ,the quantity of wool sent abroad is quite large4 ,from five thousand to six thousand mule-packs go to ,darjeeling1 about one thousand five hundred to ,bhtn1 about two thousand five hundred to ,nepl and about three thousand to ,ladak4 ,these figures are of course far from precise1 for 7reliable official returns being wanting7 ,i based my estimates on information obtained from the traders4 ,besides the figures given above1 there are quantities1 greater or less1 sent to ,china and also westward to ,mnasarovara1 but as ,i did not visit either district1 and moreover had no means of making an estimate about them1 ,i have nothing to say on the subject4 ,musk is obtained in ,tibet1 but from a certain species of deer and not from civet-cats4 ,the musk-deer is found almost everywhere in that country4 ,it is of about two and a half times or three times the size of an ordinary cat1 and though resembling the ,japanese deer in shape1 it is not so tall as the other4 ,the musk-deer subsists on herbage1 and is covered with light and soft fur of a deep grey color4 ,it has an exceedingly amiable face indicative of its mild nature4 ,one characteristic feature is that it has two small but pretty tusks somewhat curved projecting from the upper jaws4 ,the musk is found only in the male1 and is contained in a little pouch attached to the hinder part4 ,a strange fact is that the pouch is said to grow gradually in size from the beginning to the middle of each lunar month and then gradually to be reduced again until the end of the month1 this periodic change appearing with great regularity4 ,the musk-deer is therefore shot about the middle of the month1 generally between the #acth and #aeth4 ,the musk-deer is shot with a gun1 but in preserved forests such as are found round about ,lhasa and other ,buhist headquarters1 where shooting and hunting are strictly forbidden on pain of severe penalties1 hunters catch the animal1 clandestinely of course1 by means of traps4 ,though the deer is found almost everywhere in ,tibet1 its principal habitation is in such remote districts as ,kong-bo1 ,tsari and ,lo4 ,musk is very cheap in all those districts1 costing about one-tenth of the price given in ,japan4 ,the musk produced there is also purer than that produced in more prosperous places1 for the people being simple-minded do not tamper with it nor adulterate it with other substances4 ,the musk coming from ,lo1 for instance1 is especially reputed for purity and cheapness4 ,the district is inhabited by half-naked aborigines1 who resemble in outward appearance both ,tibetans and ,hins1 though ethnologically they are more akin to the former than to the latter4 ,the musk produced by these savages is bartered against articles either of ornament or domestic utility1 such as mirrors1 glass beads1 iron pans1 sickles1 knives1 flour1 confectionery and foreign trinkets4 ,though the musk is obtainable at a very reasonable price in these districts1 the risks and dangers from highwaymen which traders encounter on the road are so great that only those who are uncommonly adventurous proceed thither to get a supply from the natives4 ,the ,tibetan musk is sent in larger quantities to ,china than to ,india1 notwithstanding the fact that transport to the latter is easier4 ,almost all goods from ,tibet to ,china travel through ,ta-chien-lu4 ,however1 even at present1 more or less is sent to ,yunnan1 whence ,japan has been used to obtain its supply4 ,the so-called #8,yunnan-musk' so much prized in ,japan therefore comes originally from ,tibet4 ,the #8,blood-horn' of the #8,precious deer' is the most valuable item among the commodities on the export list to ,china4 ,this horn makes a medicine highly valued by ,chinese physicians1 being considered to possess the power of invigorating the body1 prolonging life and giving lustre to the face4 ,it is in fact used as an elixir by the ,chinese4 ,the horn therefore commands a high price1 and even in ,tibet a ,chinese merchant will give as much as five hundred yen in ,japanese currency for a pair of good horns4 ,the inferior horns1 however1 can be bought at even two or three yen a piece1 these being used not for medicine but only for ornament4 ,sharp1 experienced eyes are required to distinguish a good and valuable horn from an inferior one1 and even in ,tibet there are not many such experts4 ,this special kind of deer is found in the wild districts of the south-eastern and north-western parts of ,tibet1 especially in the former4 ,it is a large animal1 larger than an average horse1 but in shape it resembles an ordinary deer1 only that it is plumper4 ,as a rule it is covered with greyish hair1 though some are covered with fur of other hues4 ,the horns are renewed every year1 the growth beginning from about ,january of the lunar calendar4 ,the new horns are covered with a hairy epidermis and consist of nothing but thickened blood4 ,they continue to grow1 and about ,march or ,april produce one ramification4 ,at the same time the base becomes hard and bony1 whilst the upper parts remain of the same consistency as before4 ,they are further ramified and elongated with the lapse of time1 and the growth reaches its climax by about ,september1 after which the counter process of decay commences and the horns1 now grown quite long1 drop off about the middle of ,december4 ,the largest specimens ,i saw measured thirteen inches in length with the main stem of about #a-d_/e inches in girth1 and even such horns are completely covered with hairy integument4 ,the best season for the horns1 that is when they are medically most efficacious1 is believed to be ,april or ,may1 and it is then that the natives go out to hunt the animal4 ,the shooting should be done with accurate aim so as to drop the animal at once1 and the hunters therefore generally aim at the forehead4 ,this is owing to the fact that when the animal is only wounded1 instead of being brought down by a single shot1 he invariably knocks his head against rocks or trees and breaks the precious horns to pieces4 ,about the month of ,april or ,may1 the animal1 probably from the necessity of protecting his horns1 sojourns in less remote and rocky places1 and this habit makes him fall an easy prey to the hunter4 ,i may mention that ,i brought home a fine specimen of these horns which ,i bought at ,lhasa4 ,they are genuine1 for ,i had them judged by a competent expert4 ,the exports to ,nepl comprise wool1 yak-tails1 salt1 saltpetre1 woollen goods and a few other articles4 ,to the districts lying to the north-east of ,tibet1 that is to the north-western parts of ,china and ,mongolia1 go various kinds of woollen goods2 ,buhist books also go largely to ,mongolia1 as do also ,buhist images1 pictures and various paraphernalia4 ,these1 considered as objects of art1 are worthless1 though formerly ,tibet produced images and pictures of high artistic standard4 ,the contrast between old and new images and pictures1 both of which are to be seen in most temples in ,tibet1 is sufficiently glaring1 for the latter are as a rule clumsy performances1 offensive to the taste and also to the sense of decency1 being invariably bi-sexual representations of men and women with one common body4 ,i was once struck with the notion that the ,tibetans are characterised by four serious defects1 these being3 filthiness1 superstition1 unnatural customs 7such as polyandry71 and unnatural art4 ,i should be sorely perplexed if ,i were asked to name their redeeming points2 but if ,i had to do so1 ,i should mention first of all the fine climate in the vicinity of ,lhasa and ,shigatze1 their sonorous and refreshing voices in reading the ,text1 the animated style of their catechisms1 and their ancient art4 ,but to cut short my digression1 and to resume the description of ,tibetan trade1 ,i must next give an account of the import business4 ,of the imported goods1 those coming from ,india are mostly in evidence4 ,among them may be mentioned woollen cloth for decorating the rooms of temples and for other uses1 silk handkerchiefs1 ,burma crpes1 ,benares brocades1 silk tissues1 and cotton fabrics4 ,white cotton piece-goods are mostly in demand1 next piece-goods of light blue and of russet color4 ,figured chintzes of various patterns are also imported more or less4 ,imports from ,china comprise first of all silk fabrics of sundry kinds1 as brocades1 tussore silk1 crpes and satins of various kinds4 ,silver bullion and drugs are also imported1 but in respect of value tea stands first on the list of ,chinese imports4 ,from what ,i have roughly estimated1 the quantity of tea arriving at ,lhasa alone will cost not less than six hundred and fifty thousand yen a year approximately1 while the import to ,eastern ,tibet1 which is more thickly inhabited than the other half of the country1 must of course reach a larger figure1 for the ,tibetans are great tea-drinkers and both high and low imbibe a large quantity of the beverage all through the year4 ,the poorest people1 who cannot afford to buy1 are satisfied with a thin decoction obtained from the refuse of the tea-pots of wealthier people4 ,tea is rather costly1 for one brick of inferior quality measuring about one foot long1 #f-a_/b inches wide and three inches thick costs two yen seventy-five sen at ,lhasa2 a brick consisting of only leaves without any mixture of twigs cannot be obtained at less than five yen4 ,the prices rise as we go westward1 owing to the cost of transportation1 and for a brick costing two yen seventy-five sen at ,lhasa as much as three yen twenty-five sen has to be paid in ,western ,tibet4 ,the imports from ,bhtn or ,sikkim comprise tussore-silk goods1 woollen fabrics1 and cotton goods4 ,then from ,india1 ,kashmr1 or ,nepl are imported copper utensils1 grains1 dried grapes1 dried peaches1 dates1 medical drugs1 and precious stones of various kinds1 as diamonds1 rubies1 agates1 turquoises and corals4 ,of these turquoises and corals are the most important1 being widely used by the ,tibetans as a hair decoration4 ,for this purpose the best quality of turquoises are even more prized than diamonds1 and a good turquoise of the size of the tip of the small finger fetches as much as one thousand two hundred yen4 ,coral without spots is rather rare1 and most of those seen on the heads of the ,tibetan women are spotted more or less4 ,the ,tibetans are fond of the reddish or deep reddish variety1 which are not popular among the ,japanese4 ,superior kinds come from ,china1 and one good coral ball from ,china commands from one hundred and twenty to two hundred and thirty yen4 ,indian specimens are usually inferior in quality4 ,coral-beads are also imported from that country4 ,glass beads do duty for corals for poorer folk1 and imitation corals made in ,japan are sold also4 ,these were formerly passed off as genuine by dishonest merchants1 and were sold at comparatively speaking fabulous prices4 ,they are now taken at their proper value4 ,cheap foreign fancy goods and ,japanese matches also find their way to ,tibet through ,india4 ,several queer customs prevail in ,tibet concerning business transactions4 ,the mode of selling woollen and cotton piece-goods is particularly singular4 ,the standard of measurement is the length of the two outstretched hands1 while another measurement based on the length from the elbow to the tip of the fingers is also used4 ,this measurement is determined by the buyers1 so that a large person enjoys the advantage of getting a longer measure1 while the merchant is subjected to so much disadvantage4 ,however1 this primitive mode of measurement is generally applied to the native products only1 as for foreign cloth the unit of measurement is a square1 each side of which is equal to the breadth of the cloth to be sold4 ,this is called a kha1 and a kha varies with the breadth of each piece of cloth4 ,very seldom are native merchants honest in their dealing2 even the most trustworthy ask a price ten to twenty per cent higher than is reasonable1 and the price asked by the more dishonest is really monstrous1 being double or even as much as five or six times the real rate4 ,another interesting feature in ,tibetan transactions is the blessing which the merchants bestow on anything which people buy from them4 ,the most common formula of blessing is to this effect3 8,may the goods you have bought from me avert from you disease or any other suffering2 may your purchase bring good luck and prosperity1 so that you may grow richer1 build storehouses1 and buy more and more goods from us60 ,the blessing accompanying the parting with sacred books is more ceremonious4 ,the merchant reverentially lifts the book over his head in both hands1 and then hands it over to the purchaser 7a priest in most cases7 with this blessing3 8,may your reverence not only seek the true light from this sacred work1 but may you conduct yourself according to that light1 so that you may attain better intelligence1 wisdom and morals1 and fit yourself for the holy work of salvation1 for the good of all beings60 ,the purchaser has also a ceremony to perform in this transaction1 and ,i must confess that his performance is more obviously selfish1 outwardly at least2 for in handing the price he just touches the dirty coin with his tongue1 then wipes it on the neck of his garment1 and finally hands it to the merchant after having cast upon it one lingering glance indicative of his reluctance to part with it4 ,this act of licking and wiping signifies that the purchaser has licked off and wiped away for his own benefit all the good luck that was contained in that piece4 ,the coin that goes to the merchant is therefore considered as a mere empty thing1 so far as the virtue that was originally contained in it is concerned4 ,though these tedious processes are omitted by big merchants1 such as those engaged in dealing in tea1 all the others faithfully observe them1 especially those in the country4 ,it may be supposed that with so little to export and so much to import1 the country would be impoverished4 ,this1 however1 is not the case1 as ,i shall explain4 ,tibet has been used to obtain a large amount of gold from ,mongolia--more as donations to ,tibetan ,lamas than as the price paid for ,tibetan goods4 ,this influx of gold from ,mongolia has done much thus far in enabling the country to keep the balance of her trade4 ,she therefore cannot adopt an exclusion policy economically1 even though she may without much inconvenience do so politically4 ,in fact the enforcement of economic exclusion would be followed by serious internal trouble1 simply because it would put a stop to the inflow of gold from ,mongolia4 ,however1 so far as this ,mongolian gold is concerned1 it seems as if circumstances were about to bring ,tibet to a result tantamount to the enforcement of economic exclusion1 for since the war between ,japan and ,china and especially since the ,boxer trouble the inflow of ,mongolian gold to ,tibet has virtually ceased1 so much so that the ,mongolian priests who are staying in ,tibet for the prosecution of their studies are sorely embarrassed owing to the non-arrival of their remittances from home4 ,some of them have even been obliged to suspend regular attendance at lectures1 and to seek some means of earning their livelihood1 just as the poorer native ,buhist students are accustomed to do4 ,another thing that adds to the economic difficulties of the ,tibetans is their tendency to grow more and more luxurious in their style of living1 a tendency that began to be particularly noticeable from about twenty years ago4 ,this has been inevitably brought about by the foreign trade of ,tibet and the arrival of goods of foreign origin4 ,all these circumstances have impressed the ,tibetans with the necessity of extending their sphere of trade with foreign countries instead of confining their commercial operations within the narrow bounds of their own country4 ,the consequence is that a larger number of the inhabitants have begun to proceed every year to ,china1 ,india and ,nepl on commercial enterprises4 ,now suppose that ,tibet should prohibit her people embarking in this foreign trade1 what would be the consequence8 ,in the first place she would be unable to get any supply of goods from ,india1 ,china and other countries1 goods which are now articles of daily necessity for her people4 ,this1 though sufficiently hard1 might be endured2 but what would be unendurable would be the closing of ,indian markets to the wool of ,tibet1 ,india being the most important consumer of this staple produce of the country4 ,more wool being produced than can be reasonably consumed at home1 the close of foreign markets is certain to bring down prices1 and therefore to rob the sheep-farmers1 or more properly the nomadic people of that country1 of the greater part of the income they are at present enabled to get from their wool4 ,the supply for food is1 on the other hand1 less than the demand1 and as the prices of this essential of life cannot be expected to go down in proportion to those of wool1 the sheep-farmers who constitute the greater part of the whole population would be threatened with starvation4 ,the incoming of gold from ,mongolia being suspended1 ,tibet cannot1 even if she would1 cut off her commercial relations with the outside world4 ,urged by necessity1 trade is advancing with great strides1 judging at least from the larger number of people engaged in it1 for as matters stand at present the ,forbidden ,land may without exaggeration be considered as a 8nation of shop-keepers04 ,in fact all the people1 with the exception of those who are disqualified through physical defects and age1 are engaged in business of one kind or another4 ,even farmers are partly traders4 ,in winter when farm-work is slack they proceed to northern ,tibet to lay in their stock of salt1 obtained from the salt lakes that are found there4 ,then these men start for ,bhtn1 ,nepl or ,sikkim1 to sell their goods in those places4 ,priests are not too proud to deal with secular dollars and cents1 and monasteries often trade on a large scale4 ,illustration3 ,,priest ,,traders ,,loading ,,their ,,yaks4 ,the ,government itself is a trader1 not directly1 but through its regular agents1 who in virtue of the important trust reposed in them enjoy various privileges1 such as the liberty to requisition horses for carrying their goods or to take lodgment gratis4 ,peers are also traders1 mostly by proxy1 though some of them refrain from making investments and are content to subsist on the income derived from their land4 ,none the less the business spirit permeates the whole ,peerage1 and even these non-trading ,peers are ready to make small bargains now and then4 ,suppose a visitor to a ,peer's house takes a fancy to some of the furniture or hall decoration in it4 ,in such a case it is not considered impolite for the visitor to ask the host the price of that particular article1 and to ask him1 if the price is considered reasonable1 to sell it to him4 ,nor is it thought derogatory for the host to sell his belongings1 and so the bargain is struck when both parties can come to terms4 ,the whole proceeding is conducted with the shrewdness and vigilant attention to details which characterise regular businessmen4 ,it is interesting to note that even boy-disciples in monasteries are traders in their own way1 and do not hesitate to invest their money whenever they happen to notice in the shops or other places articles that appeal to their fancy4 ,these they bring home and either sell1 7generally at a large profit7 to other boys1 or exchange for other objects4 ,one great evil attends this propensity1 and that is the danger of stimulating cunning practices1 each party trying to impose upon the other in all those dealings4 ,,chapter ,,lxv4 ,currency and ,printing blocks4 ,commodities are either bartered or bought with regular coins4 ,i should more strictly say the coin1 there being only one kind of coin1 and that is a twenty-four sen silver piece4 ,that is the only legal tender current4 ,transactions have to be conducted therefore in a rather complicated manner1 inasmuch as that coin admits of being divided in two ways only4 ,in the first place it may be cut into two1 thereby producing two twelve-sen pieces2 or it may be divided into a #b_/c piece and a #a_/c piece1 the former passing at sixteen sen and the latter at eight4 ,the cutting is far from being exact1 and cut pieces are in most cases perforated in the centre or worn down at the edges4 ,these however are passed and received without complaint4 ,in ,lhasa and other prosperous places the unit of transactions is four sen1 but there being no four-sen piece one must take with him in making a purchase of four sen one #b_/c piece valued at sixteen sen1 and receive in return for it one #a_/b piece valued at twelve sen4 ,when the seller happens not to possess this one-half piece1 the buyer then produces one #a_/b piece and one #b_/c piece1 and receives in return for the two one whole piece called a tanka which is valued at twenty-four sen4 ,for a purchase of eight sen a buyer produces one tanka and receives a #b_/c piece in change4 ,the unit of transaction being four sen there are six gradations of value between this minimum and a tanka1 each possessing a distinct denomination4 ,thus four sen is called a khakang1 eight sen a karma1 twelve sen a chyekka1 sixteen sen a shokang1 twenty sen a kabchi and twenty-four sen a tanka4 ,in less prosperous places1 and indeed everywhere except in ,lhasa and ,shigatze1 it is impossible to make a purchase of less than one tanka1 owing to be the absence of divided pieces of smaller value4 ,in some places are found silver pieces which are locally circulated1 as in the north-western steppes which form the boundary line between ,tibet and ,india4 ,these pieces are semi-circular in shape1 but are not accepted in the ,grand ,lama's dominions4 ,here ,i should like to recount what occurred to me in my monetary dealings4 ,it was not an ordinary transaction1 but a sort of blackmail carried out at my expense4 ,i have spoken before of the prodigal son of the house of ,para4 ,one day this man sent his servant to me with a letter and asked for a loan of money1 rather a large sum for ,tibet4 ,of course he had no idea of repaying me1 and his loan was really blackmail4 ,i sent back the servant with half of what he had asked1 together with a letter4 ,i was told that he was highly enraged at what ,i had done1 exclaiming that ,i had insulted him1 and that he had not asked for the sum for charity1 and so on4 ,at any rate he sent back the money to me1 probably expecting that ,i would then send him the whole sum asked for4 ,but ,i did not oblige him as he had expected1 and took no notice of his threat4 ,a few days after another letter reached me from that young man1 again asking for the sum as at first4 ,i decided to save myself from further annoyance and so ,i sent the sum4 ,like master1 like servant2 the latter1 having heard most probably from his spendthrift master that ,i was a ,japanese1 came to me for a loan or blackmail of fifty yen4 ,i gave that sum too1 for ,i knew that they could not annoy me repeatedly with impunity4 ,about that time ,i chiefly devoted my leisure to collecting ,buhist books1 for ,i had a fairly large amount of money4 ,i must remark here that ,buhist works not in ordinary use are not sold by booksellers in ,tibet2 they are kept in the form of blocks at one monastery or another1 and any person who wishes to get a copy of any of such works must obtain from the owner of the copyright permission to get an impression of it4 ,in return for this permission an applicant has to forward some fee and some donation to the monastery which owns and keeps the particular set of blocks from which he wishes to get an impression or impressions1 this donation generally consisting of a quantity of tussore silk4 ,the fee1 more or less differing in rate according to monasteries and kind of blocks1 ranges from about twenty-five sen to about one yen twenty sen per hundred sheets4 ,the permission obtained1 the applicant next engages either three or six printers1 two printers and one assorter forming a special printing party1 so to say4 ,wages for the men are generally fifty sen a day without board1 and as they work in a very dilatory manner1 the cost of printing is rather heavy4 ,the paper used in printing is of native origin1 made of a certain plant1 the leaves and roots of which are poisonous4 ,the roots are white and produce excellent tough fibres4 ,the ,tibetan paper is therefore sufficiently strong and durable1 but is not white1 owing to bad bleaching4 ,booksellers in ,tibet1 at least so far as ,i observed at ,lhasa1 do not sell their books at their own houses1 but at open stalls in the courtyard in front of the western door of the great temple-shrine of the ,buha ,shkyamuni1 called ,cho ,khang4 ,i saw ten such bookstalls in ,lhasa and two or three at the bazaar in ,shigatze1 and those stallkeepers arranged their stock in trade in heaps instead of leaving their books open to invite inspection1 as booksellers of other countries do4 ,the books which ,i collected either through purchase1 or by getting special impressions from the original blocks1 were at first kept in my room at the ,sera monastery1 and my collection was a subject of wonder and curiosity to the priests who were quartered in the rooms not far from my own4 ,the collection1 they were heard saying to each other1 contained three times as many books as even a learned doctor possessed in ,tibet1 and they could not but wonder how ,i1 a student from a remote country1 could carry home so many books4 ,i therefore kept all my subsequent purchases in my room at the house of my host1 in order to avoid suspicion4 ,meanwhile the end of the month of ,december drew near and at last the ,new ,year's eve arrived4 ,i made an arrangement to keep the day according to the ,japanese custom4 ,accordingly ,i sent my boy to the ,sakya ,temple in the city with clarified butter to make an offering of light to the ,buha enshrined in the edifice4 ,this is done by putting clarified butter into the gold lamps placed before the tabernacle4 ,any one who wishes to make this offering has simply to pay in the usual charge of two tanka to the keepers of the edifice1 and on that particular occasion ,i therefore sent my boy with two tanka pieces4 ,i arranged my own room in a manner suitable to the occasion4 ,i hung a roll on which was painted an image of ,buha1 set in front of it a tiny sacred tabernacle1 then three stands of silver lamps1 and lastly various offerings4 ,after the preliminary service had been concluded1 ,i began1 after the hour of midnight1 a regular service and kept it up till four in the morning of the ,new ,year's ,day4 ,then ,i performed a ceremony in order to pray for the prosperity of their ,imperial ,majesties the ,emperor and ,empress1 ,h4 ,i4 ,h4 the ,crown ,prince1 and also for the greater prosperity and glory of the ,empire of ,japan4 ,i thought that during the three thousand years that had elapsed since the founding of the ,empire this must be the first time that one of its own subjects had offered such a prayer in that city of the ,forbidden ,land2 then a strange sensation came over me1 and somehow ,i felt grateful tears rising in my eyes4 ,illustration3 ,,new ,,year',s ,,reading ,,of ,,the ,,texts ,,for ,,the ,,japanese ,,emperor',s ,,welfare4 ,as ,i turned my eyes outward1 while continuing the service1 ,i noticed the ,new ,year's sun beginning to ascend in the eastern sky1 reflecting its golden rays on the snow that covered the surrounding hills and plains4 ,nearer before my eyes and in the spacious court of the monastery1 several snow-white cranes were stalking at leisure1 now and then uttering their peculiar cry4 ,the whole scene was exquisite and quite captivating2 how ,i should have liked to invite my own countrymen to come and share this pleasure with me6 ,the service1 the thought about my dear home1 the snow-scene1 the cranes1 and the ,new ,year's ,day--these roused in me a chain of peculiar sentiments at once delightful and sad1 and this strange association of thoughts ,i embodied on that occasion in a couple of awkward utas freely rendered into prose thus3-- 8,here on this ,roof of the ,world and amidst the ascending dawn heralded by the cry of the cranes1 ,i glorify the long and prosperous reign of our sovereign liege who reigns over his realm in the ,far ,east4 8,i hear in the garden of the holy seat the voice of the pure-white cranes1 glorifying the triumph of the ,holy ,religion40 ,,chapter ,,lxvi4 ,the ,festival of ,lights4 ,on ,january #dth1 #aijb1 that is to say1 on ,november #beth of the lunar calendar1 the festival of ,sang-joe commenced1 this being the anniversary day of the death of ,je ,tsong-kha-pa the great ,lamaist reformer4 ,this may be called the 8,festival of ,lights10 every roof in ,lhasa and in all the adjoining villages blazing with lights set burning in honor of the occasion4 ,hundreds1 even thousands of such butter-fed lights were burning on the roofs of monasteries1 and presented a unique sight1 such as is rarely seen in other parts of the world4 ,the ,sang-joe is one of the most popular festivals1 and lasts for two weeks4 ,it is the season when the ,tibetans1 priests and laymen1 give themselves up to great rejoicing1 when dancing1 singing and feasting are the order of the day1 and when people put on their gala dresses4 ,the arrival of the season is announced by an interesting custom1 a sort of religious blackmail1 enforced at the expense of people of position from about the second decade of the month of ,november according to the lunar calendar4 ,according to this custom every person enjoys the privilege1 for the sake of the coming festival1 of begging a present of money from any superior in rank or position who may visit his house4 ,even people of good position and means do not think it beneath them to exercise this privilege of begging4 ,i myself felt the effect of this custom and was obliged to present here a tanka and there two tanka4 ,in this way ,i spent about five yen in ,japanese money during this season of public begging4 ,i did not doubt it when ,i was told by some acquaintance that my ,sang-joe item next year would be threefold what it was in the present year1 owing to the enlargement of the circle of my acquaintances4 ,the religious side of ,sang-joe is a sort of vigil1 performed every night from about midnight to early dawn1 the service consisting of the reading in company of holy ,texts4 ,this midnight ceremony is a solemn affair which every person in the monastery is obliged to attend4 ,as ,i attended this ceremony in the ,sera monastery ,i was highly impressed with the solemnity of the function1 and felt that the peculiarly subdued tones of the chanting exerted upon my mind a powerful effect4 ,it seemed to me as if angels were conducting the service4 ,the whole surroundings were in keeping with the solemnity of the occasion4 ,the lofty hall was hung with tapestries of glittering brocade and satin2 the pillars were wound with red woollen cloth with floral designs in blue and white2 while on the walls and from the upper parts of the pillars were hung religious pictures regarded as masterpieces in ,tibet4 ,all these were lighted up by several thousand lamps containing melted butter1 the lamps shining bright and clear with pure-white rays1 not unlike those of gas-burners4 ,sitting in the hall amidst such sacred surroundings1 and listening to the chanting of the holy ,texts1 thoughts of profound piety took possession of my mind1 and ,i felt as if ,i were transported to the region of ,buha4 ,the ,sang-joe is also a great occasion of alms and charity1 and the priests1 especially the acolytes and disciples1 go round at dawn to collect alms in the temple when the service is concluded4 ,the people being more generously disposed at this season than at other times give quite liberally4 ,i am sorry to say that this pious inclination on the part of the people is often abused by mischievous priests1 who do not scruple to go1 in violation of the rules1 on a second or even third or fourth round of begging at one time4 ,i was astonished to hear that the priests who are on duty to prevent such irregular practices are in many cases the very instigators1 abetting the younger disciples in committing them4 ,the ill-gotten proceeds go into the pockets of those unscrupulous #8inspectors' who1 urged on by greed1 even go to the extreme of thrashing the young disciples when they refuse to go on fraudulent errands of this particular description4 ,now and then the erratic doings of these lads come to the ears of the higher authorities1 who summon them and inflict upon them a severe reprimand1 together with the more smarting punishment of a flogging4 ,the incorrigible disciples are not disconcerted in the least1 being conscious that they have their protectors in the official inspectors1 and of course they are immune from expulsion from the monastery4 ,these mischievous young people are in most cases warrior-priests4 ,these warrior-priests1 of whom an account has already been given1 are easily distinguished from the rest by their peculiar appearance and especially by their way of dressing the hair4 ,sometimes their heads are shaved bald1 but more often they leave ringlets at each temple1 and consider that these locks of four or five inches long give them a smart appearance4 ,this manner of hair-dressing is not approved by the ,lama authorities1 and when they take notice of the locks they ruthlessly pull them off1 leaving the temples swollen and bloody4 ,painful as this treatment is1 the warriors rather glory in it1 and swagger about the streets to display the marks of their courage4 ,they are1 however1 cautious to conceal their #8smart' hair-dressing from the notice of the authorities1 so that when they present themselves in the monastery they either tuck their ringlets behind the ears or besmear their faces with lamp-black compounded with butter4 ,when at first ,i saw such blackened faces ,i wondered what the blackening meant1 but afterwards ,i was informed of the reason of the strange phenomenon and my wonder disappeared as ,i became accustomed to the sight4 ,i am sorry to say that the warrior-priests are not merely offensive in appearance2 they are generally also guilty of far more grave offences1 and the nights of the holy service are abused as occasions for indulging in fearful malpractices4 ,they really seem to be the descendants of the men of ,sodom and ,gomorrah mentioned in the bible4 ,they are often quite particular in small affairs4 ,they are afraid of killing tiny insects1 are strict in not stepping over broken tiles of a monastery when they find them on the road1 but walk round them to the right1 and never to the left4 ,and yet they1 and even their superiors1 commit grave sin without much remorse4 ,really they are straining at gnats and swallowing camels4 ,there lived once in ,tibet a humorous priest named ,duk ,nyon1 a ,tibetan ,rabelais1 who was celebrated for his amusing though none the less sensible way of teaching4 ,this priest met on the road a priest of the ,new ,sect1 and it may be imagined that sharp repartees must have been exchanged between the two4 ,on the road ,duk ,nyon noticed a small stone1 which he carefully avoided and instead of walking over it walked round it4 ,next they came to a big rock1 which hardly admitted of walking over4 ,the humorist stooped low to give momentum to his body and the next instant he jumped over it4 ,his companion marvelled at this strange behavior of ,duk ,nyon2 he could not understand why he should have avoided a small stone and then should jump over a large one4 ,so the ,new ,sect priest bantered ,duk ,nyon on what he considered a silly proceeding1 but ,duk ,nyon replied that he had been merely giving an object-lesson to the ,new ,sect folk1 who were meticulously exact about small things1 but were wont to leap over grave sins without remorse4 ,the story goes that his companion was much abashed at this home-thrust of the humorist4 ,this witty remark of the old priest may be said to hold true even at the present time1 for though the ,sang-joe presents a solemn and impressive front outwardly1 it is full of abominable sights behind the scenes4 ,it is merely a season of criminal indulgence for the warrior-priests and other undesirable classes4 ,,chapter ,,lxvii4 ,tibetan ,women4 ,as the position of women bears a vital relation to the prosperity and greatness of a country1 ,i shall devote a chapter to this subject4 ,of the women of ,tibet those residing in ,lhasa are regarded as models of ,tibetan womanhood1 and they therefore demand most attention4 ,first let me describe the ,lhasa ladies1 beginning with their mode of dress4 ,it is interesting to note that the women's garments do not differ much in appearance from those of men2 both are cut in the same way1 and the only perceptible difference in appearance1 if difference it be1 is that women are attired with more taste and elegance than men4 ,another distinguishing mark in ,tibetan attire is a sash1 a narrow band about an inch and a half wide and eight feet long1 terminating at one end in a fringe4 ,the sash is not tied1 as in ,japan1 but is merely wound round the body with the end tucked in4 ,some persons wear a belt made of a piece of silk cloth1 passing it three times round the body4 ,the ladies of ,lhasa dress their hair somewhat like their sisters of ,mongolia1 though this fashion is not followed by those in ,shigatze and other parts of ,tibet4 ,they use a large quantity of false hair1 imported from ,china1 their natural supply being rather scanty4 ,the hair is divided into two equal parts down the middle1 and each half is plaited into a braid and left flowing behind4 ,the ends of the braids are tied with red or green cords with fringed knots1 and these two cords are connected by other beaded cords1 the cords consisting usually of seven or eight threads on which pearls are strung as beads with a larger pearl or turquoise in the middle4 ,they also wear a head-ornament made of turquoises or corals1 with one large piece surmounting the rest2 and they put on the middle of the head a cap made of small pearls4 ,then there are usually golden ear-rings and a breast ornament 7which may cost as much as three or four thousand yen71 besides a necklace of precious stones4 ,the pendant is generally a miniature golden tabernacle which may cost from two hundred to three hundred yen4 ,the arms are decorated with bracelets1 the right one made of pretty shells and the left one of engraved silver4 ,i must not omit to mention that all the ,lhasan women1 both rich and poor1 use an apron1 which in the case of the ladies is made of the best ,tibetan wool woven in variegated hues4 ,finger-rings are comparatively plain1 being generally of silver1 excepting those worn by ladies of the highest class4 ,shoes are also pretty1 and are made of red and green woollen fabrics4 ,with all their splendid attire1 the ,lhasan ladies follow a strange custom in their toilet1 for they often paint their faces1 not with white powder as their sisters of other countries do1 but with a reddish-black substance4 ,the ,tibetans think that the natural color of the flesh peeping from underneath the soot adds very much to the charm of the appearance4 ,the complexion of the ,lhasan women is not quite fair1 but very much resembles that of their ,japanese sisters4 ,in general appearance too the two cannot be easily distinguished1 but the women of ,lhasa1 and indeed of all ,tibet1 are taller in stature and stronger in constitution than the women of ,japan4 ,indeed one hardly ever finds in ,tibet women who are so short and frail as are the average ,japanese ladies4 ,the ,tibetan ladies being moreover attired in loose and capacious garments look very imposing4 ,the ladies of the higher classes have fair complexions and are as pretty as their sisters of ,japan4 ,the women of ,kham and the surrounding districts are especially fair-complexioned1 but they generally lack attractiveness1 and look cold and repellent4 ,their way of speaking also strikes one as inelegant and uninviting4 ,in contrast to them1 their sisters of ,lhasa are charming to look at1 and full of attraction4 ,their only defect is that they lack weight and dignity1 such as commands respect from others1 and their daily conduct is not quite edifying4 ,for instance1 they do not mind eating while walking in the streets4 ,they are also excitable1 or pretend to be excited by trifling circumstances1 are prone to flirt and to be flippant1 and seldom possess such nobleness as befits women of rank4 ,if one criticises them severely1 one would say that they are more like ballet-girls than ladies of high station4 ,they are therefore objects more to be loved and pitied1 than to be respected and adored4 ,altogether they lack character4 ,probably this singular defect may have been brought about by the polyandrous custom of the country4 ,there are many things which ,i might cite to the discredit of the fair sex of ,tibet1 but of these ,i will single out only two1 their love of liquor and their uncleanly habits4 ,uncleanliness is1 it is true1 universal in ,tibet1 but it naturally stands out more conspicuously in contrast to the general habits of women in other countries1 especially in ,japan4 ,most of the ,tibetan women are content with simply washing their faces and hands1 but this washing is seldom extended to other parts of the body2 the ladies of the higher classes however1 are less open to this charge2 having no particular business1 they have plenty of time to devote to their toilet4 ,that which is particularly noteworthy about the women of ,tibet1 and probably constitutes their chief merit1 is their great activity1 both in the matter of business and also in other respects4 ,the women of the middle and lower classes1 for instance1 regard trade as their own proper sphere of activity1 and they are therefore very shrewd in business of every description4 ,they even choose their husbands from a business point of view4 ,as ladies are not required to engage in such kind of work1 their activity is more shown in the form of counsels to their husbands1 whether invited or not4 ,it seems that the ,tibetan ladies enjoy great influence over their husbands1 for not only are they allowed to have a voice in the affairs of men1 but are often taken into confidence by them about matters of importance4 ,the ladies1 perhaps1 command even more leisure than their sisters in other countries4 ,they have practically no special and public duties1 while their domestic cares are also very light1 as they do not undertake sewing4 ,sewing is considered in ,tibet as men's work1 and even for a little stitching they rely on the tailor4 ,nor do the ladies of ,tibet care much about weaving and spinning1 though some women of the lower classes pursue either one or both as their regular profession4 ,spinning is done with primitive distaffs1 and is a tedious and awkward process1 incapable of producing yarn of an even and fine size4 ,yarns such as are produced by spinning jennies are never obtained from native distaffs4 ,the condition of ,tibetan women with regard to men1 especially in the provinces1 may be considered as surpassing the ideal of western women1 so far as the theory of equality of rights between the sexes is concerned4 ,for their stout sisters of ,tibet enjoy from the public almost equal treatment with men4 ,they receive1 for instance1 equal wages with men1 and indeed there is nothing wonderful in this when it is remembered that the women of ,tibet1 being strongly built and sturdy1 can work just as well as the rougher sex1 and therefore are perfectly entitled to receive the same remuneration4 ,these women1 though looking modest and lovely1 are nevertheless very courageous at heart1 so that when they fall into a passion their husbands are hardly able to keep them under control4 ,they rage like beings possessed1 and no soothing words or apologies can pacify them4 ,cases in which husbands were apologising on bent knees to wives furious with passion often came to my notice while ,i was staying in ,tibet4 ,they are demure as cats when they are at peace1 but when their passion is roused they are dreadful as tigers4 ,they are very selfish and really rule the roost4 ,what is worse1 they are not always faithful to their husbands1 but regard acts of inconstancy as something of quite ordinary nature2 and they are often audacious enough to lay the blame on the shoulders of their poor hen-pecked husbands1 alleging their inability to support their own wives6 ,the whole attention of the ,tibetan women is concentrated on their own selfish interests1 and they do not care a straw for the good of their husbands so long as they are satisfied4 ,the shrewdness they exercise in promoting their own selfish aims is something remarkable4 ,from the highest to the lowest1 they are allowed to have their own savings1 more or less1 according to their position and circumstances1 and fortified with that source of strength they receive a decree of divorce from their husbands without any sense of regret4 ,they will1 in that case1 pack up their belongings and leave their husbands' doors with alacrity4 ,on the other hand1 ,tibetan women are extremely affectionate and considerate to the men of their own liking1 as if to make amends for their lack of virtue towards the husbands they do not love4 ,they lavish their love upon them1 devote their whole attention to pleasing them1 and spare neither pains nor money to anticipate their wishes and so to give them satisfaction4 ,in short1 the women of ,tibet seem to possess two antagonistic qualities1 and are disposed to run to extremes4 ,perhaps this apparent anomaly comes from their immoral habits1 and also from the fact that the sense of chastity in women must have been seriously affected by the polyandrous custom of the country4 ,though sufficiently shrewd to protect their own interests1 they are never self-dependent2 they invariably lean on the help of one man or another1 even when they have sufficient means at their disposal to support themselves and their children4 ,if a husband dies and leaves his widow and children enough to live on1 very rarely does the bereaved woman remain faithful to the memory of her departed husband4 ,only very ugly or old women remain widows2 all the rest marry again with indecent haste4 ,indeed the idea of fidelity to the husband of her first love never seems to enter the mind of even a well-educated woman1 for such stories of faithfulness as are common in other countries are conspicuous by their absence in ,tibet4 ,i shall touch only briefly on the occupations of ,tibetan women of the middle and lower classes4 ,the women in the provinces attend to farming and rear cattle1 sheep or yaks4 ,but the commonest business for them is the making of butter and other substances obtained from milk1 the process being in this wise3 first the milk is subjected to heat1 and then left to cool till a coating of cream appears on the surface4 ,this cream is skimmed off1 and to the remainder a quantity of sour milk is added and the mixture left for about a day in a covered vessel4 ,the mixture becomes curdled1 and this curdled milk is transferred to a narrow deep vessel and a small quantity of lukewarm water is added to it4 ,a piece of wood of the same shape as1 and in size slightly smaller than1 the vessel is put into it1 and is moved up and down by a handle4 ,when the curdled mass is sufficiently churned in this way1 the fat begins to separate from the watery portion4 ,according to the condition of that separation1 more or less lukewarm water is added and the stirring is resumed1 till the butter-fat and water are completely separated4 ,the butter is then strained1 and the remainder is boiled till coagulated clots appear1 easily separable from the sour watery portion4 ,these clots are known as chura1 and they are very nice to eat4 ,the water or whey1 though sour1 is not unpalatable1 and is especially good for quenching thirst4 ,the chura is used either fresh or in a dried form1 the latter corresponding to the cheese used by western people4 ,,chapter ,,lxviii4 ,tibetan ,boys and ,girls4 ,boys enjoy better treatment in ,tibet than their sisters1 this discrimination beginning soon after their birth4 ,thus the naming ceremony is almost always performed for boys and very seldom for girls4 ,though differing more or less according to localities1 this naming ceremony is generally performed after the lapse of three days from the time of birth4 ,one strange custom about the birth is that a baby is never washed1 nor is there a regular midwife4 ,the only thing done to the new-born baby is the anointing of its body 7especially the head7 with butter1 this being carried out twice a day4 ,as this anointing is rather copiously applied1 the ,tibetan baby may perhaps be described as being subjected to butter-washing4 ,on the naming-day1 a priest is asked to perform the ceremony4 ,the process commences with the sprinkling of holy water on the baby's head4 ,the water is first blessed by the priest1 and a quantity of yellow powder made of the saffron flower is then added to it4 ,illustration3 ,,naming ,,ceremony ,,of ,a ,,baby4 ,the name is generally determined according to the day of the birth1 and especially according to the nomenclature of the days of the week4 ,for instance a boy or a girl who is born on ,sunday is named ,nyima1 this meaning ,sun in ,tibetan4 ,the babies born on ,monday bear the common name of ,dawa2 those on ,saturday ,penba2 those on ,friday ,pasang2 and so on4 ,this general use of the same names giving rise to confusion1 a specific individual surname has to be given to each baby4 ,the individual appellation either precedes or follows the common designation4 ,one baby bears the name of ,nyima-,chering meaning 8,sun longevity10 another ,dawa-pun-tsuok1 meaning 8,moon-all-perfection40 ,the choice of such individual names is usually made by the ,lama who attends the ceremony1 or is determined by an oracle-consulter1 and only rarely by the father of the baby4 ,sometimes the week nomenclature is disregarded and names of abstract meaning are given to the babies2 sometimes also names of animals are used4 ,on the whole the surnames are of an abstract nature as in the case of ,japanese names4 ,i may add that the boys take a religious name when they enter the priesthood4 ,on the naming-day of boys a great feast is held in honor of the occasion1 and the relatives and friends of the family are invited to it4 ,these of course bring with them suitable presents1 such as casks of liquor1 rolls of cloth1 or money4 ,the ceremony and the banquet that accompanies it are chiefly observed by people residing in or near a city1 for in the provinces only wealthy people can afford to follow this custom4 ,when the naming ceremony is concluded1 the officiating priest reads a service1 in order to inform the patron deity of the place or of the family of the birth of a baby1 and of the fact that that baby has received such and such a name1 and praying that the baby shall be taken under the protection of that patron deity4 ,this service may be undertaken by a priest of either the ,new or ,old ,sect or by an oracle-consulter4 ,the last named functionary performs with his own hand all the ceremony of name-giving1 when a baby is born to him1 and does not entrust this business to another priest4 ,the beginning of school-attendance is another great occasion for boys1 and it arrives when the boy attains the age of eight or nine4 ,this day also is celebrated with a feast1 to which the relatives and friends of the house are invited1 and these present to the boy a kata1 which the boy hangs around his neck with the two ends suspended over his breast4 ,if the boy is sent to a teacher residing at some distance from his home1 he leaves his paternal roof and lives under that of his master2 but when his master lives in the neighborhood he daily attends his lessons from home4 ,the other great occasions for boys are at the end of school life1 and the admission to official service1 the latter requiring a ceremony of far greater importance and a more splendid banquet than the other4 ,the ceremonies performed for the benefit of female children are fewer in number than those for their brothers4 ,generally only one ceremony is performed1 this being a festival for celebrating the advent of girlhood1 and consists of dressing her hair for the first time since her birth4 ,the dressing is done in a simple style4 ,the hair is tied and made to hang down behind in four braids1 surmounted with a pretty hair ornament made of red coral and turquoises4 ,on this occasion a large number of people are invited to a feast1 and these bring to the house various kinds of presents4 ,boys' amusements are much like those in ,japan4 ,in winter1 for instance1 they play at snow-balling1 and in summer their favorite sport is wrestling4 ,throwing stones to a distance1 pitching at a target with a stone1 skipping1 either singly or in company1 hitting from a distance a small piece of hardened clay with another piece1 or the striking out from a circle marked on the ground a silver piece placed in its centre by means of a stone or any other hard object--these are some of the popular games of boys4 ,sometimes both boys and girls join in theatricals4 ,ball-games are now and then seen1 but not often4 ,horse-riding too is a great amusement for boys1 but only the sons of rich families can indulge in this4 ,poorer boys have to content themselves with mounting on improvised horses1 such as rocks or logs of wood4 ,the ,tibetan girls do not differ much from those of other countries in preferring quiet and refined games to the rough sports of their brothers4 ,dolls are a favorite amusement1 and then singing1 which is either theatrical 7,aje-lhamo7 or religious 7,lama-mani74 ,the latter is associated with an interesting custom1 and is an imitation of 8,lama-mani10 who go about the country singing or reciting in quaint plaintive tones the famous deeds of the ,buha1 or high priests1 or even great warriors4 ,these ,lama-manis do not use instruments1 but possess pictures illustrating the popular historical accounts of those mighty persons4 ,the ,tibetan girls sing those pieces1 in imitation of the recitation of the minstrels1 one girl acting as conductor and the rest of the juvenile company reciting in chorus1 with now and then a religious chant interposed4 ,i may mention here that ,lama-manis are quite numerous in ,tibet4 ,in winter and when the field work is suspended1 they go on tour in the provinces1 but about the month of ,may1 when the field-work is