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diff --git a/old/68898-0.txt b/old/68898-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a8de764..0000000 --- a/old/68898-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11802 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Journey to Lhasa and Central Tibet, by -Sarat Chandra Das - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Journey to Lhasa and Central Tibet - -Author: Sarat Chandra Das - -Editor: W. W. Rockhill - -Release Date: September 2, 2022 [eBook #68898] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed Proofreading - Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ for Project Gutenberg (This - file was produced from images generously made available by - The Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOURNEY TO LHASA AND CENTRAL -TIBET *** - - - - - JOURNEY - TO - LHASA AND CENTRAL TIBET. - - - BY - SARAT CHANDRA DAS, C.I.E., - Of the Bengal Educational Service, - Member of the Asiatic Society, Bengal, etc. - - EDITED BY - THE HON. W. W. ROCKHILL. - - - LONDON: - JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. - 1902. - - - - - - - - -INTRODUCTION. - - -Sarat Chandra Das was born in the town of Chittagong, in Eastern -Bengal, in 1849, in a Hindu family of the vaidya, or medical caste. He -received his education in the Presidency College at Calcutta, where he -became favourably known to Sir Alfred Croft, the present Director of -Public Instruction of Bengal, who ever since has been his friend and -guide in his geographical and literary work, and by whose -representations to the Indian Government it became possible for him to -perform his important journeys into Tibet. - -While still in the engineering department of the college he was -appointed in 1874 head master of the Bhutia Boarding School, just -opened at Darjiling by order of the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, Sir -George Campbell. Sarat Chandra at once applied himself with -characteristic energy to the study of the Tibetan language, and -established friendly relations with the Raja of Sikkim and many of the -leading lamas in that country, to which he made several short trips in -the succeeding years. - -In 1878, lama Ugyen-gyatso, who was attached to his school as Tibetan -teacher, was sent to Tashilhunpo and Lhasa with tribute from his -monastery, and advantage was taken of this opportunity to ascertain -whether permission could not be obtained from the Tibetan authorities -for Sarat Chandra to visit Tibet. The lama was so fortunate as to -obtain from the Prime Minister of the Panchen rinpoche of Tashilhunpo -an invitation for Sarat Chandra to visit that great centre of lamaist -learning, of which George Bogle and Samuel Turner have left us such -interesting descriptions; and, so as further to insure his safety and -justify his presence in the country in the eyes of the suspicious lamas -and Chinese, the Minister had the Babu’s name entered as a student of -theology in the Grand Monastery of that place. A passport was also -brought Sarat Chandra by the lama, issued to him by the Prime Minister, -by which a choice of roads to enter Tibet was given him, and his safe -conduct insured to Shigatse. - -Armed with these credentials, Sarat Chandra set out for Tashilhunpo in -June, 1879, accompanied by lama Ugyen-gyatso, and there he remained for -nearly six months, the guest of the Prime Minister, with whose -assistance he was able to make a careful examination of the rich -collections of books in the great libraries of the convent, bringing -back with him to India a large and valuable collection of works in -Sanskrit and Tibetan. He also explored during this journey the country -north and north-east of Kanchanjinga, of which nothing was previously -known, noting with great care observations of bearing and distances. -Not the least valuable result of this journey was, however, the -friendly relations which the traveller was able to establish with the -liberal and powerful Prime Minister, who, deeply interested in western -civilization and its wonderful discoveries, of which he had learned -much from the mouth of Sarat Chandra, requested him to come back again -to Tashilhunpo, to instruct him further in the wonders of the west. - -An account of this first journey was printed by the Bengal Government -some time after the author’s return, with a prefatory note by the -traveller’s friend, Sir Alfred Croft. As the route therein described is -the same as that followed by the traveller in his second and more -extended journey of 1881–82, and as the results of his studies in Tibet -in 1879, as shown in this report, bear nearly exclusively on historical -and religious subjects, it has been deemed advisable to omit it from -the present publication, embodying in footnotes all such details as -have been found in it bearing on the geography and ethnology of Tibet, -and which are not in the later and fuller report. - -The year 1880 was passed by Sarat Chandra at his home in Darjiling, -working on papers on the history, religion, ethnology, and folk-lore of -Tibet, drawn from the data collected during his journey. These papers, -most of them of great value to Oriental students, have since appeared -in the Journal of the Bengal Asiatic Society and in that of the -Buddhist Text Society of India, which Sarat Chandra founded in 1892, -and of which he has since remained the secretary. - -In November, 1881, in fulfilment of the promise previously made to the -Prime Minister of the Panchen rinpoche, Sarat Chandra started on his -second journey to Tibet, again accompanied by Ugyen-gyatso, who acted -as secretary, collector, and surveyor, though much of the later work, -including the extremely important survey of Lake Palti (Yamdo tso), was -done by the traveller himself. Sarat Chandra again established his -headquarters at Tashilhunpo, whence he made various excursions along -both banks of the great Tsangpo, from Sakya in the west to Samye and -Tse-tang in the east. He was also so fortunate as to be able to make a -short visit to Lhasa, which had only been done twice by native -explorers prior to his time, once in 1866 by Nain Singh, and again in -1880 by Kishen Singh, the latter making a detailed map of the whole -city and its environs. He was present at an audience of the Tale lama, -and visited a number of the important monuments of the city; but for -various reasons, especially of a prudential nature, he was prevented -from seeing many places of great interest in and around the city; but -his valuable notes are a most important addition to the descriptions -left us by previous travellers. - -After this brief visit to the capital of Tibet, Sarat Chandra explored -the valley of the Yalung, where Tibetan civilization is said to have -first made its appearance, gathering everywhere, with the usual -thoroughness which distinguishes his work, valuable information -concerning each locality traversed. In January, 1883, he re-entered -India after an absence of about fourteen months. - -The report of this journey was printed in two separate publications by -order of the Government of Bengal. They are entitled, “Narrative of a -Journey to Lhasa,” and “Narrative of a Journey Round Lake Palti -(Yamdok), and in Lhokha, Yarlung, and Sakya.” For various reasons these -reports were kept as strictly confidential documents by the Indian -Government until about 1890, when selections from them, bearing -exclusively upon the ethnology of Tibet, however, appeared in an -article in the July number of the Contemporary Review, and five years -later further extracts from them were published in the August number of -the Nineteenth Century. It is these reports which, with only such -slight modifications as have seemed absolutely necessary to make the -narrative connected, are published in the present volume. - -In 1885, when the Government of India contemplated sending a mission to -Tibet, and the late Honourable Colman Macauley was sent by it to Peking -to obtain the necessary authorization of the Chinese Government to the -projected embassy, Sarat Chandra accompanied him to the Chinese -capital, where he remained several months in the early part of the -year. It was during this visit to Peking that I became acquainted with -the Babu, to whom I felt strongly drawn by my lifelong interest in -Tibetan studies. Sarat Chandra lived, while at Peking, in the lamasery -outside the An-ting gate, known as the Hsi Huang ssu, and in which all -Tibetan traders stop when at Peking. He wore the dress common to lamas -in China, and was always called the “Ka-che lama,” or “the lama from -Kashmir.” His knowledge of Tibetan, his extensive travels, and his -courteous manners gained for him the friendship of many of the lamas, -among others of the Chang-chia Hutuketu, the Metropolitan of the lama -church in China. Had the mission ever been sent to Tibet, it was -understood that Sarat Chandra was to accompany it, and he would have -rendered it valuable service; but the project was abandoned, and since -then the Babu has bent all his energies to the publication of Tibetan -texts and to the preparation of other works on Buddhism while living in -Darjiling, where he holds the position of Tibetan translator to the -Government of Bengal. - -The services he rendered Mr. Macauley while in Peking were deemed, -however, of such value by the Indian Government, that on his return to -Bengal he was given the title of Rai Bahadur, and created a Companion -of the Order of the Indian Empire, and in 1887 the Royal Geographical -Society awarded him the “Back Premium” for his geographical researches. - -The amount of literary work accomplished by Sarat Chandra since his -return from Tibet in 1883 is enormous in bulk, and its value to -students cannot be over-estimated. He brought back with him from his -travels over two hundred volumes, manuscripts or block-prints, obtained -from the great libraries in Tibet, a number of them in Sanskrit, and -for many centuries past lost in India. From these sources he has drawn -for the preparation of the valuable papers which he has since -published, a list of which would occupy several pages. Besides a large -number of translations into English of Tibetan texts, he has edited in -Sanskrit for the ‘Bibliotheca Indica’ Kshemendra’s poem, entitled -“Avadana Kalpalata,” which he was so fortunate as to discover in Lhasa, -and in Tibetan an historical work of great value, another giving the -history of the pre-Buddhist or Bon religion of Tibet, a very valuable -native grammatical work, and others too numerous to mention. He is now -engaged, and has well on through the press, a Tibetan-English -dictionary, which, he tells me, will be of about two thousand pages, -exclusive of a Sanskrit-English appendix of Buddhist terms. - -This brief notice of Sarat Chandra’s literary work will suffice, -however, to show that his labours in this field are as important as -those which he has rendered to geography. Personally, I am under a -lasting debt of gratitude to him for the valuable information which he -gave me while in Peking, and which was later on of great use to me -during my explorations in Tibet, and I hold myself particularly -fortunate in having been chosen by the Royal Geographical Society to -edit his reports, as it is a means of publicly expressing my -indebtedness to him, and also, I trust, of helping him to take the -place he so justly deserves beside Csoma de Kőrös, as one of the -greatest pioneers of exploration and discovery in Tibet. - -This introductory note would not be complete if further reference were -not made to the Babu’s faithful companion and assistant in his two -journeys to Tibet, lama Ugyen-gyatso. The lama, who is a Tibetan from -Sikkim and connected with the reigning family of that State, was born -in 1851 at Yangang, and at the age of ten entered the lamasery of -Pema-yangtse, where he took the