resumed and the provincials are busy with it1 the minstrels return to ,lhasa and ply their trade there4 ,their arrival at the capital generally coincides with the appearance of the red dragon-flies1 so these flies are popularly known by the rather respectable name of #8,lama-mani4' ,,chapter ,,lxix4 ,the ,care of the ,sick4 ,the tending of sick persons is a task assigned to women in ,tibet1 and the peculiar notions prevailing about the treatment of patients makes this task doubly onerous4 ,tibetan doctors strictly forbid their patients to sleep in the day-time1 and so those who tend them have to follow this injunction of the doctors and keep the unfortunate patients awake4 ,the patients are not allowed to lie in bed but are made to remain leaning upon some supports specially prepared for them4 ,one or more nurses sit by their sides to give them any help they need1 and above all to prevent them from going to sleep4 ,these nurses cannot long stand the strain of constant watching1 and therefore they are relieved in turn1 to resume the task after they have taken more or less rest4 ,the nurses faithfully attend to their duty1 are very quiet so as not to annoy the patients1 wakeful as they are1 and above all to satisfy any of their wants1 to comfort and humor them1 and also to keep the rooms clean4 ,this cleaning must be judged strictly by a ,tibetan standard1 for viewed from the ,japanese standpoint it hardly deserves the name4 ,the patients are also kept comparatively clean1 considering the general filthy habits of the ,tibetans4 ,the effect of this insanitary condition at once makes itself felt to the olfactory sense of a foreigner who is accustomed to more perfect arrangements at home1 for as soon as he enters the room a peculiar offensive smell greets his nose4 ,but the most important and tiresome part of the nursing duty is to keep the patient awake1 and sometimes nurses are specially appointed to attend to this work4 ,these nurses keep beside them a bowl containing cold water and one or two wooden sprinklers4 ,when the patient is about to fall asleep1 a nurse sprinkles water on his face1 and this has the effect of preventing sleep4 ,when this water-sprinkling fails1 the nurse embraces the patient from behind and slightly presses him forward4 ,sometimes they call the patient by name and cause him to recover consciousness4 ,the patient is thankful for the trouble taken by the nurses1 being well aware that they do it in obedience to the doctor's orders1 and from their wish to ensure his recovery4 ,the idea that a patient must not be allowed to sleep in the day-time is strongly impressed on the minds of ,tibetans1 both professional and non-professional4 ,the doctors enjoin both on him and on the nurses to observe this point strictly as the first essential for his recovery1 and any person who comes to visit him first of all gives a similar warning4 8,don't allow him to fall asleep10 repeats the visitor to the nurses1 and reminds them that they are principally responsible for carrying out faithfully this cardinal necessity in the treatment of the patient4 ,when a patient dies1 the neighbors suspect that his nurses may not have been strict enough1 and must have suffered him to fall asleep6 ,i tried to find out the reasons that have brought about this strange medical custom1 and it was easy for me to make enquiries1 having been obliged to play the part of a quack doctor through the earnest importunities of the simple-minded ,tibetans4 ,so far as ,i could ascertain from those enquiries1 the idea seems to be that patients suffering from some diseases are liable to develop more fever when they sleep in the day-time1 while patients suffering from a local disease1 resembling dropsy1 not unfrequently die while asleep or while in a state of coma4 ,it seems to have been derived from some cases that occurred some time in the past1 the unscientific doctors of ,tibet having jumped to a general conclusion from certain specific occurrences4 ,i need hardly add that this non-sleep prescription is efficacious 7if ever it is efficacious at all7 for the ,tibetans only4 ,when at times ,i suffered from disease while in ,lhasa ,i slept as freely as ,i wished1 and of course ,i found myself feeling all the better for it4 ,the fact is that1 in ,tibet1 superstition plays a far more important part than medicine in the treatment of diseases4 ,people believe that a disease is the work of an evil spirit which enters the body of a person1 and therefore they conclude that that spirit must first be exorcised before a patient may be entrusted to the care of a doctor4 ,there being various kinds of evil spirits1 some high ,lama must be consulted in order to determine which particular one has possessed a given patient4 ,a priest before whom the matter is brought consults books on demonology1 then pronounces that the disease is the work of such and such an evil spirit1 and that for exorcising him such and such a service must be performed4 ,the consulting priest may specify the name of a ,lama when the service to be read is one of importance1 but when it is an ordinary one it may be performed by any ,lama4 ,at the same time the consulting priest issues directions about medical treatment--that a doctor should be called in after the service has been performed for so many days1 or that such and such a doctor should be invited simultaneously with the religious performance1 or that medical aid may be dispensed with altogether4 ,these directions are given orally when the ,lama who issues them is one of secondary position1 but when he is one of exalted rank the directions are written by one of his attendants and the sheet is authenticated by the mark of his own seal4 ,the ,tibetans put implicit faith in the directions issued by such high ,lamas1 and follow them literally4 ,for instance1 when the ,lama directs them not to seek the aid of medicine1 say for the first five days1 and orders the patient only to perform the rites of exorcism during that period1 they are sure to do so4 ,a patient1 who might have recovered had the aid of medicine been at once invoked1 may then die1 but his family will never blame the ,lama for it4 ,they will rather hold him in greater respect than before1 attributing to him an extraordinary power of foresight4 ,they will say that he had foreseen the hopelessness of the patient's case1 and therefore told them not to take the unnecessary trouble of calling in the aid of a doctor until after the lapse of five days4 ,the reverend priest knew1 they think1 that the patient would die by that time4 ,anybody who should dare to hold the ,lama responsible for the death of the patient would run a serious risk of being denounced by the faithful believers as a heretic and as a person of depraved mind4 ,even those who at heart condemn the mischievous and fatal meddling of the priests in the case of diseases prudently keep silence1 for fear of calling down upon themselves the wrath of the fanatical populace4 ,to speak the truth1 the ,tibetan doctors hardly deserve to be trusted4 ,the word #8doctor' as applied to them is a gross outrage on the noble science1 for they possess merely the knowledge 7and this too of a very shallow kind7 of the primitive medicine of ancient ,india4 ,as even that knowledge is the result of oral instruction transmitted from father to son for many generations1 and not acquired from studying medical works or from investigation1 the ,tibetan #8doctors' are utterly incompetent for the important function assigned to them4 ,the doctors practically possess only one stock medicine1 which is the root of a certain poisonous herb called tsa-tuk in ,tibet4 ,being a strong stimulant it is fatal in a large dose1 and even a limited quantity causes a temporary paralysis of the different parts of the body and sometimes violent diarrha4 ,a change of any kind is likely to be taken as a hopeful sign by patients1 and so the ,tibetan doctors always use more or less of this drug for all kinds of illness1 just as the ,japanese doctors were accustomed to use liquorice-root in olden days4 ,knowing as ,i do how untrustworthy and even dangerous the prescriptions of ,tibetan doctors are1 ,i sometimes thought that if the choice between the two evils had to be made ,i should rather recommend to sick people an exclusive reliance on prayers and faith-cure instead of on the risky medicines prepared by these quacks4 ,,chapter ,,lxx4 ,outdoor ,amusements4 ,there are various methods of feasting in ,tibet1 but the one which appeals most strongly to the fancy of the people and is1 ,i think1 the most refined1 is the ,lingka4 ,this is a sort of garden party held in woody places situated in the outskirts of the city of ,lhasa4 ,the ,tibetans seldom behave respectably and with courtesy when they meet in a social reunion2 too frequently on such occasions disputes or even quarrels are liable to occur4 ,but in a ,lingka party all those who participate in it behave with decorum1 and even people who are generally regarded as quarrelsome characters appear genteel and affable in deference to the best tradition of the country4 ,a ,lingka carried out by a party of warrior-priests is sufficiently animated1 but very seldom do they mar the occasion with unseemly quarrels4 ,the places where this refined amusement is held are1 as before mentioned1 situated very close to the city1 and are found in all directions except the south1 where flows a river4 ,in the remainder of the circuit woods and groves are scattered here and there1 and also patches of velvety lawns4 ,some of the groves are enclosed and are attached to the private villas of wealthy people1 but there are plenty of groves and lawns which are left open to the public4 ,these lawns and groves present a charming appearance in spring1 and the people of ,lhasa1 after having been chained to the town through the desolate and dreary scenes of winter1 feel themselves inspired with a new life when they meet again on turf which is resuming its vigor and putting on a new coat of velvet4 ,there are peach-trees with their buds about to burst open1 while by the streams may be seen willow-trees with their elegant pendant twigs covered with fresh green leaves4 ,the whole city of ,lhasa finds its heart beating with a new life1 as it were1 in agreeable harmony with the fascinating surroundings of nature4 ,the season of pure and innocent amusements has arrived1 and the people1 urged on by the natural cravings of their hearts1 sally forth to the fields in small parties or large1 and enjoy themselves with picnics4 ,the picnic outfit comprises baked flour1 fried vegetables or meats1 cheese1 raisins1 dried peaches1 dried animal flesh1 sacks of liquor and tea-sets4 ,there are two kinds of native liquors1 one being made of barley or wheat and the other of rice4 ,of the two the former is used to a greater extent than the latter4 ,the barley liquor is brewed in a very simple way4 ,a certain quantity of barley1 generally at the rate of one sho of the grain to five sho of the liquor1 is roasted1 then left to cool1 and while it is being cooled a quantity of malt is added1 and the mixture is put in a jug and kept in a warm place4 ,in three days the mixture is converted into yeast1 and to it water is added and thoroughly stirred4 ,the liquor is then ready1 and it is ladled out as occasion requires1 or the whole watery portion is strained and put in another vessel4 ,in brewing a superior kind of the liquor1 only about two sho of water is added to one sho of the grain and the strained liquid is left to ripen for some weeks4 ,this superior liquor is used only by wealthy people4 ,the ordinary barley liquor is very weak and does not intoxicate unless a large quantity is drunk4 ,the climate too being comparatively cool and the atmosphere very dry1 the fumes of the liquor soon disappear even when a man has imbibed a large quantity4 ,so1 prepared with all those provisions1 the parties spread their mats on the turf1 and enjoy themselves to their hearts' contents from nine in the morning to six in the afternoon4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,picnic ,,party ,,in ,,summer4 ,let us suppose that a carpet is laid on the velvety lawn in a wood1 and that there are liquors and delicacies to which the party will help themselves4 ,there will also be singing and dancing4 ,dancing is generally accompanied by vocal music1 and it occupies in the eyes of ,tibetan people a very important place on the programme of a public function of this kind4 ,everybody appears to think that there is nothing more enjoyable in life than the art of cadenced steps and graceful postures4 ,even the country people who from lack of opportunities cannot learn the art1 appreciate and enjoy it just as well as the inhabitants of cities4 ,strangers like myself do not see any great merit in the ,tibetan dancing1 but to their eyes it is certainly amusing4 ,in short1 the picnic is a source of most refined relaxation to the ,tibetans1 for on such occasions they sing and dance1 they drink the best of liquors and eat the best of delicacies1 their enjoyment very much enhanced by the exquisite environment4 ,here flows a limpid current drawn from the river ,kichu and on its banks are gambolling and running children and adults4 ,there stand majestic snow-capped peaks with their slopes covered with verdant forests4 ,lhasa indeed seems to justify at such time its classic name of the #8,ground of ,deities'4 ,the above description applies to a picnic given by people of the higher classes1 but their inferiors also have picnics of their own4 ,the picnics got up by people of the lower classes are of course less refined1 and the amusements include the drinking of liquors1 gambolling1 and maybe wrestling4 ,tibetan wrestling possesses a peculiarity of its own1 quite distinct from that prevailing in ,japan4 ,the wrestlers generally keep apart from their antagonists and do not tug and close in as do their confrres of ,japan4 ,very seldom does a ,tibetan wrestler aim at throwing down his antagonist1 the contest consisting in the use of the arms4 ,the picnickers also amuse themselves with competitions of stone-flinging1 which is a favorite game of the warrior priests1 and sometimes they try a foot-race4 ,dancing is a favorite item of amusement in the picnics of the vulgar folks also1 and it does not differ much in form from that of people of the higher circles1 though it somewhat lacks elegance and at times it even strikes one as scandalous4 ,still1 one beautiful point about the picnics even of the lower people is that very seldom does a quarrel or any such unseemly incident mar the sweet pleasure of the occasion1 and it is evident that the changsa of the lingka exerts upon them a high moral influence and indirectly leads them to good4 ,whether for people of the higher circles or for their inferiors1 among the changsas the lingka is the purest and most refined of their amusements and is the one most conducive to fraternal feeling and good fellowship4 ,,chapter ,,lxxi4 ,russia's ,tibetan ,policy4 ,before proceeding to give an account1 necessarily imperfect1 of ,tibetan diplomacy1 ,i must explain what is the public opinion of the country as to patriotism4 ,i am sorry to say that the attitude of the people in this respect by no means does them credit4 ,so far as my limited observation goes1 the ,tibetans1 who are sufficiently shrewd in attending to their own interest1 are not so sensitive to matters of national importance4 ,it seems as if they were destitute of the sense of patriotism1 as the term is understood by ordinary people4 ,not that they are totally ignorant of the meaning of 8fatherland10 but they are rather inclined to turn that meaning to their own advantage in preference to the interest of their country4 ,such seems1 in short1 the general idea of the politicians of to-day4 ,the ,tibetans are more jealous with regard to their religion4 ,a few of them1 a very limited few it is true1 seem to be prepared to defend and promote it at the expense of their private interest1 though even in this respect the majority are so far unscrupulous as to abuse their religion for their own ends4 ,in the eyes of the common people1 religion is the most important product of the country1 and they think therefore that they must preserve it at any cost4 ,their ignorance necessarily makes them fanatics and they believe that any one who works any injury to their religion deserves death4 ,the ,hierarchical ,government makes a great deal of capital out of this fanatical tendency of the masses4 ,the holy religion is its justification when it persecutes persons obnoxious to it1 and when it has committed any wrong it seeks refuge under the same holy name4 ,the ,government too often works mischief in the name of religion1 but the masses do not of course suspect any such thing--or even if they do now and then harbor a suspicion1 they are deterred from giving vent to their sentiments1 for to speak ill of the religion is a heinous crime in ,tibet4 ,i have already stated how in general the ,tibetan women are highly selfish and but poorly developed in the sense of public duty4 ,one might naturally suppose that the children born of such mothers must be similarly deficient in this important point4 ,i thought at first that the ,tibetan men were less open to this charge than their wives and sisters1 but ,i soon found this to be a mistake4 ,i found the men not much better than the women1 and equally absorbed in their selfish desires while totally neglecting the interests of the ,state4 ,a foreign country knowing this weak point1 and wishing to push its interests in the ,forbidden ,land1 has only to form its diplomatic procedure accordingly4 ,in other words1 it has merely to captivate the hearts of the rulers of ,tibet1 for once the influential ,cabinet ,ministers of the ,hierarchical ,government are won over1 the next step will be an easy matter4 ,the greedy ,ministers will be ready to listen to any insidious advice coming from outside1 provided that the advice carries with it literally the proper weight of gold4 ,they will not care a straw about the welfare of the ,state or the interest of the general public1 if only they themselves are satisfied4 ,however1 foreign diplomatists desiring to succeed in their policy of gaining influence over ,tibet must not think that they have an easy task before them4 ,gold is most acceptable to all ,tibetan statesmen1 but at times gold alone may not carry the point4 ,the fact is that ,tibet has no diplomatic policy in any dignified sense of the word4 ,its foreign doings are determined by sentiment1 which is necessarily destitute of any solid foundation1 but is susceptible to change from a trivial cause4 ,a foreign country which has given a large bribe to the principal statesmen of ,tibet may find afterwards that its enormous disbursements on this account have been a mere waste of money1 and that the recipients who were believed to have been secured with golden chains have broken loose from them1 for some mere triviality4 ,it is impossible to rely on the faith of the ,tibetan statesmen1 for they are entirely led by sentiment and never by rational conviction4 ,the ,muscovites seem to conduct their ,tibetan policy with consummate dexterity4 ,their manuvres date from a long time 7at least thirty years7 back1 when ,russia's activity towards ,tibet began to attract the public attention of the ,powers concerned4 ,russia has selected a highly effective instrument in promoting her interest over ,tibet4 ,there was a ,mongolian tribe called the ,buriats1 which peopled a district far away to the north-east of ,tibet towards ,mongolia4 ,the tribe was originally feudatory to ,china1 but it passed some time ago under the control of ,russia4 ,the astute ,muscovites have taken great pains to insinuate themselves into the grateful regard of this tribe4 ,contrary to their vaunted policy at home1 they have never attempted to convert the ,mongolians into believers of the ,greek ,church1 but have treated their religion with a strange toleration4 ,the ,muscovites even went farther and actually rendered help in promoting the interests of the ,lamaist faith1 by granting its monasteries more or less pecuniary aid4 ,it was evident that this policy of ,russia originated from the deep-laid plan of captivating the hearts of the priests1 whose influence was1 as it still is1 immense over the people4 ,from this tribe quite a large number of young priests are sent to ,tibet to prosecute their studies at the principal seats of ,lamaist learning4 ,these young ,mongolians are found at the religious centres of ,ganden1 ,rebon1 ,sera1 ,tashi ,lhunpo and at other places4 ,there must be altogether two hundred such students at those seats of learning2 several able priests have appeared from among them1 one of whom1 ,dorje by name1 became a high tutor to the present ,dalai ,lama while he was a minor4 ,this great priest obtained from the ,hierarchical ,government some twenty years ago the honorable title of 8,tsan-ni ,kenbo10 which means an 8instructor in the ,lamaist ,catechism40 ,there were besides him three other instructors2 but he is said to have virtually monopolised the confidence of the young ,lama ,chief4 ,nor was this confidence misplaced1 so far as the relation of teaching and learning was concerned1 for the ,mongolian priest surpassed his three colleagues both in ability and in learning1 and as he omitted no pains to win the heart of his little pupil1 the latter was naturally led to hold him in the greatest estimation and affection4 ,the ,tsan-ni ,kenbo returned home when1 on his pupil's attaining majority1 his services as tutor were no longer required4 ,it is quite likely that he described minutely the results of his work in ,tibet to the ,russian ,government1 for it is conceivable that he may have been entrusted by it with some important business during his stay at ,lhasa4 ,soon the ,tsan-ni ,kenbo re-visited ,lhasa1 and this time as a priest of great wealth1 instead of as a poor student1 as he was at first4 ,he brought with him a large amount of gold1 also boxes of curios made in ,russia4 ,the money and the curios must have come to him from the ,russian ,government4 ,the ,dalai ,lama and his ,ministers were the recipients of the gold and curios1 and among the ,ministers a young man named ,shata appears to have been honored with the largest share4 ,the name of the ,tsan-ni ,kenbo had been remembered with respect since his departure from ,lhasa1 and his re-appearance as a liberal distributor of gifts completed his triumph4 ,the ,dalai ,lama was now ready to lend a willing ear to anything his former tutor represented to him1 while the friendship between him and the young ,premier grew so fraternal that they are said to have vowed to stand by each other as brothers born4 ,the astute ,tsan-ni did not of course confine his crafty endeavors to the higher circles alone2 the priest classes received from him a large share of attention1 due to the mighty influence which they wield over the masses4 ,liberal donations were therefore more than once presented to all the important monasteries of ,tibet1 with which of course the priests of these monasteries were delighted4 ,in their eyes the ,tsan-ni was a ,mongolian priest of immense wealth and pious heart1 and the idea of suspecting how he came to be possessed of such wealth never entered their unsophisticated minds4 ,so they had nothing but unqualified praise for him4 ,when at rare intervals some inquisitive priests asked the ,government officers about the origin of the ,tsan-ni's fortune1 the latter would inform them with a knowing look that the ,mongolian ,lama was regarded with something like regal respect by his countrymen1 who vied with each other in presenting gold and other precious things to that venerable priest4 ,there was nothing strange about his acquisition of wealth4 ,and so the ,government and priesthood placed themselves at the feet of the ,tsan-ni and adored him as their benefactor4 ,the ,zaune's programme of #8conquest' was really comprehensive and included a general plan intended for the masses4 ,it was based on an old tradition of ,tibet and involved no extra disbursements on his part4 ,it must be remembered that a work written in former times by some ,lama of the ,new ,sect contained a prophetic pronouncement--a pronouncement which was supported by some others--that some centuries hence a mighty prince would make his appearance somewhere to the north of ,kashmr1 and would bring the whole world under his sway1 and under the domination of the ,buhist faith4 ,now ,kashmr and the places near it are districts of great natural beauty and delightful situation1 and ,buhism once attained a high prosperity in them1 before they were subdued by the ,muhammadan conquerors4 ,this would-be 8prophet0 must have concluded a priori that as the faith had once prevailed there1 therefore it must one day recover its original prosperity4 ,starting from this peculiar surmise the prophet jumped to the conclusion that the place1 from its advantageous natural position1 must in some remote future make its power felt through the world1 and that this would be achieved by some powerful prince4 ,this announcement alone was not sufficiently attractive to awake the interest of the ,tibetans1 and so the unborn prince was represented as a holy incarnation of the founder of the national religion of ,tibet1 ,tsong-kha-pa1 and his ,ministers were to be incarnations of his principal disciples1 as ,jam yan ,choeje1 ,chamba ,choeje and ,gendun ,tub4 ,the prophet went into further details and gave the name of the future great country as 8,chang ,shambhala20 ,chang denoting 8northward0 and 8,shambhala0 the name of a certain city or place1 if ,i remember rightly1 to the north of ,kashmr4 ,with a precision worthy of ,swift's pen1 the prophet located the new ,buhist empire of the future at a distance some three thousand miles north-west of ,buhagay in ,hinsn1 and he even described at some length the route to be taken in reaching the imaginary country4 ,this utopian account has obtained belief from a section of the ,tibetan priest-class1 and some of them are said to have undertaken a quest for this future empire1 so that they might at least have the satisfaction of inspecting its cradle4 ,now the ,tibetan prophet bequeathed us this important forecast with the idea that when the ,tibetan religion degenerated1 it would be saved from extinction by the appearance of that mighty ,buhist prince1 who would extend his benevolent influence over the whole world4 ,i should state that this announcement is widely accepted as truth by the common people of ,tibet4 ,the ,tsan-ni ,kenbo was perfectly familiar with the existence of this marvellous tradition1 and he was not slow to utilise it for promoting his own ambitious schemes4 ,he wrote a pamphlet with the special object of demonstrating that 8,chang ,shambhala0 means ,russia1 and that the ,tsar is the incarnation of ,je ,tsong-kha-pa4 ,the ,tsar1 this ,russian emissary wrote1 is a worthy reincarnation of that venerable founder1 being benevolent to his people1 courteous in his relations to neighboring countries1 and above all endowed with a virtuous mind4 ,this fact and the existence of several points of coincidence between ,russia and the country indicated in the sacred prophecy indisputably proved that ,russia must be that country1 that anybody who doubted it was an enemy of ,buhism and of the august will of the ,founder of the ,new ,sect1 and that in short all the faithful believers in ,buhism must pay respect to the ,tsar as a ,chang-chub ,semba ,semba ,chenbo1 which in ,tibetan indicates one next to ,buha1 or as a new embodiment of the ,founder1 and must obey him4 ,such is said to be the tenor of that particular writing of the ,tsan-ni ,kenbo4 ,it seems to exist in three different versions1 ,tibetan1 ,mongolian and ,russian4 ,i have not been able to see a copy1 but it was from the lips of a trustworthy person that ,i gathered the drift of the exposition given in the pamphlet4 ,indeed the ,tsan-ni's pamphlet was preserved with jealous care by all who had copies of it1 such care as is bestowed by a pious bibliographer on a rare text of ,buhist writing4 ,i knew several priests who undoubtedly possessed copies of the pamphlet1 but ,i could not ask permission to inspect them1 for fear that such a request might awake their suspicion4 ,the one from whom ,i confidentially obtained the drift of the writing told me that he found in it some unknown letters4 ,i concluded that the letters must be ,russian4 ,tsan-ni ,kenbo's artful scheme has been crowned with great success1 for to-day almost every ,tibetan blindly believes in the ingenious story concocted by the ,mongolian priest1 and holds that the ,tsar will sooner or later subdue the whole world and found a gigantic ,buhist empire4 ,so the ,tibetans may be regarded as extreme ,russophiles1 thanks to the machination of the ,tsan-ni ,kenbo4 ,there is another minor reason which has very much raised the credit of ,russia in the eyes of the ,tibetans2 ,i mean the arrival of costly fancy goods from that country4 ,now1 the fancy goods coming from ,british ,india are all cheap things which are hardly fit for the uses for which they are intended4 ,the reason is obvious2 as the ,tibetans cannot afford to buy goods of superior quality1 the merchants who forward these to ,tibet must necessarily select only those articles that are readily marketable4 ,the goods coming from ,russia1 on the other hand1 are not intended for sale2 they are exclusively for presents4 ,naturally therefore the goods coming from ,russia are of superior quality and can well stand the wear and tear of use4 ,the ignorant ,tibetans do not of course exercise any great discernment1 and seeing that the goods from ,england and ,russia make such a striking contrast with each other they naturally jump to the conclusion that the ,english goods are trash1 and that the people who produce such things must be an inferior and unreliable race4 ,i heard during my stay in ,tibet a strange story the authenticity of which admitted of no doubt4 ,it was kept as a great secret and occurred about two years ago4 ,at that time the ,dalai ,lama received as a present a suit of ,episcopal robes from the ,tsar1 a present forwarded through the hands of the ,tsar's emissary4 ,it was a splendid garment glittering with gold and was accepted1 ,i was told1 with gratitude by the ,grand ,lama4 ,the ,tsar's act in giving such a present to him is open to a serious charge4 ,if the ,tsar presented the suit as a specimen of an embroidered fabric1 then that act amounted to sacrilege1 for the ,bishop's ceremonial robe is a sign of a high religious function1 and when a person receives it from the superior ,head of the holy church it means that that person has been installed in the seat of a ,bishop4 ,on the other hand if the ,tsar presented the suit from religious considerations his act is equally inexplicable and deserves condemnation1 for he must have been perfectly aware that ,lamaism is an entirely distinct religion from the ,state religion of ,russia1 and that the chief of the ,tibetan religion therefore has nothing to do with such an official garment4 ,it was really a strange transaction4 ,on the part of the recipient there were extenuating circumstances4 ,the fact is1 he must have been entirely ignorant as to the real nature of the present4 ,he must have accepted it merely as a costly garment with no special meaning attached to it4 ,i am certain he would have rejected the offer at once had he had even a faint inkling of its nature4 ,he was therefore a victim of ignorance and perhaps of imposition1 for the ,tsan-ni ,kenbo1 who knew all about this present1 must have made some plausible explanations to the ,dalai ,lama when the latter asked him about it4 ,shata1 the ,premier and bosom friend of the ,tsan-ni1 probably played some part in the imposture4 ,illustration3 ,,prime ,,minister4 ,who is ,shata8 ,shata1 whose name ,i have before mentioned1 is the eldest of the ,premiers1 and comes from one of the most illustrious families of ,tibet4 ,his house stood in hereditary feud with the great monastery ,tangye-ling whose head1 ,lama ,temo ,rinpoche1 acted as ,regent before the present ,dalai ,lama had been installed4 ,at that time the star of ,shata was in the decline4 ,he could not even live in ,tibet with safety1 and had to leave the country as a voluntary exile4 ,as a wanderer he lived sometimes at ,darjeeling and at other times in ,sikkim4 ,it was during this period of his wandering existence that he observed the administration of ,india by ,england1 and heard much about how ,india came to be subjugated by that ,power4 ,shata therefore is the best authority in ,tibet about ,england's ,indian policy4 ,his mind was filled with the dread of ,england4 ,he was overawed by her power and must have trembled at the mere idea of the possibility of her crossing the ,himlayas and entering ,tibet1 which could hardly hope to resist the northward march of ,england1 when once the latter made up her mind to invade the land4 ,he must have thought during his exile that ,tibet would have to choose between ,russia and ,china in seeking foreign help against the possible aggression of ,england4 ,evidently therefore he carried home some such idea as to ,tibetan policy when affairs allowed him to return home with safety1 that is to say1 when his enemy had resigned the ,regency and surrendered the supreme power to the ,dalai ,lama4 ,shata was soon nominated a ,premier1 and the power he then acquired was first of all employed and abused in destroying his old enemy and his followers4 ,the maladministration and unjust practices of which those followers had been guilty during the ascendancy of their master furnished a sufficient cause for bringing a serious charge against the latter4 ,the poor ,temo ,rinpoche was arrested for a crime of which he was innocent1 and died a victim to his enemy1 as already told4 ,shata is an unscrupulous man and is resourceful in intrigues4 ,but he is nevertheless a man of vigorous mind and does not hesitate about the means1 when once he makes up his mind to compass anything4 ,he is the best informed man in ,tibet1 comparatively speaking1 in diplomatic affairs1 and so he must possess a certain definite view about the foreign policy of ,tibet1 and his pro-,russian tendency must have come from his strong conviction1 though this conviction rested on a slender base4 ,this tendency was of course stimulated and encouraged by the ,tsan-ni ,kenbo1 who did not neglect to work upon the other's inclination when he saw that it was highly favorable to him4 ,shata on his part must have rendered help to his ,mongolian friend when the latter wished to offer the strange present to the ,dalai ,lama4 ,i do not say that the other ,ministers approved of ,shata's acts in this significant transaction1 or even of his pro-,russian policy4 ,on the contrary some of them may have deprecated both as being opposed to the interests of ,tibet4 ,but they could hardly speak out their minds1 and even if they did they could not restrain ,shata1 for the simple reason that the executive authority practically rests in the hands of the ,senior ,premier4 ,he very seldom consulted his colleagues1 still less was he inclined to accept advice coming from them4 ,under the circumstances they must have connived at the acceptance of the bishop's apparel1 even if they knew about it4 ,china's loss of prestige in ,tibet since the ,japano-,chinese war owing to her inability to assert her power over the vassal state has much to do with this pro-,russian leaning4 ,china is no longer respected1 much less feared by the ,tibetans4 ,previous to that war and before ,china's internal incompetence had been laid bare by ,japan1 relations like those between master and vassal bound ,tibet to ,china4 ,the latter interfered with the internal affairs of ,tibet and meted out punishments freely to the ,tibetan dignitaries and even to the ,grand ,lama4 ,now she is entirely helpless4 ,she could not even demand explanations from ,tibet when that country was thrown into an unusual agitation about the ,temo ,rinpoche's affair4 ,the ,tibetans are now conducting themselves in utter disregard or even in defiance of the wishes of ,china1 for they are aware of the powerlessness of ,china to take any active steps against them4 ,they know that their former suzerain is fallen and is therefore no longer to be depended upon4 ,they are prejudiced against ,england on account of her subjugation of ,india1 and so they have naturally concluded that they should establish friendly relations with ,russia1 which they knew was ,england's bitter foe4 ,it is evident that the ,dalai ,lama himself favors this view1 and it may safely be presumed that unless he was favorably disposed towards ,russia he would never have accepted the bishop's garment from the ,tsar4 ,he is too intelligent a man to accept any present from a foreign sovereign as a mere compliment4 ,the ,dalai ,lama's friendly inclination was clearly established when in ,december1 #aijj1 he sent to ,russia his grand ,chamberlain as envoy with three followers4 ,leaving ,lhasa on that date the party first proceeded towards the ,tsan-ni ,kenbo's native place1 whence they were taken by the ,siberian railway1 and in time reached ,s4 ,petersburg4 ,the party was received with warm welcome by that court1 to which it offered presents brought from ,tibet4 ,it is said that on that occasion a secret understanding was reached between the two ,governments4 ,it was about ,december of #aija or ,january of the following year that the party returned home4 ,by that time ,i had already been residing in ,lhasa for some time4 ,about two months after the return of the party ,i went out on a short trip on horseback to a place about fifty miles north-east of ,lhasa4 ,while ,i was there ,i saw two hundred camels fully loaded arrive from the north-east4 ,the load consisted of small boxes1 two packed on each camel4 ,every load was covered with skin1 and so ,i could not even guess what it contained4 ,the smallness of the boxes however arrested my attention1 and ,i came to the conclusion that some ,mongolians must have been bringing ingots of silver as a present to the ,dalai ,lama4 ,i asked some of the drivers about the contents of the boxes1 but they could not tell me anything4 ,they were hired at some intermediate station1 and so knew nothing about the contents4 ,however they believed that the boxes contained silver1 but they knew for certain that these boxes did not come from ,china4 ,they had been informed by somebody that they came from some unknown place4 ,when ,i returned to the house of my host1 the ,minister of ,finance came in and informed him that on that day a heavy load had arrived from ,russia4 ,on my host inquiring what were the contents of the load1 the ,minister replied that this was a secret4 ,i took a hint from this talk of the ,minister and left the room4 ,i had however by good chance discovered that the load came from ,russia1 and though ,i could not as yet form any idea about the contents1 ,i tried to get some reliable information4 ,now ,i knew one ,government officer who was one of the worst repositories imaginable for any secret2 he was such a gossip that it was easy to worm out anything from him4 ,one day ,i met him and gradually the trend of our conversation was turned to the last caravan4 ,i found him quite communicative as usual1 and so ,i asked him about the contents of the load4 ,the gentleman was so far obliging1 that he told me 7confidentially1 he said7 that another caravan of three hundred camels had arrived some time before1 and that the load brought by so many camels consisted of small fire-arms1 bullets1 and other interesting objects4 ,he was quite elated with the weapons1 saying that now for the first time ,tibet was sufficiently armed to resist any attack which ,england might undertake against her1 and could defiantly reject any improper request which that aggressive power1 as the ,tibetans believe her to be1 might make to her4 ,i had the opportunity to inspect one of the guns sent by ,russia4 ,it was apparently one of modern pattern1 but it did not impress me as possessing any long range nor seem to be quite fit for active service4 ,the stock bore an inscription attesting that it was made in the ,united ,states of ,america4 ,the ,tibetans being ignorant of ,roman letters and ,english firmly believed that all the weapons were made in ,russia4 ,it seems that about one-half of the load of the five hundred camels consisted of small arms and ammunition4 ,the ,chinese ,government appears mortified to see ,tibet endeavoring to break off her traditional relation with ,china1 and to attach herself to ,russia4 ,the ,chinese ,amban once tried to interfere with the ,tsan-ni ,kenbo's dealings in ,lhasa1 and even intended to arrest him4 ,but it was of no avail1 as the ,tibetan ,government extended protection to the man and defeated the purposes of the ,amban4 ,on one occasion the ,tsan-ni was secretly sent to ,darjeeling and on another occasion to ,nepl1 and the ,amban could never catch hold of him4 ,it appears that the ,british ,government watched the movements of the ,tsan-ni1 and this suspicion of ,england against him appears to have been shared by the ,nepl ,government4 ,apparently therefore the ,russian manuvres in ,tibet have succeeded1 and the question that naturally arises is this3 8,is ,russia's footing in ,tibet so firmly established as to enable her to make with any hope of success an attempt on ,india with ,tibet as her base80 ,i cannot answer this question affirmatively1 for ,russia's influence in ,tibet has not yet taken a deep root4 ,she can count only on the ,dalai ,lama and his ,senior ,premier as her most reliable friends1 and the support of the rest who are simply blind followers of those two cannot be counted upon4 ,of course those blind followers would remain pro-,russian1 if ,russia should persist in actively pushing on her policy of fascination2 but as their attitude does not rest on a solid foundation they may abandon it any time when affairs take a turn unfavorable for ,russia4 ,for it must be remembered that by no means the whole of the higher classes of ,tibet are even passive supporters of the policy marked out by the ,dalai ,lama and his trusted lieutenants4 ,on the contrary1 there are some few who are secretly suspicious of the motives of ,russia4 ,the ,tsar1 they think1 may be the sovereign who is the incarnate ,founder1 but his very munificence towards ,tibet may have some deep meaning at bottom4 ,that munificence may not be for nothing2 if it is1 then ,russia must be regarded as a country composed of people who are quite godly--a very rare thing in this world of give and take1 where selfishness is a guiding motive4 ,is it not more reasonable and safer to interpret these repeated acts of outward friendship as coming from her ambitious design to place a snare before ,tibet and finally to absorb the country8 ,such ideas are1 ,i say1 confined to only a very limited section1 and are exchanged in whispers between confidential friends4 ,they do not seem to have reached the ears of the ,dalai ,lama and the ,senior ,premier4 ,but those ideas already contain in them a germ of a dangerous nature1 which at some favorable opportunity may develop into a powerful anti-,russian movement4 ,russia therefore will experience a keen disappointment if she considers her footing in ,tibet firmly planted beyond any fear of shaking1 and neglects to keep watch over the state of affairs in that country4 ,if she neglects this1 all the gold she has disbursed in the shape of presents and bribes will prove so much mere waste4 ,,chapter ,,lxxii4 ,tibet and ,british ,india4 ,the ,tibetans are on the whole a hospitable people1 and the unfavorable discrimination made against ,england is mainly attributable to mutual misunderstanding4 ,on the part of ,england that misunderstanding led to the adoption of a rough and ready method instead of one of ingratiation1 and so ,england is singled out as an object of abhorrence by ,tibet4 ,england had opportunities to score a greater success in ,tibet than that achieved by ,russia1 and had she followed the ,russian method her influence would now have extended far beyond the ,himlayas4 ,instead1 she tried to coerce ,tibet1 and so she failed4 ,it is like crying over spilt milk to speak of this failure at present1 but ,i cannot help regretting it for the sake of ,england4 ,she would have saved much of the trouble and money she has subsequently been obliged to give in consequence of her too hasty policy1 occasioned by her ignorance of the temper of the ,tibetans and the general state of affairs in their country4 ,as it was1 since ,england sent her abortive expedition of force1 the attitude of ,tibet towards that ,power has become one of pronounced hostility4 ,the revelation of the secret mission of ,sara ,chanra s and the serious agitation that occurred in ,tibet1 including the execution of several noted men1 such as the virtuous ,sengchen ,dorjechan and others1 has completely estranged the ,tibetan ,government from ,england4 ,that revelation has had a far-reaching effect that has involved the interests of other countries1 for it confirmed the ,tibetan ,government in its prejudice in favor of a exclusory policy4 ,tibet has been closed up entirely since that time1 not only against ,british ,india1 but even against ,russia and ,persia4 ,the ,lama believers of ,india even are prohibited from entering the country4 ,such being the case1 should ,england ever wish to transact any business with ,tibet she would be obliged to do so by force4 ,not that ,england neglects to take measures calculated to win the favorable opinion of the ,tibetans4 ,the ,indian ,viceroy is1 for instance1 endeavoring to convey friendly impressions to such of the ,tibetans as may happen to come to frontier places1 such as ,darjeeling or ,sikkim4 ,thus the children of those ,tibetans are at liberty to enter any ,government schools without paying fees1 while boys of a hopeful nature are patronised by the ,government and are sent at ,government expense to higher institutions4 ,at present there are quite a number of ,tibetan lads who1 after graduation from their respective courses1 are employed by the ,indian ,government as surveyors1 ,post ,office clerks or teachers4 ,then the privilege of carrying on the business of palanquin-bearers1 quite a lucrative occupation1 is practically reserved for the ,tibetans1 at least at ,darjeeling4 ,not even natives of ,india1 still less people of other countries1 are easily allowed to start this business4 ,the ,indian ,police officers too are quite indulgent towards the ,tibetans1 and never deal with them so strictly as with the ,indian natives4 ,the ,tibetans residing at ,darjeeling are therefore quite satisfied with their lot4 ,most of them feel sincerely grateful towards the ,british ,government and are ready to repay it with friendly service4 ,the longer they remain under the ,british protection1 the stronger grows this sentiment4 ,they are impressed with the treatment of the ,british ,government1 its straightforwardness1 veracity and benevolence1 in contrast to the merciless dealings of the ,government at home1 which inflicts shocking punishments for even minor offences4 ,they are well aware that the ,lama's ,government cuts off a man's arms or extracts his eye-balls for larceny1 or similar minor crimes1 while in ,india capital punishment is very seldom inflicted even on offenders of a grave character2 the humane treatment of criminals by the ,british ,government is a thing that can hardly be dreamed of by the people of ,tibet4 ,the roads in ,india are an object of marvel to the ,tibetans who arrive there for the first time4 ,the presence of free hospitals1 of free asylums1 of educational institutions1 the railways1 telegraphs and telephones--all these are objects of wonder and marvel to those ,tibetans1 and it is not strange that most of them become the more disinclined to return home the longer they live in ,india4 ,in the presence of these evidences of material greatness1 the ,tibetans naturally come to the conclusion that a ,government which can afford to establish and maintain such splendid structures must be immensely rich1 and they therefore begin to nurture the hope of having such a wealthy and great ,government over them1 and of sharing in its prosperity4 ,this sentiment seems to be especially strong among those of the higher classes1 who have seen ,india1 and it is shared by their inferiors who know that greatness only from hearsay4 ,the policy of indirectly winning the goodwill of the ,tibetans1 so far pursued by the ,indian ,government1 has failed1 however1 to produce any perceptible effect on the ,government circles of ,tibet4 ,they are too far engrossed with personal interests to be open to any great extent to indirect suasion of a moral nature4 ,they are far more inclined to gain advantage for themselves directly from offers of bribes than to profit by an exemplary model of administration4 ,the main reason why they are favorably disposed towards ,russia is because they have received gold from that country2 it was never by the effect of any display of good administrative method that ,russia has succeeded so well4 ,in short1 these greedy ,tibetan officials offer their friendship to the highest bidders1 and they do not care at all whence the gold comes so long as they grasp a large sum4 ,the policy of the ,british ,government therefore rests on a pedestal set a little too high to be understood and appreciated by the majority of the official circles of ,tibet4 ,the attitude of the priesthood towards ,england is a puzzled one4 ,they are puzzled to determine whether they should denounce the ,english as devils incarnate1 or respect them as the incarnations of saints4 ,the benevolent arrangements made by them1 such as establishing philanthropic institutions1 laying of railroads and such like1 lead the sceptical ,lamas to think that ,englishmen must understand the ways of ,buhism and be a godly race4 ,but when they think that these same ,englishmen did not scruple to annex other people's land to their own dominions1 their favorable impression about ,englishmen receives a sudden and complete check4 ,these two conflicting notions seem to have taken a deep hold on their minds1 and they try to solve the puzzle without compromising their two convictions4 ,they explain that there must be two distinct kinds of ,englishmen in ,india1 one benevolent and godly and the other infernal and quite wicked4 ,otherwise1 they think1 such a marvellous phenomenon as that witnessed in ,india could hardly have been possible4 ,the same priests held a strange notion about the late ,queen4 ,they believed her to be an incarnation of the patron ,goddess of the ,cho-khang temple in ,lhasa1 and therefore endowed with a supernatural power of subjugating and governing the whole world4 ,because of this occult affinity the ,queen entertained1 they believed1 a fraternal feeling towards ,tibet1 but some of the courtiers about her were wicked and obstructed her benevolent intentions1 just as the great ,buha himself had among ,his disciples some wicked and incorrigible characters4 ,the ,tibetans1 they said1 must get rid of those pernicious persons for the ,queen4 ,when the news of the death of the ,queen reached ,tibet1 the people1 while mourning for her1 at the same time rejoiced1 for they thought that their ,panden ,lhamo1 the ,goddess in question1 was once more restored to them4 ,i may add that ,i was frequently asked by the literates and other men of learning of my own impression about ,british ,india1 for they knew that ,i had visited ,buhagay and other places in ,india4 ,on such occasions ,i merely confined myself as much as possible to general remarks1 for ,i feared that any accurate explanation might awake their suspicions about my supposed personality4 ,the existence of the ,siberian railway can hardly be expected to give any great help to ,russia1 if ever the latter should be obliged from one reason or another to send a warlike expedition to ,lhasa4 ,the distance from the nearest station to ,lhasa is prohibitive of any such undertaking1 for the march1 even if nothing happens on the road1 must require five or six months and is through districts abounding in deserts and hills4 ,the presence of wild natives in ,amdo and ,kham is also a discouraging factor1 for they are people who are perfectly uncontrollable1 given up to plunder and murder1 and of course thoroughly at home in their own haunts4 ,even discipline and superior weapons would not balance the natural advantages which these dreadful people enjoy over intruders1 however well informed the latter may be about the topography of the districts4 ,russia can hardly expect to subdue ,tibet by force of arms4 ,it was in consideration of this fact that the ,tsan-ni ,kenbo has been endeavoring to impose upon the ,tibetans that audacious fiction about the identity of the ,tsar's person with that of the long dead ,founder of the ,new ,sect1 so that his master might accomplish by peaceful means what he could hardly effect by force4 ,however1 even the ,tsan-ni's painstaking efforts appear to have fallen short of his expectations1 and there is a danger of a reaction setting in against him4 ,it must be remembered that the sentiment of the common people towards ,china still retains its old force1 even though they know that the power of their old patron has considerably declined lately4 ,they are well aware that ,tibet has been placed from time immemorial in a state of vassalage to ,china1 that ,prince ,srong-tsan ,gambo who first introduced ,buhism into ,tibet had as his wife a daughter of the then ,emperor of ,china1 while the ,tibetans believe that the present ,emperor of ,china is an incarnation of a ,buhist deity 7the ,chang-chub ,semba ,tambe yang in ,tibetan7 worshipped on ,mount ,utai1 ,china4 ,and so both from tradition and prejudice and from present superstition1 the mass of the people1 who are conservative1 cannot but regard ,china with a lingering sentiment of respect and attachment1 and the position which ,china still occupies in the niches of their hearts can hardly be supplanted by ,russia1 even when the ,tsan-ni ,kenbo ingeniously represents her as the country indicated in the ,tibetan ,book of ,prophecy4 ,as ,i have mentioned before1 some few of the influential ,government officials do not seem to approve of the ,tsan-ni's movement4 ,they even suspect that ,russia might have some sinister object in view when she presented gold and other valuable things to the ,dalai ,lama and others4 ,tibet has no newspapers1 but even without that organ of public opinion the public become acquainted sooner or later with most important occurrences1 and so it stands to reason that the unfavorable view which is secretly entertained by a limited number of thoughtful men must have leaked out one way or other to at least a section of the public4 ,the result is that not a small number of priests have begun to side1 though not as an organised movement1 with these prudent thinkers1 and therefore to rebel against ,shata and his faction4 ,the priests of the colleges and the warrior-priests seem to be particularly conspicuous in this reactionary movement4 ,indeed the fact is that ,shata has never been a persona grata with those young men since the tragedy of ,temo ,rinpoche1 and so they were inclined to view anything done by the crafty author of that tragedy with suspicious eyes4 ,then again the thoughtful portion of the college-priests never tolerated the ,nechung oracles4 ,they despised the oracle-priests as not much better than men of unsound mind1 as drunkards1 and corrupters of national interests4 ,the very fact that ,shata patronised this vile set further estranged him from the college-priests4 ,under the circumstances1 something like a reaction seems already to have set in against the pro-,russian agitation ingeniously planned by the ,tsan-ni ,kenbo4 ,it remains to be seen what steps ,russia will take towards ,tibet to prevent the ,lama's country from slipping away from her grasp4 ,in reviewing the relations that formerly existed between ,british ,india and ,tibet1 it must be stated first of all that ,british ,india was closely connected with ,tibet many years ago4 ,at least ,tibet's attitude toward the ,indian ,government was not embittered by any hostile sentiment4 ,in the eighteenth century1 during the ,governor-,generalship of ,warren ,hastings1 he sent ,george ,bogle to make commercial arrangements between the two countries4 ,this gentleman resided a few years at ,shigatze4 ,then ,captain ,turner also lived at the same place as a commercial agent for some time4 ,after that time ,india did not send any more such commissioners1 but till about twenty-four years ago the ,indian natives were permitted to enter ,tibet unmolested4 ,they were generally pilgrims or priests bent on visiting the sacred places4 ,quite a large number of such ,indians must have entered ,tibet4 ,prior to the exploration of ,sara ,chanra s it was not an uncommon sight1 ,i have been told1 to see a party of naked priests1 each carrying a water-vessel made of gourd1 and iron tongs1 and with faces smeared with ashes1 proceeding towards ,tibet4 ,though official relations had ceased between ,tibet and ,india1 their people therefore were bound together by some friendly connexions till quite recently4 ,it is not unlikely that if the ,indian ,government had made at that time some advances acceptable to ,tibet1 it would have succeeded in establishing cordial relations with the latter4 ,the exploration of ,sara ,chanra s disguised as an ordinary ,sikkimese priest1 and the frontier trouble that followed it1 completely changed the attitude of ,tibet towards ,india and the outer world and made it adopt a strict policy of exclusion4 ,the publication of the results of that exploration directed the attention of the ,indian ,government to the question of delimiting the boundary between ,sikkim1 its protectorate1 and ,tibet4 ,it was at that time that the ,tibetan ,government adopted most indiscreet measures at the instance of a fanatical ,nechung1 and proceeded to build a fort at a frontier place which distinctly belonged to ,sikkim4 ,the ,tibetan ,government is said to have at first hesitated to follow that insidious advice1 but the ,nechung was clamorous and declared that his presence in the fort would disarm any troops which the ,indian ,government might send against it4 ,tibet therefore1 continued the fanatic1 need not be afraid of the ,indian ,government and must proceed to construct a fort with all promptitude4 ,he argued that the presence of a fort would go far towards promoting ,tibet's cause in settling the boundary dispute and the fort would become the permanent boundary mark4 ,accordingly the fort was built at a place that was beyond the legitimate boundary line of ,tibet4 ,soon the ,indian troops arrived and1 #8infidels' as they were1 they made short work of it1 in utter defiance of the terrible anathema hurled by the indomitable ,nechung against them4 ,the stronghold was carried by assault by the invaders4 ,the crumbled stone walls standing on a hill at a place about twenty miles on this side of ,nyatong1 which marks the boundary between ,sikkim and ,tibet1 indicate the site of this short-lived stronghold built by the ,tibetan ,government4 ,now in building a fort in a place which the ,tibetans themselves knew to belong to ,sikkim1 they may have reasoned with self-complacency that as ,sikkim formerly belonged to ,tibet1 therefore they might not improperly revive their original claim on1 at least1 a portion of that district now under the jurisdiction of ,england4 ,of course ,england could never concur in such an arrangement1 and the trouble between her and ,tibet at last culminated in war4 ,this was about sixteen years ago4 ,the issue of that war was from the first a foregone conclusion1 and the troops sent by the ,indian ,government easily put to rout the fighting men of ,tibet4 ,the latter held better positions1 but they lacked discipline1 training and good weapons1 while they had the further disadvantage of being commanded by would-be generals and captains who did not care to lead their men in person1 but contented themselves with issuing orders and leaving them to be carried out anyhow4 ,needless to add that the orders could never be carried out1 but were invariably frustrated by the invaders4 ,the ,tibetan generals and captains escaped unhurt1 for the simple reason that they had never exposed themselves to danger4 ,after issuing orders1 they always remained in the camp and spent their time in gambling1 leaving their soldiers to be killed or wounded on the field4 ,thus the war ended with some heavy casualty returns on the ,tibetan side1 and far shorter returns on the part of the invaders4 ,as the result of this war the frontier line was drawn through ,nyatong1 and though the ,indian ,government would have been justified in extending it further down to ,chumbi ,samba1 it did not push its claim so far4 ,apparently the action of the ,indian ,viceroy of that time was crowned with success1 but when this complication is viewed with an eye to a longer and more permanent end1 ,i cannot approve of the measures adopted by him4 ,he should ,i think1 have adopted a course of leniency instead of one of stern punishment1 and should have endeavored by some clever manuvres1 not excluding a rather liberal disbursement of secret service funds1 to win the good-will of the ruling circles of ,tibet4 ,i think the result would have been far more advantageous for the future success of ,england than recovering at the point of the bayonet a barren tract covering only thirty miles in area4 ,who knows but that the influence of ,england might have been firmly established in ,tibet by this time if that patronising policy had been adopted then1 and that ,englishmen might not be free to come and reside in and about ,lhasa to enjoy the pure atmosphere and cool and healthy climate of that district8 ,,chapter ,,lxxiii4 ,china1 ,nepal and ,tibet4 ,it requires the erudition and investigations of experts to write with any adequacy about the earlier relations between ,china and ,tibet4 ,i must therefore confine myself here only to the existing state of those relations4 ,tibet is nominally a protectorate of ,china1 and as such she is bound to pay a tribute to the ,suzerain ,state4 ,in days gone by1 ,tibet used to forward this tribute to ,china1 but subsequently the payment was commuted against expenses which ,china had to allow ,tibet1 on account of the ,grand ,prayer which is performed every year at ,lhasa for the prosperity of the ,chinese ,emperor4 ,as a result of this arrangement1 ,tibet ceased to send the tribute and ,china to send the prayer fund4 ,the loss of ,chinese prestige in ,tibet has been truly extraordinary since the ,japano-,chinese ,war4 ,previous to that disastrous event1 ,china used to treat ,tibet in a high-handed way1 while the latter1 overawed by the display of force of the ,suzerain1 tamely submitted4 ,all is now changed1 and instead of that subservient attitude ,tibet regards ,china with scorn4 ,the ,tibetans have come to the conclusion that their masters are no longer able to protect and help them1 and therefore do not deserve to be feared and respected any more4 ,it can easily be understood how the ,chinese are mortified at this sudden downfall of their prestige in ,tibet4 ,they have tried to recover their old position1 but all their endeavors have as yet been of no avail4 ,the ,tibetans listen to ,chinese advice when it is acceptable1 but any order that is distasteful to them is utterly disregarded4 ,while ,i was staying in ,lhasa a yellow paper1 containing the ,chinese ,emperor's decree issued at the termination of the ,boxer trouble1 was hung up in the square of that city4 ,the decree was addressed to all the eighteen provinces of ,china and all her protectorates4 ,it warned the people under pain of severe penalty against molesting and persecuting foreigners1 as they1 the people1 were too frequently liable to do from their ignorance of the state of affairs abroad and their misunderstanding of the motives of the foreigners who came to their respective districts4 ,these foreigners1 the decree continued1 have really come to engage in industrial pursuits or in diffusing religion1 and for other purposes beneficial alike to the people and themselves4 ,in order to promote these aims of mutual benefit1 the middle kingdom has been opened so as to allow foreigners freedom of travelling to any place they wish1 and so1 concluded the decree1 this policy of welcome and hospitality should be adopted in all the provinces and protectorates4 ,two other decrees of like import arrived afterwards and were similarly posted up1 and ,i thought at that time that the allies must have entered ,peking1 and that this decree must have been issued as a result of the conclusion of peace between the ,powers and ,china4 ,the decree1 however1 failed to produce any particular impression on the ,tibetans4 ,i asked a high ,government official what ,tibet was going to do with the order set forth in the decree1 and whether the ,tibetan ,government1 in the face of that injunction1 could refuse1 for instance1 to allow ,englishmen to enter the country4 ,the official scornfully replied that his ,government was not obliged to obey an order which the ,chinese ,emperor issued at his own pleasure4 ,and besides it was highly doubtful whether the ,emperor1 who was an incarnation of a high saint1 could have issued a decree of that nature1 which he must have known to be utterly opposed to the interests and traditional policy of ,tibet4 ,it was more probably clandestinely issued by some wicked men near the ,emperor's person1 as a result of bribes received from foreigners4 ,it did not deserve to be trusted1 much less to be obeyed1 declared my ,tibetan friend4 ,whatever be the motive1 therefore1 the ,tibetans are utterly indifferent to most of the decrees coming from ,china1 and treat them like so many gamblers' oaths1 neither more nor less4 ,whether it be from polygamous customs or from other causes1 the fact remains1 though it is not possible to prove it by accurate statistical returns1 that the population of ,nepl is rapidly increasing4 ,it must be remembered that the ,government takes great pains to increase its population1 in order to expand its interests both at home and abroad1 and1 probably under the impression that polygamy is conducive to that end1 it is encouraging this questionable practice4 ,in ,nepl therefore even a man who can hardly support his family has two or three wives1 and one who is better off has many more4 ,apparently this policy is attended with success1 so far as the main object aimed at is concerned1 for ,i have never seen so many children anywhere as ,i saw in ,nepl1 where every family consisted of a large number of boys and girls4 ,be the cause what it may1 the beneficial effect of this steady advance of population is plainly visible in that country1 where almost every nook and corner of available land is brought under tillage1 where woods are tended with extreme care1 and even the remote forests inhabited by wild beasts are made to contribute their share to the stock of lumber1 of which a large portion is annually exported to lower ,india4 ,already the population of ,nepl appears to be too large for the limited area of the country1 and so a considerable emigration is taking place4 ,thus we find the ,neplese serving in the army of the ,indian ,government1 or pursuing trade or opening up wild lands in ,sikkim or at ,darjeeling4 ,above all the ,neplese seem to cast their longing glances towards ,tibet as the best field for their superfluous population2 for ,tibet1 while possessing an area about twelve-fold that of ,nepl1 is far more thinly populated4 ,they even seem to be prepared to go through the ordeal of war1 if necessary1 to secure that best outlet for their needy population1 which cannot find sufficient elbowroom at home4 ,perhaps the ,nepl ,government has that contingency in view in maintaining1 as it does1 a standing army which is evidently far above its home requirements in numerical strength4 ,in ,nepl the military department receives appropriations which are quite out of proportion to those set apart for peaceful matters1 as education1 justice and philanthropy4 ,indeed the ,nepl troops1 the famous ,gurkhas1 may even rival regular ,british troops in discipline and effectiveness2 they may perhaps even surpass the others in mountain warfare1 such as would take place in their own country4 ,certainly in their capacity of enduring hardships and in running up and down hills1 bearing heavy knapsacks1 they are superior to the ,british soldiers4 ,they very much resemble the ,japanese soldiers in stature and general appearance1 and also in temperament4 ,the one might easily be mistaken for the other1 so close is the resemblance between the two4 ,in short1 as fighters in mountainous places the ,gurkhas form ideal soldiers2 and it seems as though circumstances will sooner or later compel ,nepl to employ for her self-defence this highly effective force4 ,russia is at the bottom of the impending trouble1 while ,tibet supplies the immediate cause4 ,the ,russianising tendency of ,tibet has recently put ,nepl on her guard1 and when intelligence reached ,nepl that ,tibet had concluded a secret treaty with ,russia1 that the ,dalai ,lama had received a bishop's robe from the ,tsar1 and that a large quantity of arms and ammunition had reached ,lhasa from ,s4 ,petersburg1 ,nepl became considerably alarmed1 and with good reason4 ,for with ,russia established in ,tibet1 ,nepl must necessarily feel uneasy1 as it would be exposed to the danger of absorption4 ,the very presence of a powerful neighbor must subject ,nepl to a great strain which can hardly be borne for long4 ,it is not surprising to hear that ,nepl is said to have communicated in an informal manner with ,tibet and to have demanded an explanation of the rumors concerning the conclusion of a secret treaty between her and ,russia1 adding that if that were really the case then ,nepl1 from considerations of self-defence1 must oppose that arrangement even if the opposition entailed an appeal to arms4 ,what reply ,tibet has made to this communication is not accurately known1 but that ,nepl sent an informal message to this effect admits of no doubt4 ,nepl may be driven to declare war on ,tibet should the latter persist in pursuing her pro-,russian policy1 and allow ,russia to establish herself in that country2 and it is quite likely that ,england may be pleased to see ,nepl adopt that resolute attitude4 ,she may even extend a helping hand1 for instance by supplying part of the war expense1 and thus enabling ,nepl to prosecute that movement4 ,the reason is obvious1 for ,england has nothing to lose but everything to gain from trouble between ,nepl and ,tibet1 in which the former may certainly be expected to win4 ,but even if ,nepl is victorious her victory will bring her only a small benefit1 and the lion's share will go to ,england2 ,nepl therefore would be placed in the rather foolish position of having taken the chestnuts from the fire for the ,british lion to eat4 ,the present ,ruler of ,nepl is too intelligent a statesman not to perceive that--judging at least from my personal observations1 when ,i was allowed to see the ,ruler1 the ,cabinet ,minister4 ,he knows that it would be far better for his countrymen to content himself with the reality of benefit rather than with the glory of a successful but necessarily costly war4 ,he should confine himself to making some arrangements with ,tibet by which the ,neplese may be enabled to enter1 or settle in ,tibet1 and to carry on profitable undertakings there4 ,if once his countrymen establish their influence in ,tibet by virtue of economic undertakings1 then they may regard with comparative complacency any advance of ,russian influence in ,tibet1 for ,nepl would be in a position to counteract that influence by peaceful means or even by war if necessary4 ,thus1 it is hardly likely that ,nepl will go to extreme measures towards ,tibet1 even if ,england should cleverly encourage her4 ,it must be remembered that the relations between the two countries are not yet strained4 ,the ,tibetans do not seem to harbor any ill-feeling towards their neighbors beyond the mountains1 nor do they regard them as a whole with fear1 though they do fear the ,gurkhas on account of their valor and discipline4 ,the ,tibetan ,government also seems to be desirous of maintaining a friendly relation with ,nepl4 ,for instance1 when on one occasion the ,ruler of ,nepl sent his messenger to ,tibet to procure a set of ,tibetan sras1 the ,dalai ,lama1 who heard of that errand1 caused a set to be sent to ,nepl as a present from himself1 which is now kept in the ,royal ,library of ,nepl4 ,the ,nepl ,government1 on its part1 appears to be doing its best to create a favorable impression on the ,tibetans4 ,the ,ruler1 it must be remembered1 is not a ,buhist but a ,brhmaa2 still1 he pursues the policy of toleration towards all faiths1 and is especially kindly to ,buhists4 ,the ,buhists from ,tibet who are staying in ,nepl enjoy protection from the ,government1 and the ,ruler not unfrequently makes grants of money or timber when ,buhist temples are to be built in his dominion4 ,the care bestowed by the ,ruler on the ,buhists is highly appreciated by their friends at home1 and ,nepl is therefore favorably situated for winning the hearts of the ,tibetan people4 ,it is easily conceivable that with a judicious use of secret service funds ,nepl might easily establish her influence in ,tibet4 ,this1 however1 cannot be readily expected from that country1 as internal conditions now are1 for order is far from being firmly established in that little kingdom1 and domestic troubles and administrative changes occur too frequently4 ,even the ,prime ,minister1 who wields the real power1 has been assassinated more than once1 while changes have very frequently taken place in the incumbency of that post4 ,nepl is at present too deeply absorbed in her internal affairs1 and cannot spare either energy or money for pursuing any consistent policy towards ,tibet4 ,thus1 though the military service of ,nepl is sufficiently creditable1 her diplomacy leaves much to be desired4 ,,chapter ,,lxxiv4 ,the ,future of ,tibetan ,diplomacy4 ,tibet may be said to be menaced by three countries--,england1 ,russia and ,nepl1 for ,china is at present a negligible quantity as a factor in determining its future4 ,the question is which of the three is most likely to become master of that table-land4 ,it is evident that the three can never come to terms in regard to this question2 at best ,england and ,nepl may combine for attaining their common object1 but the combination of ,russia with either of them is out of the question4 ,russia's ambition in bringing ,tibet under her control is too obviously at variance with the interest of the other two to admit of their coming to terms with her1 for ,russia's occupation would be merely preparatory to the far greater end of making a descent on the fertile plains on the south side of the ,himlayas by using ,tibet as a base of operation4 ,as circumstances stand1 ,nepl has to confine her ambition to pushing her interests in ,tibet by peaceful means4 ,this is evidently the safest and most prudent plan for that country1 seeing that when once that object has been attained her interest would remain unimpaired whether ,tibet should fall into the hands of ,england or into those of ,russia4 ,after all1 therefore1 the future of ,tibet is a problem to be solved between those two ,powers4 ,at present ,russia has the ears of an important section of the ruling circles of ,tibet1 while on the other hand ,england has the mass of the ,tibetan people on her side4 ,the ,russian policy1 depending as it does on clever manuvres and a free use of gold1 is in danger of being upset by any sudden turn of affairs in ,tibet1 while the procedure of ,england being moderate and matter-of-fact is more lasting in its effect4 ,which policy is more likely to prevail cannot easily be determined1 for though moderation and practical method will win in the long run1 diplomacy is a ticklish affair and must take many other factors into consideration4 ,at any rate ,england is warned to be on the alert1 for otherwise ,russia may steal a march upon her and upon ,lhasa4 ,if the ,russian troops should ever succeed in reaching ,lhasa1 that would open up a new era for ,tibet1 for the country would passively submit to the ,russian rule4 ,the ,tibetans1 it must be remembered1 are thoroughly imbued with the spirit of negative fatalism1 and the arrival of ,russian troops in ,lhasa would therefore be regarded as the inevitable effect of a predetermined causation1 and therefore as an event that must be submitted to without resistance4 ,the entry of those troops would never rouse the patriotic sentiment of the people4 ,but the effect of this imaginary entry would constitute a serious menace to ,india4 ,in fact1 with ,russia established in the natural strongholds of ,tibet1 ,india1 it may be said1 would be placed at the mercy of ,russia1 which could send her troops at any moment down to the fertile plains below4 ,thus would the dream of ,peter the ,great be realised1 and of course the ,british supremacy on the sea would avail nothing against this overland descent across the ,himlayas4 ,some may think that what ,i have stated is too extravagant1 and is utterly beyond the sphere of possibility4 ,i reply that any such thought comes from ignorance of the natural position of ,tibet4 ,any person who has ever personally observed the immense strength which ,tibet naturally commands must agree with me that its occupation by ,russia would be followed sooner or later by that of ,india by the same aggressive power4 ,the question naturally arises3 8,will ,tibet then cease to be an independent country80 ,it is of course impossible to come to any positive conclusion about it1 but from what ,i have observed and studied ,i cannot give a reassuring answer4 ,the spirit of dependence on the strong is too deeply implanted in the hearts of the ,tibetan people to be superseded now by the spirit of self-assertion and independence4 ,during the long period of more than a thousand years1 the ,tibetan people has always maintained the idea of relying upon one or another great power1 placing itself under the protection of one suzerain ,state or another1 first ,india and then ,china4 ,how far the ,tibetans lack the manly spirit of independence may easily be judged from the following story about the ,dalai ,lama1 who is unquestionably a man of character1 gifted with energy and power of decision1 who would be well qualified to lead his country to progress and prosperity did he possess modern knowledge and were he well informed of the general trend of affairs abroad4 ,he is thoroughly familiar with the condition of his own people1 and has done much towards satisfying popular wishes1 redressing grievances and discouraging corrupt practices4 ,if ever there were a man in ,tibet whose heart was set on maintaining the independence of the country1 it must be the ,dalai ,lama4 ,so ,i had thought1 but my fond hope was rudely shaken1 and ,i was left in despair about the future of ,tibet4 ,this supreme chief of the ,lama ,hierarchy has recently undergone a complete change in his attitude towards ,england4 ,formerly whenever ,england opened some negotiation with ,tibet1 the ,dalai ,lama was overcome by great perturbation1 while any display of force on the part of ,england invariably plunged him into the deepest anxiety4 ,he was often seen on such occasions to shut himself up in a room and1 refusing food or rest1 to be absorbed in painful reflexions4 ,now all is changed1 and the same ,dalai ,lama regards all threats or even encroachments with indifference or even defiance4 ,for instance1 when ,england1 chiefly to feel the attitude of ,tibet and not from any object of encroachment1 included1 when fixing the boundary1 a small piece of land that had formerly belonged to ,tibet1 the ,dalai ,lama was not at all perturbed4 ,instead of that he is said to have talked big and breathed defiance1 saying that he would make ,england rue this sooner or later4 ,his subjects1 it is reported1 were highly impressed on this occasion and they began to regard him as a great hero4 ,for my part this sudden change in the behavior of the supreme ,lama only caused me to heave a heavy sigh for the future of ,tibet4 ,it cruelly disillusioned me of the great hopes ,i had reposed in his character for the welfare of his country4 ,the reason why the ,grand ,lama1 who was at first as timid as a hare towards ,england1 should become suddenly as bold as a lion1 is not far to seek4 ,the conclusion of a secret treaty with ,russia was at the bottom of the strange phenomenon4 ,strong in the idea that ,russia1 as she had promised the ,dalai ,lama1 would extend help whenever his country was threatened by ,england1 he who had formerly trembled at the mere thought of the possibility of ,england's encroachment began now to hurl defiance at her4 ,he may even have thought that the arrival of a large number of arms from ,russia would enable ,tibet to resist ,england single-handed4 ,in short1 the ,dalai ,lama believed that ,russia being the only country in the world strong enough to thwart ,england1 therefore he need no longer be harassed by any fear of the latter country4 ,with the ,dalai ,lama--perhaps one of the greatest ,lama pontiffs that has ever sat on the throne--given up shamelessly1 and even with exultation1 to that servile thought of subserviency1 and with no great men prepared to uphold the independence of the country1 ,tibet must be looked upon as doomed4 ,all things considered therefore1 unless some miracle should happen1 she is sure to be absorbed by some strong ,power sooner or later1 and there is no hope that she will continue to exist as an independent country4 ,,chapter ,,lxxv4 ,the 8,monlam0 ,festival4 ,monlam literally means supplication1 but in practice it is the name of the great ,tibetan festival performed for the benefit of the reigning ,emperor of ,china1 the offering of prayers to the deities for his prosperity and long life4 ,the festival commences either on the #crd or #dth of ,january1 according to the lunar calendar1 and closes on the #beth of the month4 ,the three days beginning on ,new ,year's ,day and ending with the #crd are given up to the ,new ,year's ,festival1 and from the following day the great ,monlam season sets in4 ,in order to make arrangements for the coming festival1 the priests are given holiday from the #bjth of ,december4 ,holiday however is a gross misnomer1 for the days are spent in profane pleasures and in all sorts of sinful amusements4 ,the temples are no longer sacred places2 they are more like gambling-houses--places where the priests make themselves merry by holding revels far into the night4 ,now is the time when the ,tibetan priesthood bids good-bye for a while to all moral and social restraints1 when young and old indulge themselves freely to their heart's content1 and when those who remain aloof from this universal practice are laughed at as old fogeys4 ,i had been regularly employing one little boy to run errands and to do all sorts of work4 ,in order to allow him to enjoy the season1 ,i engaged another boy on this occasion4 ,i might have dispensed with this additional boy altogether1 for as the two boys never remained at home1 and even stayed away at night1 it was just as if ,i had had no boy at all4 ,and so for days and days religion and piety were suspended and in their places profanity and vice were allowed to reign supreme4 ,the wild season being over--it lasts about twelve days--the ,monlam festival commences4 ,this is preceded by the arrival of priests at ,lhasa from all parts of ,tibet4 ,from the monasteries of ,sera1 ,rebon1 ,ganden and other large and small temples1 situated at a greater or less distance1 arrive the contingents of the priestly hosts4 ,these must number about twenty-five thousand1 sometimes more and sometimes less1 according to the year4 ,they take up their quarters in ordinary houses1 for the citizens are under obligation to offer one or two rooms for the use of the priests during this season1 just as people of other countries are obliged to do for soldiers when they carry out manuvres in their neighborhood4 ,and as in the case when soldiers are billeted1 so the priests who come from the country are crowded in their temporary abodes4 ,some of them are even obliged to sleep outside1 owing to lack of accommodation1 but they do not seem to mind the discomfort much1 so long as snow does not fall4 ,besides the priests1 the city receives at the same time an equally numerous host of lay visitors from the country1 so that the population of ,lhasa during this festival season is swollen to twice its regular number1 or even more4 ,in ordinary days ,lhasa contains about fifty thousand inhabitants1 but there must be at least a hundred thousand on this special occasion4 ,i ought to state that formerly1 and before the time of the present ,dalai ,lama1 the arrival of the ,monlam festival was signalised not by the inflow of people from the country but by the contrary movement1 the temporary exodus of the citizens to the provinces4 ,since the accession of the present ,grand ,lama the direction of the temporary movement has been reversed1 and the festival has begun to be celebrated amidst a vast concourse of the people instead of amidst a desolate scene4 ,this apparent anomaly was due to the extortion which the ,festival ,commissioners practised on the citizens4 ,this function is undertaken by two of the higher priests of the ,rebon ,monastery1 the largest of the three important establishments1 who take charge of the judicial affairs of the temple during the term of one year1 and are known by the title of ,shal-ngo4 ,the appointment to the post of ,shal-ngo was and still is an expensive affair for its holder1 for he must present to the officials who determine the nomination bribes amounting to perhaps five thousand yen4 ,as soon as the post has been secured at such a cost the ,shal-ngo loses no time in employing it as a means of recovering that sum1 with heavy interest1 during his short tenure of office and especially during the two festival seasons of ,monlam and ,sang-joe1 over which the two ,commissioners exercise absolute control4 ,they set themselves to collect enough to enable them to live in competence and luxury during the rest of their lives4 ,driven by this inordinate greed1 the dealings of the ,commissioners are excessively strict during those days4 ,fines are imposed for every trivial offence2 the citizens are frequently fined as much as two hundred yen1 in ,japanese currency1 on the pretext of the imperfect cleansing of the doorways or of the streets in front of their houses4 ,the parties engaged in a quarrel are ordered to pay a similarly heavy fine1 and without any discrimination as to the relative justice of their causes4 ,then too the festival seasons are a dreadful time for those who have debts not yet redeemed1 for then the creditors can easily recover the sum through the help of the ,commissioners1 provided they are prepared to give to them one-half the sum thus recovered4 ,on receipt of a petition from a creditor1 the greedy officials at once order the debtors and their friends to pay the money on pain of having their property confiscated4 ,the whole proceedings of the ,festival ,commissioners1 therefore1 are not much better than the villainous practices of brigands and highwaymen4 ,it is not to be wondered at that at the approach of the festivals the citizens began in a hurry to lock away their valuable property in the secret depths of their houses1 and then leaving one or two men to take charge during their absence1 left the city for the country1 the houses being given over as lodgings for the priests4 ,during the ,monlam season1 therefore1 there did not remain in the city even one-tenth of its ordinary population4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,corrupt ,,chief ,,justice ,,of ,,the ,,monks4 ,the shark-like practices of the ,shal-ngos are not confined to the festival seasons or to the citizens2 on the contrary1 they prey even on their brother-priests for the purpose of satisfying their voracious greed1 and extort money from them4 ,the ,shal-ngos are like wolves in a fold of sheep1 or like robbers living with impunity amidst ordinary law abiding people4 ,that such gross abuses and injustice should have been allowed within the sacred precincts of a monastery is really marvellous1 but it is a fact4 ,the ,shal-ngos' extortions from the citizens were checked when the present ,dalai ,lama ascended the throne1 and the citizens were thus enabled to live in peace and to participate in the festival during the ,monlam season1 but the sinful practices of the ,legal ,commissioners in other quarters are still left uncurtailed4 ,an interesting story is told which shows how the ,shal-ngos are abhorred and detested by the ,tibetans4 ,a certain ,lama1 superstitiously believed to possess a supernatural power of visiting any place in this world or the next and of visiting ,paradise or ,hell1 was once asked by a merchant of ,lhasa to tell him with what he1 the ,lama1 had been most impressed during his visits to ,hell4 ,the ,lama replied that he was surprised to see so many priests suffering tortures at the hands of the guardians of ,hell4 ,however he continued with an air of veracity1 the tortures to which ordinary priests were being subjected were not very extreme1 and they were therefore allowed to live in their new abode with less suffering4 ,but the tortures inflicted on the ,shal-ngos of ,rebon monastery were horrible2 they were such that the mere recollection of them caused his hair to stand on end4 ,such is the story told at the expense of these ,lama sharks1 and indeed from the way in which they act during their short tenure of the office1 ,hell1 and the lowest circle in it1 seems to be the only place for which they are fit4 ,lhasa puts on her cleanest and finest appearance with the advent of this season4 ,the filth and garbage that have been left accumulating during the preceding months are carried away1 the gutters are cleaned1 and the public are no longer allowed to drop dirt about or in any way to pollute the streets4 ,the grand service is performed at the magnificent three-storied edifice which is so conspicuous in ,lhasa1 namely the ,cho ,khang1 the celebrated ,buha's ,hall4 ,during the service this hall is packed to overflowing with priests and pious believers1 and there is not space left to move one's elbows4 ,not infrequently1 therefore1 casualties are said to happen4 ,the service is performed three times a day1 first from five to seven in the morning1 then from ten to a little before one and lastly from three to about half past four in the afternoon4 ,the second service is the most important one for the priests who attend the ceremony1 as it is accompanied by monetary gifts4 ,the gifts come either from philanthropic folk or from the ,government1 and range on each occasion from twenty-four sen 7,japanese7 to seventy-two sen4 ,the gifts generally amount during the period of the ,festival to about ten yen for ordinary priests4 ,this sum is considerably larger on a special occasion1 as when a ,dalai ,lama is enthroned or dies1 when it may increase to about twenty yen4 ,the receipts of the higher ,lamas during this season are far greater--often one thousand1 two thousand or even as much five thousand yen4 ,on the other hand all the priests who arrive in ,lhasa to attend the ceremony are required to pay their own lodging expenses1 at the rate of twenty-five to fifty sen a day4 ,for a room or set of rooms better furnished than usual the charge may be three to five yen1 and of course only aristocratic priests can afford to hire such rooms4 ,the lodging of the priests is somewhat exclusive1 and they are forbidden to stay at houses selling liquors1 or containing many females4 ,during this season1 besides the ,festival ,commissioners who are the ,lama sharks of the year1 a special office for supervising priests1 called ,khamtsan-gi ,giken1 is created1 commissioned with the duty of controlling the conduct of the priests4 ,quarrels are1 however1 very rare during the season1 though from the ordinary behavior of priests they might naturally be expected to occasion such troubles4 ,at any rate the priests maintain decorum externally4 ,they are expected to attend the three services performed each day1 and they are not allowed to attend the ceremony at their own temples1 even when those temples are situated near the city4 ,they must live in the city1 and remain there1 unless under exceptional circumstances1 such as illness4 ,the attendance at the three services is not compulsory1 yet it is very rarely neglected1 for a distribution of gifts is very often made at each service4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,final ,,ceremony ,,of ,,the ,,monlam4 ,on ,january #aeth1 according to the lunar calendar1 the most magnificent ceremony is carried out at night4 ,the offerings are arranged around the ,buha's ,hall1 and the most conspicuous object among them is a triangular wooden frame with sharp apex1 the structure measuring about forty feet high and thirty feet long at the base4 ,two dragons in an ascending position are fixed to the two sides1 while about the middle of the frame the 8,enchanted ,garden0 is represented1 peopled either with figures of the ,buha teaching human beings or of ,princes and other important dignitaries4 ,these figures are all made of butter4 ,besides human figures there are figures of several of the alleged birds of paradise1 such as are mentioned in ,buhist books4 ,all these are of ,tibetan workmanship1 and creditably executed1 probably as a result of long experience4 ,i should add that the butter figures are all finely painted and even gilded1 and as the butter takes color easily the effect produced is very splendid1 when those highly decorated and painted figures are seen by the light of butter-lamps or torches that are burning at a suitable distance from the figures4 ,there must be as many as a hundred and twenty such ornamental structures around the ,hall1 while the lamps and torches that are burning are quite countless4 ,indeed1 it seemed to me as if some gorgeous scene such as we imagine to exist only in ,heaven had been transplanted to earth on that particular occasion4 ,to the ,tibetans the scene as exhibited on this particular night marks the high-water level of all that is splendid in this world1 and it is therefore quoted as an ideal standard in speaking of anything that is uncommonly magnificent4 ,this offering ceremony concludes at about two o'clock the following morning1 and two hours later the decorated figures are removed1 for they are in danger of being melted when exposed to the rays of the sun4 ,the ceremony1 it must be remembered1 is attended only by a limited number of priests1 probably three hundred at the utmost out of the twenty-five thousand who are present in the city to attend the ,monlam festival4 ,the privilege of inspecting this yearly show is therefore regarded as a great honor by the ,tibetan priests4 ,the reason why this magnificent display is denied to the inspection of the majority of priests and to the whole of the populace is because formerly1 when it was open to universal inspection1 uncontrollable commotion attended by casualties used to mar the function4 ,and so the authorities decided about thirty years ago to perform it in this semi-private manner4 ,the ceremony begins at about eight in the evening and closes1 as before mentioned1 at about four the following morning4 ,the function is sometimes inspected by the ,dalai ,lama1 while at other times he does not come1 as was the case when ,i had the good fortune to witness it in the company of the ex-,finance ,minister4 ,the ,amban however does not omit to attend the ceremony4 ,he was attired in the gorgeous official garments of ,china1 and sat in a carriage lit up inside with twenty-four tussore silk lanterns in which were burning foreign-made candles4 ,on his head he wore the official cap befitting his rank4 ,the procession was preceded by a cavalcade of ,chinese officers also in their gala dresses1 and behind the carriage followed another train of mounted guards4 ,it was really a fine scene1 this procession of the ,chinese ,amban as it passed through the streets lit up with tens of thousands of butter-lamps2 only ,i thought that the sight was too showy and that it lacked the element of solemnity4 ,after the procession of the ,amban followed the trains of the high priests1 then high lay officials and last of all the ,premiers4 ,on that occasion only two of the four ,premiers attended1 the other two being unable to be present4 ,the ,premiers come to the function in order to inspect the offerings1 which are contributed by the ,peers and the wealthy as a sort of obligation4 ,butter decorations are expensive things1 costing from three hundred to two thousand yen in ,japanese currency1 according to their magnitude and the finish of the workmanship2 and here were over one hundred and twenty such costly decorations arranged as offerings1 and that only for one evening4 ,i believe no such costly butter decorations are to be seen anywhere else in the world4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,scene ,,from ,,the ,,monlam ,,festival4 ,during the festival ,i remained as before under the hospitable roof of the ex-,minister1 and though through the favor of my host ,i inspected the offering ceremony1 ,i did not attend the prayer services4 ,the former ,i saw from mere curiosity and as an outsider4 ,the scene on the occasion was sufficiently enjoyable2 ,i went first to the quarters assigned to the warrior-priests and observed that these young men were spending their time in their own customary way even during the time of the service1 singing songs1 trying feats of arms1 or engaged in hot disputes or even open quarrels4 ,all at once the clamor ceased and order was restored as if by magic1 and the young priests were seen demurely reciting the service2 they had noticed some subordinates of the ,festival ,commissioners coming towards them in order to maintain order4 ,those subordinates were armed with willow sticks about four feet long and fairly thick--sticks which were green and supple and well suited for inflicting stinging blows4 ,then ,i moved on to the quarters where the learned priests were intently engaged in carrying out the examination held for the aspirants to the highest degrees obtainable in ,tibet4 ,the examination was oral and in the form of interrogations put to the candidates by the examination committee1 the latter being composed of the most celebrated theologians in the three colleges4 ,the candidates too were not unworthy to be examined by such divines1 for those only are qualified to apply for permission to undergo the examination who have studied hard for twenty years1 and have acquired a thorough knowledge of all the abstruse points in ,buhist theology and have made themselves masters of the art of question and answer4 ,the learned discourses delivered by examiners and examinees awoke in me high admiration4 ,the forensic skill of the two parties was such as ,i had rarely seen anywhere else4 ,the examiners put most tortuous questions to entice the candidates into the snare of sophistry1 while the latter met them with replies similarly searching and intended to upset the whole stratagem of the querents4 ,so forcible and exciting were the arguments offered by both parties that they might be compared1 ,i thought1 to a fierce contest such as might take place between a lion and a tiger4 ,the examination was indeed an exhibition of a truly intellectual nature1 and was attended not only by the committee and candidates but by almost all the learned theologians and their disciples4 ,these strangers were sitting round the examination tables and freely criticised the questions put and replies made4 ,they even raised shouts of applause or of laughter1 whenever either convincingly refuted his antagonist or was worsted in the argument4 ,i observed the laughter to be especially contagious and the merry sound raised by two or three men in the strangers' quarters would spread to all the others in the hall1 till the walls resounded with the loud 8ha1 ha1 ha0 coming from several thousand throats4 ,every year during the ,monlam season sixteen candidates selected from the three colleges are given the degree of ,lha ,ramba1 meaning #8,special ,doctor1' and this degree is the most honorable one open to ,tibetan divines4 ,only those of exceptional acquirements can hope for it4 ,on the occasion of the ,choen joe festival also1 sixteen candidates of the secondary grade are sent from the universities to pass the examination for the ,tso ,ramba degree4 ,then there are inferior degrees1 which are granted by the monasteries to the young priests studying there4 ,there are two such degrees1 one called ,do ,ramba and the other ,rim-shi4 ,sometimes divines of great erudition are found among the holders of the ,do ,ramba degree1 men even more learned than the #8,special ,doctors4' ,the fact is that the examination for the highest degree is expensive1 when one wishes to procure that title at one jump and without previously obtaining the intermediary ,do ,ramba4 ,it is not rare1 therefore to find among the ,do ,ramba men theologians whose learning can even outshine that of the proud holders of the highest degree1 for there are often men who from pecuniary considerations only are withheld from attempting the examination4 ,the holders of the ,do ,ramba degree therefore differ considerably in learning1 but this cannot be said of those holding the other title of ,rim-shi1 the latter being in nine cases out of ten of mediocre learning4 ,this degree is easily procurable for a certain sum of money when one has studied five or six years at the monasteries of ,rebon and ,ganden1 and so the young priests from the country generally avail themselves of this convenient transaction and return home as proud holders of the ,doctor's title1 and as objects of respect and wonder for their learning among the local folk4 ,in ,tibet therefore1 as in other parts of the world1 cheap ,doctors flaunt their learning1 and pass for prodigies among the simple-minded people of the country4 ,the ,doctors of the highest grade are unquestionably theologians of great erudition1 for knowledge of the ordinary ,buhist text-books is not enough for the aspirants to that title2 they must study and make themselves at home in the complete cycle of ,buhist works4 ,perhaps the ,tibetan first class ,doctors possess a better knowledge of ,buhist theology and are more at home in all its ramifications than are the ,japanese ,buhist divines2 for though there are quite a large number of theologians in ,japan who are thoroughly versed in the philosophy and doctrine of their own particular sects it cannot boast so many divines whose knowledge completely covers the whole field of ,buhist philosophy4 ,during the festival ,i frequently went to the ,hall to see the function as a curious observer1 but for the rest ,i devoted my time to prosecuting my studies under a ,lhakhamba ,doctor and the learned ,mae ,kenbo of the ,sera monastery4 ,thus while the other priests were attending to their worldly business of making money1 ,i detached myself from society and was absorbed in study4 ,i had the more reason to devote myself to this self-imposed task1 for the time ,i had fixed for my departure from ,tibet was drawing nearer4 ,not that ,i had hitherto neglected the main object which prompted me to undertake this self-assigned expedition to ,lhasa2 on the contrary1 even when ,i was obliged1 from unavoidable circumstances1 to act the part of an amateur doctor and prescribe treatment to ,tibetan patients1 ,i never suspended my study2 ,i either read ,buhist works or attended lectures4 ,on ,march #dth of the solar calendar 7,january #bdth of the ,tibetan almanac7 the sword festival was celebrated at ,lhasa4 ,i had the good fortune to witness this performance also1 though the function is not open to general inspection4 ,i observed it from the window of a certain ,peer1 an acquaintance of mine1 whose house fronted the ,buha's ,hall4 ,i may call the ,sword ,festival a sort of ,tibetan military review4 ,at any rate the regulars in and about ,lhasa participated in it1 and also the special soldiers temporarily organised for the occasion4 ,they were all mounted1 and numbered altogether perhaps two thousand five hundred men4 ,they were quaintly accoutred1 and seemed to be divided according to the colors of the pieces of cloth attached to the back of their helmets and hanging down behind4 ,i saw a party of about five hundred troopers distinguished by white cloths1 then another with purple cloths1 while there was a third which used cloths of variegated dyes4 ,but irrespective of the different colors1 they were all clad in a sort of armor and carried small flags also of different colors4 ,some were armed with bows and arrows and others with guns1 and the procession of the gaily attired soldiery was not unlike the rows of decorated ,may dolls arranged for sale in ,tokyo on the eve of the ,boys' ,festival in ,japan4 ,the proceedings began with a signal gun4 ,as the booming sound subsided the procession of soldiery made its appearance and each division went past the ,grand ,lama's seat constructed on an elevated stand to the west of the ,hall4 ,with the termination of this march-past a party of about three hundred priests1 carrying a flat drum each with a long handle and with the figure of a dragon inscribed upon its face1 came out of the main edifice4 ,each of them carried in his right hand a crooked drum-stick4 ,this party took its stand in a circle in front of the ,hall4 ,next marched out the second party of priests all gorgeously attired in glittering coats and brocade tunics1 each carrying a metallic bowl used in religious services4 ,i must mention that the function demands of the soldiery and priests the washing of their bodies with warm water on the preceding evening1 and so on that particular occasion those ,tibetans1 careless and negligent of bodily cleanliness at other times1 are for the first time in the year almost decently clean4 ,the metallic-bowl party was arranged in a row around the drum party1 and soon the signal for the service was given by one of the bowl-men who was apparently a leader4 ,it was a peculiar signal1 and consisted in striking on the bowl and starting a strange dancing movement4 ,on this the two parties beat their drums and bowls in some sort of tune4 ,after this had gone on for some time the whole party burst out into a chorus of ominous howls1 not unlike the roar of the tiger4 ,as the thousand priests composing the two parties all howled to the fullest extent of their throats1 the noise made was sufficiently loud4 ,after the howling parties had completed their part in this ceremony1 out marched a party of ,nechung priests1 those oracle-mongers of ,tibet to whom reference has been made more than once already4 ,the oracle-mongers' party was heralded by a number of sacred-sword-bearers in two rows1 about a dozen in each4 ,the sword carried measured about four feet in length and was set off with pieces of silk cloth of five different colors4 ,the sword-bearers were followed by the bearers of golden censers and other sacred caskets or vessels4 ,then followed the oracle-monger1 dressed cap--pie in all the glittering fashion which ,tibetan ingenuity alone could devise4 ,he was clad in gold brocade and wore head-gear of the same cloth4 ,he behaved like a man stricken with palsy1 was supported right and left by an assistant1 and his eyes were shut4 ,gasping like a fish out of water and walking with a tottering gait not unlike that of a man who has lost his power of locomotion through too much liquor1 the ,nechung slowly emerged from the ,hall4 ,by the ignorant populace he was greeted as an object of veneration1 but there were seen not a small number of priests and laymen who looked upon this peculiar appearance of the ,nechung with eyes of undisguised disgust4 ,the part assigned to this ,lama fanatic is one of semi-divine character1 he being required to act as a guardian angel1 to prevent any mishaps occurring during the ceremony of the #8,sword ,festival'4 ,last of all slowly marched forth the procession of the ,ganden ,ti ,rinpoche4 ,i saw him under a capacious and highly decorated awning which is the same sort of umbrella as that of the ,grand ,lama4 ,he was attired in the ceremonial robe befitting his rank of ,ti ,rinpoche4 ,his appearance was highly impressive and even those priests who had viewed the oracle-mongers with well-deserved scorn were seen in attitudes of sincere respect4 ,that was also my sentiment as my eyes met him2 for he truly impressed me as a living ,buha4 ,to the ,ti ,rinpoche was entrusted the most important function in this ceremony1 the