usual course of monastic studies for -twelve years. In 1873 he visited, for the first time, Darjiling in the -suite of the Raja of Sikkim, and a little later on in the same year he -was designated by that Prince, and at the request of the -Deputy-Commissioner, Mr. Edgar, to fill the post of Tibetan teacher at -the Bhutia school at Darjiling, which it was proposed to open. For a -time the lama was employed in the office of the Deputy-Commissioner, -and accompanied that officer on a visit to Sikkim. In 1874 he entered -upon his duties as teacher in the school, and continued there until -1878, when he went to Tibet, as previously noted, to bear tribute from -his lamasery to the heads of the church. During the lama’s residence at -Darjiling he had been instructed in the use of such surveying -instruments as it is customary for the trans-frontier surveyors to use, -and the accurate work which he did during his various journeys bears -witness to the thoroughness with which he was instructed and to his own -ability. From this journey of 1878, the lama brought back with him the -passport which enabled Chandra Das to make his two journeys to Tibet, -in both of which he accompanied him, rendering him everywhere true and -valuable service. - -The discovery by Sarat Chandra in 1882 of the true dimensions and shape -of Lake Palti, [1] seemed to Sir Alfred Croft so important that in -June, 1883, he despatched the lama to cover the same ground in order to -check off, verify, and complete the survey of the Babu. This he -successfully did, adding only to the latter’s work a small portion to -the south-east of the lake, but establishing the great accuracy of the -previous survey. He also explored the Lhobrak (Manas) valley, and again -visited Lhasa, returning to India by way of the Tang la and Chumbi -valley, and reaching Darjiling in December of the same year. A report -of this work was prepared by Colonel, now Sir Thomas, Holdich, and -appeared in the “Report of the Explorations in Sikkim, Bhutan, and -Tibet from 1856 to 1886,” which was published in 1889 by the -Trigonometrical Survey of India, and is frequently quoted in the notes -to the present narrative. - -Since then the lama, whose services have been rewarded by the Indian -Government with the title of Rai Bahadur, a silver medal and a grant of -money, has been employed as chief Tibetan translator to Government, -serving in that capacity during the late Sikkim expedition, and has -also given valuable assistance to Sarat Chandra in editing Tibetan -texts. - - -W. W. ROCKHILL. - -Block Island, U.S.A., -July 27, 1899. [2] - - - - - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. Journey from Darjiling to Tashilhunpo 1 - II. Residence at Tashilhunpo 45 - III. Journey to Dongtse 69 - IV. Residence at Tashilhunpo, and preparations for - Journey to Lhasa 104 - V. From Tashilhunpo to Yamdo Samding, and thence - to Lhasa 122 - VI. Residence at Lhasa 148 - VII. Government of Lhasa—Customs, Festivals, etc. 171 - VIII. Return to Tashilhunpo and Ugyen-gyatso’s visit - to the Bonbo Sanctuary of Rigyal Sendar 195 - IX. Funeral of the Panchen Rinpoche—Visit to the - Great Lamasery of Samye and to Yarlung 213 - X. Visit to Sakya and Return to India 237 - XI. Social Divisions—Marriage—Funerals—Medicine— - Festivals 246 - - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - PAGE - -Portrait of Sarat Chandra Das Frontispiece -Map showing the Routes of Sarat Chandra Das through - Sikkim and Tibet 1 -A Kirati Woman of the Limbu Tribe 9 -Sikkim Soldier 25 -Sarat Chandra crossing the Donkhya Pass 42 -Town of Shigatse 45 -The Grand Monastery of Tashilhunpo 50 -Khandro Ye-shes. Padma Sambhava. Lha-cham Mandara sa 58 -Chang-sa Rgyab-pa, Wine-drinking concluding Wedding Ceremonies 73 -Black-hat Dance (Shanag Cham) 115 -A Lhacham, or Lady of Rank 120 -Tibetan Nobleman 125 -Nam Tos-sras (Vaisravana), the Guardian King of the North 136 -The Disposal of the Dead (by cutting the Corpse into pieces) 140 -Plan of Lhasa 149 -Plan of the City of Lhasa 151 -Potala, the Residence of the Dalai Lama, at Lhasa 154 -Paldan Lhamo (srimati-devi) 158 -Cho-Khang, the Grand Temple of Buddha, at Lhasa 160 -Funeral Procession 164 -Potala, the Palace of the Grand Lama 166 -Lama delivering an Oracle 175 -A Little Girl, daughter of a Tibetan Nobleman 200 -Picnic in a Grove 201 -Glaciers of Kanglachan Pass 215 -River Zemu, Chatangla Pass 219 -Glacial Lake and Moraines at the Source of the Zenni (?) 223 -Cane Bridge on the Rungit River 229 -Bridge at Bri, near Yangyang 233 -Waterfall below Pachungri, between Gera-tang and Metang 239 -Khamba Djongpon’s Encampment on a Moraine beyond Kangchan - Jang Mountain 243 -Semarinu and adjoining Snowy Mountain 249 -Snow Mountains beyond Chattayla Pass 253 -Map of Tibet and the surrounding Regions At end - - - - - - - - - - -JOURNEY TO LHASA AND CENTRAL TIBET. - - -CHAPTER I. - -JOURNEY FROM DARJILING TO TASHILHUNPO. - - -November 7, 1881.—On the night of my departure from Darjiling, [3] the -moon was shining brightly, though some dark clouds presaged a slight -fall of rain. Our eyes often turned with anxiety towards the -mountain-tops on the eastern outskirts of Nepal, to see if snow was -falling on them; and the fear of death in the snows and the hope of -overcoming the obstacles of nature alternated within me as I left my -home in Darjiling, soon to bid a long farewell to my native land, with -but faint hope that I would ever see it again. - -I rode on silently, and, to my great relief, unnoticed by any one, save -one or two Bhutias on their way towards Darjiling, and in the stillness -of the night we could hear the songs of the workwomen of Takvar and the -music of their pipes and drums. Coming to the river, which was rather -broad at this season of the year, I met lama Ugyen-gyatso, who was -waiting to help me across. Three or four bamboos loosely laid over the -main stream enabled us to cross, though with some difficulty, and with -the help of an intelligent Bhutia attendant I was able to push on over -the narrow slippery path till half-past one, when I reached Gok, now a -deserted village, where, in place of the dozen shops and pretty -Buddhist shrine which formerly marked the place, I found but a cow-shed -where a Nepali was snoring fast asleep. It was here that the up-country -grain-sellers used to come to buy large quantities of Indian corn and -cardamom seed to resell in the Darjiling bazar. - -Spreading our rugs in the long grass near the cow-shed, we tried to -rest for a while; but what with the unevenness of the ground, insects -creeping over me, the prickly points of brambles and weeds penetrating -the thin rug on which I lay, and a shower of rain which wetted us -through, we could get no sleep, so we started again at four in the -morning. The path, hardly a foot broad, was choked with weeds and long -grass. Lighting my lantern, I followed Phurchung, my shot-gun tied -across the top of the load he carried, and with many a slip and tumble -we reached the valley of the Rummam at daybreak. - -November 8.—The Rummam, one of the principal feeders of the Great -Rungit, rises in the Singli mountains, and forms the boundary between -British territory and independent Sikkim on the north-west, all the -country to the right (south) of it belonging to the former Government. -We found it a raging torrent, and only spanned by a light footbridge of -bamboo poles resting on a huge boulder in the middle of the stream, and -held down by rocks. The Lepchas and Limbus catch fish, sometimes of -considerable size, in the cold season in the pools in the river-bed, -which the former sell in the Darjiling bazar. Sal trees were abundant, -and on the hill-slopes we saw cardamom and cotton now ready to be -picked. On the larger patches of cultivation, guards were stationed in -bamboo watch-houses to scare away the monkeys and bears with bamboo -clappers. I was told that a large species of monkeys, besides the small -variety of which we saw a few, are found in this valley, and that they -are a terror to the peasants and to solitary female travellers. [4] To -kill these the Lepchas use dogbane and other poisonous roots, which -they mix with cooked edible roots or rice. - -On nearing the bridge, we fell in with some twenty men carrying oranges -to Darjiling, but I was fortunately able to pass by unnoticed. After a -short rest, during which I had some breakfast, and changed my Indian -dress for a Tibetan one, we resumed our journey uphill, leaving the -Mitogang road on our right. Antelope and wild goat abound hereabout, -but the villagers shoot but little: they are so poor that they have -hardly a dozen matchlocks among them all. Nepalese settlers are -numerous here, and I noticed some Brahmans and Chetris who live chiefly -by selling milk and butter. We passed several paddy fields made on -terraces along the hillsides, where ploughs drawn by bullocks were -used; but the Bhutias neither terrace the hillsides nor do they use -ploughs, but keep to their time-honoured implements, hoes and clubs -(in) of oak, by which they get but scanty returns. The Limbus [5] till -the ground for three consecutive years, and then leave it fallow for -three, when the weeds are cut and burnt, and it is again put under -cultivation. - -After ascending several hills by steep paths, we came to the top of a -ridge marked by a mendong and a chorten, [6] and from whence a -picturesque view of the valley of Dhuramdien, dotted with numerous -houses, and of the surrounding country is obtained. This spot is called -Mani-dara by the Pahirias, and Chorten-gang by the Bhutias, both names -meaning “the ridge of the sacred stupa.” Here we halted by the side of -a rill, and purchased two bottles of murwa beer [7] and vegetables from -some Limbus. - -November 9.—Our way led along an easy path by Limbu houses with -sheepfolds and pigsties in front of them, and around which a few goats -and cows were also seen. The Limbu fowls, by the way, are not so large -as those of the Bhutias. As I journeyed on we talked of some of the -Limbu [8] customs, the most remarkable of which is that of beating -drums on every trivial occasion. Every Limbu family, be it poor or -rich, possesses, as a rule, three or four tambourine-shaped drums, -which they beat on going out of or returning to their villages. The -wife or children beat them in honour of the husband when he goes out, -and the latter when he leaves the house. - -Crossing the range we entered a richer country, as was evidenced by the -vegetation and the abundance of trees. We saw long canes growing -luxuriantly, and there was quite a large grove of plantation trees, -showing the warm climate the country enjoys. - -November 10.—The sky was cloudy and the atmosphere filled with fog when -we set out. Along the banks of the streams we had to cross grew tall -pines and giant ferns, while thick brushwood, ferns and rattans lined -the banks, the water dashing down from the hill-tops in cascades. -Pushing our way through the dense forests of the Hi range, the sky -scarcely visible through the lofty oaks, pines and magnolias, we -reached after an hour’s hard ascent the Rishi chorten, near which is a -moss-covered mendong. The Hi La commences here, and from it one -commands an excellent view of South-Western Sikkim, including Tonglo -and Singli, and the hills of Darjiling. In the thickets roundabout were -to be seen the tracks of wild pigs, and the woods were alive with -monkeys which feed on acorns. - -At about 1 p.m. we reached the top of the range, some 6000 feet above -the level of the sea. Crossing a number of brooks which empty into the -Rishi, we came to some cowsheds, where I would have liked to have -rested; but no rest was possible, for I could see the leeches [9] -spanning their length with swift but measured paces, making for me with -haste. - -At 4 p.m. we commenced our descent from the top of the ridge, which is -marked by a lartsé [10]—here a bush of dwarf bamboos, with scraps of -red cloth tied to it, near which Phurchung uttered his lha sol, [11] or -invocation to the mountain deities. We halted for the night in a little -clearing in the jungle at the foot of a gigantic oak, a few miles above -the village of Lingcham. The giant nettle creeper here attains its -largest growth, some more than 100 feet long. The tree nettle also -abounds in this forest, and our servants found also the common nettle, -the tender leaves of which make excellent soup. [12] - -November 11.