hurling of the sacred sword in order to avert any evil spirits that may obstruct the prosperous reign of the ,chinese ,emperor4 ,with this sword-hurling the ceremony was brought to a close4 ,though in principle this ceremony concludes the ,monlam1 in practice it comes to an end only on the following morning and with a custom of practical utility--that of carrying stones to the banks of the river ,kichu which flows by ,lhasa1 and is often liable to overflow and flood the city4 ,the stones required for this purpose are brought by the country people1 and are sold at ten or twenty sen a piece1 and each priest or citizen who attends the ceremony buys one or two such stones and conveys them to the banks either on his own back or by hired carriers4 ,the stones thus conveyed to the banks are supposed to possess the effect of atoning for their sins4 ,the banks must acquire great strength in consequence of this stone-piling4 ,,chapter ,,lxxvi4 ,the ,tibetan ,soldiery4 ,the standing army of ,tibet is said to consist of five thousand men1 but from my own observation ,i think this number somewhat exaggerated4 ,in any case1 it is hardly sufficient to protect a country containing six millions of inhabitants against foreign invasion and civil commotion4 ,however1 in ,tibet social order is not kept by soldiers1 nor by the despotic power of the ruler4 ,religion is the force that keeps the country in good order4 ,the mass of the people would never take arms against the ,pope whom they believe to be a living ,buha4 ,this idea is so thoroughly infused into them that there have been really very few cases of rebellion in ,tibet1 hence there is no necessity for a great number of soldiers4 ,the history of the country testifies that civil commotions take place only when the chief ,lama has died1 and the new master is too young to take up the ,government for himself1 and so leaves the entire business to the ,agent and ,ministers1 who abuse their power1 or when the regent tyrannises over and offends the people4 ,but when the master is old enough to manage the affairs of the country he is revered as a living ,buha1 against whom no one protests4 ,minor difficulties may arise1 but they are easily settled without recourse to arms4 ,the real causes that have made ,tibet feel the necessity of having a standing army have been her two quarrels with ,nepl and one with ,british ,india4 ,since then ,tibet has ever had a regular army1 distributed as follows3 at ,lhasa one thousand men1 at ,shigatze two thousand1 at ,tingri1 an important fort on the ,nepl frontier1 nominally five hundred but possibly only three hundred 7there are several hundred ,chinese soldiers here71 five hundred at ,gyantze1 five hundred at ,dam1 and another five hundred at ,mankham1 making five thousand in all4 ,the ,chinese soldiers stationed in the country number two thousand altogether1 and are distributed equally at the four places--,lhasa1 ,tingri1 ,shigatze1 and ,tomo4 ,every five hundred ,tibetan soldiers are under a chief called ,de ,bon4 ,the lower officers are one for every two hundred and fifty1 one for every twenty-five and one for every five4 ,the ,tibetan soldiers receive only one bushel of barley a month as salary4 ,they have no regular barracks to live in together1 but live in ordinary residences which1 however1 are built at the cost of the citizens4 ,they are scattered throughout the city1 and keep stores or carry on any kind of trade1 as do the common people4 ,they are obliged to do some kind of work1 for they cannot keep their wives and children on the one bushel of barley a month4 ,but they are free from house-rent1 and ,i have often heard the citizens complain of the burden of building houses for the soldiers4 ,the ,chinese soldiers also live in ordinary houses like the ,tibetans1 and are exempt from rent4 ,in return for his paltry remuneration1 the ,tibetan soldier has to be drilled four or five times a month1 and to be present at the great manuvres once a year4 ,the manuvres are held in the vicinity of a little village called ,dabchi1 which lies about two miles north of ,lhasa on the road leading to the ,sera monastery4 ,in the village there is a shrine of ,kwanti 7a ,chinese war-,god7 whom the ,tibetans call ,gesergi ,gyalpo 7saffron king71 and who is much revered as a ,god for driving away evil spirits1 though the ,chinese settlers form the greater proportion of his actual worshippers4 ,close by there is another temple called by the name of the village1 in which live priests who take the services at the ,kwanti shrine4 ,many objects of interest are kept in the shrine1 but the most curious things are the images of blue demons1 red demons1 and other inhabitants of hell1 all arranged as if they were retainers of ,kwanti4 ,north of this shrine there is a high mound about one furlong square1 with an arsenal standing in the centre4 ,thence spreads a vast plain five miles to the north1 half a mile to the west and five miles to the east4 ,this is the scene of the great parade4 ,soldiers are summoned from all parts of the country to attend the parade1 which is usually held towards the end of ,september or the beginning of ,october1 when the barley harvest is over1 and the crops safely out of harm's way4 ,the first two days are reserved for the ,chinese soldiers and the following two for the ,tibetan4 ,the review is honored by the presence of the ,amban and of the higher ,tibetan officers1 who give prizes in money ranging from fifty cents to five dollars1 or silver medals1 to any soldiers who have displayed notable ability4 ,in ,tibet archery is still considered an essential art of warriors1 yet artillery has recently been introduced1 and is taught by ,chinese officers or by ,tibetans who have been educated in ,india4 ,the ,tibetan artillery does not amount to much4 ,my own observations lead me to suspect the valor of the ,chinese and ,tibetan soldiers1 and ,i doubt whether they can claim to have any more strength than the ordinary citizens4 ,among the ,chinese soldiers pale countenances are very common1 and though the ,tibetan soldiers look stouter1 in courage ,i can see no difference4 ,the cause of their insignificance is to be traced to the difficulty they have in living upon their small pay4 ,the warrior-priests are far more soldier-like than the regular soldiers2 they have no wives nor children to take care of1 and have therefore nothing to fear4 ,they are indeed far more estimable than the professional soldiers1 whose first business in time of war is to plunder the natives instead of serving the country4 ,this is all because the soldiers have families1 a fact which in my opinion is the greatest hindrance to warlike purposes4 ,the ,tibetans are emotional by nature1 and out of such people1 especially when they also have to support families1 it is no easy task to make a brave army4 ,one exception must be made--the people of ,kham4 ,outwardly wild1 they are natural soldiers4 ,in this district all the inhabitants1 not excluding the women1 may be called fighters4 ,their usual vocations are trading1 farming1 and cattle-raising1 but their favorite profession is robbery4 ,this is the business most admired by all2 they deem it a great honor to defeat other tribes and kill as many foes as they can4 ,in ,kham they have robber-songs as we have war-songs3 songs in which the people take much delight1 even the children singing the lively airs to which they are fitted2 and as there are no war-songs in ,tibet the robber-songs of ,kham are substituted for them4 ,here is one3 #a4 ,upon those boundless plateaux1 green with grass2 ,along those sloping tortuous pathless paths2 ,amidst those pointed hornlike rocky steeps ,my charger iron-hoofed ,i bestride ,with daring valor to attack my foes4 #b4 ,when hail-storms rage their fiercest round my head1 ,with all their stones like bullets pelting me1 ,and when tempestuous snow-drifts roll in rage1 ,like mighty greedy waves engulfing me1 ,i fear not--nay these perils great ,i like ,to brave2 for1 clad in iron boots my feet1 ,i headlong rush1 stout-hearted as ,i am1 ,unwed1 assured of final victory4 #c4 ,my wife1 my children and my parents dear ,are not my refuge here2 ,i trust not them2 ,my refuge only is my spirit brave ,adventurous1 that can resist and stand ,against misfortunes and e'en dangers dire4 ,these songs all begin with ,a1 la1 la1 la2 la1 la1 la1 mo and end with la1 la1 mo1 la2 la1 la1 la1 mo4 ,once when ,i met a ,tibetan soldier of my acquaintance1 ,i asked why they used robber-songs instead of having war-songs of their own4 ,he was a talkative kind of man and proceeded to explain in an oratorical tone4 8,as you well know1 the meaning of the songs is very good and noble2 it is the courage praised in songs like these that strengthens a country4 ,but even good songs1 when used for robbery1 are indeed wicked weapons1 and the singers thereof great sinners4 ,they are the same songs1 but how great is the difference in their results6 ,in one case they promote1 and in the other they destroy1 humanity and righteousness40 ,,chapter ,,lxxvii4 ,tibetan ,finance4 ,i shall next briefly describe the finance of the ,tibetan ,government4 ,it must be remembered1 however1 that this subject is extremely complicated and hardly admits of accurate explanation even by financial experts1 for nobody except the ,revenue ,officials can form an approximate idea of the revenue and expenditure of the ,government4 ,all that ,i could get from the ,minister of ,finance was that a considerable margin of difference existed according to the year4 ,this must partly come from the fact that taxes are paid in kind1 and as the market is necessarily subject to fluctuation even in such an exclusive place as ,tibet1 the ,government cannot always realise the same amount of money from the sale of grain and other commodities collected by the ,revenue authorities4 ,of course anything like statistical returns are unknown in ,tibet1 and my task being hampered by such serious drawbacks1 ,i can only give here a short account of how the taxes are collected1 how they are paid and by what portion of the people1 and how the revenue thus collected is disbursed1 and such matters1 which lie on the surface so that ,i could easily observe and investigate them4 ,the ,treasury ,department of the ,papal ,government is called ,labrang ,chenbo1 which means the large ,kitchen of the ,lama4 ,it is so-called1 because various kinds of staples are carried in there as duty from the land under his direct jurisdiction1 and from landlords holding under a sort of feudal tenure4 ,as there are no such conveniences as drafts or money orders1 these staples have to be transported directly from each district to the central treasury1 whatever the distance4 ,but the taxpayer has one solace3 he can easily obtain1 on his way to the treasury1 the service of post-horses1 such service on such occasions being compulsory4 ,the articles thus collected consist of barley1 wheat1 beans1 buck-wheat1 meal and butter4 ,but from districts in which custom-houses are established various other things1 such as coral gems1 cotton1 woollen and silk goods1 raisins and peaches are accepted4 ,other districts pay animal-skins1 and thus the large ,kitchen is an #8omnium gatherum4' ,truly a strange method of collecting taxes6 ,one peculiarity in ,tibet is the use of an abundant variety of weights and measures2 there are twenty scales for weighing meal1 and thirty-two boxes for measuring grain4 ,bo-chik is the name given to a box of the average size1 and it measures about half a bushel4 ,but tax-collectors use1 when necessity arises1 measures half as large or half as small as these1 so that the largest measure holds three quarters of a bushel1 while the smallest holds a quarter4 ,the small ones are generally used to measure the staples from provinces such as the native place of the ,dalai ,lama1 or such as have personal relations to some high officials of the ,government4 ,thus1 though a favored district is supposed to pay the same number of bushels as the others1 it pays in reality only one-half of what the most unfortunate district has to pay4 ,nor is the measure used for one district a fixed one2 it may change from year to year4 ,suppose one of the most favored districts has produced a great rascal1 or rebel1 or has done anything that displeases the ,government4 ,the whole people of that district are responsible for it2 they are obliged to pay by the largest measure1 that is1 twice as much as they did in the preceding year4 ,thus the various kinds of offences make it necessary to have thirty-two varieties of measures and twenty of weight4 ,it is to be noted however that when the ,government has to dispose of those stuffs1 it never uses the larger measures1 though if too small ones are used1 it certainly causes complaints on the part of the buyers2 hence the middle-sized ones are mostly used4 ,all expenses of ,government1 such as salaries for priests and officers and wages for mechanics and tradesmen in its service are paid with an average measure4 ,the chief expense of the ,government is1 as ,i have stated before1 that for the service of the ,buha ,shkyamuni4 ,the money used for the repairing of temples and towers1 and for the purchase of stone lanterns and other furniture amounts to a large sum2 but by far the greater proportion is spent for butter1 which is used instead of oil for the myriads of lights which are kept burning day and night4 ,the stands arranged in rows in the temple of the ,buha in ,lhasa alone number no less than two thousand five hundred and in some special cases ten thousand or even a hundred thousand lamps are lighted1 all of them burning butter of a high price4 ,in ,tibet the substitution of vegetable oil for mal is considered1 not exactly sin1 but at least a pollution and desecration of ,buha2 not a few ,lamas leave a clause in their wills that rapeseed oil should not be offered for their souls after death4 ,in front of the image of the ,buha in ,lhasa are placed twenty-four large light-stands of pure gold4 ,these and some others have big oil-holders1 large enough to hold five gallons of mal4 ,almost all the mal used for the service of the ,buha is furnished by the ,treasury of the ,government1 though a small part of it is offered by religious people4 ,costly mal used1 in former times1 to be offered by ,mongolians1 to the great relief of the ,papal ,treasury1 but the offering has recently been stopped entirely4 ,the burdens of the ,tibetan people themselves have been proportionately increased1 but as the fixed rate of the tax cannot be increased the bigger measures are used more frequently4 ,in each province there are two places where the collection of taxes is made for the ,government1 one of which is the temple1 and the other the ,local ,government office2 for the people are divided into two classes3 7#a7 those who are governed by the temple and 7#b7 those who are governed by the ,local ,government4 ,they pay their taxes to the ,central ,government through their respective ,governors4 ,in each local district1 there is what is called a ,zong4 ,this was originally a castle built for warlike purposes1 but in time of peace it serves as a ,government office1 where all the functions of ,government are carried on1 so taxes are also collected there4 ,the ,zong is almost always found standing on the top of a hillock of about three hundred feet and a ,zongpon 7chief of the castle71 generally a layman1 lives in it4 ,he is the chief ,governor of the district and collects taxes and sends the things or money he has gathered to the ,central ,government4 ,the ,zongpon is not paid by the ,central ,government directly1 but subtracts the equivalent of his pay from the taxes he has collected4 ,the ,central ,government does not send goods or money to the ,local ,government except on such few occasions as need special help from the national ,treasury4 ,the people under the direct jurisdiction of the ,central ,government are sometimes made to pay a poll-tax4 ,the people who belong to the nobility and the higher class of priests are of course assessed by their landowners1 but there is no definite regulation as to their payment to the ,central ,government2 the people of some districts pay1 while others are exempt4 ,part of the work done by the ,tibetan ,minister of the ,treasury is the management of the subscriptions of the people4 ,everything offered to the ,buhist ,temple and given to the priests at the time of the ,great ,assembly is at once paid into the ,treasury1 to be given out only by the order of the ,minister of that department4 ,another business taken by the ,minister is the household expenses of the ,pope4 ,these expenses are not fixed1 and the ,pope can draw out as much as he pleases within the limit of usage1 and his own moderation4 ,it is said that since the accession of the present ,pope both the expenditure and the revenue have been greatly increased4 ,the ,minister of the ,treasury has also to pay all the salaries of officials and priests in the service of the ,papal ,government4 ,these expenses for salaries are very small1 as compared with those of other countries1 but the officials and priests derive an additional income from the land in their own possession4 ,officers and priests in ,tibet can each borrow fifteen hundred dollars from the ,government at an interest of five per cent a year and they can lend it again at fifteen per cent1 which is the current rate of interest in ,tibet1 though usurers sometimes charge over thirty per cent4 ,thus any officer can make at least ten per cent on fifteen hundred dollars without running much risk4 ,if an officer or priest fails to repay the loan the amount is not subtracted from his next year's loan4 ,compound interest is unknown in ,tibet however long the debtor may prolong his payment2 it is forbidden by the law4 ,another subsidy given by the ,government is six dollars extra pay per annum to each priest of the ,three ,great ,temples4 ,in this connexion it must also be stated that the ,three ,great ,temples just mentioned receive a vast amount of mal from the ,government4 ,the supplementary resources of the ,pope's revenue are subscriptions from the members and laymen1 the leases from meadow-lands in his personal possession1 and profits acquired by his own trading1 which is carried on by his own caravans4 ,the ,pope's caravans must be distinguished from those of the ,treasury ,department4 ,the ,treasury of the ,grand ,lama is called ,che ,labrang1 which means the ,lama's kitchen on the hill1 because the ,lama's palace is located on a hill4 ,it is called ,potala and the place is a castle1 a temple1 and a palace at once4 ,as a castle it has no equal in ,tibet1 in view of the strength of its fortifications2 as a temple1 it can look down upon all other lamaseries of the country for elegance and gaudiness4 ,as a palace1 of course there is no building that surpasses it4 ,but in spite of all this1 there is a deplorable defect in its water supply4 ,within the high walls that defend the dwellers from the attacks of an enemy there is no well or spring whatever4 ,the people have to go far away to get a bucket of water from a well which can only be reached by descending a hundred and fifty feet of stone steps and crossing another hundred and fifty feet of level ground4 ,to reach the top of the hill one has to climb another three hundred feet1 making the journey three quarters of a mile altogether4 ,it is of course no easy work for the residents to carry water so far1 and there are therefore many workers who make it their business to do this for them1 charging about twelve cents per man a month4 ,the aristocratic priests1 who bear the title of ,namgyal ,tatsang1 live in one part of the castle and number one hundred and sixty-five4 ,they represent the highest type of the ,tibetan priesthood and are all selected with great care1 even physique and physiognomy being taken into consideration4 ,they live in good style at the ,pope's personal cost4 ,the property of the ,grand ,lama1 after his death1 is divided in the following way3 ,one-half of the property 7in fact a little more than half7 has to be divided among his relatives in his native place1 and the remaining half is distributed as gifts among the priests of the ,great ,temples and those of the ,new ,sect4 ,in the case of an ordinary priest1 if he leaves property worth five thousand dollars about four thousand is used in gifts to the priests and for the expense of lights1 and almost all the remaining thousand is used for his funeral expenses1 leaving perhaps three hundred to his disciples4 ,in cases when a priest leaves very little money1 his disciples are obliged to borrow money to supply the want of gifts and money for lights in his honor--a custom entirely foreign to the laity4 ,,chapter ,,lxxviii4 ,future of the ,tibetan ,religions4 ,the ,tibetans are essentially a religious people4 ,foreigners call them superstitious1 and indeed my own observation also testifies that their faith is veritably a mass of superstition4 ,yet it would be inaccurate to say that there is no truth in their religion4 ,a small but precious jewel is often found among useless rubbish2 wise men will not throw away the jewel along with the rubbish1 even though it may not be found at the first glance4 ,i can find at least two precious things in the creed of the ,tibetans4 ,one of them is that they recognise the existence of a superhuman being who protects us4 ,they are also sure of the possibility of communication with this being by dint of religious faith4 ,it is true that they have several unreasonable rites of worship1 which may be compared to the rubbish round the jewel1 but in the midst of them they know that ,buha is all love1 that ,he removes calamities from us1 and makes us happy at length4 ,they also recognise the existence of deities subject to the emotions of anger1 and ready to punish those that offend them2 but even ignorant ,tibetans know the difference between the ,gods and the ,buha1 the former to be feared1 and the latter simply an object of gratitude4 ,the other precious thing ,i can point out is their belief in the law of cause and effect4 ,according to this law1 each deed is rewarded according to its deserts2 whatever vices one commits will be followed by suffering2 on the other hand1 every man shall enjoy the result of the good that he has done4 ,they also believe that the law of cause and effect is everlasting1 the seed making the fruit1 and the fruit the seed1 and so on for ever4 ,in the same way1 they think1 our mind is imperishable1 and often reproduced in the world4 ,thus far their faith is worthy enough1 but the doctrine of transmigration1 of which they have a too firm conviction1 is apt to lead to superstition4 ,the ,tibetans often really think such and such ,lamas have been born again in such and such places4 ,but the precious ,buhist creed that one's mind and body are everlastingly in accordance with the law of cause and effect and self-compensation is so thoroughly taught to every ,tibetan from his childhood by his mother1 that the home lessons of the ,tibetan children almost always take the form of sermons on their mythology and miscellaneous stories connected with ,buhism4 ,in sooth1 ,buhism is so deeply ingrained in the country that no other religion can exist in ,tibet1 unless it be explained by the light of ,buhism4 ,thus1 the ,old ,bon religion has been greatly modified and has indeed entirely lost its original form and been replaced by the ,new ,bonism1 which resembles the ,rybu ,shinto of ,japan1 in which the ,sun ,god is interpreted as the incarnation of ,buha2 but the ,tibetan goes further than the ,rybu ,shintoist did4 ,by ,bon is meant ,shinnyo or ,truth1 or rather the incarnation of ,shinnyo1 and it is considered to be one branch of ,buhism4 ,one of the things which most struck me was that ,muhammadanism is found in ,tibet1 mostly among the ,chinese and the descendants of the immigrants from ,kashmr4 ,they number about three hundred in ,lhasa and ,shigatze1 cling pertinaciously to their doctrines1 and have two temples in the suburbs of ,lhasa1 with two cemeteries on the side of a distant mountain4 ,one of the temples is for the ,musulmns from ,kashmr1 and the other for the ,chinese4 ,it is rather strange to see the calm existence of ,muhammadanism in a country where ,buhism is so predominant4 ,one thing that the ,musulmns in ,tibet say is very striking4 ,they declare that according to their religion there exist previous and future worlds1 but that man is reborn as man1 never as a lower animal1 as ,buhism says1 and that the final destiny of the human soul is the ,kingdom of ,heaven or ,hell4 ,i once argued with some of the ,muhammadans that no such doctrine as transmigration is to be found in the ,koran1 in which mention is made of the future world1 but none about the past4 ,then ,i suspected that it might have been adopted from the ,christian religion1 for in the bible the subject is just touched on4 ,but ,i doubted whether any doctrine of that sort had ever been pronounced upon by the ,muhammadan ,kalifate4 ,when they heard me speak thus they simply said3 8,there is1 there really is1 the doctrine of future and previous worlds in the ,muhammadan religion10 and they said it with a straight face4 ,they really seemed to think so1 but ,i think it a modification derived from ,buhism4 ,of late ,christian missionaries have been trying to introduce their religion into ,tibet1 and ,i can but admire their undaunted spirit4 ,but the country does not admit any foreigners1 so their utmost efforts have no effect on the interior4 ,they attempt therefore to convert the ,tibetans who come to ,darjeeling1 or those who live about ,sikkim4 ,for these purposes hundreds of thousands of dollars have already been spent1 and the bible and many other religious books have been translated into the ,tibetan language4 ,there are also many books written in ,tibetan against ,buhism4 ,as soon as ,darjeeling was opened to foreigners1 the first pioneers to the town were the ,christian missionaries1 and ever since they have been preaching their religion with utmost zeal4 ,notwithstanding all their endeavors1 ,christian missions have been so far a failure4 ,the so-called members are false members1 and the more earnest are not genuine ,tibetans1 but ,sikkimese who pretend to be ,tibetans4 ,it can truly be said that there is not a single ,tibetan from the interior of the country who really believes in ,christianity1 though there are a few who declare themselves ,christian because they can thus get a living4 ,go to the house of a reputed ,christian and you will always find in some inner room of his house the image of ,buha1 before which butter-lamps are burned in secret day and night4 ,when he goes out he pretends to be a ,christian1 and on ,sunday he carries his bible and goes to church6 ,such a ,christian of course quickly turns his back upon ,christ when his pocket is full1 or he is not likely to receive any more4 ,the missionaries make a mistake if they think that they can easily convert a ,buhist into a ,christian2 for the reverse is the case4 ,let me state some fundamental differences between ,christianity and ,buhism4 ,by the #8,enlightenment' of ,buhism one obtains absolute freedom2 the greatest spiritual freedom is to be attained by one's self1 while in ,christianity there is an infinite power called ,god who prevents one from attaining absolute freedom4 ,again the nature of cause and effect is not clear in the ,christian religion4 ,i read in the bible 8,a good tree will bear good fruits and a bad tree will bear bad fruits40 ,therefore ,i cannot say that the doctrine of cause and effect is not alluded to at all in this religion1 but its scope is limited4 ,if they would extend the text and make it applicable to previous and future lives1 then ,i think they might open the way for ,christianity to reach the ,tibetans4 ,furthermore the sentence 8,thy faith has saved thee0 of ,christ means exactly what ,buha meant3 8,of one's own deeds1 one's own reward40 ,but it seems to me that the true meaning of the words of ,christ is not fully developed and that its application is far too narrow4 ,i think this is one cause of the unpopularity of ,christianity among the ,tibetans1 who have a very deep belief in the theory of 8receiving according to one's own deeds40 ,these are the chief reasons1 ,i believe1 why ,christianity obtains so few followers among the ,tibetans after so many years of hard work by scores of missionaries at the cost of millions of dollars4 ,to sum up what we have seen3 ,the predominant religion at present is ,buhism1 and the others are the ,bon1 the ,muhammadan and the ,christian4 ,we have seen how the old pre-,buhist ,bon religion has been transformed into the ,new ,bon1 which is now looked upon as a sect of ,buhism1 and how the ,muhammadan religion existing within a very small sphere of influence has shown a gradual approach to ,buhism1 though unnoticed by themselves4 ,as to the ,christianity of ,tibet1 it does not seem probable that it can flourish in this land unless the present sectarian prejudices of the ,churches are entirely removed and a new form and attitude be given it1 so as to adapt it to the ,tibetan people4 ,the present ,tibetan ,buhism is corrupt and on the road to decay2 still it has some jewels in it1 and is almost naturally inherent in every ,tibetan1 and it is probable that it will continue to be predominant in the country by its own vis inertiae until a great man comes to the front to undertake the work of religious reformation and to restate the truths of the ,great ,freedom of ,buha4 ,,chapter ,,lxxix4 ,the ,beginning of the ,disclosure of the ,secret4 ,on the #cjth of ,april #aija1 ,tsa ,rong-ba1 who had left for ,india in the preceding year1 came back4 ,he was a ,tibetan merchant1 to whom ,i had entrusted the letters to my teacher ,sara ,chanra s at ,darjeeling and to a ,lama called ,shabdung of the same town4 ,he had also been trusted with the business of posting a letter to my native country4 ,as soon as he arrived he at once sent for me1 but his messenger could not find me at ,sera1 for ,i was at the treasury-minister's on that day1 and it was rather late when ,i heard of his return4 ,so early the next morning ,i started for his house1 expecting to receive answers from my old acquaintances in ,darjeeling4 ,after exchanging a few happy words he said to me3 8,at the time when ,i reached ,darjeeling1 both your teacher and the ,lama were away4 ,so ,i had to carry the letters with me all the way to ,calcutta4 ,on my way home1 when ,i came back to ,darjeeling ,i found both of them at home1 and handed them the letters4 ,sara told me to call on him again two days after to receive his answer4 ,but ,i could not see him again1 because ,i had bought a large quantity of iron by the secret order of the ,government1 and if the fact had become known to the ,indian ,government ,i should have been arrested4 ,therefore ,i could not stay long at ,darjeeling and determined to start the next day without securing an answer from ,sara4 ,but here is the answer from ,lama ,shabdung1 who wrote it on the same day40 ,saying this he handed me a letter4 ,in the letter1 it was stated that the letter to my teacher had been handed to him and another to my home had been registered4 ,he also thanked me for my present to him4 7,in ,tibet it is customary to annex some present to a letter1 and if nothing suitable can be found1 they enclose a piece of thin silk cloth1 a #8,kata1' and as ,i had acted in accordance with this custom when ,i sent my letter to him1 he thanked me for that1 and as a return present sent me some ,european sugar and a few other things74 ,as we talked ,i heard of the ,transvaal war and various other items of news from ,darjeeling4 ,illustration3 ,,procession ,,of ,,the ,,panchen ,,or ,,tashi ,,lama ,,in ,,lhasa4 ,the #acth of ,may 7the #dth of ,april by the ,tibetan calendar7 was a grand day for ,lhasa1 for on that day the ,grand ,lama ,panchen ,rinpoche1 or the second ,pope of ,tashi ,lhunpo in the city of ,shigatze in the ,tsan ,province was to come up to ,lhasa4 ,he had completed his twentieth year and was qualified to receive what in ,tibetan is called the ,nyen-zok1 which means investiture or #8the deliverance of the ,commands'4 ,he was now coming to the capital to receive the ceremony from the ,pope ,tubten ,gyam ,tso in ,lhasa4 ,the ceremony is regarded as one of great importance1 in nowise second to the 8,nyen-zok0 day of the investiture or #8the ,deliverance of the ,commands of the ,order' of the ,pope himself4 ,the citizens1 men and women1 young and old1 all went out to welcome the young prelate to ,lhasa and ,i was also present in the crowd1 accompanied by ,li ,tsu-shu1 a ,chinese apothecary1 and his children4 ,the procession of the day was magnificent and as splendid as was expected1 but was not much different from that which ,i saw at ,shigatze4 ,on our way back ,i met ,tsa ,rong-ba1 who invited me to tea at his house4 ,i accepted1 and was sitting comfortably in his house1 when a ,tibetan gentleman came in4 ,the man was introduced to me as the ,chief of the ,pope's caravan1 by the name of ,takbo ,tunbai ,choen ,joe4 ,he also worked 7as ,i learned afterward7 as an agent of the ,government for buying iron and other articles as ,tsa ,rong-ba did1 and they were old acquaintances4 ,as soon as he entered the house he stared at me with his sharp eyes for a long time4 ,as ,i looked at him ,i judged him to be a black-hearted man1 but at the same time ,i recognised the presence of great smartness4 ,presently he came close to me4 ,in the room were ,tsa ,rong-ba and his wife1 and ,i saw that the greatest danger was brewing4 ,but here ,i must diverge to tell a long story4 ,tsa ,rong-ba had looked upon me with great hope1 as my influence increased1 because he thought if ,i became a family doctor of the ,pope he would derive therefrom great benefit and profit1 and when he returned from ,india he found my fame as a doctor greatly increased4 ,some people had exaggerated my reputation2 if ,i cured only three patients they would call it fifty1 and went even so far as to say that none could compete with me in the art of medicine4 ,besides1 he knew that ,i lodged with the ,minister of the treasury1 and that ,i had also several friends among the higher officials and priests4 ,these considerations made him think me quite reliable4 ,while he was in ,calcutta he heard much of the just and brave actions of the ,japanese1 also that in the war between ,japan and ,china1 the ,japanese were not selfish1 but had in view the benefit of ,china2 at least ,i heard him often say so4 ,thus his confidence in the ,japanese in general and in myself had been still more increased4 ,next1 to speak of the intruder ,takbo ,tunbai ,choen ,joe1 he was the clerk of a great merchant named ,takbo ,tunba1 and had often been to ,peking1 sometimes in charge of the ,pope's caravan4 ,at the time of the ,boxer ,trouble he was in ,china and once unfortunately all his goods had been captured by some ,japanese soldiers4 ,he explained to them that the goods captured did not belong to the ,chinese ,government--on which suspicion they had been seized--and begged to have them returned1 but all in vain4 ,they were going to carry everything away4 ,then he hastened to the ,japanese general at headquarters1 and complained that he was a ,tibetan and the goods had neither been brought for1 nor were being carried for the ,chinese ,government1 and besought the general that they should be given back4 ,the general1 seeing that he was a ,tibetan1 immediately wrote a note in ,chinese and in some peculiar characters 7undoubtedly ,japanese7 signed his name and handed it to him telling him to take it to the soldiers4 ,he did as he was told1 and the goods which had been seized were returned with no loss whatever4 ,this event and other experiences made him think that the ,japanese were in the habit of acting justly and righteously4 ,at any rate he had spoken highly of the ,japanese when he told the above story to ,tsa ,rong-ba4 ,when ,tsa ,rong-ba heard the story and knew that the ,choen ,joe was an admirer of the ,japanese as he himself was1 he thought it might do no harm to discover to him the person of the ,japanese ,lama2 he even thought it would be profitable for himself to do so1 but ,i never dreamed that such a fancy had taken possession of his mind4 ,the ,choen ,joe1 who was keenly gazing at me1 suddenly cried out3 8,you are very strange10 to which ,i did not reply a word4 ,then he continued3 8,at first ,i thought you were a ,mongolian1 but ,i found my judgment mistaken4 ,nor are you to be taken for a ,chinaman4 ,of course1 you are not a ,european4 ,of what nationality in the world are you then80 ,i was about to reply to this impertinent question1 when ,i was interrupted by ,tsa ,rong-ba who spoke in a knowing way3 8,this gentleman is a ,japanese40 ,just a few words1 and all was over4 ,it was the first time my nationality had been mentioned in ,lhasa4 ,a very annoying truth had been uttered1 but ,i could not deny the impeachment1 so continued silently looking into the chief's face1 and wondering what would be the next word ,i should hear from him4 ,then with a look as if relieved from some uneasiness he turned to the host and said3 8,i see1 ,i see1 ,i thought he must be a ,japanese1 but then ,i thought it was impossible for a ,japanese to penetrate into this country1 and ,i hesitated to say so4 ,now that ,i hear you say so1 ,i doubt it not1 for ,i have seen many ,japanese at ,peking40 ,the sentence was given by these judges before the defendant could speak a word1 and thus the secret which had been kept for so long was brought to light in a moment4 ,the ,choen ,joe now turned to me and said3 8,this is very good news for me4 ,i once thought that if ,i went to ,japan and brought strange goods to ,lhasa ,i could make a great deal of money4 ,but ,i have heard that the ,chinese language1 which is the only foreign language ,i can speak1 is not used in ,japan except among a few ,chinamen at the seaport towns4 ,besides1 ,i know that foreign travellers are liable to be deceived by bad people1 who abound everywhere1 and ,japan1 ,i suppose1 is not an exception4 ,so ,i have abandoned my intention4 ,but ,i am glad to find here such a good ,japanese as you4 ,i have heard of the fame of the ,serai ,amchi 7doctor of ,sera7 and am very satisfied to find the noted doctor in this house4 ,as you are so good a man will you not take me with you to ,japan80 ,the prospect was not so bad as ,i had expected4 ,i told him that as ,i intended to go back to ,japan once more1 ,i would take him1 and spoke many things about ,japan4 ,the caravan chief talked of his hard experiences in ,china1 of the recovery of his goods by the favor of the general1 and of the superiority of the ,japanese soldiers in valor to those of the ,west4 ,he spoke very highly of ,japan1 but did not seem to mean to flatter me2 it was most likely that the words came from his real heart4 ,then ,i said3 8,you and ,tsa ,rong-ba are the only men that know that ,i am a ,japanese1 but if you tell it to anyone else1 ,i am afraid it may cause you both some trouble4 ,so you must be very careful about it40 8,i appreciate your advice10 said the ,choen ,joe1 8,i will not tell it to anyone4 ,if ,i do1 it will be only when it is positively to your benefit1 but not till then4 ,when ,i disclose it you may be sure that you will have a great name in ,tibet40 ,with such pleasant talkings we closed the day4 ,i took my leave and lodged at the druggist's for that night4 ,on the following day1 7,may #dth7 my friend the ,secretary of the ,chinese ,minister stepped into my room as usual4 ,while we were talking together there was something in his manner that put me on the alert4 ,he said3 8,you say you are from ,foochee in ,china4 ,of course ,i don't doubt it4 ,but ,i see a great difference in your character from that of the ordinary people of ,china4 ,it may sound strange1 but did not your ancestors come from a foreign country80 ,i replied that ,i had no definite knowledge about my ancestor's original home1 and asked him what had made him think that my character did not resemble that of the ,chinese4 ,upon this he said3 8,the ,japanese are very smart by nature and push on with great patience1 while most ,chinese lack in quickness1 of course with a few exceptions like yourself4 ,moreover the ,chinese have in general the characteristic of sedateness which you see in me1 but which ,i cannot see in you4 ,instead of being calm1 you are always hustling and active4 ,it is too delicate a distinction for words1 but ,i am sure you have something in you which ,i cannot trace to the ,chinese4 ,but from whom are you descended80 ,from this way of talking ,i could understand that he was closely examining me1 and trying to find out my secret by my countenance and expression4 ,it seemed probable that he already knew that ,i was not a ,chinaman but a ,japanese4 ,but ,i did not give him any definite answer1 and he left me4 ,some while later on during the same day ,i had another startling story told me by the wife of the apothecary4 ,she began with3 8,say1 ,kusho-la 7your lordship74 ,don't you think the most awful thing in the world is a madman80 ,i asked her reason1 and she said3 8,why1 that mad son of ,para has been telling a strange story4 ,it is a story told by a madman1 so of course ,i think it cannot be depended upon2 but he said that though it was a great secret1 he knew of a horrible affair that was to take place in this country4 ,when ,i asked what it was1 he whispered to me3 #8,there is a priest from ,japan in this town4 ,he calls himself a priest1 but he is surely a great officer of the ,japanese ,government1 who has been sent for the investigation of the country4 ,it is no less a personage than the ,serai ,amchi4 ,i met and talked with him once when ,i went to ,darjeeling1 and ,i found him a great man4' ,this is what he tells me4 ,is it not strange8 ,nobody knows he has ever been to ,darjeeling1 but what do you think about it80 ,i thought the madman was not mad if he had spoken that way1 but answered her3 8,the story of a madman must be only taken as such40 ,the lady continued1 8,anyhow my husband and many others seem to believe it4 ,i have told this to you as ,i heard it1 and hope you will not mind40 ,this conversation occurred on the #adth of ,may4 ,that night ,i returned to the mansion of the ,minister of the ,treasury1 and on the next day ,i came to the monastery at ,sera4 ,at night when all were fast asleep1 ,i took out some paper and began to write a letter to the ,pope4 ,i did this as a preparation against the day when my secret should be disclosed4 ,,chapter ,,lxxx4 ,the ,secret ,leaks ,out4 ,why did ,i write the appeal8 you may ask4 ,at that time ,i could not tell how the matter would turn out1 and unless some measures were taken beforehand1 incurable evil might be the outcome4 ,so ,i must at any rate make it clear to all that ,i had come to this country for the study and cultivation of ,buhism and with no other intentions4 ,for that purpose ,i thought it well to write the letter1 which ,i have still by me4 ,i flatter myself that it was written very nicely4 ,i have written many compositions1 both prose and poetry1 in the ,tibetan language1 but ,i never wrote one that pleased me better4 ,it took me three nights to complete it4 ,i may summarise its contents as follows4 ,as is considered proper in ,tibetan the letter begins with respectful words to the master of the beautiful country which is purified with white snow4 ,then ,i say3 8,my original intention in coming to this country was to glorify ,buhism and thus to find the way of saving the people of the world from spiritual pain4 ,among the several countries where ,buhism prevails1 the only places where the true features of the ,great ,vehicle are preserved as the essence of ,buhism are ,japan and ,tibet4 ,the time has already come when the seed of pure ,buhism must be sown in every country of the world1 for the people of the world are tired of bodily pleasures which can never satisfy1 and are earnestly seeking for spiritual satisfaction4 ,this demand can only be supplied from the fountain of genuine ,buhism4 ,it is our duty as well as our honor to do this4 ,impelled by this motive1 ,i have come to this country to investigate whether ,tibetan ,buhism agrees with that of ,japan4 ,thanks be to the ,buha the new ,buhism in ,tibet quite agrees with the real ,shingon sect of ,japan1 both having their founder in the person of the ,bohisava ,ngrjuna4 ,therefore these two countries must work together towards the propagation of the true ,buhism4 ,this was the cause that has brought me to this country so far away and over mountains and rivers4 ,my faithful spirit has certainly wrought on the heart of ,buha1 and ,i was admitted to the country which is closed from the world1 to drink from the fountain of ,truth2 the ,gods must therefore have accepted my ardent desire4 ,if that be true1 why should your ,holiness not protect me who have already been protected by the ,buha and other ,gods2 and why not co-operate with me in glorifying the world with the light of true ,buhism80 ,in conclusion ,i added that ,i had been asked by ,dhammapla of ,ceylon to present the ,pope with a relic of ,shkya ,buha and a silver reliquary1 and begged his acceptance of the gift4 ,when the letter was finished ,i was in so much haste to copy it on good paper that ,i did not think anything of the consequence if it were presented--that my letter would disclose my person and that ,i should be put to death accordingly4 ,on the #bjth of ,may ,i returned to ,lhasa and lodged at the ,minister's4 ,that day ,i went with the ex-,treasury ,minister to the garden-party held at the forest of ,tsemoe ,lingka4 ,this was my last good time in ,tibet4 ,at the party there were many old friends of mine present1 and many country-gentlemen1 who were still staying in ,lhasa for the ceremony4 ,i talked freely with them and spent the whole day in the most pleasant conversation on the subject of the lives of the ancient saints of ,tibet and on various other topics4 ,while ,i was thus passing a pleasant day1 a very serious thing in regard to my person was occurring at the other end of the city of ,lhasa4 ,on this same day1 the caravan chief called on ,yabsi ,sarba 7the house of the father of the new ,grand ,lama74 ,the present ,pope had lost both his parents1 and his elder brother was looked upon as his father-in-law4 ,he was dignified by the ,government of ,china with the title of ,prince1 and lived in magnificence in the southern part of ,lhasa4 ,while they were talking together over their glasses of wine1 the caravan chief found what he called a good opportunity to disclose my person4 ,as ,i learned it from ,tsa ,rong-ba1 the dialogue between them ran as follows3 8,has your ,highness heard that there is a stranger in this country1 who is neither ,chinese nor ,mongolian80 8,tell me what he is10 said the ,pope's brother4 8,he is a true ,lama from ,japan4 ,the ,japanese ,lama resembles a ,chinese ,hoshang1 but is far more praiseworthy4 ,he takes only two meals a day and after midday nothing touches his mouth4 ,he eats no meat and drinks no wine40 8,where is he living80 asked the brother of the ,pope4 8,if ,i mention his name you must know where he is living4 ,his name is ,serai ,amchi2 the famous ,serai ,amchi is a ,japanese40 ,after a pause for consideration the ,pope's brother replied3 8,i have heard of ,serai ,amchi4 ,he must be an expert physician to be sent for by the ,pope1 the nobility and the clergy4 ,one who masters the art of medicine so thoroughly as to gain such a great reputation in so short a space of time cannot be a ,chinese4 ,i once suspected that he might be a ,european4 ,but now that ,i hear this from you1 my doubts about him have been removed4 ,yes1 the ,japanese can do quite as great things as the ,europeans4 ,but0 7shaking his head7 8this is news that troubles me not a little40 8,what troubles ,your ,highness80 8,if ,i am not wrongly informed1 ,japan is on very friendly terms with ,england4 ,when ,i consider this ,i cannot but suspect her4 ,besides1 ,japan is so strong a country that she can bully ,china4 ,such a country is very likely to think it easy to subdue a small country like our own4 ,moreover the religion of ,japan is the same as that of ,tibet2 is that not a fact which might easily awaken the ambition for subjugation8 ,therefore ,i cannot take him for anything but a spy sent by the ,japanese ,government to investigate the state of things in ,tibet for a sinister purpose4 ,will not the nobility who are connected with ,serai ,amchi suffer as did those who were connected with ,sara ,chanra s when he entered the country8 ,will not the ,sera monastery be closed again8 ,the matter cannot be overlooked4 ,some measures must be taken about it40 ,this conclusion was an unexpected one for the caravan chief1 for he had thought the story would please ,his ,highness4 ,his disappointment was immediately followed by the feeling of fear1 and with an intention to defend me he said3 8,he cannot possibly be taken for a spy4 ,he lives in ,lhasa1 where meat is considered necessary food1 and he often goes to the temple of ,sera where meat and meat gruel are freely given as alms to the priests1 but he never touches them1 and feeds only on scorched barley4 ,such a man is surely a ,lama of ,japan40 ,this strong argument was at once denied by the ,pope's brother1 who said3 8,you consider so1 for you are short of wisdom4 ,there are devils that resemble ,buha in this world2 indeed1 the greatest devil is the one that can make himself most resemble a ,buha4 ,for example1 take the case of saint ,upagupa4 ,he was the fifth saint from ,shkya ,buha4 ,he was born after the death of the ,buha1 and thought how he might see the real ,buha1 who is said to have been perfect in physique and physiognomy4 ,he heard that the devil-king of the sixth heaven had often seen the ,buha while the latter was passing through ,his worldly life4 ,so he thought he would go and ask the devil-king whether he would1 by his miraculous power1 give him a glimpse of the real ,buha4 ,he did so1 and his request was granted at once4 ,the devil-king immediately put on the appearance of ,buha and sat on the #8,diamond-,seat4' ,he looked so ,buha-like that the saint could but prostrate himself before the image4 ,in a similar manner ,serai ,amchi1 who really is a spy1 may have taken the form of a ,lama to deceive us4 ,no1 he cannot be trusted4 ,the very fact that he could enter this country1 so strictly closed from the rest of the world1 tells that he is by no means an ordinary person4 ,did he alight from heaven8 ,he must have had superhuman power to perform such a miracle4 ,therefore he must not be treated carelessly4 ,at any rate this is a difficult problem to solve40 ,this argument was strong enough to make ,choen ,joe sober and pale4 ,that day 7#bjth of ,may7 towards evening ,takbo ,tunbai ,choen ,joe called on ,tsa ,rong-ba1 as ,i learnt afterwards1 with a rather melancholy face4 ,he had determined not to say anything about his conversation with the ,pope's brother4 ,but it was supper-time when he came in1 and the host persuaded him to share with him a few glasses of drink1 as is customary in ,tibet4 ,pretty soon the host perceived that the caravan chief was drinking with unusual haste and a sad look4 ,being intimate friends1 ,tsa ,rong-ba asked the reason1 saying3 8,you must be uneasy in your mind to drink in such a way4 ,i wish you would tell me what is the matter with you40 ,the caravan chief said that nothing annoyed him4 ,but in the meanwhile1 the drink had had its effect1 and made the man who was resolved to say nothing speak out the details of the whole thing as has just been stated4 ,when the story was over it was midnight1 and ,choen ,joe left the house1 leaving the host and hostess in so much anxiety that they could not sleep at all4 ,the next morning 7,may #bast7 ,tsa ,rong-ba sent me a messenger accompanied by a horse to ,sera1 to take me back directly to his house4 ,but ,i was not in the monastery1 and this messenger could not find me at the ,treasury ,minister's either1 for on that day ,i did not go there4 ,the anxiety of ,tsa ,rong-ba increased when ,i was not to be found4 ,the special reason of his anxiety was this2 ,i possessed a letter from ,darjeeling which had reached me through the hand of ,tsa ,rong-ba1 and if ,i were to be captured the letter would be confiscated1 and it was evident that he would also be put in prison4 ,evil might come to him as well as to myself4 ,no wonder he hunted for me everywhere1 all over the city of ,lhasa4 ,tired with hunting for me1 he had almost given up his attempt1 thinking that ,i must already have been captured1 when towards evening ,i called at his door4 ,his surprise was great1 and he came to me almost trembling and with tears too1 and said3 8,how lucky we are to have you here6 ,buha must have led you40 ,illustration3 ,,critical ,,meeting ,,with ,,tsa ,,rong-,,ba ,,and ,,his ,,wife4 ,i comprehended that something unusual had happened1 but telling them to be quiet1 ,i took my seat1 and was ready to listen4 ,then they told me the whole story1 one supplying what the other omitted4 ,when they had finished1 ,tsa ,rong-ba asked me3 8,what do you intend to do8 ,at any rate1 ,i hope you will burn the letter ,i brought from ,darjeeling4 ,but1 what are you going to do80 ,i replied3 8,for myself1 my course is already determined4 ,i have written an appeal to the ,pope4 ,whatever may befall me ,i have made up my mind40 8,do you know all about it then80 said he with a surprised look4 8,yes1 ,i know10 said ,i1 8,i could see such a thing40 8,that is why ,i looked upon you with respectful awe10 he answered4 8,i heard that the ,pope's brother said you have superhuman power1 and ,i believe his saying is true40 8,no10 ,i returned 8,i have no superhuman power4 ,only ,i inferred that such a thing must happen4 ,so ,i have made what ,i thought preparation against it40 ,tsa ,rong-ba1 who followed a peculiar kind of reasoning1 protested3 8,no1 do not say so2 ,i know you heard the conversation between the caravan chief and the ,pope's brother by some mysterious means4 ,otherwise how would you come down to our house on such an occasion as this8 ,but then why have you not been kind enough to call on us a little earlier8 ,we could not sleep at all last night4 ,but are you really going to present to the ,pope the letter you have written to him8 ,in doing so1 you little think of what will become of us4 ,i doubt not you are a venerable ,lama1 but the ,pope's brother is by no means a good-natured man4 ,we cannot tell what he is going to say to the ,pope1 and if the ,pope listens to him who can tell the result8 ,but ,i feel sure we must suffer1 don't you think so80 8,i cannot tell10 said ,i1 8what ,i shall do until ,i try samhi 7go into abstract contemplation74 ,for the present ,i can only tell you that there are four things to be considered in the #8silent contemplation'4 ,they are as follows3 7#a7 ,if the presentation of my letter to the ,pope does not do any harm to you1 the ,minister of the ,treasury1 and the ,sera monastery1 ,i will present the letter though ,i should suffer from doing so1 for ,i am the only ,japanese who has visited this country1 and ,i think it would be very sad to leave this country without telling the people who ,i am1 and what ,i have come for4 7#b7 ,if the presentation of my letter causes any harm to any of you1 ,i will not present it1 though ,i myself am free from danger4 7#c7 ,if ,i can go to ,india without giving notice to the ,pope1 and it does not cause any harm to any of my acquaintances1 ,i will go to ,india directly4 7#d7 ,if the presentation of my letter would cause any harm to them after my departure1 ,i will stay here and present the letter1 because if it is the cause of evil whether ,i stay here or not1 it is my duty to stay here and share the evil with my acquaintances to whom ,i have caused it4 ,i will never be the only one to escape from danger4 ,if ,i come to the conclusion by the contemplation that there will be no evil caused after my departure1 ,i will leave this country4 ,but as ,i am not fully contented with my own decision on my own account1 ,i will go to my teacher ,ganden ,ti ,rinpoche and consult with him4 ,of course ,i shall not say that ,i am a ,japanese1 nor that ,i am going back for that reason1 but ,i will say that ,i must go on a pilgrimage and ask him his judgment whether my departure is advantageous for many people who are suffering2 and if his judgment agrees with mine ,i will adopt it1 and if not1 ,i will go and ask the same of the ,lama of ,tse-,moeling1 and if the latter's judgment be the same as my teacher's ,i will follow it1 but if it agrees with mine1 ,i shall follow that40 ,the husband and wife1 who were listening to me attentively1 interrupted me here and told me that ,i needed not to ask another's opinion2 my own judgment would be good enough to be acted upon4 8,no10 said ,i1 8that will not do4 ,the thing is too serious to be determined by myself2 for it concerns others as well40 ,they agreed with me and we parted4 ,that night ,i was seated all alone in my room at the ,treasury ,minister's and quietly entered into the silent contemplation and tried to find the best course to be taken4 ,after some time ,i reached the #8world of non-,ego1' and the judgment was3 8,if ,i stay in this country it will be harmful to the people1 whether ,i present the appeal or not2 and on the other hand if ,i leave the country1 it is no great loss to these people40 ,thus ,i came to the conclusion to leave the country1 though it was not quite decided whether or not ,i should present the letter to the ,pope before leaving4 ,early on the next morning 7#bgth of ,may7 ,i called on ,ganden ,ti ,rinpoche1 and asked him to give me his judgment1 simply stating that ,i was going on a pilgrimage4 ,the master with a smiling face judged for me and said3 8,the sick people who 7you say7 are suffering1 will get better by your going on a pilgrimage4 ,but by the sick people you do not mean the bodily patients1 do you8 ,it may mean that if you stay here1 other doctors in ,lhasa cannot live1 and so you are going to save them by your departure80 ,he gave his judgment half in joke1 but ,i thought the teacher was intelligent enough to perceive that ,i was leaving the country never to come back4 ,i heard there were many great ,lamas in ,tibet1 but he was surely the most respectable priest of all with whom ,i became acquainted4 ,this was the last time ,i saw this venerable teacher4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxi4 ,my ,benefactor's ,noble ,offer4 ,that day ,i returned to the ,treasury ,minister's with a determination to tell the secret to him4 ,but it was the #bbnd of ,may and the ,pope was to come back to ,lhasa from his country-seat at ,norbu ,ling4 ,the ex-,minister had gone out to see the ,pope return1 and ,i was also obliged to go1 though ,i had many things to do for myself4 ,the procession of the day was magnificent4 ,the four ,prime ,ministers and the ,ministers of several departments and other dignitaries were present1 all dressed in new suits of clothes4 ,but before the ,pope arrived in ,lhasa it had begun to rain heavily4 ,still no one but the servants and coachmen were allowed to wear anything to protect themselves against the rain4 ,it was a pitiful sight to see the dignitaries dressed in silk on horse-back in the rain1 getting wet through4 ,but when the procession marched along the streets of ,lhasa and the ,pope entered his temple1 the storm had passed1 and it was fine again4 ,when we got home ,i asked the ex-,minister and the nun to stay at home that evening1 for ,i was going to tell them a secret which must not be spoken in the presence of others4 ,the nun had treated me with motherly tenderness1 and though we had been friends only for one year1 yet our acquaintance seemed age-long1 and ,i felt ,i ought to tell my secret to her and the ex-,minister1 to whom ,i owed so much4 ,it was certain that ,i must leave ,lhasa1 but how could ,i leave them without telling them all8 ,when night came1 ,i called on them at the appointed time and told them that ,i was not a ,chinese but a ,japanese4 ,thinking1 however1 that they would not believe me ,i set before them the passport which ,i had taken with me4 ,as the ex-,minister had learned to read ,chinese characters a little1 he could read that part of the paper signed 8,department for ,foreign ,affairs of the ,japanese ,empire0 in ,chinese characters4 ,assuring himself that ,i had told the truth1 he said3 ,illustration3 ,,revealing ,,the ,,secret ,,to ,,the ,,ex-,,minister4 8,at first ,i thought you were a ,chinese as you said1 but later ,i became very doubtful1 because among the many ,chinese ,i have met1 there is none who equals you in earnestness of devotion to ,buhism4 ,i have also often thought that most of the ,chinese priests are ignorant of the ,buhist religion1 and that even the so-called learned and famous priests do not amount to much1 but that the district of ,foochee1 from which you said you came1 might be an exception1 and that ,buhism might be studied there with much zeal4 ,anyhow ,i thought it strange1 but now my doubts have been removed4 8,but ,i heard10 he continued after a pause1 8that the ,japanese are of the same race as the ,europeans4 ,is it really so80 ,i explained that they were entirely different races and that the ,japanese belong to the same stock of races as the ,tibetan1 which is called the ,mongolian4 ,i also told him that the religion of the two countries is the same4 ,it seemed he knew such things as these without waiting my explanation4 ,after a few such questions and answers he said1 8,is that all that you call your secret8 ,is there anything else to tell me80 ,i answered3 8,there is another thing4 ,i think ,i must tell the ,papal ,government that ,i am a ,japanese40 ,when he heard me say this he frowned a little1 and said1 8,why must you talk8 ,is there any necessity for doing so80 ,i replied that there was1 and told him how my secret had been betrayed by ,tsa ,rong-ba1 and how it had been told to the ,pope's brother1 and so forth4 ,but ,i did not say anything about the silent contemplation1 because if ,i told it they would possibly have thought that ,i was anxious to leave for ,india without caring for their future1 though my judgment said that my departure would cause no great harm to them4 ,he considered in silence for some time after ,i had finished my story1 and then he said3 8,what are you going to do next80 8,as ,i have come to this country10 said ,i1 8after so much trouble1 ,i wish to inform the ,pope that ,i am a ,japanese1 and here is the letter to the ,pope written for that purpose40 ,i took out the letter from my pocket and handed it to the ex-,minister1 and continued3 8,it is no difficult thing to present it to the ,pope1 but in doing so ,i must consider whether you might suffer from it1 for you have been my friends and patrons for a long time4 ,therefore please bind me with a rope1 take me to the court and tell the officers that you have found out that ,i am a foreigner4 ,if you do so1 you are surely free from trouble4 ,as to myself1 ,i will explain to the ,government the causes of my intrusion into this country40 ,while ,i was speaking thus the frowns on his face had increased1 and when ,i concluded he interrupted3 8,that will not do1 my ,japanese friend4 ,if you take such a measure you will certainly be taken to prison1 where you will die of hunger and cold1 and if you don't die of such causes you will be killed4 ,of course the ,government will not sentence a foreigner to death1 but then they can procure the same effect by using poison in secret4 ,you have no need to hasten your destruction4 ,what is the use of killing yourself80 ,i was somewhat surprised to hear of such awful means to be used in the ,tibetan jail1 but ,i replied3 8,it is of no use for me to succeed if my success is gained by the loss of others2 it is far better to die and do others no harm4 ,i shall not fly from danger and allow my benefactors to suffer1 who have shown me as much kindness as parents show to their children40 ,the affectionate old woman1 who was listening to me with a sorrowful face and trembling limbs1 could not bear any more1 and threw herself down and wept bitterly4 ,then the ex-,minister spoke to me in a determined tone3 8,it will never do to allow such a noble mind to die in order that we who are not far from the grave should survive4 ,though humble1 ,i believe truly in the ,buha1 and cannot do such an action as to sacrifice a man to save myself4 ,i know you too well to take you for a spy1 or for a thief of the national religion4 ,i know it from my long intercourse with you4 ,even ,i were to be killed for it1 ,i could not rid myself of danger by persecuting a man who came here to study ,buhism4 ,how could ,i do such a thing8 ,but now1 in the present state of things in ,tibet1 it is not a good opportunity to disclose your nationality4 ,therefore return home for this time1 and wait till the time will come4 ,i am a brother and disciple of ,ganden ,ti ,rinpoche1 from whom ,i received the lesson of the #8,great ,benevolence4' ,i cannot expose you to death while ,i myself escape from calamity4 ,if we are to suffer after your departure1 we must take it as due to a cause existing in a previous life1 and resign ourselves40 ,saying this1 he turned to the old nun and said3 8,don't you think so too1 my beloved ,ningje ,ise 7mercy and wisdom780 ,the nun raised her face and said in a pleasant voice3 8,you have said the truth4 ,how glad ,i am to hear it60 ,then turning to me she said3 8,as you are in danger1 leave this country as quickly as you can4 ,we can find some means of protecting ourselves2 therefore it is better for you to cease thinking of us1 and to start directly4 ,now is the best time to steal out of the city1 for the visit of the second ,pope will keep the city busy for this whole month1 and no one will notice your departure4 ,no better opportunity can be found4 ,if it were on an ordinary day1 you could not run away even though you were free from suspicion1 for ,lamenba--the chief physician to the ,pope--wishes to keep you long in this country1 and has already spoken to the ,pope about it4 ,lose no time in preparing for the journey4 ,this is my sincere advice40 ,as she spoke thus ,i observed tears in her eyes4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxii4 ,preparations for ,departure4 ,when ,i heard them speak so kindly ,i was heartily pleased1 and so touched that ,i could not restrain my tears4 ,though their advice was so reasonable and pleasing ,i was not inclined to take it immediately1 and begged them earnestly to deliver me over to the ,government so that no evil might befall them4 ,they would not listen to me4 ,at length the nun said3 8,as it is of no use to argue here1 is it not better to leave the matter to the judgment of ,ti ,rinpoche8 and if according to his judgment there is no evil to be feared for you and for us1 then you can present the letter as you wish4 ,we are arguing in vain unless we can foretell the result of the matter40 ,i was then obliged to tell them all about the #8silent contemplation' and its agreement with the judgment of ,ti ,rinpoche4 ,when ,i told this their faces cleared and the ex-,minister said with a smile3 8,if this is the case1 our anxiety and argument are useless4 ,the only course to be taken now is to leave this country immediately4 ,it is of course of no use to speak of binding you with a rope4 ,you have spoken such things because you thought of us1 but it is all in vain4 ,if ,ti ,rinpoche said your departure was better for yourself and ourselves1 it is a sure thing1 and if his judgment agrees with yours it is then the will of the ,buha1 the breach of which will cause you certain evil4 ,therefore proceed at once4 ,though we cannot protect you on your way1 if it becomes public and some one pursues you1 we will try to find some means for your escape40 ,their unselfish kindness toward me ,i shall ever remember4 ,i retired with tears back to my room1 and then ,i packed all my sacred books and other writings which ,i had gathered and took them to the apothecary's and said to him3 8,i intend to go to ,calcutta on a certain mission4 ,i also want to make some purchases there4 ,if ,i can obtain sufficient money from home to buy the books ,i want1 ,i will soon be back4 ,but if ,i cannot get the money at ,calcutta ,i must return home and get it1 and will come back next year or the year after next4 ,i cannot say when ,i can come back1 but at any rate ,i must start immediately4 ,but the thing that troubles me most is the despatch of my baggage4 ,i wish to carry these books home and show them to my fellow-countrymen4 ,if ,i take all of them they must be packed and sent on a horse1 or by some other means4 ,can you find any good way of doing this for me80 ,apothecary ,li ,tsu-shu was a man who believed in me so much that he would do anything for my sake4 ,if ,i had not had such a friend1 my case would have been undoubtedly hopeless4 ,he was faithful to the end2 if his confidence in me had not been so strong1 he would not have done anything for me1 or he might even have betrayed me to my undoing4 ,he seemed to know that ,i was a ,japanese1 for1 once when he came to my room1 he saw some of the ,japanese books in my library1 and after that he seemed partly convinced that ,i was not a ,chinese4 ,it was when people began to talk much about my nationality that ,i saw him and told him that ,i was going home4 ,he knew it was dangerous to have anything to do with me1 but he willingly agreed to my request1 and told me that he knew a ,chinese merchant who was from the same town as himself1 and a good friend of his2 that ,i might go with him1 for he was leaving for ,calcutta on business in four days1 and that as he had probably a few horses without freight he could take my things at a smaller charge than anyone else4 ,the apothecary was also kind enough to promise me that he would go to see the merchant and talk over the matter4 ,as we were talking thus1 the apothecary saw a man entering his house4 ,he ran to him and said3 8,we have just been talking of you4 ,lucky to see you here6 ,could you not take about two horses' load to ,darjeeling for this gentleman80 ,as ,i saw the man ,i found that he was an old acquaintance of mine2 ,i had often bought musk and other things from him and made him some medicine to sell in his store4 ,he knew well that ,i was honest in transactions1 and would have acceded to my request with pleasure4 ,but he said that he could not take charge of my luggage1 for he had no extra horses1 but that he knew a man who was going to ,calcutta in four or five days1 and who would arrive at the city earlier than himself1 and that as this man was carrying the salary of soldiers to the ,castle of ,tomo by the order of the ,chinese ,amban his horses were not loaded and might take my baggage1 but that probably ,i must pay him more money4 ,i said that ,i would willingly pay extra money if the baggage would arrive earlier1 and asked him to go to that man to get the business settled4 ,i was very glad to have everything thus arranged4 ,it was about the evening when we parted1 and ,i returned to the monastery at ,sera4 ,the next thing to be done was to pack up my religious books and bring them to ,lhasa4 ,that night ,i was so busy packing up the books that ,i had no time for sleep1 and the next day before noon ,i was able to send away all the packages to the druggist's in ,lhasa4 ,this twenty-fifth day was fortunately the best for such a purpose4 ,on any ordinary day there were always six or seven thousand priests in the temple1 and if ,i were engaged in packing my things1 it would have attracted their attention1 and caused many enquiries4 ,but on that day there were only two or three men in each boarding-house4 ,therefore though ,i was busy all the night in packing and the next morning in sending the things to ,lhasa1 it caused no suspicion4 ,but there was ,chamba-ise1 a little fellow who had served me for a long time4 ,i could not leave him without doing something for him4 ,i used to send him to a tutor for study while ,i was absent1 and he would come back when ,i returned and draw water1 make tea and do various other services for me4 ,now that ,i was leaving the ,lamasery ,i could not leave him without notice4 ,in the first place ,i must dismiss him1 otherwise he would certainly think it strange to see me taking out my books4 ,so ,i told this boy and a few others that ,i must go on a pilgrimage to ,tsa-ri1 as a younger brother of the ex-,minister lived there and had invited me4 ,tsa-ri is called the second ,sacred ,place in ,tibet4 ,in ,tibet there are the three ,sacred ,places2 the first is ,kang ,rinpoche or ,mount ,kailsa in the north-western plain2 the second is ,tsa-ri1 a peak in the ,himlayas in the south-east which forms the frontier of ,assam2 the third is the highest mountain in the world1 the famous ,gaurshnkara or ,chomo ,lhari1 often called ,mount ,everest4 ,as to the boy1 ,i told him that it would probably take me four months to go there and come back1 and that ,i would leave him money for four months' tuition and board4 ,but ,i was afraid a little boy like him would use the money all at once if it were handed him directly4 ,so ,i took the money and deposited it with his teacher4 ,to a man who had been my security since ,i entered the ,sera seminary ,i sent a suit of priestly garments and some money2 my tutor whose lectures ,i attended and many others were all presented with some money or things as souvenirs4 ,when all these preparations were finished1 it was past four o'clock in the afternoon4 ,then ,i went to the ,great ,hall of ,je ,tatsang to which ,i belonged1 lighted butter-lamps1 made some offerings1 and in front of the ,image of the ,shkya ,buha ,i read my prayer of farewell1 which ran as follows3 8,here in the ,great ,hall of ,je ,tatsang of the ,sera ,temple1 ,tibet1 ,i1 ,ekai ,jink1 prostrate myself before the ,buha our benevolent ,master and pray4 ,it is with great sorrow and regret that ,i see that the different deeds of human beings have caused the different existences of ,buha among the believers3 for the way to ,buha is originally open to all and accessible to everyone4 ,i1 ,ekai ,jink1 bound by the chain of deeds done in the previous world1 have not been able to accomplish the union and conformity of the ,japanese and ,tibetan ,buhists1 and now am obliged to leave the country4 ,may the good cause of the present day be the beginning of success1 and of the union of the ,japanese and the ,tibetan ,buhists at some future time1 and also of illuminating the whole world with the light of ,buhism40 ,and calling upon the name of ,buha ten times together with an equal number of salutations ,i left the temple4 ,coming down the steps of the ,hall and passing the paved yard to the left1 there is a descent of long and steep stone steps which leads to the front of the beautiful gate of ,choe-ra 7a harma garden7 where the student priests are catechised4 ,the premises of the ,choe-ra1 which are enclosed by white low walls1 are very spacious4 ,here and there elms and willow-trees are planted tastefully1 and magnolia flowers perfume the air in their season4 ,a clear stream1 which comes down from the rocky hill on the other side of the buildings1 runs through the premises1 and thus adds much to the beauty of the place1 especially when the setting sun shines upon the stream1 as it was then doing4 ,this was the seat ,i loved best in ,lhasa1 and ,i could not leave it without paying a visit to this favorite resort of mine4 ,when ,i came here it was late in the afternoon1 and all was quiet while ,i roamed about the place4 ,here my heart began to hesitate again4 ,though ,i had already bidden farewell to the ,buha1 thinking ,i should leave this country1 yet ,i confess my determination was not strong enough4 8,must ,i now leave10 thought ,i1 8this quiet land of ,buha to which ,i have become attached2 must ,i steal out of this beautiful country without telling who ,i am1 just as a spy would do8 ,are there no means to say that ,i am a ,japanese1 without causing harm to others8 ,death comes to all sooner or later4 ,why should ,i not run the risk of death1 presenting the letter to the ,pope8 ,when ,i have made such a good composition1 how sorry ,i am not to show it to him60 ,while ,i was thus confused in my mind1 suddenly a voice #8,giokpo peb' 7go back quickly7 was heard from somewhere about the ,choe-ra4 ,i wondered who spoke those words1 and to whom1 and looked round1 but nothing could be seen but the green leaves of the trees shining in the rays of the setting sun4 ,certainly it could not be a bird's voice1 and ,i thought it must be only my fancy4 ,when ,i went on only two or three steps1 the same 8,giokpo peb0 but in a louder and clearer tone reached my ear4 ,thinking somebody was talking to me1 ,i cried out to ask who it was1 looked about1 and went round and behind the ,choe-ra whence ,i thought the voice came1 but no one was to be found4 ,struck with a strange feeling ,i was going in the direction of my boarding-place when ,i heard the same strange voice again and again4 ,this strange voice had much to do with my final determination to go back quickly2 and when ,i was fully resolved the voice was heard no more4 ,i hastened to my room and fetched a few things left there1 and went and lodged at the druggist's in ,lhasa4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,mysterious ,,voice ,,in ,,the ,,garden ,,of ,,sera4 ,the next day was spent in collecting the books which ,i had asked many booksellers to secure for me1 and for some of which ,i had paid in advance4 ,by the evening ,i had obtained a large number4 ,the following day 7,may #bfth7 was employed in the same business as the day before4 ,in the afternoon1 ,li ,tsu-shu made some boxes for me to put my things in4 ,he was also kind enough to get me three sheets of yak-hide in which to wrap my boxes4 ,in ,lhasa many yaks are killed for food after two o'clock in the afternoon every day4 ,the pelt fresh from the butchery is much used for packing and shipping goods4 ,things are wrapped in it while it is yet soft with the fur inside and the still bloody and greasy side out1 and then stitched4 ,when it gets dry it is hard and strong1 and well serves to protect the contents4 ,when all was ready it was the #bgth of ,may4 ,as the next day was the appointed day on which ,i could hire a horse from the ,chinese merchant and start with him1 ,i went to take my leave of the ex-,minister4 ,i thanked him for the great favors ,i had for so long received from him1 and he gave me several hints and suggestions for my journey4 ,i borrowed a suit of priestly garments from him1 for all my suits were packed up together with other things4 ,he also gave me a hundred rupees1 telling me to accept it as an acknowledgement of the favors ,i had done him4 ,though ,i thought the thank-offering ought to have been from my side1 ,i was in much need of money1 and so ,i accepted his present with many thanks and returned to the apothecary's4 ,as ,i came back ,i learned from him that the merchant who was to go with me on the following day would not accompany me4 ,i must tell how this unexpected hindrance came about on the eve of my departure4 ,the ,secretary of the ,amban1 of whom ,i spoke before1 was a great friend of the merchant whom ,i expected to accompany4 ,now the ,secretary1 who was already suspecting me1 told the merchant that ,i was not a ,chinese1 but must be a ,japanese2 that though he could not find the exact reason why ,i came to ,tibet1 it might be possible that ,i was spying in the service of the ,british ,government1 for now-a-days nobody would be so much devoted to ,buhism as to come to ,tibet as ,i declared ,i had done1 and that if his suspicion proved to be true after my departure with the merchant the latter would have his head out off4 ,the merchant was surprised at hearing such a story from a man who was regarded as the most learned and experienced among the ,chinese in ,tibet1 and of course believed it1 so it was not possible in any way whatever to persuade him to take charge of my baggage4 ,but after telling this story1 ,li ,tsu-shu told me that he might probably find some means to send off my baggage if ,i did not mind more expense1 by making a special application to the servants of the ,chinese ,legation and calling the goods his drugs4 ,i asked him to do so1 and as to my own journey1 as ,i needed a coolie to carry my personal luggage day and night1 ,i asked him to hire one for me4 ,the druggist went off directly to negotiate with them1 but came back disappointed saying that the men whom he intended to see were not to be found4 ,early the next morning 7the #bhth7 the druggist went out to see his country-men who were going to the place called ,tomo or ,chumbi in ,tibetan and ,sui-shi in ,chinese1 and arranged with them to carry my goods to the place4 ,i paid them the very high fare for the transportation in advance4 ,he sent my luggage to the ,chinese ,legation that night4 ,as for my coolie1 ,mrs4 ,li ,tsu-shu secured a man called ,tenba after trying her best4 ,so ,i made all preparations for my departure for ,india by their kindness4 ,i could feel certain of starting from ,lhasa on the very next day1 the #bith of ,may 7the #bjth of ,april according to the ,tibetan calendar74 ,,chapter ,,lxxxiii4 ,a ,tearful ,departure from ,lhasa4 ,lhasa was at that time in a state of such intense excitement over the festivities that the people hardly seemed to know what they were doing4 ,the police force of the city is not large3 it consists of thirty constables 7,kochakpa7 and thirty policemen 7,ragyabpa71 and the whole energies of the force were devoted to the duty of guarding the persons of the ,grand ,lama and his ,co-adjutor4 ,every official and priest was busily engaged in the duties of his office2 none could spare even a thought for anything outside his immediate sphere of occupation--in short the time could not possibly have been more favorable for my plan of escaping from the city4 ,still it was necessary to take precautions1 for there were many priests from ,sera in the town1 and ,i therefore determined to divert attention by wearing1 instead of travelling clothes1 a suit of ordinary ecclesiastical garments which ,i had borrowed from the ,minister a few days before4 ,at eleven o'clock1 on the day of my departure1 my kind1 host and hostess of the ,thien-ho-thang prepared for me a farewell dinner of vegetables only4 ,it was a very sad meal1 and the two children1 a boy of five and a girl of eleven years old1 were almost inconsolable at the thought of my departure4 ,poor things1 they did their best to retain me and ,i must confess that ,i never before felt so strongly the force of childish affection4 ,some of the members of the family were very anxious to testify their respect by accompanying me for a mile or two on my journey1 but as it would have been hard to escape observation had we left the house in a large party1 we agreed to go out one by one1 and meet again in the grove in front of the ,rebon ,temple outside the capital4 ,so1 with a coolie to carry my baggage1 ,i started off by myself through the crowded streets1 and when right in front of the ,great ,temple was accosted by a policeman4 ,i felt sure that something had been detected1 and gave myself up for lost4 ,he looked me straight in the face1 and said 8,i congratulate you10 and when he found ,i did not reply he repeated his congratulations4 ,i did not know what he was congratulating me about1 but at least it did not look as if he were going to arrest me1 and ,i continued my silence1 but he made three low bows as signs of his congratulations1 and made as though ,i would pass on4 ,suddenly it occurred to me that ,i was wearing a suit of ecclesiastical garments borrowed from the ,minister1 and that doubtless the policeman had jumped to the conclusion that as ,i was wearing such dignified robes ,i had been appointed physician to ,his ,holiness 7as indeed it was rumored71 and that he expected a reward of money for his well-meant felicitations4 ,so ,i gave him a #8single-handed blessing1' and a tanka of money1 which made him stick out his tongue in gratitude1 and so went on my way4 ,i reckoned it as a thing most auspicious that ,i should have met the man in front of the ,temple1 and thus have commenced my journey with words of felicitation4 ,there are some points about the ,tibetan police which ,i must not omit to mention4 ,they receive no salaries1 and live on the alms of the community1 though their methods of solicitation differ materially from those of ordinary beggars4 ,at stated periods they go1 usually in companies of three1 through the streets1 and standing at the gates of private houses cry out as follows3 8,we have come to receive alms from the wealthy1 and you are so wealthy that you can easily relieve our distress4 ,we therefore pray you1 the savior of the poor and the friend of the needy1 to give thirty pieces of gold to thirty poor men who with their wives live in miserable huts1 and the gift you give us this day shall be brought home to our women and make them happy4 ,we shall fill our broken cups with fragrant liquor and let them lie down this evening in a state of blissful intoxication4 ,lha-kyallo4#d0 #d ,the words 8,lha-kyallo0 mean3 the virtuous ,god will be victorious4 ,they will go on repeating these dirge-like petitions at the gate until at last some one comes out and gives them a few silver coins and some parched wheat-flour in a tin pan covered with a small kata4 ,there is no fixed amount to be given1 but if a rich man does not give them what they think they have a right to expect1 they will let him know what they think4 ,they are not supposed to beg at ,temples1 but as a matter of fact every ,temple gives them something for the sake of its own credit1 and for peace and quiet4 ,all the money that is thus collected is handed over to one of the ,kochakpa1 who distributes it in regular monthly instalments to the members of the ,force4 ,but the ,lhasa police have also further sources of income4 ,when a wealthy pilgrim from the country arrives in the city they ask for a donation from him1 and if they do not get at least one tanka they will set the worthless people of the city on to attack him and not stir a finger for his protection4 ,every countryman therefore finds it to his interest to pay this blackmail to the police1 and when ,i was in ,lhasa as a layman ,i had paid my tanka like the others4 ,but since ,i had assumed the priest's robe they had not been able to demand anything from me1 and therefore ,i suppose that my friend thought the opportunity of getting a present in return for his congratulations was too good to be lost4 ,if a policeman goes on a journey1 say to arrest a thief1 he takes nothing with him for the expenses of his journey4 ,he goes to any house he chooses and takes what they give him to eat and drink1 and if he is going on to a place where there is no entertainment to be had he just orders the people of the house to provide him with whatever he requires4 ,the ,kochakpa however are far superior to the ordinary policemen4 ,they have a regular salary from the ,government1 and so do not live on blackmail4 ,having got rid of my policeman friend1 ,i turned to the ,temple for a final act of worship1 and then passing under the ,palace of the ,grand ,lama and over the bridge1 came out upon the vast plain1 where1 by the small grove in front of the ,rebon ,temple1 ,i found the clerk of the drug-store and a few friends waiting to take their leave of me4 ,i had had my dinner1 and ,i never drink wine3 there was nothing left for me to do but to change my dress and commence my journey1 which ,i did1 requesting my friends to return my clerical clothes to the ,minister of ,finance4 ,but my friends had brought some wine with them1 and insisted on drinking to me before ,i went1 repeatedly expressing their great sorrow at my departure and urging me to take great care of my health in the trying climate of ,india4 ,they were also very anxious to know whether1 after once returning to ,india1 ,i should ever revisit ,tibet again1 and they several times expressed their great indebtedness to me4 ,as for myself1 ,i cannot say that ,i was very sorry to be leaving ,lhasa1 but the sight of their sorrow made me sad as ,i passed out of the grove of the ,rebon ,temple in the direction of ,shingzonka1 where ,i stopped for the night4 ,on the #cjth of ,may1 ,i hired post-horses and left ,shingzonka4 ,here ,i had been obliged to find serious fault with my luggage-carrier1 ,tenba4 ,tibetans1 as my readers must by this time be well aware1 are prone to lies1 and will grossly exaggerate the most trivial and insignificant matters4 ,i had often spoken to ,tenba about this1 but in spite of my frequent admonitions1 he had told the master of the house where we lodged at ,shingzonka that ,i was an incarnation of a ,lama4 ,of course the innkeeper at once was all full of smiles and politeness1 put me into a better room and did all he could for my comfort1 and as far as that was concerned ,i had no reason for complaint4 ,but ,i was afraid that by and by trouble might come to me by reason of that lie1 and ,i spoke to him in severe terms not only about the wickedness but also about the inconvenience of uttering falsehoods4 8,i only said #8yes1'0 urged the man in his own justification1 8when he asked me if you were not an incarnation4 ,if you go round as an incarnation1 you are respected and honored1 and can make lots of money4 ,there is no profit in going about just as you are40 8,but1 you miserable man10 ,i returned angrily1 8,i am not here for the purpose of making money4 ,it is unutterably bad to make money by deceiving others40 8,but10 he grumbled1 8everybody wants to make money04 ,nevertheless he promised to be more careful with his tongue in the future4 ,that day we had dinner at ,ne-thang1 and going six miles further on arrived at the village of ,nam4 ,when my teacher1 ,rai ,sara ,chanra s ,bahur1 visited ,nam some twenty years ago1 it was a village of some thirty houses4 ,it seems almost incredible that we stayed in the single house now standing in the place4 ,the fact is that some six years after the ,rai ,bahur's departure from ,tibet1 some sixteen years ago1 the whole village was swept away by a flood of the river ,kichu4 ,the villagers then removed their dwellings to a plateau between the ravines where they would be safe from future inundations1 erecting just one house on the old site for the benefit of travellers4 ,so1 to return to my story1 ,i passed through ,nam and reached the village of ,jangtoe1 where lived a priest whose acquaintance ,i had made at ,sera4 8,where are you going80 he asked1 as he served me with tea4 8,on a pilgrimage to ,india10 was my politic reply1 which was received with great joy1 and made my host most sympathetic and helpful4 ,he insisted on lending me a horse the next morning1 and ,i was thus enabled to make a rapid journey to ,chaksam1 where ,i found several boats1 some of hides and some of wood4 ,i embarked on one of these latter1 crossed to the other side and arrived at the station of ,pashe1 under the high and steep mountain of ,genpala4 ,at ,pashe ,i hired another horse1 7for ,i had sent back the priest's horse from the river71 and the next morning1 #ast ,june1 at four o'clock1 started again on my journey4 ,half-way up the hill ,i found a ,chinaman who had left ,lhasa a day before myself4 ,he was feeding his horse by the roadside1 and drinking tea1 and when ,i asked him about his luggage1 he said that it was being sent after him4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,distant ,,view ,,of ,,lhasa4 ,on reaching the top of the mountain and looking back1 ,i was able1 in the clear air1 to see not only ,lhasa far away on the north-eastern horizon1 but even the ,grand ,lama's palace above it1 a dim vision of heavenly beauty4 ,both in coming and in going ,i enjoyed this beautiful sight1 and saluted the ,lama's ,palace in the distance4 ,genpala rises fourteen thousand nine hundred feet above the sea1 while ,lhasa is twelve thousand1 so that the mountain is nearly three thousand feet higher than the city4 ,the distance1 as a bird flies1 between them is thirty-five miles1 and though some ,tibetan travellers deny the fact1 ,i can vouch for it from experience that the ,grand ,lama's ,palace can be distinctly seen from a point of vantage on the summit of the mountain1 though the slightest change in position causes the palace to disappear4 ,illustration3 ,,farewell ,,to ,,lhasa ,,from ,,the ,,top ,,of ,,genpala4 ,while speaking of ,genpala ,i recollect an amusing story which ,i will here relate4 ,there is in the house of a rich man in ,nepl a ,tibetan servant of the name of ,penba-pun-tso1 who accompanied his master on one occasion on a pilgrimage to ,lhasa4 ,there were several other ,tibetans in the company4 ,now1 whereas in ,nepl food is cheap and plentiful and every one gets enough1 that is not the case in ,lhasa4 ,there1 the ,lama gets a good meal with meats of various kinds1 vermicelli1 and eggs2 but the ordinary layman has to be contented with parched barley flour--not unmixed with sand and grit--put in a bowl with tea and eaten4 ,and often there is not enough even of that4 ,the pilgrims cannot always get all they require1 and many lose strength1 while all lose flesh4 ,at last the pilgrimage was over1 all the noteworthy ,lamas had been visited1 and the party of ,neplese1 on their way home1 reached the summit of ,mount ,genpala4 ,with one accord they all turned round to take a last farewell of the ,holy ,city4 8,we are indeed fortunate10 they murmured1 8to have been allowed to accomplish this pilgrimage1 and we pray 7here they shed tears of pious fervor7 that we may deserve to be re-born in the ,holy ,land of ,buha40 ,but ,penba-pun-tso refused to join them in their prayers4 ,he deliberately turned his back on the ,holy ,city1 and took no pains to conceal his disgust at the behavior of his companions4 8,how joyful it is1 brethren10 he replied to their remonstrances1 8to have left behind ,lhasa1 the hateful abode of hungry demons and evil spirits4 ,my prayer is that ,i may never have occasion to see the place again40 8,you are very hard on ,lhasa10 they said4 8,not a bit of it10 was the reply4 8,i am only honest2 that's all4 ,in my master's house in ,nepl ,i get plenty of food--good rice1 with no sand in it4 ,why should ,i call ,lhasa the ,holy ,city--a place where the greedy ,lamas are the only men who get enough to eat80 ,penba's pious companions were much shocked at his outspoken heresies4 ,but ,penba did not mind their threats4 8,i may be punished for what ,i have said10 he calmly remarked2 8but all the same ,i am glad not to have been born in ,lhasa4 ,the devils of the ,holy ,city may punish me if they like40 ,there is a great deal of truth in what the man said4 ,lhasa swarms with beggars and paupers1 and may truly be called the ,city of hungry devils4 ,there are even to be found in ,lhasa professional mendicants who are also usurious money-lenders4 ,these men as a rule starve themselves in order to save a little money1 which they conceal in some secret place underground and then lend out at exorbitant rates of interest4 ,when they die1 their secret hoard is lost1 until some one some day digs it up by chance1 when it is presented as treasure-trove to the priests of ,sera or to those of the ,ganden or ,rebon ,temples4 ,can these men1 who starve themselves in order to make a little additional gain1 be called anything but hungry devils8 ,truly1 ,i can witness that ,lhasa is the abode of these hungry spirits1 and that the ,lamas are flesh-eating ogres4 ,penba-pun-tso1 whose story thus amused me as ,i climbed over the steeps of ,genpala1 is still living at ,nyallam on the borders of ,nepl and ,tibet4 ,i cannot say that ,i fully share his feelings against ,lhasa1 which ,i know as well probably as he does2 but it is indeed a city in which wheat and tares grow together1 a very few noble ,bohisavas dwelling in the midst of many extortionate demons4 ,it is my earnest desire to return some day to the ,holy ,city and there work for the important object of bringing together into living unity the ,buhism of ,japan and ,tibet4 ,on our way down from the summit of ,mount ,genpala we diverted our steps a little in the direction of the village of ,ta ma lung1 a change of route necessitated by the desire to dine and to change horses1 before proceeding to the post-station of ,palte4 ,palte is1 as ,i have mentioned before1 a very picturesque town on the shores of ,lake ,yamdo4 ,we arrived towards nightfall after a long journey southward through beautiful winding roads1 and here ,i fancy that my luggage coolie ,tenba1 who preceded me by a few minutes1 must have announced me as a physician from ,sera1 for soon after my arrival the headman brought me a sick man for examination4 ,i declined to prescribe for the man at first1 but the more ,i drew back the more did the headman urge his suit1 until ,i was at last reluctantly compelled to give him some medicine4 ,i was surprised to find with what great reverence the people of the place treated 8a physician from ,sera04 ,it was almost as if he had been a ,god of medicine1 so great was the honor they paid him4 ,the next day1 ,june #fth1 ,i left ,palte on horseback at two in the morning1 and about eight o'clock reached the eastern extremity of ,yase through beautiful scenery1 which ,i need not however describe again4 ,some two miles to the east of ,yase there is a river which empties itself into the narrow arm of a lake1 and is crossed by a stone bridge which leads the traveller towards the south4 ,as far as this bridge my route had been the same as on my former journey through this country3 but after crossing the bridge1 ,i diverged in a south-easterly direction along the lake shore1 and then turned to the south 7still along the lake7 for five miles1 where ,i struck off and reached ,nankartse in time for dinner4 ,here my servant1 who was very tired1 expected to stop1 but ,i pushed on westward1 until we came out on an immense plain where we beheld outspread before us the snow-clad mountains of the ,bhn frontier4 ,as we pushed on the scenery became more and more beautiful1 and the mountains closed in on both sides of us4 ,at last1 in the heart of a narrow ravine1 we came to a solitary house beside a river4 ,we should have had to go another five ri before reaching another house1 so we determined to stop here4 ,the next morning1 soon after midnight1 ,i got up and aroused my servant4 ,he did not want to leave his bed and grumbled about its being midnight and a long way to dawn1 but we had before made up our minds for an early start so as to get ahead of possible pursuers1 and so ,i kept to my purpose4 ,it was a very lonely ascent through deep snow1 and my servant was so scared by the darkness and the fear of pursuers that he did not dare to walk behind me1 and when ,i made him go in front1 he would often stop for me to reconnoitre some suspicious object ahead4 ,for the road1 he said1 was full of malicious demons1 and there was no knowing what harm they might not do to one4 ,illustration3 ,,crossing ,a ,,mountain ,,at ,,midnight4 ,i did my best to re-assure him by the fact of my presence and the example of my courage1 and so1 with slow and faltering steps we climbed up the five ri of steep mountain ascent and at daybreak reached the small village of ,za-ra1 when we had breakfast and succeeded in hiring horses4 ,at these mountain-stations it is almost impossible to hire an animal1 for there are none kept there1 and the traveller has to depend on pack-horses and travelling horses that may happen to pass by that way4 ,what few post-horses there are1 are all taken up by the ,government1 and never come into the hands of ordinary travellers4 ,and yet it was very important for us to obtain animals1 for we had to pass along the snowy peak of ,nechen ,kangsang1 and though there are several places in the ascent as well as in the descent where riding is out of the question1 over the steep and ill-kept roads1 there are also places in the higher plateau of the mountains where the rarefied atmosphere makes rapid travelling on foot a sheer impossibility4 ,thanks1 however1 to our good fortune in procuring horses at ,za-ra1 we were able to push on towards the majestic mountain peaks as far as to ,ralung1 where we rested till midnight4 ,we then arose1 mounted our steeds1 and following a stream for some ten and a half miles arrived at ,tsanang4 ,in ,tibet there is no beautiful scenery except that of snowy mountains4 ,when the snow-peaks disappear from sight1 everything becomes monotonous and lonely4 ,the next day we rode into the post-town of ,gyangtze1 the third city of ,tibet4 ,the city contains a large ,buhist ,temple1 ,pankhor ,choeten1 inhabited by fifteen hundred priests1 and in it was living the chief financial agent of the ,lama ,government1 who was married to the niece of the old nun who once lived with me in the ,minister's residence4 ,as he was an old and intimate friend of mine1 ,i ventured to call upon him and was received with great joy4 ,his residence1 ,serchok1 was a large building on the outskirts of the grounds of the great ,temple1 and my friend was very urgent that ,i should spend some ten or twenty days with him4 ,this ,i declined1 on the ground that ,i was going on a pilgrimage2 but as ,i was anxious to see the ,temple1 and as moreover it was absolutely necessary to provide oneself with all necessaries of life before attempting the trip across the mountains1 ,i determined to stay for one or two days at least4 ,the temple is very large1 and the tower is the largest in ,tibet4 ,the number of priests is comparatively small1 but the monastery is about one-half the size of the ,sera convent4 ,priests of the ,new ,sect predominate1 but those of the ,old ,sect are allowed to reside there1 as are also the ,sakya and ,karma priests4 ,i was shown a great number of sacred articles preserved in the ,temple1 and then returned to my friend's residence4 ,gyangtze is a good emporium for trade4 ,a large market is held every morning outside the gate of the great temple1 and people flock in from the whole neighborhood to buy and sell4 ,there are many shops1 stalls1 and booths in which goods of all kinds are exposed for sale--vegetables1 meat1 flower1 milk1 butter1 cotton and articles to tempt the fancy of the buyers4 ,also wool and yak's tails1 on their road from the table-lands of the north-west to ,india1 are brought here in transit1 and are distributed among the merchants who come so far to obtain them4 ,after stopping one night in the temple1 we started on ,june #ast1 #aijb1 at five o'clock4 ,by the kindness of my host1 a horse was lent to me for five days1 and so ,i passed through the town of ,gyangtze1 crossed the river ,tsangchu1 and gradually proceeded southward to the place where the nunnery of ,nening stands4 ,i was told that in this nunnery there was a living goddess called ,dolma in ,tibetan1 only seven years of age4 ,i did not however see her4 ,after taking dinner at the house opposite the temple1 we hurried on for about twenty-five miles1 and came to the native village of my luggage-carrier ,tenba4 ,that night we lodged in a small temple where his brother was living1 and my man and he had a good carouse that night4 8,your master's complexion is unusually fair10 said his brother1 8and differs little from that of ,mongolians4 ,is he not a ,european80 8,no1 no10 said my servant1 eagerly trying to dispel his brother's suspicion1 8he is an honorable physician in ,sera40 8,i know the physician in ,sera10 answered his brother1 entirely forgetting that ,i was in the next room2 8but he is a doubtful sort of man1 one that brings the dead back to life4 ,no man can do such things unless he is a ,european4 ,be careful1 my good brother1 that you come to no harm40 8,that is not so10 pleaded the other emphatically1 relating what he had heard from the owner of ,thien-ho-thang1 8he is a ,chinaman1 an intimate friend of the owner of ,thien-ho-thang40 ,i pretended not to have heard the last night's talk between the brothers1 and early the next morning ,i left the house1 and as we were at the point of departure the brother whispered something in my man's ear4 ,walking toward the mountain south of us for about seven miles1 we came to the post-station of ,kangma4 ,while we were resting1 twelve or thirteen pack-horses led by a ,chinaman1 two of them with my baggage1 came towards us in great haste4 ,it seemed to me that the ,chinese did not know the baggage was mine1 and ,i was glad to see that it was on the way to ,darjeeling4 ,the sight of my baggage may have increased ,tenba's suspicion4 ,when it was first packed in ,thien-ho-thang1 he thought it was going to be left in the care of the drug-store1 but now1 to his surprise1 he found it was going off somewhere4 ,he shut his mouth1 hung his head thoughtfully1 and followed after me for a long while1 till at last he suddenly broke the silence4 8,as we are still some five or six days' journey from the ,phari ,challenge ,gate10 he suggested eagerly1 yet with some hesitation1 8would it not be better for us to take the other road8 ,they are so very strict with their enquiries at the gate that it will be hard for you to get a proper passport1 without a witness who can prove that you are only going on a short trip to ,india and that you will soon be back4 ,such a witness must be taken from the village itself1 and it requires quite a lot of money to get one4 ,you will also have to do some bribing to get a passport1 and ,i very much doubt whether you have money enough for the purpose4 ,there is another way where ,i can get you through for about half the money required at ,phari1 and if you will entrust the matter to me ,i will take you to it4 ,we must go by the secret path to ,khamburong1 from which point it will be easy to get into ,india2 but it is a difficult road1 and not altogether free from wild animals4 ,if you are afraid of it1 there is another route1 through ,bhtn1 though1 to be sure1 it is infested with highwaymen4 ,still1 ,i dare say you will get through unmolested1 if you conceal your luggage and wear old clothes4 ,it is for you to choose40 8,do you mean to tell me10 ,i replied1 8that ,i had better take some other route than that of ,phari on the ground of expense80 8,yes1 sir10 replied ,tenba2 8it is nonsense to throw away money like that40 8,i don't know how much money it will require10 ,i replied deliberately1 8but it is folly to risk one's life unnecessarily4 ,if we go by the secret path or through ,bhn the chances are nine to one that we lose our lives4 ,it is better to lose money than one's life4 ,so don't dream of going by a dangerous road1 for there is no need for it4 ,i am not without money2 how much do you want8 ,i promised to give you seven yen fifty sen monthly1 and ,i intend to give you a handsome present as well for the work you undertake to do for me1 but ,i shall not give you anything unless you stick to your bargain40 ,the whole of this suggestion originated1 ,i am sure1 from his brother's parting whisper1 and ,i was glad to be able to dispel his suspicions1 at least in some degree4 ,had ,i acted upon his suggestions1 and given him the money he asked for to take me round by the secret path1 his suspicions as to the shadiness of my character would have been confirmed1 and he would only have waited for me to fall asleep to steal my luggage4 ,it is impossible to trust oneself entirely to ,tibetans1 for honesty is observed only among people who are well-known to one another1 and only so long as actions are done before the public gaze4 ,social restraints are no sooner removed than the ,tibetan is ready for any crime or enormity4 ,one has to keep one's eyes constantly open in travelling with such people4 ,after a pleasant walk of about five miles along the mountain ridge1 we arrived at the village of ,salu1 where we stopped4 ,we left at one o'clock the next morning 7,june #hth71 much to the disgust of ,tenba1 who was again horribly afraid of the journey through the dark1 and proceeded southward towards the mountains4 ,more accurately1 we were going to the south-west1 and after proceeding for some seven and a half miles1 reached a high plain4 ,eleven miles further1 we came to a small lake with a river flowing to it4 ,we kept along the east bank of the river for another three and a half miles1 which brought us to ,lake ,lham tso1 a sheet of water connected with the lower lake by the river4 ,we could reach ,phari by going round the lake on either side2 but we chose to go along the left or eastern side4 ,from this point the snowy peaks of the ,himlayas look like a row of beautiful maidens sitting in a line on a bench1 and wearing snow-white bonnets4 ,they are not very high1 but there are great numbers of peaks1 the lower slopes of which are covered in summer with grass1 which would ,i believe make excellent pasture1 especially along the borders of the lake where grass is profuse4 ,we skirted the shores of the lake for about twenty miles and at last reached