—The sky was overcast, and there was rain and sunshine at -the same time, a phenomenon the Bhutias call metog-charpa, or “flowery -shower.” The village of Hi, by which we passed, contains several -Bhutia, Lepcha, and Limbu houses. [13] The latter people seem to be -prosperous; they cultivate rice on irrigated terraces, and use a plough -drawn by buffaloes. A few hundred yards above the River Kalai (also -called Kalhait) we saw cardamom patches carefully fenced. The Kalai -river, which we found rapid at even this season of the year, rises in -the Singli pass, and after a circuitous course of about 20 miles, -empties into the great Rungit near the foot of Tashiding hill. Villages -are numerous along the river for many miles; they are situated on -ridges, which look like lateral ribs of a range running on either side -of the Kalai from west to east, generally sending out southerly spurs. - -The Kalai is overhung on both sides by lofty trees growing on steep -banks apparently inaccessible when looked at from the river bank. The -river is bridged by two long, stout bamboos resting on a huge boulder -in the middle of the stream, and weighted down with slabs of stone. - -In the shallow part of the stream piles have been driven to hold bamboo -nets for capturing fish. This torrent is well known for its delicious -fish; and we saw growing by some of the Limbu houses the na-dag-shig, -[14] a tree, the leaves of which are used to poison fish which swarm in -the stagnant pools in the river. - -There are five classes of priests among the Limbu people, who perform -their religious and secular ceremonies. They are called Phedangba, -Bijua, Dami, Baidang, and Srijanga. [15] - -The Phedangba enjoy the privilege of conducting the religious -ceremonies, and of dealing in omens and fortune-telling. The Bijua are -trained to the Shamanic worship, of which fantastic dances are the -characteristic feature. The third order practice witchcraft -exclusively, and are said to be able to expel evil spirits through the -mouth. The fourth class, called Baidang, are physicians, the name -Baidang being undoubtedly derived from the Sanskrit Baidya. The fifth, -which is the most important of the five orders, has the exclusive -privilege of interpreting the religious books, and of studying -religious observances and rites. My informant, though a Srijanga, -combined in his person the qualifications of the other four orders; -hence his great reputation among the Limbus, who considered him endowed -with divine attributes. - -Leaving the banks of the Kalai, we pushed on uphill through long grass -and reed thickets, where wild pigs were numerous and the porcupine -abounds. [16] The latter animal is said to do much harm to pulse and -radish fields, and destroys a great many of the wild yams on which the -people chiefly subsist. On ascending about 3000 feet above the Kalai -valley, we enjoyed distant views of Pema-yangtse, Yantang, Hi, Sakyang, -and other villages on the high flat ridges on either side of the Kalai -and Ratong rivers, and on our right was the village of Lingcham with -its orange groves and numerous murwa fields. We halted near a Limbu -house, and the coolies plucked wild onions (lagog) [17] growing in the -crevices of the rocks, with which they seasoned their curries. This -lagog, though smelling like the common garlic, is not half so strong, -and gives a peculiar flavour to meat. It is said to produce coughing. - -November 12.—We continued to ascend by a hardly discernible trail, -passing patches of Indian corn and a few miserable Limbu houses: one -woman we saw was carrying a basketful of wild apricots. At 2 p.m. we -reached the top of the ridge, on the furthest extremity of which to our -right was the Sangnag Choiling (pronounced Changachelling) monastery, -while near the path we were following was an old moss-covered chorten. - -Passing through dense woods of oaks and pines, and pushing our way -through thickets of tree-nettle and underbrush, we reached, after two -hours, the little village of Tale, where there are some twenty houses, -and around which some mares, buffaloes, pigs, and a large number of -cows were feeding. The inhabitants were anxious to get salt from us in -exchange for chang, [18] for the October fall of snow had prevented the -Yangpung salt dealers from reaching this place, and salt was in -consequence scarce; but we had to decline their offers, as we had no -more than we required ourselves. [19] - -November 13.—Our way led us through the village of Tale to the Ringbi -river, a stream as rapid as the Kalai. There is a strong bamboo bridge -over it, but we crossed by some bamboos laid side by side where the -river was narrowest. To the north-west of the village, on a parallel -ridge trending northward from the same range of hills, is the village -of Nambura. We followed the stream up for 5 miles by a circuitous -trail, and then crossed over again to the right bank, a little below -Nambura. The path led along the side of a cliff, and we had great -difficulty in making our way along its slippery side, placing our feet -in fissures of rocks and holding fast by creepers and grass. Then, -following the course of the river, we ascended towards the village of -Ringbi, and looking back we saw Tale, Nambura, and many other villages -perched high up on the mountain sides several thousand feet above us. - -Passing under a huge rock, below which the stream had cut gullies, we -crossed over by means of bamboos and wooden ladders. Looking up once I -saw some stuffed pheasants and a Tibetan shirt of red cloth hidden in a -fissure of the rock, evidently by some bird-shikaris. Birds of various -hues, especially several varieties of pheasants, abound in these woods, -which are frequented by shikaris who earn a livelihood by selling -stuffed birds at Darjiling. - -A mile further on we came to the village of Ringbi, [20] situated in a -beautiful plain, behind which rose cragged rocks; to the north and east -the Ringbi river roared far down below us. The wild plantain, a -gigantic rattan, and numerous pines and oaks covered the hills on the -other side of the torrent. There are here a half-dozen houses inhabited -by Limbus, who raise rice, Indian corn, murwa, and other varieties of -millet. - -As soon as Phurchung had laid his load on the ground, he ran off to the -house of an acquaintance to buy for me some bottles of beer, and -presently returned with three, of which he well knew one would be given -him. Our tent was pitched on the flat near the river, and my rugs being -spread, I stretched myself at my ease, forgetting the fatigues of the -journey. The servants had dispersed, some to collect firewood, some to -pick edible wild plants, others to buy vegetables for our evening -meal—nothing broke the silence save the sound of the rushing torrent -below. I slept soundly, my mind more occupied with the future than the -past. - -November 14.—The morning was clear, the view on all sides superb, and, -though familiar with mountain scenery, my eye never tired of its wild -grandeur. We waited and waited for hours for Phurchung, whom I had sent -to Nambura to buy provisions; but, as he had not appeared by noon, we -had to give up all thoughts of travelling that day. In the afternoon he -made his appearance, loaded with rice, maize, murwa, eggs, vegetables, -etc., and leading a ewe, which he said had cost him Rs. 4. He was very -drunk, but conscious of his condition. He begged to be excused, and, -after numerous salams and lollings of the tongue after the Tibetan -fashion, he vanished from our sight. - -We were asked by the Limbus to exchange salt, of which they stood much -in need, for tsuo, [21] a dyeing creeper which grows here in abundance, -and of which they had collected many large bundles; but again we had to -refuse. - -Phurchung much regretted that one of his best friends among the Limbus -of this place had gone to a distant village to attend a marriage, for -he might have rendered great assistance in many ways. - -The marriage customs of this people are very curious and interesting. -Some among them at the time of marriage consult astrologers. When a man -and a girl think of marrying, they meet, without consulting their -parents, at some place—a market, if there be one near—in order to sing -witty songs, in which test the man is required to excel his fair rival. -If he is beaten in this contest by the maiden whose hand he covets, he -runs away in deep shame at his defeat; but if he wins, he seizes her by -the hand and takes her to his home without further ceremony, but -usually accompanied by a female companion. If the man has had some -previous knowledge of the girl’s superior attainment in singing, he -sometimes bribes the maiden’s companion to declare him the winner in -the singing competition. - -Another means of wife-winning is by courting her in the house of her -parents, to which free access is readily gained by presenting the -girl’s nearest relative living in the house with a pig’s carcass, a -present called in their language phudang. When the marriage ceremony -takes place, the bridegroom, if rich enough, kills a buffalo or a pig, -which is presented to the bride’s parents, a native coin fixed on its -forehead. Among the lower people, the parents of the bride seldom know -anything about the marriage till the return of the girl from her -captor’s house. Then the marriage ceremony takes place. The friends and -relatives assemble in some spacious courtyard, each bringing a present -of a basket of rice, a bottle of murwa or arrack. The bridegroom then -beats a drum, to the music of which the bride dances, outsiders also -taking part in the dance. This over, a Phedangba priest conducts -certain religious ceremonies beginning with the following mantra: -“According to the commands handed down to us from ancient times and the -doings of the patriarchs, we bind our son and daughter to-day in -marriage.” - -As the priest repeats the formula, the bridegroom places his palm on -that of the bride, holding at the same time a cock, and she a hen, -which they afterwards hand over to the Phedangba. When the above -formula has been recited, the fowls’ throats are cut, and they are -thrown away for any one to pick up and keep, and the blood is collected -on a plantain leaf, and from it omens are drawn. In another leaf is -some vermilion paint, in which the bridegroom dips his middle finger, -which he passes across the forehead of the priest to the tip of the -bride’s nose. The bridegroom then says, “Henceforth, maiden, thou art -my wife;” and shouting repeatedly, “Maiden, thou art my wife,” he puts -a vermilion mark on her brow. - -The following morning the priest invokes some friendly spirit, and says -to the newly married couple, “You two should henceforth live as husband -and wife as long as you remain on this earth;” to which the parties -suitably reply, “We will do as you command.” Unless this period of a -lifetime is mentioned, the marriage is held to be unlucky; and to make -it fortunate further ceremonies, which open new sources of profit for -the priest, are considered necessary. - -At the marriage feast, where first murwa is served to each guest, the -meat is generally pork, and finally a dish of rice is presented to -every one of the party. - -When the marriage ceremony is over, the bride, released from her -captor’s hands for the first time, returns to her parents, who are -supposed to have been in ignorance of the previous proceedings. Two or -three days after her return comes a go-between, or parmi, [22] to -settle differences with the bride’s parents. He brings, as a rule, -three things—a bottle of arrack, the carcass of a pig, and a silver -coin, as presents to the bride’s parents. Just as he is about to make -them the presents, they are bound to fly into a passion and threaten to -beat him, whereupon he entreats them not to do so, and tries to pacify -them with the present of another rupee. Then they ask him in an angry -tone, “Why did you steal away our daughter?” and such-like questions. -When their anger has subsided, he pays the price of the bride, which, -according to the wealth of the groom, varies from Rs. 10 to Rs. 120, or -the equivalent; but in all cases a pig is an indispensable part of the -price. Then a further present of usually Rs. 12, or its equivalent, is -made to the soffas (subahs) and village headmen. - -This present is known in Limbu as turayimbag, meaning satisfaction to -the parents for stealing their daughter; and though it is really due to -the bride’s parents, it is nowadays appropriated by the village -officials. - -Like the Tibetans, the Limbus present white cotton khatag to all who -are interested in the marriage. When the time comes for delivering up -the bride to the parmi, the parents must say, “Oh, our daughter is -lost! She is not to be found! Some one must go and find her!” Then a -couple more silver coins are paid, and one of the relatives discovers -the lost bride, who has usually hidden herself in the storeroom, and -she is handed over to the parmi. Nowadays, however, it is more common -for the bride to come forth of herself as soon as the money has been -paid, but not before. [23] - -November 15.—The villagers tried to dissuade us from attempting to -cross the passes where the paths were hidden by the snow, saying that -it would be more convenient to stay at Ringbi, where provisions were -easily procurable. If I remained here, however, various reports would -be spread to prejudice the frontier guards of Tibet against us, and we -would, moreover, be unable to ascertain when the snow should have -hardened sufficiently to admit of our setting out on our journey, as -the passes were three or four days’ march from the village. We -determined to try the Yampung la, which still remained free from snow. -Our coolies gave the villagers to understand that we shikaris (for -Phurchung, with his fowling-piece and load of cartridges, was enabled -to pass us off as such) had very little to do with the passes, except -for going to Kangpa-chan, where game was more abundant: if we failed -entering Namga-tsal, we should most probably return by Jongri to -Darjiling. - -We passed behind the village, where there are some tall cypresses and a -solitary juniper tree, which the people erroneously call chandan, or -sandal wood. [24] A short distance from the village we passed the road -leading to Dechan phug, “the cavern of bliss,” a huge rock, the hollow -in which is haunted by numerous demons and evil spirits. Now and then -we saw Limbus making bamboo mats or collecting osiers to thatch their -houses. The road along the river was easy, the rills falling into it -bridged, and the steep banks carefully crossed by stone dykes, while -steps were cut in the rocks where necessary. - -By one o’clock we reached Paongtang, where, in a wretched shed for -travellers (dong-khang), we made our camp. A light rain was falling, so -we had to cook our food in the miserable shed, where we could not stand -erect, where ants and centipedes were creeping over everything, and the -smoke and dust raised by the bellows nearly suffocated us. Though we -had a tent, the obstinacy of my servants compelled me to forego the -comfort it afforded, for to them the dong-khang was a comfortable -dwelling, and they insisted that I should enjoy it too. - -Phurchung bought some milk, cheese, murwa, and excellent fish from one -of the neighbouring herdsmen, a cousin of his; and when we had -refreshed ourselves with the beer, we sat listening to two of our -companions, Jordan and Tonzang, as they sang and declaimed over their -drink. Though these men carried our loads, they were men of much -respectability in their own country, and had been induced to do menial -work only to oblige me, as I did not care to trust outsiders with the -secret of my movements. I amused myself listening to Jordan, and really -wondered that even among the uncivilized dwellers of the hills wine -could inspire such eloquence. Among the volleys of his eloquence were -quotations from a book called ‘Rinchen Tenwa,’ or ‘The Precious -Rosary.’ - - - “All here assembled, pray attend. - - “The eagle is the king of birds; when he rises, all rise. - - “The lion is the king of beasts; when he leaps, all leap. - - “He who drinks is the prince of speech; when he speaks, all hear.” - - -Here Jordan’s analogy broke down, for he should have said, “When he -speaks, all speak;” but as his were quotations, he could take no -liberties with the text. [25] - -November 16.—After having started Jordan and Tonzang to Darjiling with -letters and my Indian clothing, we resumed our journey, and after a -mile along the course of the Ringbi we climbed the Lungmo la, which is -thickly covered with dwarf bamboos and mossy oaks of immense size. - -At 2 p.m. we came to Chonjom, the junction of the two head-streams of -the Ringbi, where there is a well-made bridge across the river with -strong boulder-made buttresses; its bed is here covered with thick -green moss. A little later on we halted at a place called Keta, in the -midst of dark woods, the abode of bears, pigs, and Sikkim leopards. As -I had sent my tent back, we had to make a shelter against the -inclemency of the weather by a contrivance made with our bed-clothes, -and on the branches of a neighbouring tree we hung our meat and fish, -which attracted owls and mice during the night. - -November 17.—Our hearts quaked as we continued our way through the -dense wood and thick undergrowth, for a man-eater was reported to have -killed two Nepalese wood-cutters in the Singli la. The year before last -a tiger came up to Jongri, where it killed a dozen yaks, and we feared -lest now it might have come back to make havoc on the Yampung yaks. -While crossing one of the numerous fences dividing different pieces of -property, we found a pheasant caught by the neck in a hair-trap. The -way was steep and stony, and the cold piercing. - -At noon we reached the zone of rhododendrons, and, passing through the -pines, where we startled pheasants and some other birds of beautiful -plumage, we came to a snow-covered ridge. Then we began the ascent of a -steep spur, where we were told the Lepcha troops of Sikkim had repelled -the Gurkha invaders, shooting their arrows at them, and then rolling -rocks down on the enemy. After this difficult piece of road, the ascent -became more gradual and easier. On the way we saw some beehives, which -differ in shape from those of the plains, being like great white fungi -projecting from the rock. - -At 2 p.m. we reached the Dok of Yampung, situated on the lee side of -the range. Long mendong mark the approach to the village, and flying -flags show the whereabouts of the yak-sheds and houses; patches of snow -and ice glistening in the sun gave, from a distance, a fine appearance -to the village, but, on approaching, the beauty vanished, as we -perceived the forlorn and deserted condition of the place. Not a living -being, not a yak, nor a dog, only some hungry crows perched on the -flag-poles and the roofs. The village is composed of a dozen houses -built very rudely of loose stone slabs, the roofs made of long pine -planks kept in their places by stones. The larger houses were locked -up, and the doors of those without locks were sealed by strings. Heaps -of red dye-creepers were in every house, which the people exchange for -salt brought here from Eastern Nepal in the summer months and in -November after the first snows. The Limbus and Lepchas of Western -Sikkim come here annually to buy salt, wool, tea, and Tibetan -earthenware, in exchange for murwa, maize, dye-creepers, and other -little commodities of the Darjiling bazar. - -November 18.—The Yampung la, though not lofty, presented much -difficulty in the ascent, the vegetation on its sides not so luxuriant -as that on the Jongri la, which is nearly of equal height. To the north -the range skirts the snows of the famous Kangchan, the dreaded Khumba -Karna of the hillmen. The eye, on all sides but the east, met only -snow, and as I descended to the south-western flank of the Du la, -“Demon Mount,” I looked down towards the deep gorge through which the -Ringbi leaps with ceaseless roar. The snow-streams from the Yampung la -flow into a lake some half-mile in circumference, called Tama chu, on -account of its crescent shape; the Nepalese call it Lampokri. - -With the Du la the difficulties of the ascent began. Ugyen complained -of headache and shortness of breath, and said he was sick with la dug -(mountain-sickness); and to add to our troubles, such a gale was -blowing that I was thrown to the ground several times. One of the -coolies fell helpless to the ground, his feet frost-bitten. I gave him -my shoes and Kabul socks, putting on myself a new pair of Tibetan -boots. The direct way to Gumo tang was blocked with snow, so we had to -make a detour by the northern and western flanks of the pass. The snow -was frozen, and walking became very dangerous. I made my way as best I -could, using both hands and feet. The gorge along which we advanced was -so deep that the eye tired of following its windings. The snows from -the pass supply the headwater of the Yong-dso chu, which runs past the -Jongri (la). The descent was even more dangerous than the ascent; my -coolies, used to such work, had soon left me far behind. - -Leaving the snows of the Du la, we again came in sight of deep gorges -filled with pines, with here and there bits of pasture-land overhung by -rugged cliffs. - -Again we had to cross a spur, beyond which lay Gumo tang, our next -halting-place, in a deep gorge, some 2000 feet below us. We followed a -glacier, and by six in the evening I reached the beautifully wooded -Gumo tang gorge, and found it flooded by a torrent coming from the -melting snows to the north-east. On the other side of the precipice -which overhangs Gumo tang is Lachmi pokri, “The Lake of Fortune,” said -to contain gold and precious stones. It is a mile in circumference, -deep black in colour, and in its depths are water-elephants, the people -say. - -November 19.—Crossing a stream, with water knee-deep, flowing eastward -to feed the Ratong, we began the ascent of the Bogto la. Firs and -junipers of various species overhung our way, which lay along the sides -of a dry, glacial channel, with a stream flowing down it, and débris on -either side. There are two tracks from here leading to the only shed on -the slope of the Bogto; one follows the course of the stream which -comes down from the Tso-nag lake, and is usually taken by the Yampung -herdmen and the salt traders from Yangma; but the one we followed is -not liked by them, as there grows along it a plant called Dug shing, -[26] a deadly poison if eaten by yaks or sheep. Pheasants were feeding -on the rhododendron berries, and we also saw herds of wild sheep; but -before we reached the summit the rhododendrons and junipers -disappeared, and we only saw now and then some lichens or moss-like -vegetation in the clefts of the rocks. [27] - -Reduced for the last few days to a miserable diet of rice and tea, we -were but ill prepared to go through the exertion of climbing up to such -high altitudes. I pushed on for half a mile, my head aching violently -and with continual retching; I finally fell to the ground, and lay -there breathless and utterly exhausted. The coolies suffered even more -than I, for while I had only my heavy clothing to carry, they had their -loads besides. The wind was piercingly cold, and clouds scudded across -the sky. One of the men prepared some tea; I drank a little, but I had -no desire for food, though Phurchung insisted on my eating a frozen egg -and a little dried fruit. Wrapped in all my blankets, I lay prostrate, -my feet resting against one of the loads to prevent me rolling into the -abyss. I passed the night in a troubled sleep, while close by me my -companions were snoring in deep slumber. - -November 20.