the village of ,lham-maye1 on a beautiful summer evening with the crescent moon shining faintly above us4 ,it reminded me of home4 ,illustration3 ,,night ,,scene ,,on ,,the ,,chomo-,,lhari ,,and ,,lham ,,tso4 ,we stopped for the night in a large stone house1 from which we had a view towards the south over a great mountain known in ,tibetan as ,chomo-,lhari 7the mountain of the ,mother ,goddess74 ,there are many mountains of this name in ,tibet1 where nearly every snowy peak is accounted sacred to the deity and is called by her name4 ,some say that there are twenty-one ,chomo-,lhari in ,tibet1 some give the number as thirty-two2 but as nearly every large mountain goes by that name1 the number must be far greater4 ,this particular ,chomo-,lhari sits1 like the ,buhist deity ,vairochana1 with an air of great solemnity in one corner of the plain1 with its head in the clouds2 while the snowy peaks which range themselves on either side of it1 embracing the lake as it were with their gigantic masses1 look like the ,bohisava ,avalokieshvara 7representative of the great ,mercy of ,buha7 and ,bohisava ,manjushr 7representative of the great knowledge of ,buha7 offering before the great ,buha ,vairochana a sacrifice of silent praise4 ,the whole scene seemed to me like a picture of the ,buhist ,heaven4 ,on this plateau1 as on the great north-western plain of ,tibet1 neither wheat nor barley will grow1 and the district is fit only for pasturage1 and that only during the summer months4 ,lake ,lham tso abounds in fish of all kinds1 from seven to twelve inches in length1 and it is much frequented during the summer by fishermen who catch and dry the fish for winter consumption4 ,during the winter1 when fishing is impossible1 they take to begging1 and so the population around the ,lake consists mainly of people who are half fishermen and half beggars4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxiv4 ,five ,gates to ,pass4 ,on ,june #ith we were as usual early on horseback1 and on our road towards the south4 ,tenba seemed to fall back into his old suspicious mood4 ,we were due to reach the first ,challenge ,gate on the following morning1 and he possibly feared that if anything leaked out he would be arrested and put into jail4 ,so he began his attacks on me again4 8,the other day10 he said1 8you said that there was no need for us to take the secret path1 but there you were wrong4 ,it is not nearly such difficult travelling as you suppose4 ,i have been over it twice myself1 and the wild beasts can always be scared away by lighting fires4 ,the officers at ,phari are1 as ,i have told you1 both strict and extortionate4 ,fourteen or fifteen yen ought to be enough1 but you may have to pay thirty or even fifty4 ,you will be detained for three or four days at the very least1 possibly for a week4 ,if you are anxious to get on quickly you had better take the secret path4 ,why waste money and time80 8,well10 ,i replied1 8if the officials want to bleed me1 ,i suppose they must4 ,i have no objection to being bled4 ,it will be one way of making an offering to the ,dalai ,lama40 ,again my feigned nonchalance cleared his mind of doubt1 though it surprised him not a little4 ,but a short time later a most strange and weird thing took place4 ,we had gone some five miles further1 when suddenly a band of ill-favored savage-looking men1 four in number1 stood in my path1 made a profound bow1 and begged me to do them a favor4 8,we are on our way from the north10 they said in excited tones1 8and we were taking salt to sell at ,phari4 ,last night1 while our watchmen were dozing1 some robbers came up and drove off forty-five of our yaks4 ,we do not know whether they were ,tibetans or ,bhnese1 but we intend to pursue them whoever they are1 and we desire you to find out by divination which way they have gone40 ,they had mistaken me for a soothsaying ,tibetan priest1 and there was nothing for me but to act up to the rle4 ,so ,i struck an attitude such as ,i had seen the native diviners assume1 and said solemnly and with decision3 8,go towards the north1 as quickly as you can3 it may be that you will catch them before evening40 ,so they hurried off with great joy1 leaving us to proceed on our journey to the village of ,lham tso on the slope of ,mount ,chomo-,lhari4 ,it is a poor village1 the soil of which is said to produce nothing that is eatable1 and the inhabitants are generally unable to pay taxes4 ,bhn is an independent country under the nominal rule of a ,king1 whose power1 however1 does not go far over the various tribes within his ,kingdom4 ,each tribe pays a tribute to ,tibet1 directly1 and not through the ,king's ,government1 and in return for the tribute receives a present from the ,tibetan authorities1 so that it is really an exchange of presents rather than a payment of tribute4 ,we were now not very far from the first ,challenge ,gate4 ,i had had to tell ,tenba repeatedly to stick to the public road1 but ,i was obliged to have recourse to religious meditation before ,i could get him to act in accordance with my wishes4 ,fortunately for my authority the men who had lost the yaks on the previous day came up to us4 ,they had recovered every one of their lost animals1 and had come to express their gratitude and to make me a present of two tankas and a kata4 ,this incident impressed my servant tremendously4 ,he was now quite sure that ,i was a man gifted with extraordinary powers1 and was more willing to acquiesce in my decision4 ,that evening ,i recited the ,holy ,texts until all had fallen asleep4 ,i myself went into a religious meditation-trance1 by the light of which ,i decided to go by the public road4 ,travellers taking this road are subjected to a first and very strict examination at the first gate-house at ,phari4 ,the first requisite is a witness1 who for a consideration swears that the traveller is going into ,india on business for a short time1 intending to come back4 ,then a little palm-oil procures the passport1 armed with which he goes on to the second gate at ,chumbi ,samba4 ,here he produces the passport and goes on to the third gate at ,pimbithang1 where he is examined carefully by ,chinese officials4 ,the fourth gate is at ,tomo ,rinchen-gang at which the traveller receives a written certificate1 which he has to show on reaching the great gate of ,nyatong ,castle4 ,here he has to do much bribery1 and is strictly cross-examined4 ,if he comes through the ordeal1 he receives another paper which he has to take back to the fourth gate to be countersigned and visd4 ,at the fourth gate he gets some more papers which he has to take to the ,chinese officer at ,pimbithang1 from whom he receives another document written in ,chinese1 which1 together with the document received at the fourth gate1 must be taken once more to the gate house at ,nyatong ,castle4 ,at length1 on the production of all these documents1 he is allowed to pass through the castle gate into the village of ,nyatong4 ,here he crosses a small bridge on the other side of which are some ,chinese sentinels1 the commander of these ,chinese troops receiving from him the certificate which he has received at the third gate4 ,the document from the fourth gate he takes with him to his destination3 its production on his return journey will enable him once more to be admitted to the sacred soil of ,tibet4 ,between ,phari and ,nyatong ,i came across a great number of friends and acquaintances--some of them were chance acquaintances1 others who had known me at ,darjeeling4 ,there was a lady missionary1 ,miss ,annie ,r4 ,taylor1 who was living with her servants near the ,nyatong ,gate1 and there were some ill-natured ,tibetans who knew me so well that ,i was obliged to keep my eye constantly open4 ,i might1 ,i felt1 have the good fortune to get into the gate-house1 but whether ,i would come out again was a more difficult problem4 ,i could hardly expect to get through without meeting any of my friends4 ,if ,i were detained for any length of time at ,phari1 there was the danger that ,i might be arrested by messengers from ,lhasa1 though ,i knew that ten days must elapse before my absence from that city would be detected4 ,the period from ,april #bj to ,april #cj 7,tibetan style7 is a period of confusion and bustle in ,lhasa1 and during that period it was almost impossible that ,i should be missed4 ,the conclusion of the ,panchen ,lama's rites would leave the officials with leisure on their hands3 then my absence would be noted1 and in the end they would send messengers after me4 ,the day on which ,i held my meditation was ,may #c1 according to the ,tibetan calendar1 and ,i concluded therefore that two or three days more must elapse before my pursuers could reach me4 ,but a delay of four or five days at ,phari might be a very critical question for me1 and it was just possible that while we were kept cooling our heels in the last of the gate-houses1 the ,government messengers might arrive1 and all our labour be lost4 ,yet it was very strange that1 in spite of all the difficulties of the way1 it had been revealed to me in my meditation that the public road was the one ,i ought to take4 ,i had thought that the danger of the two roads was about equal2 but ,i thought that ,i would rather be arrested on the public road and possibly be treated with violence1 than fall among wild beasts or robbers on the secret path4 ,i had moreover on several occasions tried the method of religious meditation1 and always with success4 ,i determined therefore to follow the path that had been revealed to me4 ,that night1 ,i slept but very little1 in a sitting position1 and early the next morning ,i started off on horseback towards the great snowy peak of ,chomo-,lhari4 ,by going round the side of the mountain1 and gradually proceeding south1 after leaving lake ,lham tso1 we at last saw far to the east and south1 the great peak towering up above the clouds almost like a snowy image of sitting harma4 ,it was summer2 yet the weather was so exceedingly cold that no plants could grow there1 except lichens of flattened kinds4 ,by dint of whipping my horse all the time1 ,i tried very hard to reach ,phari on that day2 but as my servant walked on foot and could not keep up with me1 it was quite dark when we came to the village of ,chu-kya4 ,it is on a very high plateau1 and the climate is exceedingly cold4 ,the land here is not only high1 but large snow mountains stand round it on both sides in one continuous row and it has been said to be the bleakest and most barren wilderness in the ,tsang district4 ,at night unless dried yak dung can be collected1 piled up and burned continually1 the cold is almost intolerable4 ,notwithstanding that it was early summer1 it was colder than our most rigorous winter in ,japan3 indeed it is the coldest1 wildest1 most barren place between ,lhasa and ,darjeeling4 ,the next morning1 ,june #aath1 we took tea and started at four o'clock1 going about five miles south along the river flowing through the wilderness4 ,i came to the ,phari ,zong just at sunrise4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxv4 ,the ,first ,challenge ,gate4 ,phari is a large castle standing on a hill1 in form like the ,dalai ,lama's palace in ,lhasa1 but not so elegant4 ,all the houses standing at the foot of it looked somewhat black4 ,phari is more or less of a prosperous town1 situated on the plain between the snow-mountains2 and as all the commodities imported from ,darjeeling and ,calcutta or ,bombay come to this town1 there is a custom-house for levying taxes4 ,the customs duties for imported goods amount to one-tenth1 two-tenths1 sometimes even four-tenths of the original cost according to their nature4 ,most of the duties are paid in kind2 but in cases where this is impossible1 they are paid in money after the value has been reduced to the corresponding silver coins4 ,as we went through the town we saw by the side of it a large pond4 ,on the road between the pond and the castle there were watchmen1 who asked me where ,i was going to lodge4 ,as ,i did not know where to stop1 ,i requested them to find me a very good house1 and when they saw my dress 7which was suitable for a man of high position7 they mistook me for a priest belonging to the nobility1 and led me to a very good lodging-house4 ,there are no real inns or hotels in ,tibet2 what they call inns or hotels being no better than our ,japanese ,kichin-yado4 8,where are you going1 ,sir80 asked the inn-keeper respectfully1 thinking that ,i was a high priest4 8,i am going to ,calcutta10 replied ,i2 8and if circumstance allow me to worship at ,buhagay1 ,i will do so2 but as ,i have some pressing business1 ,i am not sure whether ,i can or not40 8,what is your service1 ,sir80 he asked again4 8,my service10 said ,i3 8,i have no need to tell it40 8,where do you come from1 my noble priest80 said he1 intending from my reply to conjecture my station in life4 8,from ,lhasa10 replied ,i4 8,which part of ,lhasa1 ,sir80 8,from the ,sera temple40 8,i see10 said he1 with sparkling eyes1 believing that he had found out my secret2 8you are an incarnation of the ,lama40 ,before ,i could say 8no10 my servant1 who was sitting near me1 spoke to him instantly3 8,the ,dalai ,lama's0 444 but before he could say more ,i stopped him with angry looks3 8,you must not talk nonsense2 for it is no use40 8,then1 what is your station in life1 ,sir10 he asked me again1 thinking that it is very strange that ,i should conceal my social position1 8are you ,his ,holiness's chaplain80 8,no0 said ,i1 8,i am simply living in ,sera and nothing else40 ,the more he wanted to know about me1 the more ,i tried to keep him in the dark1 and ,i told him ,i could not comply with his desire4 8,no1 that is not good10 said the inn-keeper4 8,this is a very troublesome place2 your condition must be thoroughly investigated1 your dwelling and what position you hold1 and all doubtful points must be verified4 ,you must also produce a witness that though you are going to ,india you are sure to return here again4 ,to get a witness is not an easy task2 and to do this1 ,i must first hear everything about you40 8,if that is so10 said ,i1 8,i shall make myself clear4 ,i am a common priest from ,sera studying dialects in the university department40 8,your looks belie you10 said he4 8,from your circumstance and clothes1 ,i conjecture that you are either a high clergyman1 or an incarnation of the ,lama40 8,you may take me for such10 said ,i1 8entirely at your own convenience2 but ,i am not what you think4 ,the truth of what ,i say will be plain if you enquire about me at my convent40 8,really80 said the inn-keeper1 and withdrew1 followed by the servant2 the house was small1 and their conversation in the room opposite could be distinctly heard4 8,your master has told me this and that10 said the inn-keeper1 8yet ,i want to know his true status1 otherwise it will be impossible for him to get out of this place for ten or twenty days40 8,but10 replied the servant1 8,i cannot tell you without making him angry40 8,in that case ,i shall do nothing more10 said the inn-keeper1 8for a month40 8,he is in great haste10 replied the servant1 8and he seems to have some pressing business4 ,we have travelled the whole night through40 8,is it not strange10 said the inn-keeper1 talking very quickly1 8that he should travel the whole night through8 ,i don't know what kind of business he has2 but at any rate he is not a common priest2 who is he80 8,well then1 ,i will tell you10 replied the servant1 8if you will keep the secret1 and not say you have heard it from me4 ,he is1 in truth1 the physician of ,sera40 8,indeed20 said the host1 8is he the physician who restores the dead to life80 8,yes1 he is10 replied the servant4 8,i am not quite certain1 but according to the popular rumor1 he went to the ,grand ,lama1 and has been1 ,i believe1 appointed ,court ,physician4 ,properly speaking1 ,i am not the servant that always attends on him4 ,to confess the truth1 as ,i came into his service only a little while before our departure1 through the introduction of a drug-store keeper with whom ,i am acquainted4 ,i don't know my master very well2 but at any rate1 his influence as a physician in ,lhasa is immense40 8,well then10 said the inn-keeper1 8by as quick processes as possible1 ,i must get him a passport within four or five days40 8,it will be most embarrassing1 if you cannot10 replied my servant4 8,by the way10 said the inn-keeper1 with great earnestness1 8talking about the physician1 ,i recall that1 among my relatives1 there is a most distressing case4 ,would it not be possible for him to examine the patient80 ,said my servant1 with an air of disgust1 8,he never treats a patient4 ,he is obstinate and stiff-necked4 ,on our way here if he had treated patients he would easily have made money1 but notwithstanding my urgency1 he always refused to do so40 8,would you not be so kind10 said the inn-keeper1 requesting him eagerly1 8as to intercede with him for me80 8,as the inn-keeper10 said the servant1 coming into my room somewhat perplexed1 8was enquiring about your person in various ways1 ,i made a slip of the tongue1 and told him that you were a physician4 ,since ,i have been told that there are many patients in this town1 ,i request you to examine them during our detention here for four or five days40 8,if ,i were to act as you ask me10 answered ,i1 with more or less anger in my voice1 8and examine patients1 there would be no end to it2 it is impossible for me to see patients1 as it would take too much time40 8,as it is a means to deliver your person from death10 said the servant1 8,i request you by all means to accept the suggestion40 ,i ended by giving my consent1 but with an air of great reluctance4 ,the inn-keeper was delighted and hurried away2 in a short time he returned with another man1 who took me to a black-looking house4 ,all the houses here look black2 the reason is that they are made of turf cut up1 like bricks1 into sections of fourteen inches in length1 seven inches in breadth1 and three inches in thickness1 dried and consolidated4 ,it is very durable though not as hard as brick1 and houses constructed of this material only are liable to be blown down by the wind4 ,in order to protect them from falling1 posts are inserted here and there4 ,with the exception of one stone edifice1 nearly all the buildings here are made of this material4 ,it seems to me that1 as the mountains are very far off and consequently great expense is required for the transportation of stone1 turf is selected as the only material for the construction of houses4 ,with the exception of one or two houses1 all are only one storey high1 quite the reverse of what ,i found at ,lhasa4 ,in the case of a two-storied building1 only the lower storey was made of piled stones1 and the upper one of turf3 this is owing to the danger of the second storey coming down4 ,i was conducted to such a two-storied house1 where ,i only felt the pulse of the patient1 who after a little while felt quite well again4 ,the patient was the daughter of the house1 and her disease1 as in the first stage of either nervous trouble or consumption1 was a feeling of melancholy1 which kept her always in her room4 ,taking out a little quantity of medicine ,i gave it to her and also suggested to her to go to the temple to worship the ,bohisava ,avalokieshvara day and night1 and then went back to my lodging4 ,after a little while1 the inn-keeper came to my room to express his thanks for the trouble ,i had taken with the patient1 who had greatly improved4 8,it is very hard here10 said he in answering to my request for a witness for the passport ,i wanted4 8,what do you intend to do1 ,sir80 8,i am greatly perplexed about it20 answered ,i1 8but anyhow ,i must get someone as my witness4 ,i am ready to pay a proper amount of remuneration for it40 8,the ,government forbids us10 he said1 8to act as witnesses for others1 so ,i shall take you to a person who may act as your witness1 and tell him the circumstances4 ,if he consents you need have no fear of being made to pay an improper amount of money40 ,he then took me to the house of a man who was ready to become my witness4 ,this man was1 contrary to my expectation1 not a bad man2 but it is customary for a ,tibetan to extort money from anyone who wears good clothes4 ,notwithstanding my forbidding my companions to talk of my position and rank in ,tibet1 he told the other person that ,i was the venerable physician of ,sera1 and the ,dalai ,lama's physician4 ,as soon as he heard this1 he instantly consented to become my witness4 8,no remuneration is required10 said the man1 8except a rupee and a half1 necessary for the process4 ,it may not be possible to get a passport at once4 ,whether the conference can be held to-morrow or the day after to-morrow1 is not known2 yet1 ,i shall request them to hold it as quickly as possible4 ,in that case1 you may leave here within four or five days2 but1 as it will cause delay if a written petition is not presented to-day1 ,i shall take you to the official at once40 ,the gate-house is constructed among the houses of the common people at the foot of the castle4 ,there was no room in it for holding a conference4 ,there were fourteen or fifteen officials2 but ,i could not tell whether there were any superior officials there or not4 ,in ,tibet1 delay is the rule1 and even though all the officials are present they never hold a conference1 and sometimes will delay matters for four1 five or even ten days4 ,this is done merely to extort as much money as possible2 the passport is given sooner or later according to the amount of the bribe4 ,on the advice of my witness1 ,i handed in my written petition to the most dignified-looking man among the officials4 8,of course to-day10 said he1 8no conference can be held2 about the day after to-morrow we shall open the conference2 and on that occasion ,i shall give you an answer any way4 ,you need not come here2 send the inn-keeper to hear the result of our conference40 ,the meaning was that1 if ,i should send the inn-keeper on the appointed day1 he would tell him that a passport could not be given on that day1 but that if ,i offered so much money1 it would be given within five days4 ,even this is the result of much bribery1 as it would otherwise take eight or ten days to get it4 8,as ,i have urgent business10 said ,i1 8will it not be possible1 by special permission1 to obtain it to-day80 8,i don't know10 replied the official1 8what kind of business you have1 but there is no precedent for giving a passport on the day of arrival4 ,we can't deliver one now2 you had better go home40 ,as the inn-keeper and the father of the daughter who received my treatment were with me1 they invited the official apart and told him that ,i was the court-physician4 8,on what business10 said the official1 coming to me again1 and with a great surprise1 8are you going to ,india80 8,on some urgent business10 replied ,i4 8,is it not possible for you to have the conference to-morrow80 ,i could see that though ,i waited till the day after to-morrow1 it would be quite impossible to get the passport1 so ,i devised a scheme of my own to suit my purpose4 8,if ,i wait till to-morrow10 said ,i in great excitement1 8give me a note mentioning that though ,i arrived here on this date there was no time to open the conference1 and you detained me here three days40 8,no such precedent10 said the chief official4 8,i am not at all concerned about that10 said ,i2 8,i must get a note anyhow showing the cause of my detention here4 ,if you want to know my position and my secret business1 you may find it out by proper processes from the ,commissioner of ,foreign ,affairs in ,lhasa40 8,what is the business in general80 asked the chief official4 8,i may say this much4 ,there is in ,lhasa a patient of great eminence2 ,i am hurrying on the road to get the medicine for him4 ,my going to ,buhagay is only a pretext2 really1 ,i am in great haste to get to ,calcutta1 and shall come back as soon as ,i get the medicine4 ,if ,i am detained here two or three days ,i cannot fulfil my great responsibility2 and if ,i must stay here for several days ,i must get a note to explain my detention as a proof for a subsequent day40 8,properly speaking1 what is your profession80 said the official4 8,at present1 ,i cannot make it clear to you10 said ,i gravely1 8but my going to ,india may reveal my profession4 ,besides that1 as ,i have very important business1 as ,i have told you again and again1 ,i can hardly stay here even one day4 ,please give me a note showing that ,i arrived here1 and handed in the written petition for a passport1 and mentioning my detention for some days40 8,dear me6 ,i never came across such a case10 said the chief official1 greatly surprised1 and turning pale4 8,please wait for awhile4 ,having heard that you are a great physician1 ,i request you1 while you are waiting1 to treat a patient here2 but as you are unable to stay here long1 we will not detain you longer4 ,as for the passport1 ,i can't decide it myself1 but we will consult together and as soon as we decide the matter1 we will let you know immediately40 ,while ,i was treating the patient at his request at three o'clock ,i was called out and went there again4 8,to-day10 said the chief official1 8we have broken our ordinary rule1 and considering your private circumstances1 we held a special conference and decided to give you a passport at four o'clock40 ,in a very short time1 about four o'clock that day1 ,i received my passport4 ,even ,government merchants who have their passport already must go through various consultations1 for the examination of goods and other business1 and are detained here for at least two or three days4 ,to my great joy1 ,i got a passport the same day that ,i arrived4 ,i might have left that night1 but as there was no house on the way ,i was obliged to stop till the next morning4 ,departing early the next day1 we gradually proceeded among the south-western mountains4 ,the snow-mountains began to project here and there1 leaving between them only small portions of plateau4 ,after going about three miles1 when we reached the top of the plateau1 the ,phari ,castle was no more to be seen4 ,on descending we found that last night's hail had moistened the ground very much1 the snow-mountains around wore white garments1 and the reflexion of the sun-light was so bright that it hurt my eyes4 ,the temperature was exceedingly cold1 and the whole scenery was lonesome and lifeless1 only various kinds of short grasses growing here and there near the flowing water4 ,the top of this plateau forms the watershed1 dividing on the one side the basins that drain on to the ,tibetan plain1 and on the other to ,india4 ,beyond the steep ascent1 and across the slope of the snow-mountain1 there is a very large stream4 ,its water was so clear and transparent that all the pebbles at the bottom looked like white or black gems4 ,i quenched my thirst with a palm-full of it2 it was very cold and ,i felt as if my hand were almost shrivelled up4 ,as ,i had sent the horse back from ,phari ,castle1 ,i could not cross the water on horseback4 ,while ,i was hesitating about taking off my shoes and crossing the cold water1 my servant carried the luggage to the other side and then took me also4 ,although this stream did not differ in temperature from the neck-deep-stream ,i had often crossed in the north-western plain1 ,i had now become accustomed to the easy and comfortable life in ,lhasa1 so that ,i felt the cold almost unbearable4 ,in times of distress and hardship1 it is not impossible to stand the severest pains and sufferings2 in times of ease and comfort1 even the slightest discomfort seems almost intolerable4 ,after crossing the brook and descending about two miles we came to the foot of a snow-mountain where1 among the scanty bushes1 yellow1 red1 purple and light-pink flowers of various kinds were growing close together almost like a spreading carpet4 ,as ,i never studied botany1 ,i do not know the names of these plants2 anyhow they were very beautiful4 ,i was attracted also by the surrounding scenery2 the incessant change of the snow-mountains was almost as if a fairy riding on the clouds were rambling about here and there4 ,as ,i descended step by step1 the rain fell quietly2 and as the bodies of the snow-mountains gradually disappeared1 their snowy peaks presented a still finer aspect4 ,here and there on both sides of the mountain path the dewdrops on the fragrant red and yellow azaleas and other flowers looked like mountain gems arranged in rows4 ,descending still lower along the mountain brook1 the bounding current dashed against the rock1 and its spray splashing on our feet was one of the most pleasurable sensations ,i ever experienced4 ,to the unrefined ,tibetans such a delightful prospect often becomes the cause of complaint4 ,my servant grumbled at the rainy weather1 and told me that1 if the sun were there1 he might have changed the weather for us1 so as to keep my luggage dry and make our lodging easy and comfortable4 ,no doubt it was a great trouble for him1 but if he had had any love of nature1 it would have diminished his trouble4 ,as most of the ,tibetans are born and die on the stony plains and bald mountains1 they do not understand the idea of beauty in the least4 ,even in pictures1 they have none representing the scenery of their own country2 or if they have1 their pictures are imitations of the ,chinese style4 ,for that reason my servant was quite indifferent as to whether he was amongst mountains of incomparable beauty1 or on a barren wilderness with yak's excrements scattered everywhere4 ,i had entirely forgotten the discomfort of the rainy weather and my wet clothes in the pleasure of the scenery4 ,if ,i could have taken a sketch or a photograph of it for the entertainment of my countrymen1 my gratification would have been almost infinite4 ,as ,i proceeded slowly1 the picturesque view changed from time to time1 and the rhododendrons1 the famous plants of the ,himlaya mountains1 growing here and there among old trees and rugged rocks1 opened their bright flowers with indescribable beauty4 ,rare flowers and curious plants were bestrewn along both sides of the roaring brooks1 the water of which was perfectly transparent and as cold as snow4 ,illustration3 ,,beautiful ,,scenery ,,in ,,the ,,tibetan ,,himalayas4 8,shall ,i stay in this land and become a fairy in this fine scenery8 ,if ,i could describe the unutterable beauty of this fairy land1 how much should ,i gratify my parents and countrymen60 was the hearty expression of the pleasure ,i felt1 while ,i was sitting on a rock and enjoying the whole scene before me4 ,whenever ,i recollect the pleasure of that hour ,i feel as if ,i had been free from the cares of the dusty world4 ,the rain was falling furiously1 and there was no place to get shelter or to cook our food4 ,having heard that a little further on there was a cave near a brook1 we hurried there1 and kindled a fire by collecting half-decayed branches of trees soaked with rain4 ,we made tea1 and after finishing our meal gradually descended1 and came to the village of ,dakarpo 7the village of the white rock74 ,that day we walked twenty miles4 ,the place can hardly be called a village4 ,it is only a small barracks1 with sixteen soldiers1 and one solitary house where a number of soldiers' wives were living at the side of the barracks4 ,a large white rock sixty yards in height stands out prominently4 ,i did not determine its nature2 but it was an exceedingly white rock partly covered with mosses and lichens4 ,that night ,i stopped in the barracks4 ,the duty of these soldiers did not oblige them to examine the passports of travellers4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxvi4 ,the ,second and ,third ,challenge ,gates4 ,this station serves as a place for the transmission of letters between ,phari castle and the castle of ,choeten ,karpo2 that is1 a station where the letters received from one place can be handed over to the other4 ,in ,tibet1 there is no more perfect plan than this for the transmission of letters4 ,in other places1 for example1 by going twenty or thirty miles letters can be handed in for transmission4 ,even this is only for letters from the ,government to the local office1 and not for private correspondence4 ,consequently in the case of the transmission of private letters1 it must be done either by some one in the house or by some hired man4 ,that night ,i was allowed to sleep in a comfortable bed4 ,it was the first time since my departure from ,india that ,i lay on a ,european bed4 ,as it was in the rainy season1 the next day was also rainy2 but having no necessity to stay there1 in spite of my servant's murmurs1 we started at five o'clock in the morning4 ,this time we got into a very lonely forest1 where numerous trees of enormous size1 requiring three or four men to embrace them1 were stretching up so close together that the sun could not penetrate4 ,although this is a part of the ,tibetan dominion1 yet they could not get timber from here on account of the lack of means of transportation4 ,all the large rivers run towards the south2 and in such a country as ,tibet1 where there is no good means of transportation1 it is natural to leave even such splendid and exhaustless forests just as they are4 ,in this forest of about four miles in circumference1 there is level ground and a river flowing from a peak of the ,phari in ,tibet4 ,this river begins with a very narrow stream1 but after receiving several small brooks and rivulets it becomes larger and wider as it goes lower and lower down towards the plains4 ,after walking about six miles from ,dakarpo1 we arrived at the castle of ,choeten ,karpo4 ,this ,choeten ,karpo is not mentioned in any of the works of ,european authors that ,i have read4 ,as this castle is of very recent construction1 it is possibly not known to foreigners4 ,it is occupied by two or three hundred ,chinese soldiers4 ,it seemed that this place was not well-known to the chief local official of ,darjeeling2 for he enquired of me particularly1 when ,i arrived at ,darjeeling1 about the castle1 its condition and the number of soldiers stationed there4 8,it must be well-known to you10 said ,i1 8why should you ask me questions like that80 8,our secret-service men cannot go there10 replied he1 8it is utterly impossible for us to know anything about it40 ,i am not sure whether what he said was true or not2 but it is a fact that even ,tibetans living in ,darjeeling seem not to know of the existence of such a castle4 ,the ,tibetans are shrewd in money-saving1 but at the same time they are so entirely careless that though they see the gate of a castle1 they never enquire how many soldiers are stationed there1 what they are doing1 and for what purpose they have been provided4 ,there is a passage right under the castle1 which ,i entered without meeting with any rudeness4 ,in it there are the lodgings of the ,chinese soldiers1 three hundred in number4 ,though the town is among the mountains it is very prosperous4 ,some of the soldiers are engaged in hair-dressing1 others are selling vermicelli and toilet articles1 or making tofu 7a soft cream-like substance made from bean-curd74 ,most of them have wives and children1 and are engaged in some suitable occupation4 ,the barrack itself is the town and the soldiers in it are moved here every half-year from ,shigatze or ,gyangtze4 ,they not only receive a salary from the ,chinese ,government1 but also a sum of money from the ,tibetan ,government2 consequently they live fairly well on their double income4 ,on ordering our dinner on our arrival at the barracks in this soldier-town1 we were abundantly served with boiled rice and various other foods cooked in ,chinese style4 ,as the feast principally consisted of pork and yak flesh1 my servant ate with gusto4 ,i did not eat the meat1 and asked for salted vegetables instead4 ,this was the first time on the journey that ,i enjoyed pickles such as ,i had had in ,japan4 ,the castle is strongly constructed1 and there are two gates at the centre of a large stone wall which extends to the south along the side of the mountain4 ,on the door of the gate a notice is posted up announcing the daily opening from six o'clock in the morning to the same time in the afternoon4 ,i heard from the neighboring people that except when the gate is opened on the report of a soldier for some urgent need1 the notice is observed with strict accuracy1 since the people at night might be in danger of their lives from the attacks of wild animals4 ,we then passed a small bridge1 and after ascending about half a mile1 and also descending through a forest along a river1 we came out on a plain of half a mile in circumference1 where beautiful flowers carpeted the ground1 and many horses were grazing4 ,after leaving the plain and passing the bridge we went about half a mile1 and arrived at the bridge of ,chumbi4 ,it is a large bridge twenty-five yards long and two yards wide1 having no railing4 ,at the eastern end of it stands a gate1 in front of which there is a small house where a number of soldiers keep watch4 ,passports have to be handed to these soldiers1 and if a man is considered by them a suspicious person1 he is sure to be sent back2 also it is said that without offering bribes one cannot pass through safely4 ,as soon as ,i reached the gate1 the soldiers asked me where ,i was going4 ,as my servant had shown my passport to the chief official1 he directed the inferior officials to admit me without any enquiry4 ,this was owing to the fact that it was said in the passport that no impolite treatment was to be accorded to the bearer4 ,i had now passed through two guard-houses without the least hindrance1 and must proceed to try for the third4 ,for the new trial ,i felt a great confidence arising from my strong devotion1 as ,i had passed my first trial with success according to the revelation which ,i had received in religious meditation4 ,after descending along a river for two miles and a half we arrived at the barracks of ,pimbithang1 the third guard-house4 ,this day the rain fell in abundance1 and we were so tired that we stopped in a building attached to the barracks4 ,as ,i heard that there was no necessity for me to be examined here on the next day1 ,i felt ,i must go to ,tomo-,rinchen-gang1 in order to obtain a note from the chief official of the guard-house4 ,the note from the last guard-house being taken as a proof of our respectability1 we were allowed to pass through the gate of ,nyatong castle guarded by ,chinese2 and after enquiring about and receiving a note from the chief of the castle1 the fifth guard-house1 ,i was obliged to return to ,pimbithang again4 ,as ,i heard at ,pimbithang that a note can be given only between eleven and half-past eleven o'clock1 ,i had to go to ,tomo-,rinchen-gang early the next day2 but it seemed almost impossible to finish the matter within one day2 it would certainly require three or four days to do so4 ,if ,i did nothing at this crisis1 ,i should not only be in the ordinary danger of being overtaken by a pursuer1 but as the information to catch such and such a man comes direct to ,nyatong and may arrive there at all hours of the night1 it might easily be utterly impossible for me to accomplish my object2 so ,i tried to devise means of escaping the impending danger and avoiding trouble4 ,just at that time the wife of the chief of ,pimbithang 7a ,chinese military officer7 came in to receive medical treatment from me4 ,who brought her to me1 and on account of what statement she came to me1 ,i do not know4 ,she was a ,tibetan woman1 long suffering from hysteria4 ,she was a rare beauty1 and had almost unlimited influence over her husband4 ,military officers are of course entrusted with power to command soldiers2 yet in their families1 the wives are often the officers and their husbands are ready to obey their command like private soldiers4 ,so much ,i was told by a soldier1 who understood that his chief officer was a greatly henpecked husband4 ,as she took the trouble to come to me1 ,i examined this patient as she desired4 ,after describing the nature of her disease and the care it needed1 ,i gave her the medicine which seemed most suitable4 ,it gratified her so much that she asked me to receive something as a token of thanks for my having served her4 ,hearing that ,i had no desire to take anything from her1 she returned home and then came back again bringing with her something wrapped in paper1 but this ,i refused to receive4 ,i told her that as ,i was to get a passport1 ,i had to go to ,nyatong first1 to get a certificate to be presented to the guard-house here4 ,then ,i said to her3 8,will you be so kind as to secure the immediate issue of a passport from the chief officer80 8,that can be easily done10 replied she2 8though my husband is strict1 and never delivers a passport even in case of his own men going out except from eleven to half past eleven o'clock1 ,i will be responsible for it40 8,that is my request10 said ,i1 returning the present in spite of her strong objection to receive it2 8and ,i shall see you again when ,i return40 ,thanking me again and again for my medical treatment1 she returned home with great joy4 ,on the morrow if things in ,pimbithang should come out as smoothly and favorably as ,i wished1 everything in ,nyatong would be done easily1 for the arrangements for it were now made4 ,but ,i was very anxious about matters at ,pimbithang1 and when ,i asked the soldier's wife where ,i stopped whether all things would come out as ,i hoped1 ,i was told that in spite of her husband's refusal they certainly would1 for she had almost unlimited power over her husband4 ,the next day1 ,june #adth1 at three o'clock in the morning1 in spite of rain1 ,i left and walked about two miles and arrived at ,tomo-,rinchen-gang4 ,even then day had not dawned and no one was astir1 and so ,i rested a while1 the door of every house being fast closed4 ,happily1 the rain presently stopped1 and while ,i stood still near a closed shop doors began to be opened here and there4 ,i asked the people where the guard-house was1 and was told that it stood at the end of the village4 ,the guard-house is a very poor one1 having no gate1 only a small room in which to keep watch4 ,i went there just at the time when the keeper was getting out of bed4 ,telling the keeper my present circumstances1 ,i asked for a note with which ,i could obtain a passport from the other guard-house4 ,the keeper grumbled out that there had been no previous example of such a request4 ,my servant let slip that his master was a physician in ,sera4 ,as soon as the keeper heard this1 he asked the servant whether his master was the famous physician of the ,dalai ,lama or not4 ,when ,i answered him vaguely and mysteriously as most of the ,tibetan gentlemen do1 he believed me immediately and gave me a note more readily than ,i expected4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxvii4 ,the ,fourth and ,fifth ,challenge ,gates4 ,leaving the village and walking about a mile1 ,i climbed up step by step alongside a broad river among the south-western mountains4 ,there were no tall trees1 only here and there some small dwarf specimens and wheat growing in poor soil4 ,going on about a mile farther there is a castle which is the largest and last one of the three4 ,the number of soldiers stationed in this castle is two hundred2 whereas in ,pimbithang and ,choeten ,karpo the number is respectively one hundred and two hundred1 altogether making five hundred in number4 ,it is said that about fifty soldiers are sometimes sent to ,pimbithang4 ,in this soldier's town1 as in the case of ,choeten ,karpo and ,pimbithang1 many of the men are engaged in various trades4 ,passing through the town1 there is a very large gate by the side of which two soldiers were watching4 ,i showed the note to them1 and after fixing a seal on it1 they readily allowed me to pass through4 ,walking a little further from the gate ,i saw the fifth guard-house where lay the greatest danger to my undertaking4 ,the reason why it was specially dangerous to me was the number of people who knew me4 ,of course there was no man who would act as my enemy1 but as most of the ,tibetans are shrewd money-savers1 it was not certain that those who knew me would not tell my nationality to the ,tibetan officials and thereby make a little money4 ,there had been two ,english people there2 one of whom was ,miss ,taylor1 a missionary1 who1 as ,i said before1 tried to get into ,tibet from ,china4 ,proceeding as far as ,nakchukha from which the distance to ,lhasa is ten days' journey by horse1 and fifteen or twenty days' journey by walking1 she was not allowed to go any further4 ,every one can go to ,nakchukha1 which forms the boundary between ,china and ,tibet1 but it is hard to step into the ,dalai ,lama's dominion4 ,miss ,taylor returned with the object of converting the ,tibetan people1 and now lives at the town of ,nyatong1 which by some is called ,yatung4 ,as it is the boundary between ,british ,india and ,tibet1 there are many ,tibetans and ,british officials there4 ,among those ,i knew very well were the ,englishmen and their ,secretaries hired by the ,chinese ,government to examine both import and export goods2 besides there are three or four ,tibetans from ,darjeeling4 ,if ,i had been detected by these men1 there was no way of escape for me2 but committing myself to the will of ,buha1 ,i proceeded rapidly onwards with firm steps4 ,there were about ten houses2 the large and elegant ones were occupied by officials1 missionaries1 or ,chinese4 ,opposite the house of the missionary stands the mansion of a man known by the official name ,chyi ,kyab 7,superior71 his personal name being ,sardar ,dargye4 ,sardar means coolie-leader1 ,dargye his personal name4 ,in ,darjeeling there are aniwala or mountain palanquin carriers1 so-called from the rudest and simplest form of palanquin used in mountain travel1 which consists essentially of a basket carried by means of a pole4 ,this man was originally the chief of these coolies1 and the custom of this rascal was to deceive and threaten men and extort money by violence4 ,as ,i heard that all in ,darjeeling had suffered from his cruel treatment and reproached him vigorously1 he must be a very bad man4 ,now ,i had to meet this man4 ,this upstart1 who had been a coolie chief1 being in ,tibet appointed to high rank by the ,dalai ,lama1 is invested with such great power and influence that he wears a hat adorned with coral beads4 ,like all upstarts1 his speech is more arrogant than that of a ,minister ,president in ,lhasa1 and it was thought almost certain that if ,i should call at his mansion to see him1 ,i should be driven out from his gate4 ,just in front of his house stood an elegant and well arranged house containing various chambers of convenient sizes1 inhabited by ,europeans4 ,in it many servants were busily engaged in working here and there4 ,notwithstanding there were some among them who knew me1 ,i passed by without seeing them4 ,we went to ,dargye's mansion1 but we were not allowed to go in4 ,however one man came out1 and looked at me awhile4 8,who is he80 asked the man from my servant in a whisper4 ,no sooner did the servant utter the words3 8,he is the physician of ,sera10 than 8,oh60 said the man1 8is he the famous physician of ,sera8 ,some say he is coming to this place40 8,there is an urgent call for my master10 said the servant1 8we can't lose even a day's time4 ,at ,phari ,castle we received our passport on the day of our arrival2 give us the note as quickly as possible40 ,as ,i was thinking that the servant for the most part had done well1 the man said 8,step this way10 and happily we were received4 ,the supervisor has two wives3 one he married when he was coolie-chief1 and the other after appointment as a supervisor4 ,telling him the various circumstances of my journey1 ,i requested him to give me a note allowing me to pass out of the guard-house4 8,tell me the whole truth of your business10 said the supervisor gravely4 8,i must go to ,calcutta on secret business10 said ,i sternly1 8concerning the inner chamber of the ,dalai ,lama's palace4 ,it is so urgent that if possible ,i wish to return within twenty days2 but if you compel me to spend more time on the way1 you must give me a certificate verifying my excuse to show when ,i return to ,lhasa40 8,it is my duty10 persisted he1 8,i must hear the nature of the secret business40 8,have you the right to hear10 said ,i gravely and with dignity1 8the secret of the ,prime ,minister8 ,furthermore1 have you the right to hear the secret which no one knows but the ,dalai ,lama8 ,if you compel me positively1 ,i shall tell you the secret of my business2 but you must give me a certificate signed and sealed with the chief's stamp1 and assume the responsibility for my having told the secret4 ,if you do so and keep all men at a distance1 ,i shall lay open before you the whole of the ,dalai ,lama's secret40 8,if it be so10 said he1 giving me a note addressed to ,tomo-,rinchen-gang1 8,i shall not ask to hear it4 ,as it is a service of such great importance that it is impossible to detain you even a day1 ,i shall arrange to get the passport as quickly as possible4 ,i shall write a note which you may send by your servant to ,tomo-,rinchen-gang4 ,you will receive two copies of the note1 which again must be taken to the ,chinese military officer at ,pimbithang to get a copy of the note there4 ,by showing the one received from ,pimbithang1 you may pass this guard-house without any trouble40 ,illustration3 ,,passport ,,in ,,tibetan ,,for ,,the ,,author',s ,,return ,,to ,,tibet ,,in ,,the ,,future4 ,as ,i previously said1 one of the two copies of notes obtained from ,tomo-,rinchen-gang is written in ,chinese1 and the other in ,tibetan4 ,the one written in ,chinese is to be taken to ,pimbithang1 the third guard-house1 and handed in as a certificate to the ,chinese military officer there2 while the other one1 as shown in the picture1 written in ,tibetan letters1 is my return certificate which1 when ,i re-enter1 must be handed to the supervisor of the fifth guard-house1 serving as a testimonial for the purpose of receiving a new passport there4 ,but as ,i went out of ,tibet and have not yet returned1 this return certificate remains in my hands as a memento4 ,to get a note from the supervisor ,dargye was not an easy task4 ,this man has a bad reputation as a taker of bribes4 ,his personal appearance is disgusting4 ,when ,i told him that ,i had secret business from the ,dalai ,lama1 he instantly prostrated himself and bowed low again and again4 ,i was surprised at his entire change of manner2 but as ,i believe that1 in every country1 those who are haughty to their inferiors are also servile to their superiors and are usually hateful knaves1 my feeling was only deepened by the sudden change4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxviii4 ,the ,final ,gate ,passed4 ,i handed over to my servant the note received from the supervisor of the fifth guard-house4 8,take the note to ,tomo-,rinchen-gang10 said ,i to the servant privately2 8you must get two notes there instead2 but in ,pimbithang1 if it requires a long time to get one1 go to the wife of the ,chinese military officer1 and rely on her2 she will manage the matter exactly as we want40 8,that he gave it so soon10 said he1 somewhat surprised1 8was almost like a dream4 ,if you do not go with me1 ,i shall never get consent from ,tomo-,rinchen-gang40 8,i thought so too10 said ,i1 8but when ,i told the supervisor so1 he told me that as everything is mentioned in this note1 it is certain that the ,chief of ,tomo-,rinchen-gang will write a note to be sent to ,pimbithang4 ,he also said that ,i need not go there but should send the servant there1 and myself wait here40 ,the servant then1 after receiving from me a note stamped with the seal of the supervisor1 went back to ,tomo-,rinchen-gang as fast as he could4 ,on arriving there1 he presented the note to the chief1 and waited for a while4 ,as the special instruction from the supervisor was mentioned on it1 he at once made the two copies and gave them to the servant1 who took them1 and again went back two miles further to ,pimbithang1 to receive one written in ,chinese characters4 ,as the time was about half past one when the servant arrived there1 the keeper declined to give him a note4 ,consequently1 according to my instructions1 he went to the house of the ,chinese military officer and requested his wife to obtain the immediate delivery of the note he needed4 ,she1 without any hesitation1 ran to the guard-house to see her husband1 and told him to give it at once4 ,when he told her that it was too late to give one and that he must wait till the next day1 she lost her temper and exposed the true character of a ,tibetan woman4 ,whereupon1 the henpecked husband yielded to her demands and gave a note to the servant1 who came back with it about four o'clock in the afternoon4 ,rain was falling that day1 and though ,i had thought of stopping a night there1 it was better for us to depart if possible4 ,if we left there and walked about half a day we should enter ,british ,india4 8,to-day is rainy and walking is hard10 said the supervisor1 8and furthermore1 the distance from here to ,nakthang is somewhat great1 there being no inn on the way4 ,but if you walk for about eight miles1 there is one house2 and it would be a good plan for you to stop there to-night4 ,by doing so1 to-morrow you may easily go to ,nakthang2 but if not1 even if you start from here at three o'clock in the morning1 it would be impossible to get there2 ,i advise you therefore1 though it is troublesome1 to start from here to-day1 since you have very important business to perform40 8,i am very tired to-day10 said ,i1 8so ,i should like to stop here to-night4 ,is it possible for me to arrive at ,nakthang if ,i leave to-morrow80 8,it is utterly impossible10 replied the supervisor somewhat gravely4 8,how about going there80 asked ,i of the servant4 8,it is almost impossible for me to walk10 replied the servant1 who was weary and exhausted4 8,as the servant of a master who has urgent business10 said the supervisor1 in a somewhat scolding tone of voice1 8it is extremely rude and impolite to say it is impossible to go40 8,pardon me10 replied the servant shrinking almost like a rat among cats1 8you are right1 ,sir40 ,fearing that to stay that night might perhaps become the source of subsequent evils1 ,i bade farewell to the supervisor and departed4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,fortress ,,of ,,nyatong4 ,the ,nyatong castle1 as shown in the picture1 is strong and solid in structure1 yet also magnificent in appearance4 ,leaving the post-town ,nyatong and descending a little there is a river across which is a bridge two yards in width4 ,after passing the small bridge and going on a little1 there is a solitary house near which are stationed a number of ,chinese soldiers4 ,i handed over the passport written in ,chinese1 which ,i had received at ,pimbithang4 ,one of the soldiers examined it carefully and permitted us to pass through4 ,as we gradually ascended the mountain1 the rain fell furiously and the ascent became very steep4 ,the road hereabouts is pretty good1 though the place forms the boundary of ,tibet1 and does not belong to the ,british dominion4 ,most ,englishmen who are at present in ,nyatong live on land rented from ,tibet4 ,ascending about two miles up the steep slope thickly grown with trees1 it became dark1 and then the servant commenced to complain4 8,there are a great many lodging houses10 he grumbled 8besides the supervisor's4 ,can we not lodge somewhere to get out of such rain8 ,i can't move a step on account of the heavy luggage40 8,i will carry half of your burden10 said ,i1 somewhat moved by his difficulties4 ,i consoled him with great trouble and made him move on till eight o'clock in the evening2 even then the distance to the solitary house was two miles more and he told me that he was unable to move even a step4 ,just at that point a small tent was pitched1 and someone had a fire inside4 ,around the tent many mules were grazing1 for mules are used by the people of ,tomo-,rinchen-gang to convey wool to ,kalenpong4 ,i stepped into the tent and asked the man inside to lodge us4 ,he declined my request1 saying that the five of his party could hardly sleep in the small tent and no space was left for us too4 ,but as my servant sat down on the ground and would not move1 we at last succeeded in getting into the small tent4 ,it was so small in extent that we could not lie down and ,i was obliged to sit upright the whole night4 ,while thus meditating ,i was almost overwhelmed by my feelings4 ,to pass through that succession of five strict and vigilant guard-houses in only three days must have been miraculous4 ,even a ,tibetan merchant accustomed to travel through there many times is obliged to spend at least seven or eight days in passing them4 ,in spite of the rain1 too1 to pass through them safely in three days and come to that place--it seemed indeed miraculous4 ,no chief of any guard-house had had any suspicion about me2 even that shrewd and penetrating supervisor who had lived in ,india for twenty years of toil and hardship1 not only did not suspect my mind and motive1 but refrained from argument1 bowed his head low1 and sent me out the same day ,i arrived4 ,this must have been entirely owing to the grace of the protection of our ,holy ,lord ,buha2 shedding tears of gratitude on account of it1 ,i read the sacred books and passed the whole night without sleeping4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxix4 ,good-bye1 ,tibet6 ,the whole distance through which ,i had passed from ,darjeeling to ,lhasa was about two thousand four hundred and ninety miles4 ,in the first place1 ,i started from ,darjeeling on the #eth of ,january1 in the #cbnd year of ,meiji1 and passing through ,calcutta by railway1 came to ,segauli2 hence also ,i travelled on foot1 and on the #eth of ,february arrived at ,ktmndu4 ,the distance between ,segauli and ,ktmndu was about a hundred and fifteen miles4 ,leaving there on the #gth of ,march1 on the #aath of the same month ,i came to ,pokhra4 ,i left there on the #adth of the same month and on the #afth of ,april reached ,lo ,tsarang at the distance of about eighteen miles from the boundary of ,tibet4 ,from ,ktmndu to here1 ,i walked about two hundred and sixty miles4 ,staying a year there1 on the #fth of ,april of the next year1 ,i left there and for the convenience of entering ,tibet1 returning a little1 ,i came to a mountain village ,malba1 situated on the eastern valley of ,mount ,dhavalagiri4 ,i started from this village on the #abth of ,june1 and passing half way up north of ,mount ,dhavalagiri at the height of nineteen thousand feet1 ,i proceeded to the north-western plain2 and on ,july #dth ,i reached the mountain gorge of the province of ,hor-to-sho in the north-western plain of ,tibet4 ,the distance from ,tsarang to ,malba is about seventy miles1 and that from ,malba to the ,province of ,hor-to-sho one hundred and fifty-five miles4 ,in these places1 as ,i had to pass through thickets and round gorges1 ,i walked more than the actual distance4 ,on ,december #eth ,i came to the temple of ,tashi ,lhunpo1 and after staying there a few days1 departed4 ,on the #bast of ,march1 in the #cdth year of ,meiji1 just two years and three months after the departure from ,darjeeling1 ,i arrived at the ,temple of ,sera in ,lhasa4 ,as ,i took roundabout roads now and then from ,hor-tosho to ,lhasa ,i walked about one thousand two hundred and fifty miles4 ,when ,i got up the next morning ,i found that some fuel had been collected during the night1 so ,i boiled water and made some tea1 and at the same time we ate parched wheat-flour1 and then departed4 ,that day1 as we thought it might be impossible to get parched wheat-flour on the way1 we ate plenty of it before starting1 and commenced to climb up the mountain4 ,the rain ceased1 and the weather was very fine2 we climbed up three miles and came to a place covered with bushes of various kinds4 ,ascending half a mile further1 there was a lonely house4 ,it is placed there to detain men of suspicious character coming from ,darjeeling1 while word is sent to the castle of ,nyatong4 ,in that house there was a man and also an old woman4 ,i was told that he went backwards and forwards between the place and ,kalenpong on some sort of commercial business4 ,i drank tea there1 and as after ascending the high and steep mountain ,i was somewhat hungry1 ,i ate parched wheat-flour1 and again resumed the climb4 ,after ascending about a mile among very short dwarf trees1 the path came out upon a snow-mountain called by the name of ,jelep-la or ,jela4 ,before advancing over the snow1 looking towards the north-eastern sky1 across the wide1 dark plain appearing and disappearing in the clouds1 where stands ,lhasa from which ,i had departed1 ,i bade farewell to ,tibet4 ,there is a lake there the water of which was completely frozen over4 ,while ascending1 ,i looked down and saw an immense volume of cloud rising from a vast wide plain moving to and fro in a wide forest1 and it was indeed beautiful4 ,on the upper part of it1 rhododendron flowers in full bloom were to be seen4 ,walking for a mile over the snow1 ,i reached the summit which forms the real boundary of ,tibet and ,british ,india2 a step on the other side of the mountain1 the people are not governed by ,tibetan law4 ,illustration3 ,,on ,,the ,,way ,,to ,,the ,,snowy ,,jela-,,peak4 ,since ,i had reached the boundary of ,tibet1 or ,tsarang1 in the ,himalayan range1 three years had elapsed1 and at last ,i had safely arrived in a country where free communications are possible4 ,the feeling that my safe arrival in this country is entirely owing to the protecting power of the ,lord ,buha was further deepened1 and ,i worshipped ,him with zeal and earnestness4 ,then ,i composed utas1 as follows3 ,o ,shakyamuni1 ,thou1 my refuge dear6 ,till now ,thy guardian shield has guarded me ,through many devious dangerous paths and wilds ,and snowy plateaux threatening instant deaths4 ,my grateful1 fervent heart shall ever thrill ,with deathless ,dharma's virtues taught by ,thee4 ,in all my wanderings o'er the ,himalayan range1 ,on all my paths beset with perils great1 ,the path of ,dharma is the path for me4 ,thus strengthened by the purest ,dharma's strength ,traversed have ,i these unknown wilds1 secure1 ,and holiest ,saints and ,sanghas have ,i met4 ,fore'er in ,thee alone1 ,o ,lord1 ,i live4 ,at that time1 at the summit of the mountain1 ,i felt extremely cold2 but that feeling of coldness was entirely forgotten in the strong feeling of gratitude for the grace of ,buha1 in the joy felt for the safe passing of the manifold guard-houses4 ,when ,i came to myself1 ,i was indeed very cold1 but happily the day was bright and sunny1 so that ,i felt warmth more or less even among such snowy mountains4 ,descending about a mile1 ,i came upon a very good road three feet in width and paved with stones4 ,it was indeed a contrast1 for even the idea of such a one is quite unknown in ,tibet4 ,it was said that the year ,i came there especially large hailstones fell4 ,hailstones are notable in these regions of snow-mountains1 and the hail ,i saw in ,nepl was very large4 ,i dug out some imbedded in the snow1 and found many as large as a pigeon's egg2 while it was said that at the time of falling they must have been as large as a hen's egg4 ,it is hardly credible that such large stones come down like rain2 but ,i believe it to be true from actually seeing some imbedded ones as large as pigeon's eggs4 ,many people coming from ,darjeeling and ,tomo-,rinchen-gang for trade declare that what ,i have said about the size of a hailstone is true4 ,it is not seldom here that when hailstones fall in abundance1 the passage is stopped even for a month or more4 ,now leaving the snowy part of the mountain and descending two miles1 we again walked up an ascent of three miles2 and descending still three miles more1 we arrived at the post-town of ,naktang4 ,there were about twenty houses here1 which1 a long time ago1 were constructed as barracks for a soldier's station1 the large ones are at present used as store-houses for woollen goods4 ,as it rained that day1 the road was very bad1 and ,i lodged there that night4 ,in spite of rain falling furiously1 we started on ,june #afth at five o'clock1 and descending through a luxuriant forest for thirteen miles1 we arrived at ,lingtam and stopped there4 ,if the weather had been fine1 we could have gone further that day2 but it was rainy all the day1 and in addition to this1 after leaving the ,tibetan domain1 we had no necessity for being in a great hurry2 and the consequence of slow and loitering steps was that we were obliged to stop there4 ,the next day we again descended for about four miles and came to a place where we felt extreme heat which by contrast was almost unbearable4 ,i took off my clothing and1 giving it to the servant1 walked on only in an underdress2 still abundant perspiration moistened my whole body4 ,going up toward the south-west1 we came to ,tsom-,takba and stopped there1 as the weather was still rainy4 ,the next day1 in spite of rain1 we walked three miles1 and passing over a bridge1 we went another three miles1 and stopped in the town of ,boetong4 ,this town lies in the centre of a rich and fertile plain among the ,himlaya ,mountains4 ,many people of ,nepl have immigrated to the neighborhood of this town1 and in addition to the old cultivated fields1 they have added many rice-fields here and there4 ,though it is under the dominion of ,england1 and taxes are paid to the ,government of ,british ,india1 most of the people are ,neplese1 besides a small number of ,sikkim people4 ,along the line of this road the most delightful thing ,i saw was the planting of rice-fields in the rain4 ,though most of the ,indian rice is inferior and consequently disagreeable to the taste1 yet that produced in this part of the ,himlaya ,mountains is not different from our ,japanese rice either in quality or lustre4 ,this ,indian rice1 when boiled1 gives a very agreeable smell and is very sweet to eat4 ,for the cultivation of it they were planting a rice-field that rainy day4 ,in this town many ,europeans are living1 and most of them are engaged in farming4 ,it is a very flourishing post-town containing a fine post-office1 a ,roman ,catholic ,church1 and a school for poor people connected with it4 ,as ,i walked through the town and came right under the building of the post-office1 a ,tibetan gentleman1 standing on a veranda and looking at the people passing by1 turned his face and stared at me with great surprise4 8,come in1 ,sir10 said he1 calling out to me suddenly in a loud voice4 8,no1 thank you10 replied ,i1 8,i am too busy to enter4 ,i am searching for a house to stop in to-night4 ,will you be so kind as to lodge me80 8,any thing will do10 said he1 8please come in1 ,sir40 8,though ,i go in10 replied ,i1 8,i shall be in great trouble if you do not lodge me40 8,please come in10 said he1 smilingly1 8however it may be40 ,thinking it was strange for him to treat me as his intimate friend1 ,i stepped in2 and as soon as he saw me1 8,do you forget me80 said he1 extending his hand1 and showing me in every way that he was indeed acquainted with me4 ,while ,i was in ,darjeeling1 he was a teacher of the ,tibetan language in the ,government ,high ,school there2 but he was not my instructor4 ,though he was a teacher of the second class1 and not deep in learning1 yet he was a man of general knowledge having the power of quick understanding4 ,of his change of position to be postmaster here ,i was entirely ignorant4 ,after exchanging our respective accounts of events since we parted1 he eagerly asked me how ,i had come through those vigilant guard-houses without endangering myself4 ,my servant sitting near me1 hearing us talking in ,english1 looked almost stupefied4 ,i at once perceived that our conversation would arouse the suspicion of my servant again1 and tried to talk in the dialect of ,lhasa4 ,as the postmaster knew the dialect of ,darjeeling very well1 but did not know that of ,lhasa1 he did not answer me in the latter but consequently talked in ,english and ,tibetan4 ,this1 just as ,i thought1 aroused the suspicion which had been happily suppressed since our arrival at the first guard-house4 ,the servant instantly went to the wife of the postmaster and asked her3 8,speaking truthfully1 where is my master from80 said the servant4 8,he is10 replied the lady1 8a ,japanese ,lama40 8,where is ,japan80 asked the servant eagerly1 as he heard me talking ,english1 8is he not an ,englishman80 8,no1 he is a ,japanese10 replied the lady1 8,japan is1 at present1 so strong and powerful that even ,england looks at it with surprise4 ,her name1 like the rising sun1 gleams even to the remotest part of the world4 ,so says my husband1 who read it in a newspaper40 8,that is a terrible matter10 said the servant1 being frightened almost into taking flight1 haggard and pale2 8,i shall be killed40 ,this account of her personal conference with my servant was given to me by the lady afterwards4 ,it seemed to me that my servant almost trembled with fear1 as though he expected every moment to lose his life2 but ,i had no time to explain his misunderstanding4 ,i slept that night in a clean and comfortable ,european bed4 ,,chapter ,,xc4 ,the ,labche ,tribe4 ,the next day ,i arrived in the rain at ,kalenpong1 a distance of fifteen miles4 ,kalenpong is a thriving town situated some thirty miles east of ,darjeeling1 across a large valley and on a little lower level4 ,though a cheap kind of goods forms the greater proportion of its business1 the total amount of trade carried on there is said to exceed that of ,darjeeling1 for the merchants from ,tibet1 ,sikkim1 and ,bhtn generally exchange their goods here4 ,as in ,darjeeling1 many foreigners live here2 ,tibetans1 ,hins1 ,sikkimese1 ,bhtnese1 ,neplese1 and ,europeans may all be found4 ,there are also large protestant churches1 schools1 hospitals1 ,buhist temples1 and smaller places of worship of various other religions4 ,in ,kalenpong there lives a ,tibetan named ,pu-chung1 who moved here from ,shigatze1 where he had been a priest2 but after his removal to this town he became a merchant and is now in good standing in his new way of living4 ,it was to this man that my baggage had been directed through the kindness of the ,chinese druggist ,thien-ho-thang4 ,as stated before1 it was put under the care of a ,chinese officer who was to carry it1 together with the allowance to the ,chinese soldiers1 as far as ,tomo-,rinchen-gang1 whence it was to be trusted to some ,chinese servants and to be brought to ,kalenpong4 ,therefore when ,i came to ,pu-chung ,i expected to receive it and start again directly1 but ,i found that it had not yet arrived1 so ,i had to wait4 ,when ,i arrived at his house1 the host took me for a ,tibetan and treated me as such1 but after some time he asked my servant who ,i was1 and my servant said that he knew nothing about me except that ,i was called 8,japan ,lama04 ,pu-chung came to me and told me what he heard from the servant1 and asked whether ,i was the ,japanese ,lama who had been at ,darjeeling1 telling me at the same time that there was no need of concealment now that ,i was at ,kalenpong4 ,i answered that there was no concealment1 for it had already been discovered at the post-office of ,boeton1 and ,i asked him what my servant was thinking about me and himself4 ,pu-chung informed me how surprised my servant was1 and how pale he turned when the host told him that the ,japanese ,lama must have been an intruder into the ,forbidden ,land1 and how he could not even eat the whole day from fear of the punishment he would receive when he got back for meddling with me4 ,poor fellow6 ,i had to do something for him4 ,if he was anxious to return to his wife1 who was pregnant at that time1 and to his children 7of whom he had two7 he must be sent back2 but if he was too much afraid of punishment to go home1 it might be better for him to stay and find some way of living at ,kalenpong or ,darjeeling1 and then his family must be sent for2 ,i was willing to help him to do this4 ,whichever he might choose he must settle it himself4 ,so ,i told ,pu-chung to go and ask my servant which he would prefer4 ,after a while my servant came to me accompanied by the host1 and requested me to divine for him by the art of #8,eki' whether or not he should suffer if he were to go back to ,lhasa4 ,this request ,i refused1 because of his connexion with me4 ,were he entirely a stranger to me ,i might try #8,eki1' but he was my servant2 if #8,eki' were in favor of his staying there1 it might be suspected that ,i kept him for my own advantage2 if on the contrary1 my #8,eki' predicted that it was better to return home1 he might take me as anxious to get rid of him4 ,so ,i told him plainly what ,i thought1 and advised him to go to some noted ,lama in the neighborhood and get his advice on the subject4 ,he would not listen to me1 and demanded my judgment again and again4 ,at last ,i firmly refused1 saying that as there was no necessity to depend on #8,eki' now that ,i was out of ,tibet1 ,i should never do it again even if any one else applied to me4 ,seeing my strong determination he went out4 ,after a while he came back and told me the judgment of a ,lama was in favor of his returning home4 ,thereupon ,i gave him thirty-five rupees1 some old clothes and provisions enough to carry him over the barriers1 and so sent him away4 ,he was to go by the short road of the ,peach ,valley1 and he seems to have returned home safely and also to have escaped punishment1 as ,i heard nothing more1 though ,i inquired after him afterwards while ,i was in ,nepl4 ,four or five days passed after his starting1 yet the ,chinese to whom ,i had entrusted my baggage did not come4 ,i began to wonder about the cause of the delay2 even if he were stopped at a barrier1 there could be no arrest of the luggage4 ,so it ought to be at ,tomo at least1 but ,i heard nothing from ,tomo for seven days4 ,on the eighth day1 ,i met with a merchant from ,tomo-,rinchen-gang and was told that there had been two ,chinese with several ,tibetan coolies and about twenty horses and mules coming south1 but the road being very bad owing to the recent rains1 three of the horses slipped into a river and were killed1 losing all the loads on their backs1 which consisted of musk and silver coins4 ,my anxiety still further increased when ,i heard that the horses that dropped into the river belonged to the bigger ,chinese of the two1 for ,i remembered that the ,chinese who took charge of my goods was the bigger one4 ,ten days passed1 but nothing but similar tidings were to be heard4 ,at last ,i was almost in despair1 when on the morning of the eleventh day ,i heard of my goods1 and that night both the ,chinese made their appearance and to my great joy1 ,i received my luggage at their hands4 ,i paid thirteen rupees as freight from ,tomo to ,kalenpong4 ,it was the first day of ,july when ,i received my baggage1 and on the next day ,i left ,kalenpong4 ,after about ten miles descent ,i came to the river ,tista1 where an iron bridge of ,european style a hundred and fifty feet long was laid across4 ,the bridge has no intermediate supports1 probably because the river is too rapid to allow of them4 ,from the ,siliguri station by the river side1 a bullock-cart way runs by a very roundabout way to ,kalenpong and ,boeton4 ,it is chiefly used for freight4 ,the ,tista river has a mythological history1 which ,i will mention here4 ,among the ,himlayas there is a savage tribe called ,labche who live in a primitive state4 ,the tribe is subdivided into two classes1 of which one is much inferior to the other4 ,the forefather of the advanced race1 according to their genealogy1 was called ,tikum ,serrong1 and is said to have been born from the earth of the ,himlayas1 and his wife1 whose name was ,domi1 from the water of the ,tista river2 they call the river ,domi's ,rangni ,unlam ,hoklam4 ,the river ,tista runs through a large valley to the north-east of ,darjeeling and joins the ,gag4 ,the inferior tribe of the two is supposed to be descended from a large stone1 which is still to be seen in a little village called ,dalamthang1 which is situated on a hill in the plain north-west of ,darjeeling4 ,their kinsmen are also scattered about ,sikkim4 ,the superior and inferior tribes1 though they have different supposed ancestors1 are really of the same race--the ,labche1 though the latter tribe is much lower and as stupid as the stone their forefather4 ,with a few exceptions1 the ,labche 7who have lived at ,darjeeling long enough to imitate in dress the ,tibetan or the ,neplese style7 all cling to their original customs and manners4 ,the covering of the body is only a cloth wound crosswise around the waist4 ,the cloth1 known by the name of ,kusdom of ,domi1 is woven from the fibres of a grass called ,sache in ,tibetan4 ,sewing with needles is entirely unknown among them4 ,the ,labche women have their chins tattooed in three straight stripes1 and those who cannot afford tattooing are content to dye three stripes1 in some vegetable juice4 ,their food chiefly consists of grasses1 seeds of grasses of wild growth1 and various kinds of mushrooms2 meat and fish are very seldom eaten4 ,they are practically vegetarians1 and are such good botanists that they can discriminate with wonderful skill the poisonous vegetables from the edible2 they know that such and such grasses are good against such and such diseases1 and in what season they are or are not good to eat1 and they know the names of all grasses4 ,in this respect they are far more intelligent than the ,hins1 who know nothing of the names of grasses1 nor even those of flowers4 ,the bamboo is the plant most useful to the ,labches4 ,in the first place a section of bamboo is used as a kettle1 into which are stuffed the roots of grasses or fruits1 and sometimes corn well seasoned with salt and honey4 ,then it is fastened with a lid and put on the fire 7for fuel they use bamboo7 until the outside of the bamboo kettle turns black4 ,when it is removed and the lid opened1 the contents are found well cooked and ready for the table4 ,this is the only way of cooking known to the ,labches in the mountains4 ,earthen and stone kilns and metallic kettles are not known at all4 ,the bowls which they use at dinner are also of bamboo1 the bucket in which they carry water1 the basin in which they keep provisions and milk1 are all cylinders of bamboo4 ,they also make bows and arrows from the same useful plant1 and are skilful archers with bamboo bows and poisoned arrows4 ,among the ,labche tribe polygamy is sometimes1 but very rarely1 to be found2 but polyandry is1 in contrast to the ,tibetans1 entirely forbidden4 ,they are very timid by nature and are extremely inactive1 like other aboriginal races1 but instead of diminishing1 like the ,american ,indians or the ,ainos of ,japan1 their number increases as much as does that of the ,tibetans4 ,i believe their being monogamic counts for something in their favor4 ,i cannot say whether their ancestors originated in the ,himlaya mountains1 but1 judging simply from their language1 which seemingly has no relation either to ,tibetan or to ,samsk1 ,i may safely say that they are descendants of aboriginal people settled there in a very remote time4 ,their faces are rather white and fine1 and they are the best looking among the ,himlayan mountaineers4 ,but they have no courage or energy and look rather consumptive4 ,though thieving is very common among this tribe1 such cruelty as manslaughter is utterly unknown4 ,most ,labches who come to ,darjeeling now-a-days are of the superior tribe of the two4 ,some people of the inferior tribe sometimes come up to the city1 but they are too timid to mingle with others1 and unless the utmost care be taken they run back to their old home4 ,but both of these tribes have the finest countenance in the ,himlayas1 and1 sad to say1 many of their women at ,darjeeling are slaves of soldiers1 who are so numerous as to include many of the women of the place in this infamous employment4 ,in ,sikkim there are many immigrants both from ,tibet and ,bhn1 but they mostly use the broken ,tibetan language and can be distinguished from the ,labches1 who differ from them not only in language1 but in appearance1 customs1 manners and everything4 ,the ,labches believe in ,buhism1 but of a very simple kind4 ,i think they are a people of the greatest ethnological interest4 ,if polygenists find here original man1 it would be of no small interest to investigate how his lines of descent have branched off4 ,monogenists1 on the other hand1 would have to explain what linguistic and ethnological relations they bear to the neighboring tribes4 ,no careful study seems to have been made of them yet4 ,so we must leave the thorough investigation to the scientists4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,author ,,as ,a ,,tibetan ,,lama ,,at ,,darjeeling ,,on ,,his ,,return4 ,,chapter ,,xci4 ,visit to my ,old ,teacher4 ,but ,i must continue my journey4 ,i crossed the iron bridge over the ,tista river1 and found a good and wide road on the other side4 ,this time it was an ascent of seventeen miles as far as ,ghoom1 where ,i expected to arrive on that day4 ,i quickened the pace of the horse on which ,i was riding1 but owing to the recent rain the two horses which were loaded with my baggage could not go so fast1 and ,i was obliged to stop at a village for the night1 after only seven miles' journey4 ,the next day1 ,i arrived at ,lhasa ,villa1 the country seat of ,sara ,chanra s of ,darjeeling1 my old teacher1 through whom ,i first became acquainted with the ,tibetan language4 ,when ,i knocked at his door1 one of his children opened it4 ,he had forgotten me and was asking my name1 when ,mrs4 ,chanra s made her appearance and asked me on what business ,i came4 ,i replied with a smile1 8,have you forgotten me8 ,can you not still remember me80 ,then the ,rai ,bahur1 who had probably recognised my voice1 rushed out and said3 8,is it you1 ,mr4 ,kawaguchi8 ,you are welcome40 ,my baggage was immediately unloaded and carried in by the servant1 and ,i was shown in4 ,great was his surprise and joy to see me again4 ,he told me that he had known of my whereabouts from my two letters to him1 and with what joy he had heard of my well-being as a doctor1 but with what apprehension he had considered my prospects of getting out of ,tibet4 ,he also explained to me how ,tsa ,rong-ba came to him to hand him my letter1 but as he ran away without calling at his house again as he promised1 he could not give me his answer1 adding that in his answer he had intended to advise me to return quickly1 because on seeing my letter he had noticed there was no further need for me to study the ,tibetan language and religion4 ,he also told me that ,dr4 ,bunyiu ,nanjio of ,japan had been very anxious about me and asked him in almost every letter to tell all he heard of me2 and he said he would write to the ,doctor directly4 ,i talked of my experiences in ,tibet and of the journey1 and it was midnight when we went to bed4 ,next morning ,i had bad fever1 and when the fever went down it was followed by palsy2 my limbs began to lose power and ,i felt as if the palsy was going to the heart4 ,by and by ,i was unable to move my hands or feet at all1 and ,i thought it must be a kind of heart attack of beri-beri from which it is generally believed death is almost inevitable4 ,rai ,sara was much concerned about me1 and attended me all the time of my sickness4 ,meanwhile a physician came in and examined me4 ,i learned afterwards that the physician pronounced my disease to be a ,tista fever1 the most frightful kind of malaria4 ,i thought myself dying1 and thought how lucky it was to die here at ,darjeeling1 for then my death could be announced to all my friends1 whereas if it had occurred in ,tibet1 no one would have heard of it4 ,but ,i thought that before ,i died ,i must make a will to the effect that the books ,i brought from ,tibet must be sent to ,japan1 either to the ,japanese ,imperial ,university or to any other great library within easy reach of my fellow-countrymen4 ,therefore though in an almost insensible state ,i told my teacher to write a will for me1 and began to talk in ,english but with great difficulty4 ,rai ,sara told me it was needless1 for he understood what ,i meant to say4 ,the physician also told me to keep quiet and spare both bodily and spiritual exertion as much as possible4 ,illustration3 ,,performing ,,ceremonies ,,in ,,tibetan ,,costume4 ,that night ,i felt a little better1 but the palsy of the limbs remained just the same1 and ,i entered into samhi1 trying thus to remove the root of the malady4 ,if any one had seen me in that state1 he would have thought that ,i was indeed beside myself4 ,after three days' suffering1 thanks to the careful attendance of ,rai ,sara1 ,i was a little better1 and my limbs began to have some feeling in them1 and after that1 though slowly1 ,i grew better and better1 and on the eighth day ,i could move my hand a little4 ,i wished to telegraph home of my whereabouts1 but from ,darjeeling to ,japan the charge is thirty-seven rupees for three words1 and two rupees was all the money ,i had left in my pocket now4 ,nor was ,i bold enough to borrow the money from my teacher1 so after all1 ,i did not telegraph home4 ,but wishing to notify my return1 ,i did my best to use my hand and wrote a letter addressed to ,hige ,tokujro in my native town1 though ,i do not quite remember what ,i wrote in it4 ,i was gradually recovering1 but for a whole month ,i was unable to do anything1 and became very thin and weak4 ,while in ,tibet ,i had grown fat and healthy1 and they had often told me that ,i was another man after ten months' stay in ,lhasa1 and ,i had felt so too2 but now ,i was again quite lean4 ,happily1 however1 by the grace of ,buha ,i survived1 and before another month had passed ,i was able to read and write4 ,after that ,i had a great many visitors with whom ,i had every kind of conversation1 to relate which would take another volume1 but as they have no direct connexion with the journey to ,tibet they need not be narrated here4 ,i was obliged to stay at ,darjeeling for some time1 because after having been accustomed to the cold climate of ,tibet1 ,i was afraid in my enfeebled state to undertake a journey over the scorching plains of ,india4 ,my doctor also advised me to stay in ,darjeeling for three months at least1 and ,i determined to do so4 ,while ,i was thus waiting for the recovery of my health1 ,i heard nothing from ,lhasa1 for in this season of the year the communication between ,phari and ,darjeeling is almost entirely suspended from the fear of attacks of fever on foreign travellers in the intermediate region4 ,the natives of ,tomo-,rinchen-gang1 who are accustomed to the climate1 do not catch it easily1 but if ,tibetans were to pass through the district in the dangerous season they would surely be attacked by the malady4 ,when ,i left ,tibet it was at the beginning of the season and the caravan which ,i joined was the last but one4 ,i knew the danger very well1 but ,i had no other choice2 the affair which occurred in ,lhasa drove me to come across the dangerous path1 and had caused my illness at ,darjeeling4 ,in ,october the first caravan came from ,tibet and brought me some shocking news4 ,,chapter ,,xcii4 ,my ,tibetan ,friends in ,trouble4 ,i learned that a month had hardly passed after my escape from ,lhasa1 when many of my acquaintances were arrested and imprisoned4 ,according to this information1 the ex-,minister of the ,treasury with whom ,i lived1 the old nun living in his house1 and one of his favorite servants1 were arrested and taken to prison2 the new ,treasury-minister was set free1 as he had not had much relation with me2 the ,sera ,seminary was closed1 ,tsa ,rong-ba and his wife and ,takbo ,tunbai ,choen ,joe were taken to jail and examined with terrible tortures2 every house which ,i had frequented was closely observed by the detectives1 and the people in them were expecting every moment to be arrested2 therefore everybody who had had any connexion whatever with me was endeavoring to conceal it1 and consequently bribery was prevalent in ,lhasa4 ,such were the stories ,i heard from the caravan1 but the ,tibetans are great story-tellers in general1 and are very fond of surprising people by lies4 ,so ,i thought they might be productions of their imagination1 derived from the rumor that ,i escaped from ,lhasa1 and ,i did not give them much credit1 and told them they were absurd stories2 but still ,i had some doubts4 ,some story of this kind reached the ear of the ,magistrate of ,darjeeling4 ,one day he called me to his private house and asked me several questions as to the number of the priests1 and the educational system1 and the regulations of the ,sera ,monastery1 and whether there was any law by which a school could be closed for such occurrences as had happened and whether ,i believed the stories4 ,to this last question ,i answered negatively1 because not only the ,tibetans1 but even the ,chinese in ,tibet1 are very often fond of exaggerating truths and circulating rumors at ,darjeeling2 for instance1 they say ,russians have been seen striding along the streets of ,lhasa in broad daylight1 while in fact there are none1 but only a ,mongolian employed by the ,government of ,russia4 ,the local ,english officers of these districts are very desirous of knowing anything about ,tibet1 and they would write down any tidings brought thence1 not distinguishing whether they are true or not4 ,at ,ghoom there is an officer whose special business it is to enquire into anything occurring in ,tibet4 ,if there is anyone newly arrived from that country1 he would see him1 ask various questions1 and if he found any important news he would take the man to the ,governor's to enquire more minutely about the matter in his presence4 ,the present ,governor of ,darjeeling can speak the ,tibetan language to some extent1 but not with much ease2 so interpreters are hired in most cases4 ,but the ,british ,indian ,government greatly encourages these ,governors of the districts adjoining ,tibet to study the ,tibetan language1 and they can take an examination if they are able to speak colloquial ,tibetan and explain easy composition2 and if they pass the examination they can obtain a prize of a thousand rupees4 ,therefore most of them study ,tibetan4 ,from these facts the reader may infer with what caution the ,british ,government is trying to get insight into the ,forbidden ,land4 ,as ,i knew well that the ,tibetans were liars1 ,i did not much mind their talk1 but when another caravan which came two weeks later brought similar rumors my uneasiness was greatly increased4 ,some days after a merchant of my acquaintance came to ,darjeeling1 so ,i went to see him and asked him whether these rumored stories were true4 8,not exactly10 said he1 8things are not so bad as that4 ,it is true that the ex-,minister of the ,treasury was once arrested1 but he was set free without being taken to prison4 ,however they say he will be again arrested in the near future4 ,when ,i started from ,lhasa he dwelt in his residence1 not in prison2 but ,i cannot tell what may have happened since4 ,among those who are sure victims are your tutor and your security at the ,sera ,seminary1 ,tsa ,rong-ba and his wife1 ,takbo ,tunbai ,choen ,joe4 ,their torture is terrible indeed2 they are to be flogged every day1 receiving three hundred blows daily with a willow stick4 ,we wished to pay them a visit1 and do something for them1 but could not do so2 for if we did1 it would only arouse the suspicion of the detectives1 who were hunting after anything they could get hold of40 ,when ,i heard him ,i wondered what necessity there was for such cruelty if it got out that ,i was a simple ,japanese priest1 and asked the merchant whether he knew the cause of the persecution4 ,then he said that they took me for an ,english spy and not for a ,japanese4 8,but then10 said ,i1 8did any one tell them that ,i was an ,englishman80 8,yes1 some one did10 said he4 8,in an official report ,chyi ,kyab1 the chief ,guard of ,nyatong1 has stated to the ,pope that the ,lama who was rumored to be a ,japanese was in truth an ,englishman and brother to a high official of the ,british ,indian ,government1 by whose request he entered ,tibet in the disguise of a ,japanese or ,chinese4 ,he also stated that the disguised ,english spy had1 while in ,tibet1 several communications from ,darjeeling through ,tsa ,rong-ba and ,takbo4 ,furthermore1 the report says you are by no means an ordinary man and can work miracles4 ,it says you did not come through the barrier on the highway1 and that even the bye-ways were watched with equal care1 so that you could not have passed through4 ,it is said that you must have flown to this side of the mountains when you came to the neighborhood of the barriers4 ,since the report was read by the ,pope1 the persecution of the prisoners is said to have been severe40 8,by the way0 he continued1 8how did you come over from ,nyatong8 ,did you not fly80 8,as ,i am no bird1 how could ,i do such a thing80 8,but they say you can do such a thing10 said he1 8and ,i am one of those who believe it1 because for one who can revive the dead1 it must be an easy miracle to fly in the air4 ,in ,tibet they all believe what ,chyi ,kyab has reported to the ,pope40 8,then10 said ,i1 8,i will show you one thing that tells more than my speech2 it is the passport given by the order of ,chyi ,kyab himself40 ,the merchant seemed not to believe me yet1 for by this time even in ,darjeeling the story that ,i could work miracles became current and he had heard of it4 ,i think that this was caused by the fraudulent report of ,chyi ,kyab1 who was afraid of the punishment which was likely to befall him if he made a true one4 ,sometime later when the merchant came to my place1 ,i showed him the passport and he seemed to believe it4 ,but a new suspicion arose that ,i must have enchanted ,chyi ,kyab by magic and stolen the passport4 ,ignorant people very often take a truth for a miracle2 and many ,tibetans are no exception4 ,i could not be calm now that ,i had heard such terrors were raging in ,tibet4 ,in the first place1 the ex-,treasury-minister's fate caused me much uneasiness4 ,his acute and strong character made him many enemies among his mean fellow-countrymen1 who might now find an opportunity of revenging themselves upon him4 ,tsa ,rong-ba and his wife1 my tutor at the ,sera ,seminary and my security there1 all of whom had shown me much favor and kindness1 were now suffering in chains2 how could ,i sleep in peace8 ,how ,i wished ,i had been able to fly as they said ,i could1 and go to ,lhasa to their rescue6 ,many considerations came to my mind as to the way of delivering them2 but only two of them seemed to be practicable4 ,the one was to go to ,peking and to secure an order from the ,chinese ,government to the ,tibetan to suspend the hideous cruelty1 and the other was to go to ,nepl and ask the help of the ,neplese ,government4 ,it took me a long while to decide which method ,i should choose1 but at last ,i determined to try the latter4 ,first1 it was doubtful whether the ,chinese ,government would admit any application1 either from myself or through the influence of the ,japanese ,government4 ,in the second place1 ,china herself has ceased to have credit in ,tibet4 ,in ,tibet it is believed1 even among the ,government officers1 that the present ,chinese ,emperor has been married to an ,english lady1 and that since then1 as she is on good terms with ,england1 the country is always disturbed4 ,besides they know that ,china has become so helpless that they can disobey her without being chastised4 ,lastly1 the ,tibetan ,government does not like any diplomatic interference from ,china1 because ,china is a country that proclaims herself as friendly with all foreign countries4 ,on the other hand1 ,nepl is much feared by the ,tibetans1 for the people of ,nepl are very strong1 and their soldiers1 disciplined in the ,english style1 prove themselves very brave in time of war4 ,so the ,tibetans are trying not to offend her1 and her advice is heard with more attention than that of ,china4 ,what made me think of the greater probability of success through applying to the ,neplese ,government was the fact that that country puts so much trust in ,japan that she sends many students to ,japan for study4 ,thus ,i was determined to go to ,nepl4 ,to do this1 however1 some money was needed1 of which ,i had none at that time2 indeed1 ,i had even some small debts4 ,thanks to heaven1 help came in my need2 my acquaintances at my native town were so kind as to collect and send me three hundred yen1 and with this money ,i was ready to start4 ,but there was one thing that held me back2 it was the compilation of a ,tibetan grammar1 which ,i had sometime ago begun at the request of my teacher ,sara ,chanra s1 who needed a complete grammar of the ,tibetan language to append to his ,tibetan-,english dictionary4 ,i began at once1 and wrote some twenty pages1 but the complete study of the grammar of a foreign language is not to be compared to writing compositions for papers or magazines2 books must be referred to and the opinions of others must be consulted4 ,and thus three months were spent1 but the completion of the grammar proceeded at a very sluggish pace and ,i felt that it would take a year or more to finish it4 ,but the present prison affair in ,lhasa required my immediate exertion1 otherwise all hope might be gone4 ,so ,i told my teacher that ,i had to suspend the work1 and towards the end of ,november ,i left ,darjeeling and came to ,calcutta4 ,,chapter ,,xciii4 ,among ,friends4 ,i arrived at ,calcutta and lodged at the ,mahbohi ,society's rooms1 where ,i found many priests from ,ceylon and ,burma as my fellow-lodgers and conversational companions4 ,one or two days after my arrival1 ,i called on ,mr4 ,kjun ,omiya1 one of my fellow-students in ,japan1 who was now staying here for a long time for the study of ,samsk4 ,he had not the slightest notion of my being in the same town1 and ,i was dressed in ,tibetan clothes when ,i called on him4 ,being informed by his servant that he was in the parlor1 ,i entered the room without being announced4 ,owing to the total disuse of ,japanese for many years1 it was some while before ,i could utter a single word in that language1 so ,i simply bowed to him a little and stared at him4 ,my old friend1 who was also staring at me and undoubtedly feeling offended by the intrusion of a strange man in a ,tibetan dress1 addressed me in ,hinusni3 8,whence have you come80 ,i could not help laughing to hear him say this1 but at the same time the words in ,japanese came back to me and ,i said3 8,are you not ,omiya80 ,he did not yet recognise me1 and asked in ,japanese3 8,you are a ,japanese who knows me8 ,but who are you80 ,i replied3 8,i am ,kawaguchi40 ,he was of course much surprised by so great a change in me that ,i could easily have passed for a ,tibetan4 ,i was soon shown to his room1 which was kept very neat1 and we talked about our own country4 ,mr4 ,omiya is a priest of the ,tendai ,sect and a very agreeable companion1 and from this time ,i shared his room4 ,on the evening of ,december #adth1 ,dr4 ,e4 ,inouye1 the president of the ,tetsugakkwan in ,tokyo 7where we were instructed7 came to ,calcutta and called on us4 ,i need not describe here how delighted our kind teacher was to see me back safe from the ,forbidden ,land4 ,next morning1 about three o'clock1 ,i waked up ,dr4 ,inouye1 and guided him to the ,tiger ,hill near ,darjeeling1 the best place from which to see the ,himlayas2 for though it was the best season of the year to see the loftiest mountains in the world1 it was generally impossible to get a good view after nine or ten o'clock in the morning4 ,with the noblest work of ,nature before us1 our poetical interest was aroused and we made several poems4 ,after short trips here and there1 on the #bcrd of the month ,i returned to ,calcutta with ,dr4 ,inouye1 and on the same night we had to start on a pilgrimage to ,buhagay4 ,pilgrimage was not my sole object in going to ,buhagay2 ,i wished to go to ,delhi to see ,lieutenant-,general ,oku of ,japan1 who was to be present at the ,durbar in honor of the coronation of the ,king of ,england and ,emperor of ,india1 and to apply to him for a letter of introduction to the ,king of ,nepl1 through whose influence ,i intended to make my appeal to the ,tibetan ,pope4 ,so ,i had first to go to ,buhagay1 and then to the holy land of ,benares1 where ,i had to part with ,dr4 ,inouye1 he going to ,bombay and ,i to ,delhi4 ,we got into a train and the next afternoon we arrived at ,bankipur4 ,here we had to stay some five hours to change cars for ,buhagay4 ,dr4 ,inouye went to send a telegram and ,i remained at the station2 there was a ,hin there also1 who could speak ,english4 ,he approached me and asked3 8,are you a ,tibetan80 8,no1 ,i am not40 8,are you a ,neplese then80 8,i am not that either80 8,do you not come from ,tibet80 8,yes1 ,i did40 8,do you say you have come from ,tibet1 and yet are not ,tibetan80 8,it does not necessarily follow that ,i am a ,tibetan1 though ,i came from ,tibet40 ,while ,i was thus talking1 one man whose presence ,i did not notice came running to me4 ,turning to the man1 ,i found my old acquaintance the ,rev4 ,fujii ,sensho4 ,extending his hand to me1 he expressed his joy at the unexpected meeting1 and congratulated me on my safe return from ,tibet4 ,illustration3 ,,accidental ,,meeting6 ,,with ,a ,,friend ,,and ,,compatriot4 8,but what are you waiting for in such a place80 said he4 8,i am going to ,buhagay with ,dr4 ,inouye40 8,then our destination is the same4 ,i am going to call on the ,rev4 ,otani ,kozui1 who is staying at ,gay40 ,we despatched a telegram to ,mr4 ,otani telling him that we should arrive by the next train1 and we three then entered the train which took us to ,gay1 where we found a carriage sent by ,count ,otani to meet us4 ,when we arrived at the ,dak bungalow1 we enjoyed a conversation with the ,honorable ,count ,otani and his suite4 ,after various questions and answers1 ,his ,highness asked me where ,i was going4 ,i replied that ,i was going to ,nepl4 ,mr4 ,fujii1 whom ,i had not had an opportunity of telling my object1 was much surprised to hear it now1 and asked me what ,i wanted there4 8,i have two things to do there10 said ,i2 8one is to bring back my books1 which ,i left with a certain person in that country4 ,the other is more serious4 ,many of my acquaintances and friends in ,tibet are now suffering in prison for having been friendly towards me4 ,so though it is doubtful whether ,i shall succeed1 ,i am going to ,nepl to get help from its ,government to save them40 ,mr4 ,fujii rebuked me1 saying1 8,you are no more ,kawaguchi of college life4 ,your fellow-countrymen are anxious to see you come back and to hear of the strange land you have visited4 ,therefore give up that idea of going to ,nepl1 where you can expect nothing but attacks of fever or wild beasts or robbery1 of which you have already had plenty of experience2 ,i tell you you had better prepare to start home40 ,dr4 ,inouye1 from whom ,i had heard such advice very often1 but who found me unpersuadable1 now said to ,mr4 ,otani3 8,what is the opinion of ,your ,highness about the matter of ,kawaguchi80 ,his ,highness1 who was listening to our discussion with interest1 spoke now3 8,i can but praise your courage1 ,mr4 ,kawaguchi2 with such courage only you could enter and return from the closed country4 ,but think of your personal position2 you must not expose yourself to useless danger40 ,i was again obliged to expound my motive and intention to go to ,nepl1 and said3 8,all that has been said is very true4 ,but if ,i follow the advice of you all1 where is #8the ,japanese righteousness8' ,i am a servant of ,buha1 and my duty is to save any one from misery1 though he should have no personal relations with me4 ,but here are a great many men1 to whom ,i owe a debt of gratitude1 by whose help ,i accomplished my escape4 ,they are suffering in jail2 while ,i am enjoying myself in a warm and comfortable room1 what pains are they suffering8 ,i can see them shivering with cold in the unlighted prison of ,lhasa4 ,in the day-time they are flogged1 and the only food given them is a small quantity of parched barley once a day4 ,knowing them to be in such a condition1 how should ,i abandon them1 and start for home1 even though my life is very precious to me80 ,,chapter ,,xciv4 ,the ,two ,kings of ,nepal4 ,having made up my mind as to what ,i was going to do1 ,i took a train back to ,calcutta a few nights after4 ,money has its power in ,india1 as elsewhere1 and soon afterwards ,i was once more on my way to ,nepl4 ,by some means ,i was introduced to a ,professor ,kearnh ,chatterji1 an old ,bengal gentleman who had once been the ,principal of the ,municipal ,school of ,ktmndu1 ,nepl1 and was then living in ,calcutta and known to be in the good graces of the ,king of ,nepl4 ,he readily1 even cheerfully1 complied with my request and gave me a letter of introduction to the ,king of ,nepl4 ,i may observe that the natives of ,tibet1 ,bhan and ,sikkim are allowed to travel in ,nepl1 so long as they are in possession of a passport issued by the ,commander-in-,chief of ,beelganji2 but no other foreigners are admitted into that country unless armed with the ,king's own pass4 ,hence my negotiations with ,professor ,chatterji1 to whom ,i presented myself as one anxious to make a pilgrimage to all the holy ,buhist stations in ,nepl4 ,on ,january #ajth1 #aijb1 ,i left ,calcutta by train and reached ,raxaul1 a station on the ,neplese border1 at dusk of the following day4 ,it was about six o'clock then and1 hiring a coolie to carry my luggage1 ,i crossed the ,siman ,river which separated ,india from ,nepl4 ,landed on the other side1 ,i was refused further progress by the officers of a police station there1 on the ground that the ,king of ,nepl was soon coming home1 and that1 consequently1 no one from beyond the borders could be allowed entrance into the country1 until they had been subjected to thorough examination and found harmless4 ,i noticed that the natives begged1 begged1 and were finally allowed to pass on4 ,i thought that here too bribery had its logic4 ,but1 no1 ,i was a foreigner and could under no circumstance be granted an immediate passage4 ,i finally produced ,chatterji's letter of introduction to the ,king of ,nepl4 ,the policeman on attendance1 who until then had refused even to let me interview the chief of the station1 now took me to that functionary4 ,the upshot was that the station chief caused my letter of introduction1 together with a very carefully prepared description of my person1 to be forwarded to ,beelganji and ordered me to wait for the result4 ,at ,beelganji was the ,commander-in-,chief1 who was then acting there as ,regent in the absence of the ,king1 and it was to this authority that the documents were sent4 ,the distance between the ,siman police station and ,beelganji is only about a mile4 ,i had waited in vain till eleven o'clock at night for the expected instruction1 and ,i had just set about making a hot cup of tea in order to keep myself warm1 when a policeman belonging to the ,royal ,palace ,force put in an appearance and ordered me to accompany him at once to ,beelganji4 ,at ,beelganji ,i was taken to a cottage in front of the ,local ,hospital to lodge for the night4 ,the next morning ,i presented myself at the ,regent's court and there had to wait till five in the afternoon before ,i could have an interview with ,his ,excellency1 who informed me that the ,king was coming home on the #adth and that he would then endeavor to secure for me an audience with his royal master4 ,i may here explain why ,i have given to the present chapter the heading3 8,the ,two ,kings of ,nepl40 ,nepl1 indeed1 possesses two ,kings1 a ,king de jure and a ,king de facto1 in ,neplese respectively ,pnch ,sarkr and ,tn ,sarkr4 ,the de facto ,king is the real ,ruler of ,nepl and the de jure ,king is only the figure-head1 maintaining his court by means of a civil list1 or rather a pension allowed by the former4 ,in name the de facto ,king is the ,prime ,minister of the country1 but the actual sovereignty is in his hands1 and the nation knows only him as its ,king4 ,the existence of the ,king de jure is known1 it may be said1 only by a circle of ,government officials1 the general mass having but a very vague idea about it4 ,it was of the return home of the de facto ,king that ,i was informed4 ,about sunset on the #adth1 the ,prime-,minister 7the ,king de facto7 did1 indeed1 arrive in ,beelganji1 preceded and followed by a cortge of great splendor1 the most conspicuous feature of which was a train of enormous elephants1 on which were seated the ,princes