—The sky was overcast and a gentle breeze was blowing, and -the guide, who saw signs of a snowstorm, took up his load reluctantly, -after chanting some mantras, and, leaving this dreadful place, called -the Noga slope, we began the ascent of the pass. - -A few hundred yards of ascent brought us to the Tso-nag tso, a lakelet -now frozen to the bottom, of oval shape, and about 400 yards long and -200 broad; passing this we crossed from ridge to ridge, each covered -with sheets of ice, the scenery of the wildest grandeur, the solitude -appalling, no sound of water, not even the fall of an occasional -avalanche was heard, no one spoke, all were intent on making their way -over the slippery surface. - -After a mile ascent we reached another frozen lake. The guide ran -forward, and, collecting some snow and pieces of ice, he sprinkled them -across the lake to show us the path and prevent us from slipping. This -lakelet, of about the same size as the one just referred to, is held in -the sacred books of the Sikkimese to be an object of special sanctity. -It is called Tso dom-dongma, “The Lake of Peacock’s Spots,” and the eye -of the enchanted devotee can see something like spots in the bubbles in -the icy sheets of the lake. The glorious peak of Chum-bok la rose right -before us. Clouds now swept swiftly across the sun, and within half an -hour the whole vault of heaven was hidden from our view. Courage then -failed our hitherto intrepid guide. “Why proceed further up, sir?” said -he. “Death awaits us in this desolate place. One hour more and we shall -be gone.” “What do you mean by this, Phurchung?” said I. “Where see you -death?” “Sir, look at the sky; those clouds will shortly fall in heavy -snow on us, from which no human means can enable us to escape. If you -escape the snows on this side of the path, you cannot do so on the -other.” He trembled and looked pale and depressed. He cried, and said, -“Oh, sir, we pon-yog [master and servant] will perish if we go not back -to Bogto. The skies are ominous, and tell you to return towards the -Bogto la.” He repeated his entreaties with childish tears, but in vain. -I told him and the coolies that I was determined not to retrace a -single step, and that all his entreaties were to no purpose. In an -hour’s time we could scarcely reach Bogto, and if the snow began -falling in the mean time, we could hardly escape; besides, such a -course would not lessen our troubles, as we should have the risk of -recrossing the distance we had now travelled over. There might be a -second snowfall, when we should again have to turn back. - -Ceding finally to my arguments, Phurchung pushed forward. I took the -lead, and with fresh energy clambered on, till after an hour we stood -on the pass. The skies had cleared up, the azure heavens again smiled -on us, and the welcome reappearance of the brilliant sun dispelled all -our fears. To our left was Sundub phug, to the right the towering -pinnacles of Kangla jang-ma, while the rounded form of the lofty -Lap-chyi in the Shar-Khambu district of Nepal rose above the haze. The -valley of the Chum-bok la is called Chu lonkyok, “The Water-spoon,” -because it receives the waters of the surrounding mountains in a -spoon-like basin. - -I had hardly time to congratulate myself on having reached the summit, -when our guide, now smiling, put his arms in the straps (nambo) of his -load, and uttering the usual prayer (lha sol), resumed his journey. The -descent was fraught with immense dangers, for it lay through trackless -snows. The guide sounded the snow everywhere for a path, and not -finding one, he took a circuitous direction which seemed practicable to -his experienced eye. - -After walking about an hour we found we had made but little progress, -when we came on the tracks of a Tibetan long-tailed leopard (sah). [28] -I wondered how the animal had been able to walk along over the soft -snow without ever sinking in it, but my men explained this by -attributing supernatural powers to this beast, which they said was -indeed the goblin of leopards. An hour’s struggle in the snow exhausted -my strength, and I could proceed no further. The guide opened the loads -and repacked them, putting all the breakable objects in one, all the -clothing and provisions in the other. The latter he threw down the -slope, and it ploughed a path, down which I followed till the load -brought up against a rock. Then I let myself slide down the -half-hardened snow, guiding myself with my elbows so as to escape any -crevasse across my path. - -By 3.30 p.m. we had descended so far in the gorge of Chu lonkyok that -patches of grass showed here and there amidst the snow, and I saw an -alpine shrub called upala, [29] with large pink leaves at the top like -those of the water-lily, waved in the wind, which had again begun to -blow. The coolies now pushed rapidly ahead, leaving me far behind, but -the gradual reappearance of grass, rhododendrons, and juniper bushes -revived my spirits as I walked on, frequently halting to catch my -breath. Continuing down the gorge through rhododendrons, junipers, and -several species of prickly, sweet-scented shrubs, we finally reached, -about dark, a great boulder, underneath which we camped. In front of it -ran a brook about four feet wide, said to be the head-stream of the -famous Kabili of Nepal, which receives the waters from the Chum-bok and -the Semarum mountains. - -November 21.—Though I still felt, when I awakened, greatly exhausted, I -had to start without breakfast, as the coolies had left early, fearing -lest the fine morning might be followed by a bad afternoon. Dressed -very lightly in order to be able to climb more easily, I set out, -following in Phurchung’s footsteps. The trail at first presented no -great difficulty, though it was continually up and down over mountain -ridges five or six hundred feet high; but our previous day’s experience -made us think little of such a road. After a few miles we reached a -kind of gateway lying between two rocky cliffs, where began the region -of scanty vegetation that invariably is found just below the snow-line. -Here we halted for a while and drank some tea; then, resuming our -journey, we reached the summit of Semarum after a couple of hours of -most trying climbing over ice and melting snow. The pass is protected -to the south and west by a very rugged cliff resembling the outspread -wings of an eagle both in colour and shape, and inspired me with a -strange feeling of dread. Sitting on the summit of the pass, I enjoyed, -though tired and unwell, the grandeur and sublimity of the scene. No -poet could adequately describe Nature’s exploits in this part of the -world, no pencil could delineate these romantic scenes. - -Legend has it that many years ago, on this very pass, a certain cunning -and designing Limbu of Tambur Khola concealed under the rocks a red -earthen jar filled with charcoal, with the object of establishing his -heirs’ right over the whole easternmost part of Nepal, called Yangoro, -which includes Singli la, and in his will he made mention of this -bequest. A few years later hostilities broke out between the Limbus of -Tambur Khola and Yangoro, which lasted for nearly twelve years, during -which time the Gurung were the chief sufferers. Pasturing their cattle -on the disputed land, both parties stole them as a rent for the right -of pasture. Finally the Chambisi Rajah, who ruled at Bhatgaong, settled -the dispute in favour of the Yangoro Limbus, the trick of the Tambur -Khola Limbus having been found out. - -From the Semarum pass I saw the Choma Kankar, or “Lord of Snows,” the -famous sacred mountain of the Buddhists which overhangs Lap-chyi, the -highest of its three peaks, dome-shaped, the two others standing side -by side, of truncated cone shape; then to the north-west of these -appeared the Shar Khambu Mountains, half lost in the rising mist; to -the west, beyond the great chasm formed by the Tambur valley, were the -valleys of Feylep, Yalung, Dhunkota, all indistinct in the general -haze. - -Phurchung endeavoured in vain to find a way down through the deep snow -which everywhere covered the ground, and finally we had to slide down -through the snow for several hundred feet; and then, finding a -foothold, we waded on, dragging the loads behind us. I saw tracks of -rabbits, [30] snow-leopards, and a species of bird called chamdang, -probably the snow-pheasant. After a little while we could advance no -further down the slope, so Phurchung made a detour over a ridge to our -right, its summit a huge bare rock some forty to fifty feet high. From -this we descended with great difficulty, throwing the loads down ahead -of us and sliding down ourselves in the deep, soft snow. - -By 4 p.m. we were clear of the snow, and once more found vegetation. -After a short rest we resumed our journey along the gentle rill which -leaps down from here with a pleasant murmur, and is known as the second -headwater of the Kabili, although the brook which we followed empties -into the Namga stream which rises in the Kangla Nangmo pass near -Jongri. The snow, reaching several miles below the Kangla pass on -either side of the Namga, showed us that this pass was inaccessible. -These early snows are called shingsa pahmo. The road led through dwarf -rhododendrons, bushy junipers, and prickly shrubs bearing a red fruit. -The river was frozen over, except in the narrow parts. In the distance -the pine-clad flanks of Juonga, through which the Yalung dashes, were -seen resplendent in the rays of the setting sun. We plodded on to 6 -p.m., when we reached a broad flat called Namga tsal, “The Grove of -Joy,” and shortly after crossed the river by a wooden bridge of the -East Nepalese type, and some forty feet long, and came to the -halting-place under the widespread branches of a high dung shing or -cedar. Namga tsal received its name, I was told, from Lha-tsun, the -great Buddhist patriarch of Sikkim, having spent a few days here to -rest from his fatigue when travelling for the first time from Tibet to -convert the Lhopas (Southerners). He so enjoyed his rest here that he -ordered his disciples to hold the place sacred, and to celebrate their -annual inaugural religious ceremonies at the cavern in which he had -spent a few days. We could see the cave from where we were camped, and -were told that the Buddhists of Sikkim and Eastern Nepal still resort -to this place on pilgrimage. - -November 22.—Crossing two streams with swampy banks, the way led uphill -for a while through thickets of rhododendrons, where we saw numerous -green pheasants of the colour of a green parrot, with spurs on their -legs and a deep, thick red line round their eye. In size they were -larger than a domestic fowl. [31] Next we came to the Yalung river, -which we crossed by a substantial bridge of cedar logs and silver-fir -planks, and then we began the ascent of the steep and lofty Chunjorma, -or “Collection of Cascades.” In the wooded solitudes on the lower -slopes of the great Kanchanjinga stood the little monastery of Dechan -rolpa. The predecessor of the present abbot, it is said, was able to -visit Na-Pematang, the Lepcha Paradise, which has only been entered by -seven families, and which lies between the Cho-kanchan and -Cho-kanchanjinga. - -Some three miles to the west of the Dechan rolpa gomba is the village -of Yalung, where twelve families live who spend their summer in tending -yaks at Yalung, and their winter at Yanku tang, in the valley of the -Kabili. [32] - -Passing by the two lakelets of Tso chung donka, we ascended the -mountains of the same name, and finally reached by the Nango la the -summit of Chunjorma, which name applies to the portion of the pass -between the Nango la and the Mirkan la, where the road from Nepal by -Khan-do-phug joins it. - -From Mirkan la we passed some lofty crags, called Ta-miran kukyab, the -principal of which is said to be the image of the horrible deity -Tamdrin, or Hayagriva. In shape it resembles a horse’s head (Ta-mgrin) -facing towards Kanchanjinga. Descending, we found grass growing on the -Pangbo la, and on the Zinan la were junipers and rhododendrons. At -about 7 p.m. we reached Mudang phug, Phurchung carrying me on his back -for part of the way, - -November 23.—Our way led along an extensive moraine, the huge reddish -boulders of which were covered with creeping tamarisks and dwarf -junipers. After about a mile we reached Manda phug, a hollow between -two gigantic boulders, the one inclined towards the other; and here we -took our breakfast of rice and buttered tea. The vegetation improved as -we neared Manda la, and the sight of thick forest growth in the deep -glens refreshed our eyes, so long tired with looking on barren rocks. -From Tama la, where we saw some shepherds tending their flocks and some -yaks, one descends the Yamatari valley, the top of the slope being held -sacred to the dreaded Mamo goddesses; on the rhododendron bushes were -white and red flags offered to them by wayfarers. From this point I -obtained a good view of the Kangpa-chan valley. - -Finding that I was greatly exhausted, Dao Namgyal, Phurchung’s -brother-in-law, took me on his back and carried me till we reached the -north-west flank of the Tama la. Soon after this we came to a flat, -grass-covered valley with tall rhododendrons and ferns growing about. -Phurchung held this spot to have been a singularly lucky one for him, -for it was here that his parents had met Hooker some thirty-five years -ago, while the great botanist was exploring Nepal. Phurchung’s father, -suffering from snow-blindness, was led by his wife to the Doctor, who -not only gave him excellent medicine, but presented her with a pretty -coin to hang about the neck of her child, Phurchung, then a baby in the -arms. [33] - -At about 2 p.m. we reached the Yamata ri, formed by the streams which -issue from Kanchanjinga. The gorge in which this river flows is -singularly beautiful. Above the steep crags on either side were blue -glaciers, and at their feet forests of native firs and larches, covered -with pendant mosses waving like feathers in the breeze. Just before -reaching Kangpa-chan (Gyunsar) village, the Yamata ri river is crossed -by a little bridge, and then the village with its wooden huts comes in -view. Some of the houses were empty; a few old hags with goitre sat on -their thresholds basking in the sun and spinning. - -Phurchung had reached this, his native village, ahead of us, and he now -came, much the worse for drink, to greet us, and led us into his -mother’s house, where a fire of rhododendron boughs and aromatic firs -blazed in the middle of the room. Chang [34] was ready in wooden -bottles, and his mother poured some boiling water into them as soon as -we were seated on the cushions placed for us. Some dry junipers and -pines were burnt as incense, and two joss-sticks smoked before us. Then -two brass plates full of boiled, red-skinned potatoes were offered us, -followed by rice and boiled mutton, the rice being served wrapped up in -the broad leaves of some kind of hill plant. When night came on we sat -around the fire, each with a bottle of murwa before him; but drowsiness -soon overtook me, and I fell asleep. - -November 24.—The village of Kangpa-chan [35] is built on several -terraces facing the south-west, the houses enclosed in low stone walls. -Several small streams empty into the Kangchan below the village, and -mountains covered with snow and ice rise precipitously on either side -of it, their lower slopes clad with thick forest growth of moss-covered -silver firs, deodars, and larches. Juniper and rhododendron bushes -surround the village. Round about it are patches of barley, [36] from -one to the other of which flew flocks of wild pigeons. - -Coming back from a stroll, I found two men waiting to invite me to -drink chang at their houses; and having accepted their invitation, I -went first to that of a man called Jorgya. Taking my seat on a thick -mattress-like seat covered with a piece of Khamba carpet, a bamboo -bottle filled with murwa, with a little piece of butter placed on top -of it, was set before us. [37] Tea was first drunk, the housewife -serving mine in a china cup, a form of Tibetan politeness only shown to -persons of superior social standing, those of equal or inferior rank to -the host using the wooden bowls each one carries about in the breast of -his gown. After this, a brass plate filled with potatoes was placed -before us on a little table, together with parched Indian corn, milk, -and butter, of all of which we ate heartily. - -Our host advised me not to attempt to go by Wallung, as I would be sure -to meet with much difficulty, but rather to enter Tibet by Yangma and -the Kangla chen pass, which was still possible, he said, even at this -advanced season of the year. - -I next went to the house of Pemazang, Phurchung’s uncle, which I found -well plastered and with a tastefully painted chapel. His son and wife -received me at the head of the ladder, and led me into the house. -Pemazang had long, thick, and tangled hair. He wore gold earrings in -the shape of magnolia flowers, and his looks and talk were grave and -serious. He often sits in deep meditation for the purpose of arresting -hail or other storms by the potency of the charms he is able to -pronounce. [38] - -Leaving Pemazang, we crossed the river and paid a visit to the -Tashi-chos ding monastery, which we found nearly deserted, one or two -old women here and there turning the prayer-wheels outside the temple. -Ascending two flights of ladder-stairs, we entered the lama’s house. He -and his ani [39] received us most kindly, and the latter asked me for -some medicines for the old gentleman, who was suffering with dyspepsia -(pakan). - -Returning to our lodgings, we found that the lock of the bag in which I -kept my money had been tampered with, but I did not open it, as six -other persons were living in the room we occupied, and I feared lest -they might see the contents. Whatever the loss might be, I made up my -mind to bear it silently, and keep my suspicions to myself. - -November 25.—Phurchung’s brother, Dao Namgyal, brought me a quantity of -presents—potatoes, murwa, millet, butter, and last, but not least, a -kid, for which I gave him a return present of five rupees. The poor -people of the village all followed with various presents, not that they -had any great respect for me, but solely with an eye to return -presents, which they hoped would be greater than the value of theirs. -Fortunately there were but few people in the village, otherwise they -would have drained me of all my cash. - -By noon Phurchung had sufficiently slept off his drunkenness to procure -for me several pair of kyar, [40] or snowshoes, from the people of the -village. I had learnt from a newly engaged coolie that he had lately -crossed the Kangla pass on kyar, and had reached Jongri, where he had -met Captain Harman, who had been much struck by the great usefulness of -this rude contrivance. - -In the evening the men killed two kids; the blood was poured into the -intestines, which had been washed and cleaned, barley-flour (tsamba) -being mixed with it. [41] These blood puddings were boiled and packed -away with the tripe in a small wicker basket for my use on the journey. - -It is told of the upper Kangpa-chan valley that it was first peopled by -Tibetans, called Sharpa (Easterners), whose original home was in the -mountains of Shar Khambu, or Eastern Kirata. [42] Lower down the valley -lived the Magar tribe from Nepal, whose chief extended his sway over -the Sharpa, and exacted such oppressive taxes from them that they -decided to avenge themselves. The Magar chief, going to the village of -Kangpa-chan, he and his followers were murdered, and their bodies -buried. No clue could be had of the missing men, so the chief’s wife -went herself to Kangpa-chan, but she also failed to discover what had -become of them. While going along the river bank, a boulder, undermined -by the current, tumbled down, when a swarm of flies flew buzzing out. -Attracted by this, the queen had the earth removed, and discovered the -bodies of her husband and his followers. Returning home with the -chief’s body, she ordered great funeral ceremonies to be held at a -place some six miles up the river, near the Rapa-chan torrent, midway -between the two great villages of the Kangpa-chan valley—Gyunsar and -Yarsa, [43] as being more accessible for the people, for whose -entertainment great bowls of wine were to be provided. In the wine -poison was mixed; and as soon as the Magars had finished drinking, they -passed it to the Kangpa-chan people, who drank deeply, and fell asleep -to awake no more. Nearly a thousand people were in this way done to -death, and the babies were carried away by the queen’s followers. The -place where this foul deed was done became known as Tong-shong phug, -“the place which witnessed a thousand murders.” - -The few who escaped carried the news to Tibet, and soon returned with a -large army to wage war against the Magars. The queen shut herself up in -one of her castles, and, though ill-prepared to stand a siege, she and -her people defended it for three months. The Tibetans decided to reduce -the place by famine and by cutting off the water-supply. Then the -queen, to deceive them, opened the reservoir in the castle and let the -water flow towards the Tibetan camp; and the enemy, thinking that she -must have a great store of it and that their attempt was vain, raised -the siege, and withdrew to a distance. The queen now attacked them in -turn, but fell in the first skirmish, fighting valiantly. The Tibetans -finally expelled the Magars from the Kangpa-chan and Tambur valleys, -and restored them to their former possessors. - -It was among the Kangpa-chan tribe that I had found Phurchung, the most -devoted and faithful of all the men I ever came across in the -Himalayas. Although Ugyen distrusted him, and he abhorred Ugyen, yet I -placed implicit confidence in his loyalty and ability, and his devotion -and fidelity to me were boundless. - -November 26.