and ,princesses of the royal family4 ,nepl is a polygamous country1 and the number of royal scions is consequently very large4 ,the entrance of the royal procession into ,beelganji was announced with a salvo of thirteen guns4 ,so the ,king returned1 but the ,regent advised me to wait another day1 promising me that he would manage to obtain an audience for me at about ten o'clock the following morning1 or more accurately1 he would arrange the matter for me if ,i should present myself at the palace at about ten o'clock in the morning and patiently wait there till five o'clock in the afternoon4 ,this ,i did4 ,it appeared that no person1 as a rule1 is granted an audience in the palace on the occasion of a first presentation4 ,however ,i was taken into an inner court and was presented to the ,king as he came out on his evening walk4 ,then ,i had the singular satisfaction of his accepting from me a certain object of ,japanese fine art4 ,the ,prime-,minister ,king seemed to be very well pleased with my present1 and even offered to pay me its price4 ,whatever the ,king's offer meant1 ,i insisted on its being a present on my part4 ,then ,i was invited to go in with ,his ,highness1 who treated me like a ten years' acquaintance4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,prime ,,minister ,,of ,,nepal1 ,h4 ,h4 ,,chandra ,,shamsir4 ,,chapter ,,xcv4 ,audience of the ,two ,kings4 ,following the de facto ,king into a royal apartment1 ,i saw ,his ,highness take his seat first1 followed by another who sat by him and whom ,i took for a ,minister of ,state4 ,i subsequently found out that the second gentleman was no less a personage than his ,majesty the real ,king of ,nepl4 ,the audience took the form of a catechism1 which was in substance as follows3 8,i understand that you have been to ,tibet3 what made you undertake the adventure80 8,in order to complete my study of ,buhism1 ,your ,highness10 replied ,i4 8,i am told10 said the ,prime ,minister1 8that while in ,tibet you were in friendly intercourse with the nobles and high priests of that country3 who is the most powerful person in ,tibet just now80 8,as a ,buhist priest10 answered ,i1 8,i devoted all my time to the study of ,buhism and had no opportunity to make myself acquainted with the political condition of that country40 8,there is no occasion whatever for you to be reserved2 ,tibet and our country are on the most friendly terms with each other1 and your divulgence will do no harm4 ,i want to know these things only for my own information3 besides1 ,i know that you are well posted on things ,tibetan40 8,your ,highness1 ,i am well aware of the amicable relations existing between ,nepl and ,tibet3 ,i only wish to speak of nothing of which ,i have no accurate information40 8,i understand that20 said the ,minister2 8,i do not mean to find fault with you3 ,i shall only be pleased to hear your opinion on the subject40 8,may it please ,your ,highness1 then1 the most powerful personage in ,tibet at present is1 ,i think1 the ,dalai ,lama himself1 and the man of the greatest influence among his subjects1 ,shata40 8,what do you think of the position of the ,chinese representative in ,tibet in relation to the ,hierarchy80 8,i think his influence is in decadence now1 ,your ,highness40 8,how do you account for that1 ,mr4 ,kawaguchi80 8,i imagine it all comes from the impotency of the ,peking ,government1 on the one hand1 and from the fact of ,his ,holiness being a man of great ability1 decision and political acumen40 8,do you know ,tsan-ni ,kenbo of ,russia80 8,no1 ,your ,highness4 ,he was not in ,lhasa while ,i was there40 8,but you must have heard something about him80 8,that ,i have10 ,i admitted4 8,who among the ,government officials of ,tibet is said to be on the most friendly terms with him8 ,do you think he enjoys the confidence of the ,dalai ,lama1 as well as that of ,his ,holiness's high officials80 8,shata alone1 with the ,dalai ,lama1 seems to place infinite confidence in ,russia2 but the latter is an object1 as far as ,i know1 of much distrust and dislike to all others40 ,here the true ,king1 sitting next to the ,prime-,minister1 asked in ,neplese whether or not what ,i was saying coincided with the stock of information in this latter's possession4 ,the reply was a full affirmative4 ,then the catechism was resumed3 8,supposing10 asked the ,minister 8that ,tibet concludes a secret treaty with ,russia1 do you think that our neighbor will be able to give effect to such a treaty80 8,in my humble opinion1 ,your ,highness1 there will be nothing to prevent the two ,governments concluding such a treaty2 but the moment it is made public and an attempt is made to put its stipulations into practice1 one of two things will happen--either the poisoning of the ,dalai ,lama1 or a popular uprising40 8,what makes you hold such a view80 8,because10 replied ,i1 8so far as ,i can see1 the majority of the ,government authorities and the people in general are opposed to such a state of things1 even though a few persons may be in its favor40 ,the ,prime-,minister-,king asked me some other questions1 but these ,i may omit here1 with the answers which ,i made4 ,the point he seemed to be most anxious to know was the secret path ,i took in entering ,tibet4 ,for a moment ,i thought of satisfying his curiosity1 but prudence counselled forbearance1 and ,i kept silence2 because ,i thought that the divulgence on my part might involve some of my erstwhile friends and acquaintances in serious trouble4 ,consequently ,i excused myself on the ground that my poor command of ,english was not equal to the task of narrating so complicated a tale1 and that ,i might have an occasion1 when in the ,neplese capital1 of imparting the whole story to some of his ,highness's trusted officials who understood ,tibetan4 ,the last question ,i was asked on the occasion was3 8,what has transformed ,japan into so great a power as she is now80 ,i1 of course1 answered that it was the result of education and patriotism4 ,i was then excused from the royal presence with the instruction that ,i should return there at two o'clock the following afternoon4 ,,chapter ,,xcvi4 ,second ,audience4 ,at the appointed hour on the following day1 ,i repaired to the ,government building1 and the guards refused me admittance until about five o'clock4 ,when finally ,i was admitted to the royal presence1 it was only to be told that his ,highness was extremely busy that day1 and that he would see and give me the necessary papers the following day at the ,lambn preserve4 ,when ,i came back to my lodging that evening my servant expressed himself as quite sure that ,i was being duped and that ,i would never be allowed to reach ,lambn on the morrow4 ,that was bad4 ,so ,i walked a distance of about two and a half miles and back1 in order to see and be assured by the ,king's ,lord ,chamberlain that ,i was only uselessly worrying myself4 ,on the #agth ,i hired an ekka 7a single seat carriage7 and with my servant drove to the foot of a mountain called ,binbiti1 going over a distance of about four days' journey on foot4 ,on the way ,i went to the royal preserve of ,lambn1 which is situated at the southern end of the ,dalai ,jungle4 ,the place presented a grand sight on this occasion1 for a hunt was being held in honor of the ,coronation of the ,emperor of ,india4 ,there must have been fully five or six hundred tents pitched1 covering an immense tract of land and forming an entrance to the famous ,dalai ,jungle4 ,the royal tents sheltering the ,kings and their multiple consorts1 the ,princes and ,princesses1 were conspicuously beautiful to look at1 while the sight of those of the ,ministers of ,state and others1 variegated in colors of red1 white1 blue and yellow1 dotting the woodland1 was both grand and picturesque4 ,there were about two thousand soldiers present1 all of the ,royal ,bodyguard4 ,their uniform was after the ,british pattern1 and they all looked men of splendid physique4 ,being refused admittance1 ,i hung about the royal precincts for about four hours1 all the time looking for an opportunity to obtain an audience4 ,ultimately ,i got a glimpse of the ,king1 who was going out on a hunt seated on a huge elephant4 ,he recognised me1 but had just time enough to express his regret and tell me to come to him in the morning2 and he was gone6 ,then my servant again tried to make light of my credulity2 but ,i scolded him into silence4 ,illustration3 ,,struggle ,,with ,a ,,nepalese ,,soldier4 ,at six o'clock on the morning of the #ahth1 ,i smuggled myself into the royal enclosure1 having chosen an unguarded spot for the purpose4 ,there was such a great number of tents that ,i in vain tried to locate that intended for royalty4 ,while wandering about ,i was challenged by an officer4 ,i explained the purpose of my presence there1 only to be told that the time for audience had not yet arrived4 ,eventually the officer ordered a private to see me out of the enclosure4 ,i thought that1 once out of the enclosure1 ,i might never have an opportunity of seeing the ,king1 and feigning not to hear the remonstrances of the private1 ,i doggedly held my ground4 ,finally a guard came and ordered me out4 ,i said that ,i was there by the order of the ,king4 ,but my words were only wasted on the sturdy soldier1 who forthwith collared me and with a push on my back1 as ,i staggered up1 hurled me out of the enclosure1 handling me altogether as if ,i were a little child4 ,outside the fence ,i became an object of the laughter of the soldiers and of jeering remarks from the general spectators4 ,professor of resignation and self-denial though ,i am1 this treatment could not but displease me4 ,but on second thoughts ,i awoke to the fact of my still lacking the spirit of patience and perseverance4 ,dead to my surroundings for the time being1 ,i sat in silence on the grass for hours1 and in the meanwhile ,i could not hold back my tears as ,i thought1 if it was hard for me to bear these insults1 how great must be the suffering of my ,tibetan friends and benefactors1 who because of me were even then1 as ,i imagined1 undergoing dreadful tortures1 having no one to vindicate their innocence for them1 and ,i composed an uta for my consolation3 ,my suffering surely ,i with ease must bear ,compared with all the tortures which my friends ,now undergo1 for my sake prisoners made1 ,in distant regions far above the clouds4 ,at about eleven o'clock ,i noticed the ,lord ,chamberlain passing by me1 and ,i hastened to acquaint him with the plight ,i was in4 ,his ,lordship greatly commiserated me and at once gave orders that ,i should that minute be taken to the tent of royal reception4 ,after waiting another two hours in the tent1 the ,king was announced--the ,prime-,minister-,king ,i should have said4 ,the ,king wanted to know what ,i wished to have from him4 ,the passport1 ,i said4 ,then he said that that ,i should certainly have1 but that what he had meant was if ,i was well provided with travelling funds4 ,i replied that ,i had then with me three hundred rupees4 ,his ,highness thought that the amount was not enough for my purpose1 and ordered his attendants to give me two hundred rupees4 ,i refused to accept his generosity1 saying that ,i had not come to his country to make money4 ,what was it then that ,i wanted in reality8 ,i was on the point of making a direct reference to my petition2 but that spirit of caution and forbearance which ,i have already mentioned counselled me once more to bide my time on that score2 and ,i disclosed a part of my desire1 that ,i wished to secure a complete collection of the ,samsk text of the ,buhist ,scriptures in existence in ,nepl1 offering in return to forward the ,japanese edition of the same on my return home4 ,that ,i should have1 he said1 and ordered me to present a list of the texts ,i wanted to the ,regent at ,ktmndu1 where ,his ,highness was to return in twenty-five days4 ,henceforward ,i became a sort of special traveller under royal protection1 for a police official was detailed to escort me to ,ktmndu4 ,,chapter ,,xcvii4 ,once more in ,katmandu4 ,after procuring my passport1 escorted by the policeman1 ,i came back to a village called ,simla where ,i had left my carrier and carriage4 ,i found that the carriage and its driver had absconded in my absence3 it had been paid for in advance4 ,the policeman wanted to beat my carrier for allowing the driver to abscond2 but ,i interfered4 ,it was then after three in the afternoon1 and my route to ,khtmndu lay for eight miles at least through the jungle4 ,i was warned about tigers2 but ,i knew the route1 as ,i was going over it for a second time1 and forthwith ,i set out on the road4 ,every two miles1 through the eight miles of the jungle1 is a large reservoir of drinking water1 each reservoir being connected with the one next to it by means of iron ducts4 ,originally not a drop of water was obtainable in the jungle1 and the ducts and reservoirs were built in compliance with the dying wish of the late ,queen of ,nepl1 who in that way wanted to benefit the travelling public4 ,one reads the origin and history of this benevolent institution engraved on stone tablets1 set up on the roadside2 the language used on one being ,neplese1 on another ,tibetan1 on the third ,english1 then ,hin and ,pars4 ,before night came on ,i arrived at ,bichagori1 where on the occasion of my former visit ,i heard a tiger break the midnight silence with his roars4 ,i felt rather lonely on account of the absence of his roaring now1 and ,i made an uta3 ,the same as once before the moonlight sleeps ,on ,bichagori fair2 but whence is heard ,upon the stream the savage tiger's roar8 ,crossing the ,bichagori river1 ,i travelled to ,spalta1 from ,spalta to ,bahise1 thence to ,binbit and ,tispan during the next two days4 ,tispan is also known by the alternative name of ,tisgari1 which1 ,i think1 was the one ,i mentioned before4 ,between ,simla and ,tispan ,i had my passport examined three times4 ,tispan maintains a custom-house and all ordinary ingoing travellers are detained here at least half a day4 ,the case was different with me3 my stop here lasted no longer than half an hour4 ,my police-escort took leave of me here and his place was taken by a soldier1 who thenceforth accompanied me to ,ktmndu4 ,as we reached the top of ,tisgari1 ,i once more stood an all-absorbed admirer1 struck by the wondrous grandeur of the ,himlayas1 which1 seen a second time1 appeared to increase instead of diminish in their fresh majesty and charms4 ,to fitly paint the grandeur of the scenes ,words fail me quite2 what can ,i1 helpless1 do8 ,these scenic beauties on the ,himal'yan range ,e'en human eyesight fails to comprehend4 ,thousands of years ago1 ,shkyamuni ,buha1 our ,lord1 spent six years in the jungles and mountains1 and ,i imagined that ,i was possibly treading in ,his holy footsteps4 ,i had spent the same number of years under the shadows of the ,himlayas1 but neither had ,i attained ,nirva1 nor become a ,bohisava6 ,yuki yama-ni mutose heshi mino ikani-shite ,akatsuki-no ,hoshi-ni awade sugoseshi8 ,upon these plateaux six years have ,i passed ,but yet ,illumination's ,morning ,star ,have ,i not seen--the ,star that flashed so bright ,at that ,illumination of our ,lord1 ,the ,holy ,saint under the ,bodhi tree4#e #e ,the ,gospel teaches that the ,buha attained ,his enlightenment as ,he sat gazing up to the 8,morning ,star0 on ,his last night of meditation under the sacred bodhi tree4 ,we next made a sharp descent of about three miles past the village of ,kurikane and an iron bridge1 and entered ,marku1 where we lodged for the night4 ,starting at three o'clock on the #bast we calculated upon reaching ,ktmndu by the evening4 ,the weird serenity of the great mountain pass under the starry heavens of the early morning2 the bracing chill1 the gradual revelation of the scenery around under the rising sun1 the famous rhododendron flowers almost in bloom1 the climb of ,chandragiri1 the vast plain at the height of six thousand feet above the sea level--all the sights and scenes1 awe-inspiring1 entrancing and interesting--were there as on the occasion of my former visit4 ,arrived in ,ktmndu1 ,i at once proceeded to the official residence of the ,local ,commander-in-,chief and ,acting ,prime ,minister4 ,his ,excellency was too busy to see me that evening1 and sent me word asking to come the next day4 ,in the place of the one that had accompanied me to ,ktmndu two fresh bodyguards were then given to me4 ,such being the case1 my arrival in the town had apparently become known to my old friend of four years ago ,lama ,buha ,vajra2 for1 as ,i came out of the ,commander-in-,chief's residence1 ,i was met by one of my friend's sons and some servants with a horse4 ,i at once rode to the ,kyapa ,buha ,tower and there renewed my friendship with its master1 who1 it will be superfluous to say1 received me with a right royal welcome and placed me under fresh obligations by his great hospitality4 ,i may add1 however1 that the ,neplese custom is almost the reverse of that of ,tibet1 in that all those who can afford to do so marry two1 three1 even five wives4 ,my friend1 though a ,lama1 but belonging to the ,old ,school1 has two wives and thirteen children4 ,illustration3 ,,meeting ,,again ,,with ,,an ,,old ,,friend ,,lama ,,buddha ,,vajra4 ,i considered it a rare privilege to pass a night in a place of such holiness1 and availing myself of the opportunity ,i spent the best part of the night in lighting up the butter-lamp and holding a service in memory of my father and friends1 who had died at home during my absence4 ,the next morning ,i saw the sun rising from the snows and felt the emotions which are embodied in the following uta4 ,in ,japan was ,i born1 my native land ,of cherry flowers fair1 the cheerful home ,of birds e'er singing their melodious songs4 ,it is for this am ,i inspired to sing ,of that bright light reflected from the snows8 ,that afternoon at one o' clock1 accompanied by my friend1 ,i called on ,his ,excellency ,bheem ,shamsher1 the ,commander-in-,chief of ,nepl4 ,we were shown into the reception hall in the second floor of the building1 in which ,i found fourteen or fifteen chairs of ,western style1 while the upper half of the floor was covered over with a rectangular piece of thick ,neplese carpet1 with a layer of white cloth over it4 ,on the walls of the room ,i noticed a number of pictures in occidental frames4 ,trifling as these details may appear1 ,i mention them here1 because the use side by side of native and western articles indicates the general features of the national policy of ,nepl4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,commander-,,in-,,chief ,,of ,,nepal1 ,h4 ,e4 ,,bhim ,,shamsir4 ,,chapter ,,xcviii4 ,interview with the ,acting ,prime ,minister4 ,in ,his ,excellency ,bheem ,shamsher ,i found a perfect gentleman1 easy of approach1 but nevertheless of commanding presence4 8,how are you impressed with our country80 said he4 8,i am filled with a feeling of extreme pleasure10 ,i replied4 8,how can that be80 8,because not only your natural scenery1 trees and plants1 but even your people look very much like those of my own country1 and ,i cannot help feeling quite at home here--a feeling which makes me forget the difficulties of travel ,i have come through40 ,his ,excellency smiled a little4 8,that may be1 because we belong to the same race2 but are you quite sure about our flora80 8,why1 yes1 ,your ,excellency1 not only your mountains and waters look like ours1 but you have pines1 cedars1 oaks1 willows1 keyaki 7,planeta japonica71 cherries1 peaches1 pears1 oranges1 azaleas1 elms1 among trees1 and field products1 such as rice1 wheat1 beans1 millet1 buck-wheat and corn are as common with you as they are in ,japan4 ,i also notice an equal similarity between the flowers and birds of the countries4 ,above all ,i am profoundly impressed by the bravery of your people and their kindness toward strangers40 ,quite pleased at what ,i said1 ,his ,excellency now changed the course of conversation3 8,i have been told that ,tibet has concluded a treaty with ,russia3 do you know of any evidence to prove this80 8,i have not come across any definite proof10 ,i replied2 8but judging from what ,tsan-ni ,kenbo has done and the fact that the ,dalai ,lama has accepted a present of a ,bishop's robes from the ,russian ,government1 one may think that there must be some foundation for the rumor4 ,furthermore1 since the return of a ,tibetan envoy from his mission to the court of ,s4 ,petersburg1 the ,tibetan ,government has1 it is said1 come to show great firmness1 even to the extent of expressing its determination to engage in war1 if need be1 with any other country1 and this fact may point to the existence of a secret ,russo-,tibetan treaty40 8,i have no doubt of its existence10 said my interlocutor2 8but what do you think has induced ,tibet to conclude it80 8,as a mere priest1 ,i know nothing about politics and diplomacy1 but ,i may venture to presume that it all came from the unreliability of ,china1 and the skilful manuvres of ,tsan-ni ,kenbo1 who worked on ,tibetan sensitiveness as regards its relationship with the ,indo-,british ,government40 8,why is the ,tibetan ,government hostilely disposed toward ,england80 asked the ,commander-in-,chief4 ,the other questions which he put to me may be gathered from the answers ,i gave1 which were to the effect1 that ,tibet believed that its intercourse with ,christian ,england would end in the destruction of its ,buhism and nationality1 while it rejoiced in the delusion that ,russia was a ,buhist ,power1 and that the reason why it did not befriend ,japan was because it knew practically nothing about the existence of such a country4 ,i next took my turn in leading the conversation1 and as a beginning ,i gave in detail the story of the causes which had led to the incarceration and torture of my friends and benefactors in ,tibet1 and appealed to ,his ,excellency's generosity to take the trouble of forwarding my petition to the ,dalai ,lama4 ,in the second place ,i referred to the ,samsk edition of the ,buhist ,scriptures1 promised me by the ,prime-,minister-,king4 ,thereupon the ,commander-in-,chief cheerfully gave consent to both my requests4 ,he greatly pitied the ignorance of the ,tibetan authorities1 and keenly sympathised with my position4 ,he promised me to do all in his power to have the petition forwarded1 but as the matter rested solely with the ,king de facto1 he advised me to wait for the latter's return1 when he would put in a good word for me4 ,as for the ,scriptures1 he saw no way of procuring for me the entire collection within the period of time ,i intended to spend in ,nepl4 ,i then informed him of my determination to revisit ,nepl in two years' time1 and that ,i should be most pleased to receive the remainder of the ,scriptures on the occasion of that second visit1 ,i taking home for the time being such portions of them as could be collected during my stay4 ,all this was agreeable to ,his ,excellency1 and before ,i took leave of him he shook me warmly by the hand and flattered me by saying that he was very glad to have met such an honored ,japanese4 ,,chapter ,,xcix4 ,painful ,news from ,lhasa4 ,a few days after my arrival at the ,tower1 ,i met many ,tibetans who had come to worship at the holy places in ,nepl4 ,they told me positively that the ex-,minister of ,finance had been imprisoned on such and such a day and had been tortured in the ,court4 ,i could not quite believe the news1 but ,i was very anxious to know the truth of the case4 ,fortunately ,i saw a high ,lama named ,kusho ,lokela from ,lhasa1 who was on a pilgrimage in memory of his master ,temo ,rinpoche1 whom ,i have already mentioned4 ,i enquired of him whether the rumor about the imprisonment of the ex-,minister of ,finance was true4 8,i left ,lhasa a month and a half ago10 he said1 8and then the ex-,minister was at home4 ,after my departure from ,lhasa ,i heard of his arrest1 on my way to ,nepl4 ,but ,i cannot say whether it is a fact1 for1 as you know1 in ,tibet rumor often magnifies misfortune4 ,but there is really great misfortune for ,tsa ,rong-ba1 who was somehow connected with you4 ,i saw him on the veranda of the ,court waiting for his trial4 ,i wondered at his bonds1 and asked him about his imprisonment4 ,he told me with tears1 that he did not commit a theft1 nor engage in any quarrel1 but he was acquainted with and asked medicine from a doctor of ,sera1 and that was the cause of his arrest4 ,but he did not know very much about you personally4 ,he was tortured every alternate day1 and he became so thin that his body was mere skin and bone4 ,my sympathy and pity became the greater when ,i heard from him that he bore all his sufferings patiently in the belief that his tortures were due to the sins of his former lives40 ,kusho ,lokela was a very honest gentleman1 so ,i could not but believe this4 ,i was really very sorry to receive from him this sad information1 and ,i could not sleep through the night thinking about these ,tibetan friends of mine who were imprisoned4 ,i composed an uta about it1 which may be rendered in prose somewhat as follows3 8,to hear about the misfortunes and sufferings of my friends is to me painful2 to speak of them is still more painful and bitter2 but unbearable it is for me to write of them4 ,but now for the sake of reviving my recollection of them in my memories in the future1 ,i shall relate in verse all the details4 8,six years ago1 ,i remember1 ,i determined to study ,buhism1 the wonderful ,pure ,law4 ,i left my ,motherland1 and traversing the snowy range of the ,himlayas ,i entered ,tibet1 and again have ,i arrived here from my travels4 ,my heart bleeds to hear now that in that hermit country those friends of mine1 as a result of their friendly services to me and for no other offence1 have been arrested and imprisoned #8in durance vile' and confined within stone walls4 8,for these friends of mine ,i cannot but shed tears when ,i know that it is for my sake that their sufferings are acute1 their bodies shivering within the stony walls of their prison-house in the snowy capital city of ,lhasa1 sitting disconsolate and wretched on the wooden floor unenlivened by the light of the sun4 8,who will give them food8 ,as a rule in the jails of ,tibet1 the prisoners get but one meal a day--a handful of barley flour4 ,if my friends are the victims of this rule they will die of starvation1 benumbed with the cold4 8,still worse misfortunes and excruciating sufferings they are undergoing1 ,i am sure1 for the jailors1 unfeeling and cruel1 not only starve them with insufficient food1 but with insults beat them and inflict bodily pain4 ,my friends1 ,i fancy1 now desire to extinguish themselves as a release from their sufferings4 ,these painful reflections on my part drive me to the desire of extinguishing myself also in order to put an end to all my own tortures4 8,o how pitiful is my friends' condition6 ,when ,i was in ,lhasa1 you1 my friends1 never thought that you would be treated as culprits for my sake2 your offence simply was the help you rendered me during my sojourn in your country4 ,now how can ,i leave you helpless without saving you8 8,judging of men as they naturally are1 ,i should fancy that you would feel disgust towards me and hate me4 ,i thought so1 but ,i have since heard from the man who has met you in the ,court of ,justice that you said this3 8#8,i am not guilty of any theft or breach of the peace1 but was told by the ,judge that ,i had acted against the law4 ,i was simply acquainted with a ,japanese priest of whose antecedents ,i knew scarcely anything4 ,all these torments which ,i am now suffering are1 to my mind1 but the results of the evil deeds 7,karmas7 of my past lives4 ,therefore it is ,i have to bear them in order to get rid of them as such4' 8,o my friends6 you may mitigate your misfortunes with that kind of consolation2 but how is it possible for me to bear the galling thought that ,i am the cause of all the misfortunes you have suffered for my sake80 ,,chapter ,c4 ,the ,king betrays his suspicion4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,author ,,and ,,his ,,friend ,,buddha ,,vajra ,,enjoying ,,the ,,brilliant ,,snow ,,at ,,katmandu4 ,on ,february #ith at two o'clock1 accompanied again by ,buha ,vajra1 ,i presented myself at the palatial residence of ,his ,highness ,chanra ,shamsher1 ,prime ,minister or ,king de facto of ,nepl4 ,the residence with its grounds must cover an area of at least three hundred and fifty yards square1 and it has a guarded gate1 within which are barracks1 a small parade-ground1 and a race-course4 ,proceeding over a broad pavement for about seven hundred yards1 we came to the main entrance of the palace4 ,inside the reception hall1 into which we were taken1 ,i saw three chairs and a thick piece of white cloth carpet of the ,neplese style at the upper end of the room1 and a teak-wood shelf of ,european design standing against a wall1 with a white statue of a ,neplese ,goddess riding on an elephant on its top4 ,other conspicuous objects catching the eye at a glance were a pair each of the carved heads of lions and deer1 and a huge pendulum clock4 ,from where we were seated we saw to the south through the glass-paned windows a most enchanting view of the 8,moon ,peak10 the 8,dragon ,tree ,peak0 and other great elevations4 ,in the reception hall were many officers of the army and other dignitaries4 ,the ,secretary for ,foreign ,affairs being one of the company1 took me to task--all by pre-arrangement as ,i suspect--and ,i replied to his questions as well as ,i could4 8,i believe more than twenty days have elapsed since your arrival here10 said he2 8how have you been employing yourself in the interval80 8,in religious meditation and in composing poems10 ,i replied4 8,what is your court rank and what office do you hold in ,japan80 he asked4 8,nothing10 ,i answered4 ,but he continued3 8,don't try to make a secret of those things2 do you think we can form no idea of our own about you8 ,it will be better for you to tell me all40 8,sir1 ,i am a ,buhist priest1 and ,i possess no rank1 nor order1 nor any office under the ,japanese or any other ,government for that matter40 8,oh6 come1 ,mr4 ,kawaguchi2 how do you happen to visit ,tibet and ,nepl1 in spite of the great expense involved80 8,i am absolutely free from all official connexions3 ,i went to ,tibet and came to your country with the one sole object of completing my ,buhist study40 ,next he asked 8,what route did you take in entering ,tibet80 8,by way of ,mnasarovara10 answered ,i4 ,at this he evinced signs of suppressed excitement1 and asked quickly3 8,and what was the route you took in reaching ,mnasarovara80 8,sir10 ,i replied1 8,i cannot answer that question1 except in the presence of the ,king40 8,why80 8,because ,i do not wish to bring trouble on innocent parties40 ,the other officers then took turns in catechising me as to the manners and customs1 national characteristics1 and military organisation of ,tibet and of ,japan4 ,i heard them say in ,neplese that ,i must be an emissary of the ,japanese ,government4 ,presently we were told to proceed to the court of audience1 whither the rest of the assembly were now hurrying4 ,i proceeded as far as a portal1 where ,i observed a large number of the provincial dignitaries of ,nepl 7as ,i subsequently found them to be7 salaming in the most respectful manner4 ,i also noticed one man in the crowd who appeared greatly astonished to see me there3 he was the chief of the district of ,tukje1 in whose house ,i stayed when on my way to ,tibet1 and when ,i went to him in no better capacity than a begging ,chinese ,lama4 ,the ,prime-,minister ,king had finished examining the horses sent in as a tribute and sat down on a sofa1 and ,i advanced to his presence4 ,he asked me3 8,what can ,i do for you now80 8,my first appeal to ,your ,highness is the forwarding of my petition to the ,dalai ,lama of ,tibet1 and the second is about ,your ,highness's promise as to the ,samsk text of the ,buhist ,scriptures40 8,we will talk about those things afterwards10 said he4 8,i understand that you were in this country four years ago2 is that true80 8,yes1 your ,highness1 ,i was most certainly here four years ago40 ,he straightened himself up and said in a changed tone of voice--8,ha6 ,how was it that you did not tell me so when you saw me at ,beelganji8 ,do you not think that it was in the order of things that you should have told me about your former visit to this country then80 8,i do not deny that1 your ,highness2 let me say1 however1 that much as ,i wished to do so then1 ,i abstained from doing so owing to a certain fear ,i entertained40 8,might ,i know what you were afraid of80 8,certainly1 your ,highness4 ,in the first place ,i thought then1 that should ,i open my mouth carelessly1 ,i might invite your anger and consequent punishment on the officers of your challenge gates and many other people of this country4 ,i should have felt unbearable sorrow of mind1 had my thoughtless divulgence of the fact at the time involved my friends and acquaintances in ,nepl in the troubles and afflictions now being undergone by those in ,tibet4 ,i most earnestly beseech ,your ,highness that you will punish none of your subjects because of my having passed through this country once before1 or else ,i pray your ,highness to allow me to retract all that ,i have said about my former visit40 8,i grant your request2 you may rest assured that ,i will not punish any of our people on your account40 8,your ,highness has greatly relieved me2 ,i thank your ,highness for your magnanimity40 ,when truth speaks1 it touches the heart2 and ,i was gratified to notice that the ,king seemed to believe my words4 ,but when it came to the question of the motive of my ,tibetan and ,nepl journey1 it was another thing--as the ,king appeared to say1 for he next asked me3 8,who sent you to our country and ,tibet--was it your ,minister of ,foreign ,affairs1 or your ,chief ,marshal8 ,tell me the truth40 ,i was thunder-struck--,i could see that even the ,king was laboring under the suspicion that ,i was a political emissary of ,japan4 ,never did ,i feel more disgusted with what they call politics and diplomacy than on that occasion2 especially as ,i had always had a higher opinion of ,neplese than of ,tibetans4 ,absorbed in these thoughts ,i kept silence for a while4 ,the silence was misunderstood1 for the ,king said3 8,so you cannot disclose your secret80 8,your ,highness1 there is no secret about me6 ,i will tell your ,highness all the truth there is3 it was my own self that sent me here40 ,the ,minister laughed1 and exclaimed3 8,good2 but you must know that one cannot travel abroad for six years1 unless he is well provided with money2 and then you have given to me1 as well as to our ,commander-in-,chief1 presents which must have cost you no small amount of money4 ,altogether the amount of money involved cannot be such as is likely to be found in the pocket of a mere ,buhist priest with no worldly possessions4 ,then you seem to be a man of scholarly attainments1 besides being well informed of the affairs of the world4 ,you are now before me1 and there is no necessity for you to adhere to your secret4 ,if however1 you must keep your secret1 ,i will grant you a special audience the day after to-morrow1 when you may see me alone and tell me all4 ,should you still insist on being reserved1 then1 ,i may withdraw all my promises to you2 nor will ,i grant you any protection40 8,i have long since vowed my vow to our ,lord ,buha1 and ,i tell no falsehood4 ,if your ,highness refuses to believe me1 ,i can only rest contented with the fact that ,i have always adhered to the truth1 and beyond that ,i shall have no means1 for the present at least1 to prove the truth of what ,i say4 ,i can only hope that a day will come when your ,highness will be convinced of the truth of what ,i say40 8,if you tell the truth10 replied the ,minister1 8nobody will suspect you4 ,i shall grant you another interview at half past ten on the morning of the day after to-morrow1 and ,i hope you will think well about telling the truth in the meantime4 ,i bid you good afternoon40 ,,chapter ,,ci4 ,third ,audience4 ,it was on the #ith of ,february that ,i had had such an unpleasant interview with the ,neplese ,prime ,minister1 and was told to wait on him again two days after4 ,on the way back to the ,tower1 deeply moved by what ,i had heard1 ,i saw the grand appearance of ,gaurshankara1 the highest peak in the world1 now mottled by clouds1 and ,i gave vent to my feelings thus3 ,what gnawing torments do ,i suffer now8 ,suspense1 distrust and doubts o'erwhelm me4 ,these melt not or dissolve not from my heart ,as yonder snows unmelted1 hard to melt4 ,those friends of mine1 what fate attends them now8 ',tis hard their painful destiny to guess3 ,incarcerated and in durance vile ,in regions far beyond those snowpeak clouds2 ,communing with myself in dire suspense ,i know not how to save them1 in despair4 ,but again3 ,should ,i such means adopt1 perversely false1 ,subversive of all ,truth1 dishonest1 vile8 ,to utter falsehoods base would choke my throat2 ,but still to rescue them resolved am ,i ,to seek for means1 untainted by untruth2 ,to truth1 unvarnished1 perfect1 will ,i cling4 ,so on the #ajth ,i spent much time in the company of my host1 who tried to persuade me into acting conventionally4 ,he himself believed1 he said1 that ,i was truly a ,buhist priest and nothing more1 but counselled that ,i might better serve my purpose by acting on the ,king's suspicion than by adhering to the truth4 ,had ,i not already had occasion to have recourse to falsehood1 when it suited me1 as for instance1 in passing myself off for a ,chinese ,lama8 ,was not the most important thing in view the rescuing of my ,tibetan friends1 and did ,i not consider that the prospect of enlisting the ,neplese ,king's assistance in the matter was greater by passing myself for a ,japanese official than by trying to be strictly truthful8 ,that was all so1 ,i replied2 but ,i dwelt on the points of difference between ,tibet and ,nepl4 8,stratagems or temporary plans10 ,i said1 8may be used in war1 or in circumstances like war1 or among rascals1 in order to avoid difficulties for others as well as for ourselves4 ,now the ,neplese are not like the ,tibetans1 who do not allow a foreigner to enter into their country4 ,the civilisation of ,nepl permits the people to hear reason and truth4 ,how could ,i insult the ,governor with falsehood8 ,if he will not believe me ,i shall be satisfied with my own truth1 and ,i shall go to ,peking and there do my best for these ,tibetan friends of mine40 ,my host finally acquiesced in the line of argument ,i pursued1 but nevertheless seemed quite concerned about my future safety4 ,the #aath had come1 and ,buha ,vajra and ,i reported ourselves at the palace at the appointed hour4 ,in the waiting-room ,i found a number of officers and officials as before4 ,a secretary came to me and took down carefully in ,english what amounted to my curriculum vit4 ,presently1 and quite suddenly too1 another high official who spoke ,english with great fluency wanted to know from me if ,i had not drawn maps of ,tibet and ,nepl1 and if he could see them4 ,i denied the charge4 ,the official insisting1 however1 on the correctness of his suspicion1 ,i told him that he was welcome to cherish his own suspicion1 as ,i for my part could rest contented on the saying that detectives see thieves in most people4 ,he was saying that his suspicion was not his alone but was shared by a large number of people1 when we were summoned to the royal presence4 ,we were then shown into a fine room after going up four flights of stairs4 ,i saw the throne occupied by one whom ,i had taken to be a junior member of the ,cabinet at ,beelganji4 ,the ,king de facto sat by the ,king de jure4 ,a few military officers and some ,chamberlains remained standing outside the room4 ,i was told to sit before the de facto ,king and ,i took my seat after ,tibetan fashion1 sitting cross-legged on the floor4 ,the de facto ,king opened the conversation as follows3 8,you are ready now to tell me your secret1 ,i suppose2 what is it you wish to tell me most80 8,i possess no secret1 ,your ,highness10 ,i answered4 8,what ,i most earnestly solicit is that ,your ,highness will be kind enough to take the trouble of forwarding my petition to the ,dalai ,lama of ,tibet and also procuring for me the ,buhist ,scriptures in ,samsk40 ,the ,king appeared disappointed but not discomforted4 ,he next wanted to know the gist of my petition4 ,i replied that ,i pointed out in it that ,i was in truth a ,buhist priest of ,japan1 that my ,tibetan friends and acquaintances in trouble had associated with me without knowing my nationality2 that ,i was the sole cause of all the trouble1 and that those ,tibetans had committed no crime2 that ,i would come to ,tibet in order to clear my friends and show their innocence1 if the ,dalai ,lama so willed2 that if my coming into ,tibet was not permissible1 it was incumbent on ,his ,holiness to send to ,japan a number of competent scholars to ascertain the truth about me before he punished his innocent subjects2 that ,i was willing to find means to bear the cost of the proceeding2 and so on4 ,after attentively listening to my recital1 the ,king1 who now seemed to have more or less banished his suspicion1 said3 8,i see2 ,i shall then want two copies of your petition1 one in ,tibetan and the other in ,neplese2 ,i will forward the one in ,tibetan to ,his ,holiness the ,dalai ,lama for you1 and shall keep for myself the ,neplese copy40 ,the order meant that ,i had not come to ,nepl in vain1 and in secret ,i wept with joy1 and ,i thanked ,his ,highness with all my heart4 ,being then asked if ,i had not really disclosed my identity to any one before leaving ,tibet1 ,i admitted that ,i had taken the ex-,minister of the ,treasury alone into my confidence4 ,i was not yet safely through my ordeal2 for the ,king was very curious to know next how ,i had occupied my time during the twenty days that had elapsed since my arrival in ,ktmndu4 ,he accepted my reply1 which was to the effect that ,i had spent my time chiefly in literary efforts to take home in verse and prose descriptions of the grandeur of the ,himlayan scenery4 ,i then submitted to ,his ,highness a list of the ,scriptures in ,samsk that ,i wished to procure4 ,the ,king took the list from my hand and gave instructions accordingly to one of his ,chamberlains4 ,he said that ,i should have all that could be collected in fifteen days4 ,on the way back to the ,tower ,i again saw that highest peak1 ,gaurshankara1 but its splendor was now far greater than it had been that other day4 ,moreover my desires had been fulfilled by the grace of our ,lord ,buha1 and ,i thanked ,him with utas3 ,till yesterday uncertain of their fate1 ,in doubts and painful anguish was ,i lost4 ,to-day means being found to rescue them ,my doubts dissolve like snows upon the hills4 ,of all expedients1 honest ,truth must be ,the best2 no doubt1 whatever be the fruit1 ,e'en if the object aimed at be not gained1 ,but honest ,truth itself is th' object gained4 ,i find no place where ,buddha not exists4 ,non-space1 non-,buddha--this my constant thought4 ,these brilliant snowy mountains in the sky ,the ,lord ,supreme pervades--the ,lord of all4 ,when ,i left ,japan for ,tibet1 a friend of mine1 ,mr4 ,s4 ,shimamura1 had sent in farewell a prophetic uta which had been fulfilled1 so ,i mention it here with my reply4 ,the path for you1 you'll find as you proceed ,across the pathless mountain-passes drear2 ,the ,universal ,leader1 ,buddha ,great1 your ,guide ,shall be in all your rambles in ,tibet4 ,reply3 ,my heaped my sorrows and calamities ,now all are melted like th' eternal snows ,with that unfailing ,beacon-light1 my ,guide2 ,the ,universal ,leader1 ,buddha ,great1 my ,guide ,has been in all my rambles in ,tibet4 ,,chapter ,,cii4 ,farewell to ,nepal and its ,good ,kings4 ,i had asked my host ,buha ,vajra to make a translation of my petition to the ,dalai ,lama into ,neplese4 ,he had finished the translation1 taken both copies to the palace and handed them to the ,king ,chandra ,shamsher4 ,he had come home and was talking to me3 8,never before in my life10 said he1 8have ,i felt so pleased as ,i did to-day60 8,pray1 what happened80 8,when ,i handed up the petition and its translation1 the ,king wanted to know who had composed your ,tibetan petition4 ,i told ,his ,highness that you were your own author--which was nothing but truth--and he appeared to be well pleased4 ,i then said that ,his ,highness might judge the high merit of your composition by reading my translation of it1 which was but a poor effort4 ,the ,king took up my translation and began to read it4 ,when he had finished going over the concluding part1 where you said3 #8,the ,dalai ,lama of ,tibet is the incarnation of the ,god of ,mercy and knoweth all4 ,the fact that ,ekai ,kawaguchi1 a priest of ,japan1 was allowed personally to wait on and be taught by ,your ,holiness who knoweth all1 proveth that our ,lord ,buha willed that it should be even so2 not only that1 but the same fact proveth that the ,gods guarding the four points of ,your ,holiness' palace all willed so4 ,twenty years have elapsed since ,your ,holiness' country adopted the policy of absolute seclusion1 and no foreigner has been allowed to enter it during that interval2 and the fact that ,i alone was suffered to visit it proveth that the ,gods guarding the frontiers of your country had permitted me to do so4 ,furthermore ,i discern something profoundly significant in the combination of events which led ,your ,holiness that knoweth all generously to overlook ,ekai's entry into your land and impart to him the grand mysteries of your religion4 ,your ,holiness knoweth as well as ,i that the only two countries in the world that maintain the ,mahyna teaching of ,buhism are the ,empire of ,japan and ,tibet4 ,there are others indeed1 but they are insignificant and are in decadence now4 ,the time is come when these two countries of ,mahyna ,budhism shall become acquainted and open intercourse with each other1 and join in sending forth to the world the light of true ,buhism4 ,i think it was the advent of this new epoch that paved the way for my entrance into ,tibet1 and gave me an opportunity1 most difficult to obtain1 of being initiated into the grand mysteries even by your ,holiness4' ,the ,king was enraptured with the force and eloquence of your argument40 ,i was well pleased that things were so1 and ,i praised our ,lord ,buha1 for by ,his protection and assistance my purpose in coming to ,nepl was accomplished4 ,i had to wait till about the #ajth of ,march1 in order to secure the promised royal gift4 ,i thought it unwise to spend the interval in doing anything that would give an appearance of my being engaged in secret observations2 so openly obtaining permission1 ,i made a trip to the famous ,ngar ,zong peak1 a place sacred to ,buhism4 ,on the #abth of ,march1 a few days after my return from the trip1 ,i was once more and for the last time summoned to the palace4 ,i took with me then a red and a white piece of crape1 which had arrived in the meantime from ,japan1 and presented them to the ,king1 who accepted them only after much protest4 ,his ,highness then caused the ,samsk ,texts to be brought in and gave them to me4 ,he at the same time signed to one of his ,english interpreters and through him said in an authoritative tone of voice3 8,mr4 ,kawaguchi1 these are rare volumes2 ,i have been able to collect only forty-one parts of the ,scripture4 ,i hope you will accept them from me as a mark of my appreciation of your presents to me40 ,i tendered to ,his ,highness my most heartfelt thanks and took leave of him after a most respectful farewell4 ,the volumes were forwarded for me to ,buha ,vajra's house1 borne by two men4 ,everything was done to oblige me1 even to passing all my luggage--which had by that time become quite considerable--through the customs-house in advance at ,ktmndu instead of at ,tispan or ,chisapani1 which is the usual place where all outgoing freights are examined4 ,on the #afth of ,march ,i left ,ktmndu1 reached ,raxaul station in the night of the #bast1 and on the following night arrived at ,calcutta1 where ,i was met by my friend ,mr4 ,omiya1 who scolded me for spending money recklessly4 ,i spent some days in ,calcutta1 doing a good deal of preaching among my countrymen residing there4 ,thence ,i went to ,bombay early in ,april1 and there received a most hearty welcome4 ,there too ,i did some preaching and also lecturing1 on one occasion before an assembly of ,japanese gentlemen resident in the port and on another before the members of the local branch of the ,asiatic ,society4 ,contributions and gifts given me in money during my stay there amounted to a considerable sum1 and with that money ,i purchased my passage home1 besides paying back the debts ,i owed to my friends in ,calcutta4 ,on the #bdth of ,april ,i embarked on the ,bombay ,maru1 and sailed for home4 ,on ,may #ai1 #aijb1 the good ship passed ,moji1 and the next day she came along side the ,kobe pier1 where from a considerable distance ,i discerned the figures of my friends1 relatives and members of my former flock1 with eyes that grew dimmer and dimmer as the distance shortened4 ,,chapter ,,ciii4 ,all's well that ends well4 ,something more than two years had elapsed since my return to ,japan1 and in all that time the worry of my mind had kept on increasing1 instead of abating2 in fact1 every day that passed seemed to add to the misery and to make more vivid the picture of the dreadful fate of my friends and benefactors in ,tibet4 ,the reader may well imagine1 therefore1 with what kind of feeling ,i read the following letter 7from which an extract only is given here73 8,mr4 ,kawaguchi passed through ,yatung 7,tibet7 on his way to ,darjeeling from ,lhasa about ,june #aijb4 ,during his brief stay at ,yatung1 he1 to my personal knowledge1 attended or prescribed for the wife of the local ,tibetan official there1 commonly known as ,dhurkey ,sirdar4 ,soon after he had crossed the ,jelap pass into ,sikkim 7,british protected territory7 an order was sent from ,lhasa to the effect that he had been living at the ,gompa of ,sera1 ,lhasa1 for some fifteen months and had suddenly disappeared1 and was believed to be a foreigner4 ,therefore ,dhurkey ,sirdar was instructed to compass his arrest4 ,this in itself would seem sufficient proof or corroboration of ,kawaguchi's statements1 however1 they need not rest on this alone1 for there is no ,tibetan official or merchant whom ,i have met who was not cognisant of ,kawaguchi's lengthened residence at ,sera ,gompa and his flight therefrom4444 8,as ,i have already mentioned1 ,i never yet met an official or merchant who did not know of ,kawaguchi's lengthened residence at ,lhasa1 but ,i have still to meet either one or other who has ever heard of ,lander of spiked-saddle fame6 8,please tell ,kawaguchi that from enquiries ,i have ascertained that his ,teacher and the merchants who befriended him have been released4 ,i am1 however1 instituting fuller enquiries and will do all in my power for them and let him know as soon as possible40 ,the letter is dated 8c_/o ,gratong ,p4 ,o41 ,tibet ,frontier ,commission1 ,tuna1 #ag ,march1 #aijd10 and is from ,captain ,randal ,parr1 ,british ,tibet ,frontier ,commissioner1 to whom ,i previously had the pleasure of writing1 through the introduction of ,miss ,e4 ,r4 ,scidmore of ,yokohama4 ,it is addressed to the lady just mentioned1 who has kindly placed at my disposal the contents thereof4 ,the present translation of my book on ,tibet was near its completion when ,i was allowed a perusal of the above1 and never before had ,i read any letter with so much genuine and mingled feeling of the most profound joy and gratitude as ,i felt on that occasion4 ,a great tormenting load was suddenly taken off my mind--it will not be necessary to say why4 ,i am glad further that ,i am able to incorporate this piece of good tidings in1 and make it the concluding chapter of this translation of my book4 ,,peace ,,to ,,all ,,beings4 ,illustration3 ,,mount ,,gaurishankara1 ,,the ,,highest ,,peak ,,in ,,the ,,world4 ,transcriber's ,note ,illustrations have been moved next to the relevant text4 ,the following apparent errors have been corrected3 p4 xi ,third ,challenge ,gates changed to ,third ,challenge ,gates4 p4 xi from ,lhasa changed to from ,lhasa4 p4 xv ,bahaur changed to ,bahur p4 #g arjeeling changed to ,darjeeling p4 #ac ,lma ,shabdung changed to ,lama ,shabdung p4 #ec ,pama ,sambhava changed to ,padma ,sambhava p4 #ff as changed to s p4 #adb ,bodhisavas changed to ,bohisavas p4 #adb ,amibha changed to ,amitbha p4 #add just at changed to just as p4 #adf than ,mnasaovaa changed to than ,mnasarovara p4 #agb of ,buhism changed to of ,buhism4 p4 #aif ice-blocks changed to ice-blocks4 p4 #bah he would changed to ,he would p4 #bbi agreable changed to agreeable p4 #bcg priests changed to priests1 p4 #bda twenty one changed to twenty-one p4 #bdd familar changed to familiar p4 #bde two and half changed to two and a half p4 #bef someone changed to someone4 p4 #beh in one changed to is one p4 #bfc occasion changed to occasions p4 #bie being trouble changed to bring trouble p4 #bih in front of of changed to in front of p4 #cba so much1 changed to so much4 p4 #cgj neigbors changed to neighbors p4 #cie class changed to class4 p4 #dbe other which changed to other with p4 #ddj divisons changed to divisions p4 #dec sen at ,lhasa changed to sen at ,lhasa p4 #def inconvenience to changed to inconvenience p4 #dhg a fatal changed to fatal p4 #dii ,tsar in changed to ,tsar is p4 #ebg agressive changed to aggressive p4 #ece of a abiding changed to abiding p4 #ece ngos' should changed to should p4 #ece monastery changed to of a monastery p4 #egb ancester's changed to ancestor's p4 #egg ,ds changed to s p4 #egi determined changed to determined4 p4 #eib aquaintance changed to acquaintance p4 #fja 7note7 8,lha-kyallo changed to 8,lha-kyallo0 p4 #fac road80 changed to road8 p4 #fad choose4 changed to choose40 p4 #fbf do so4 changed to do so40 p4 #fed ollows changed to follows p4 #feg disagreeble changed to disagreeable p4 #ffd ,lapches in changed to ,labches in p4 #fgc then1 changed to then10 p4 #fgd the air changed to the air4 p4 #fgd security1 there changed to security there1 p4 #fii fowarding changed to forwarding ,inconsistent spelling and hyphenation have otherwise been kept as printed4