—We left Kangpa-chan, our party now comprising four -coolies. Phurchung marched along with my gun as a sign of his -importance, but its red cloth cover, its principal beauty, had been -stolen the night before; his younger brother, Sonam-dorj, carried his -pack. Ugyen-gyatso and I rode ponies, hired for eight annas each, to -take us halfway up the Nango la. The old women (ama) of the village -waited our approach at the east end of the bridge to give us the -stirrup cup (chang kyel) (a custom invariably observed in Tibet at the -parting of friends setting out on a long journey), with bowls of wine -in their right hand, and plates full of parched barley flour (tsamba) -in their left. Each of the old women poured a little wine into a china -cup, to which a pinch of flour was added, and we were asked to take a -sip, with the wish of “May we offer you the like on your return.” We -thanked them for their kindness, and put a couple of rupees in one of -their plates, to be divided amongst them. - -We rode slowly on by the bounding river, into which a number of little -rills empty, flowing down from behind the monastery, and over which -were several prayer-wheels turned by the water. Our way lay amidst -thick woods up to Daba ngonpo, where the natives used to get blue clay -to make images. This clay they held to be exceptionally good, as it -came from the summit of a holy mountain. From this point we followed up -the bed of a former glacier, passing Kamai phugpa, and reaching at -Khama kang tung, the timber line. A mile beyond the latter place we -came to the end of the pasture-lands on this side the Nango la, not far -from which we saw a flock of spotted birds, called sregpa, [44] which -Ugyen tried, without success, to shoot. - -The ascent of the Nango la now began over deep snow, in some places its -surface frozen, in others so soft that we sunk knee-deep in it. I soon -became so exhausted that I had to get one of the coolies to carry me on -his back, and so we reached the summit of the pass. [45] - -Two miles to the west of the pass is Sayong kong, a plateau whence -there is a direct road leading to Yangma. A mile below this place is -Sayong-hok, [46] where vegetation begins again, and gradually increases -as one advances along the Lungkyong chu. We camped on the river bank -under a great boulder, spreading our rugs on beds of long dry grass, -which covered, but very imperfectly, the rough, stony soil. - -November 27.—We followed down the Lungkyong chu (the only way of -communication between Kangpa-chan, Yangma, and Wallung), the mountains -on our left nearly hidden in the morning mists. For part of the way our -road led along a steep path through thick woods of firs, feathery -larches, and deodars, amidst which I saw many pheasants and other kinds -of birds, and the coolies told me that musk deer and wild sheep were -also found there. - -About two miles above the junction of the Yangma with the Lungkyong, we -crossed the former stream by a wooden bridge, and finally arrived at -the village of Tingugma, where we rested a while and ate a light meal. - -Shortly after starting again we met a party of Yangma natives driving -before them a few sheep and a dozen yaks laden with blankets, yak -hides, barley, and salt. They were going to a village called Chaini, in -the Tambur valley, to exchange their goods for rice and Indian corn. -Phurchung asked them if the Kangla chen pass was still open. Some said -we could easily cross it; others expressed doubts about it, for they -said three feet of snow had fallen on it a few days previously. - -Passing by Maya phug (a cavern sacred to the goddess Mamo), we crossed -a little juniper-covered plateau called Shugpa thang (“Juniper plain”), -and after a short but steep climb reached the summit of the pass, from -whence I had a most extended and beautiful view of the surrounding -country—behind me great reddish granite rocks, looking like the ruins -of gigantic ramparts; before me a plain some two miles long, the bed of -a former glacier, encircled by snowy mountains rising the one above the -other; while to the south-east was the Nango la, and behind it the -plain of Sumdongma. Crossing the Djari thang, or “Plain of Gravel,” and -the Do la, or “Rocky pass” (round the base of which the Yangma flows), -I reached by dusk the monastery of Yangma, or Manding gomba, situated -on a broad, shrub-covered terrace some 40 to 50 feet above the stream; -where Phurchung found me lodgings in a wretched cell, where I settled -myself as best I could for the night. He obtained a few eggs and some -milk from the lamas; and while one of the nuns (ani) helped Dao Namgyal -to cook the food, another blew the bellows. The lamas were engaged in -their annual reading of the Kahgyur, which occupied them daily from 5 -in the morning to 7.30 p.m., when they retired to their respective -cells. There were fifteen monks and seven ani in the lamasery. [47] - -Ugyen had been suffering most of the day with violent pains in the -bowels; he now wrapped himself in all the blankets I could spare, and -lay groaning and crying, “Achi-che apa-ouh!” so that I felt grave -apprehensions for him, and feared that his illness might oblige us to -stop over in this wretched place. - -November 28.—Phurchung had been away on a drunken bout all night, and I -arose full of fear lest he might have disclosed our plans to his -companions, and Ugyen shared my alarm. After a while Phurchung and -Phuntso appeared, and with much salaaming and lolling of the tongue -asked me to wait here a day, the latter assuring me that he hoped to -obtain, without much difficulty or the payment of custom duty (called -chua in this part of Nepal), permission for us to proceed on our -journey. Shortly after the elders arrived, the richest man among them -recognizable by his tamuski hat, a long earring, and a deep red serge -robe of purug. [48] He had come from the village of Yangma riding a -half-breed yak (jo), which, with the saddle still on its back, stood -tied at the gate of the monastery. I anxiously awaited the result of -their conference with my men, and in great anxiety prayed to the -Supreme Dispenser of our destinies that nothing might happen -unfavourable to ourselves and our enterprise. - -The Manding gomba, or Nub Man-ding gomba, “The Western Flying-Medicine -Monastery,” owes its name to the fact that lama Lha-tsun once lived for -three years in a cave close by called the Zimphug, to discover -medicines of wonderful potency, and that he there obtained three -wonderful pills. One came to him through the air, falling on the spot -where the lamasery now stands. The second pill fell a little above the -monastery, where the people of the village now burn their dead; and the -third alighted on the spot where the great chorten now stands. - -Manding gomba is held in great sanctity, for it is one of the first -cis-Himalayan lamaseries founded by the great red-hat Lama Lha-tsun; -but Wallung ranks first, and Kangpa-chan second, in point of wealth and -power. Manding possesses a fine copy of the Kahgyur in 125 volumes. - -The Lha-khang, or temple, has massive and neatly painted walls and -doors, after the manner of the Sikkim donpa. The huts or cells of the -monks in its immediate vicinity, all painted red with clay obtained -from the adjacent mountains, are of irregular and ugly style, the -doors, windows, and cornices being roughly made; each house has around -it a low stone wall, inside of which the sheep and yak find shelter. - -After a little while Phurchung and Puntso came back to me in high -spirits over the result of their conference with the village elders. -They had told them that I was only a pilgrim (nakorpa) who spoke -Tibetan and dressed in Tibetan fashion. The head lama said that he knew -of no order from the Nepalese Government for stopping pilgrims on their -way to Tibet, and that he would certainly not prevent me doing so, as I -spoke Tibetan with greater fluency and accuracy than many Nepalese. The -headman (gopa) asked that Phurchung should give bond, holding himself -personally responsible for my character as a traveller, and a custom -duty of eight annas a head was levied on our party. Phurchung also told -me that the headman and head lama were coming to bid me farewell, and -that I must not forget, after exchanging compliments with them, to say -sangpoi ja chog, “May we meet again next year.” - -In a little while the big men arrived. The headman, conspicuous by his -earring, boots, and red serge robe, nodded to me slightly, and took off -his hat. He asked me why I had chosen such a bad season for going to -Tibet. I told him that I did so in obedience to the command of our holy -and learned chief lama (Tsawai), and not by my own wish. His object in -coming to see me was to find out if I spoke Tibetan and understood the -Buddhist religion. My fluency in Tibetan, and the citing of one or two -proverbial sayings in course of conversation, made him form a high -opinion of my knowledge of the sacred texts and histories, as well as -of my character and holiness. “Laso, laso” (yes, yes), he said, and -then he apologized for not having brought me some presents; but I -answered him that our acquaintance was only just begun, and there would -be time in the future to cultivate it, and, handing him a scarf -(khatag), I expressed the hope that we might meet the next year -(sangpoi ja chog). Many of the bystanders made wishes for our welfare, -but some one in the crowd said that I was certainly not a Tibetan. Then -another swore I was an Indian; and a third said that they would soon -have news of me: “That Hindu will surely die in the snows, and his -servants will soon return here with the news of his death.” - -It was past noon when the coolies picked up their loads, and I set out -in excellent spirits, having now escaped the much-feared obstruction -from the Yangma people, on whose mercy and good-will our success -entirely depended. - -We passed by some mendong and chorten at the entrance to the convent, -and then followed up the course of the Yangma, passing by a pretty -lakelet, the Miza, or “man eating,” [49] now filled with ice, and -seeing on the way some very high chorten, known as thongwa kundol, [50] -“bringing deliverance when seen,” which had a few years previously been -repaired by the head lama of Wallung. Near these we saw a half-dozen -wild sheep (nao), but we gave up all idea of shooting them when told -that the Yangma people think the gods of the land and mountains -(Shi-bdag, ri-lha) would be deeply offended if any one molested them. - -By 3 p.m. we got sight of the village of Yangma, [51] whose houses -could only be distinguished from the boulders everywhere strewing the -ground by the smoke issuing from the roofs. There were not more than a -hundred houses in the village, and the fields round about were enclosed -within low stone walls. Buckwheat, barley, turnips, radishes, and -potatoes are grown here, and rice brought from Yang-ku tang and other -villages in the warmer valleys is procurable. The village was founded -by Tibetans from Tashi-rabka, one of them having discovered the valley -and its comparative fertility while hunting for a lost yak calf. The -name Yangma was given it on account of the breadth of the valley. [52] - -The male part of the population is idle in the extreme, but the women -are correspondingly busy; some I saw were threshing corn, some -gathering fuel, others engaged in various kinds of household work. - -By 5 p.m. we got off from this wretched valley, where Phurchung and the -coolies, by the way, were most desirous to remain to continue drinking -chang, though Phurchung showed unmistakable signs of having already -imbibed too much. After an hour’s march we reached Ki phug, where we -found, under an overhanging rock, a bit of ground free from snow on -which to camp; but Phurchung remained behind in Yangma, in a helplessly -drunken condition. - -November 29.—The way lay along the Yangma, which was scarcely visible, -snow and ice covering entirely its bed. There was nothing to give life -to the scenery; the river flowed in a deep gorge, or else opened out -into lake-like expanses; on either side the mountains seemed to reach -to the sky; not a bird, not even a cloud in the heaven, not a sound -save that of our feet crushing the light dry snow. It was 11 a.m. when -we came to an unfrozen pool, by which we ate our breakfast of tea and -meal. This place, which is in a broad portion of the valley, is a -favourite summer pasture-ground (tser chan) for the Dokpas, who, from -July to September, bring their herds of yaks here. - -Po phug was reached after a march of three miles through the snow, then -the ascent became steeper and freer from snow, and we came to Luma -goma, “Fountain head,” the source of the Yangma river; and after an -easy ascent of half an hour we arrived at Tsa-tsam, the limit of -vegetation. [53] - -Here we began climbing a huge glacier, a quarter of a mile wide and -more than three miles long, the Chyang-chub gya-lam, or “Highway to -Holiness,” over which I was carried on Phurchung’s back wherever the -snow lay deep. Then we climbed a huge mass of bare black rocks (Dsama -nagmo), and darkness had overtaken us before we reached the “White -Cavern” (Phugpa karpo), where we proposed passing the night. The fog -added to the obscurity of the night, our feet were benumbed by the -cold, and we frequently slipped into crevasses or between the clefts of -rocks. Finding it impossible to reach the cavern, we scraped away the -snow from between some rocks, and there I sat, my knees drawn up, -hugging myself during the long night. - -How exhausted we were with the fatigue of the day’s journey, how -overcome by the rarefication of the air, the intensity of the cold, and -how completely prostrated by hunger and thirst, is not easy to -describe. The very remembrance of the sufferings of that dreadful night -makes me shudder even now, but I quickly recover under the -inexpressible delight I feel at the consciousness of my great success. -This was the most trying night I ever passed in my life. There was a -light breeze blowing, attended with sleet, which fortunately weighed my -blankets down and made them cover me closer than they otherwise would -have done. And so with neither food nor drink, placed as if in the grim -jaws of death in the bleak and dreary regions of snow, where death -alone dwells, we spent this most dismal night. - -November 30.—The coolies once more picked up their loads, and our guide -began in his gravest tones to recite his Pema-jung-ne samba duba and -other mantras. The morning was gloriously radiant, and the great Kangla -chen glittered before us, bathed in a glory of golden light. -Fortunately for us, there was no fresh snow on the ground; for, had -there been any, we could not possibly have advanced. We found that we -had stopped not more than a furlong from the Phugpa karpo, which, by -the way, is not a cave at all, but only a crevasse between two detached -rocks. Our guide, leaving his load in charge of his brother, took the -lead, driving his long stick into the snow at each step, and digging -footholds in the soft snow. From the White Cavern the top of the pass -bore due east, and was distant about two miles. Just at the base of the -final ascent there is a little sandy plain, in the middle of which is a -huge boulder: this is the “Place of Salvation” (Tarpa gang), thus -called because, when once this point is reached, travellers may be -confident of attaining the summit of the pass. - -I steadily followed in the footsteps of the guide, and would not let -him take me on his back; for if I succeeded in ascending to the highest -summit of Kangla chen without any help, I could look to the achievement -with greater pride. Ugyen here gave out, and it was with difficulty -that I persuaded Phurchung to carry him on his back, for they were far -from being on the best of terms. An hour’s hard climbing brought us to -the summit of the pass. The sky was cloudless and of the deepest blue; -against it a snow-clad world of mountains stood out in bold relief. Far -beyond the maze of snow-clad peaks we saw in the north-west the -mountains of Pherug, in Tibet, while those of Shar Khambu stood -gloriously out to the west. - -The summit of Kangla chen is a plateau, some two miles from east to -west, and one mile and a quarter from north-west to north-east; it -inclines towards the west, while to the north-west it is bounded by a -mountain of considerable height. Our snowshoes (kyar) now stood us in -good need; unfortunately we had but three pairs, so Phurchung and I had -to wade through the deep snow in the footsteps of the others, with many -slips and more than one narrow escape from falling into the deep -crevasses. On all sides there was nothing visible but an ocean of snow. -Innumerable snowy peaks touched with their white heads the pale leaden -skies, where stars were shining. The rattling roar of distant -avalanches was frequently heard; but, after having succeeded in -crossing the loftiest of snowy passes, I felt too transported with joy -to be frightened by their thunder. - -These splendid scenes of wonderland, the grandest, the most sublime my -eyes have ever beheld, which bewildered me so that even now my pen -finds no words to describe them, inspired me with feelings of deep -gratitude to Heaven, by whose mercy my life had been spared thus far. - -We camped on a rock bare of snow, and passed another miserable night -with nothing to drink, and but a couple of dry biscuits to stave off -our hunger. To add to my misery, Ugyen was still suffering, and I had -to give him half my covering, for he had none of his own; and so, with -not even enough room to lie down, we passed the night huddled together, -the loads placed on the lower side of the rock so as to prevent our -falling off in our sleep. - -December 1.—’Twas not yet dawn when all were on foot and busy packing -up. The track was hardly visible; below our path lay the great glacier, -extending for miles, which feeds the Tashi-rabka river. The snowy sides -of the mountains beyond this were furrowed by glacial streams, very -noticeable in their varied shades of blue and green, and on the surface -of the glacier itself rose huge rounded surfaces, or hummocks, -evidently produced by boulders concealed under the ice. - -Following carefully in the footsteps of Phurchung, we crossed some six -spurs of the Dorjetagh range, and then came to an easy path down the -central moraine of a former glacier, now only a huge heap of boulders -and débris. The mountains lost, as we advanced, the whitish colour -peculiar to the Indian ranges, and assumed the blackish or ochre colour -distinctive of the Tibetan region. ’Twas with a feeling of intense -relief that we finally discerned vegetation and heard the babbling of a -little brook, near which flew birds feeding on rhododendron and juniper -berries, and a little way off we saw some herds of yaks grazing, and -smoke rising from a camp fire. Here we stopped at the foot of a great -rock, and enjoyed, after our long fast of two days, a meal of rice and -buttered tea. - -We continued down the course of the stream, passing with some -apprehension near a huge bull-yak or shalu, though low stone walls -separated us from him and kept him away from the she-yaks (di) in the -adjacent pasturage. This part of the valley is frequently visited by -packs of wolves, which kill large numbers of yaks, but the bulls are -able to drive them off with their long sharp horns. - -At 3 p.m. we passed Dsongo, the extreme border of the district of -Tashi-rabka, and where are the ruins of a stone house built on a huge -boulder. This was formerly a stage-house used by the Sikkim Raja’s -people, when the Yangma and Wallung districts still belonged to him, -when going to or returning from Tibet. A little way beyond this point -we met some herdsmen, who made inquiries as to whence we came and where -we were going. Near by were their tents, where I noticed two swarthy -women and a fierce Tibetan mastiff. Phurchung entered one of the tents, -sat down to chat and drink a cup of tara, a sort of thin curd. [54] - -Ugyen was much preoccupied about our getting by Tashi-rabka and -escaping its headman (Tongzungpa). At about 6 o’clock we were close to -the village, and so we hid till dusk in a gully, where we boiled our -tea and ate some tsamba. The moon shone out brightly when we resumed -our march and passed along a portion of a high stone wall, erected by -the Tibetans during the Nepalese war, when, it is said, they put up -five miles of it in a day under orders of their general, the Shape -Shata. [55] This wall is carried across the river on a bridge, where it -has eight small watch towers. It crosses the whole valley, its ends -being high up on the sides of the mountains. On the farther side of the -wall is the village. Ugyen and Phurchung stood trembling, not knowing -whether to turn back towards the Kangla chen pass or to proceed onward -towards the chorten, near which the headman resides. Phuntso alone was -equal to the occasion. “If the guards are awake, we will sing some of -our national Wallung songs, and pass ourselves off for Wallungpa.” -After a few words of encouragement to the others, we set out. Before we -had reached the chorten, a voice from a yak-hair tent cried out, -“Whence are you, and where are you going?” To which Phuntso replied -that we were Wallungpa going to Shigatse, asked them where they were -going, and without waiting for a reply we hurried on and passed by the -dreaded headman’s house without awakening any one, not even the fierce -mastiffs tied up in front of the dwelling. - -About 30 yards beyond the house we came to the bridge, a rough -structure of logs and stone slabs. The Tashi-rabka river was partly -frozen, and its swift current was sweeping down blocks of ice. We -crossed over unnoticed, and I then broke the silence with thanks to -merciful God who had enabled us to overcome this the most dreaded of -all difficulties, one which had frightened my staunch friend Phurchung, -that the snows of the Kangla chen had not daunted. - -We followed the river in an easterly direction, passing on the way two -poor traders (Gyagar Khamba [56]) who were going to Wallung to sell a -wild sheep (nao) they had killed. Then we came to Ri-u, where is a -large Nyingma [57] monastery, and three miles further on to a bridge -over the two branches of the river. ’Twas nearly midnight when we -reached a sand-covered hillock called Shara, where we halted for the -night, and slept in a sheepfold, near which two hunters with a hound -(shyakhi) were also camped. - -December 2.—At sunrise we resumed our journey, and after an hour’s -march got sight of the village of Guma Shara, at the foot of a range of -mountains trending north-west and south-east. Leaving this village some -miles away (on our right?), we turned a little to the north and made -for the Langbu la. There was not a soul to be seen on the vast -table-land we were traversing, only a few little birds like swallows -twittered on the hillsides by the way, and some kites were soaring in -the sky near Guma Shara. We ascended steadily till we came to the foot -of the pass, from which point the summit was reached by a zigzag cut in -the rocks, the whole surface of which was inscribed with the mystic -syllables, Om mani padmé hum. [58] I became so fatigued before the -summit (some 700 feet above the plateau) was reached, that Phuntso had -to carry me up; and Ugyen also made the ascent on Phurchung’s back, as -he was still feeling very badly and was quite unable to keep up with -us. From the summit we could see due north, perched on a lofty peak, -the Lhakha of Sakya, and to our west were snow-clad peaks of the lofty -Perugh mountains. - -On the northern slope of the Langbu we found much drifted sand, and a -short distance from the foot of the pass we came to the source of the -Ge river, [59] where we met a party of rice-collectors (dadubpa) on -their way to Tashi-rabka with a dozen yaks and some donkeys, there to -buy rice from the Wallung traders. While Phurchung talked to one of -them, a former acquaintance, I slipped by without attracting their -attention; for had they spoken to me, they would certainly have -detected my nationality by my appearance and speech. - -Proceeding onward, we met other parties of swarthy Tibetans, in which -the women were conspicuous by their headdress (patug). Their -dirt-covered faces, their white teeth and eyeballs, made them look -exceedingly wild. Crossing the rivulet by a bridge made of two stone -slabs, the valley broadened as we advanced, till we found ourselves on -a plateau several miles broad, where the rivulet turned to the west, to -empty probably farther on into the great Arun. Phurchung here pointed -out a place where there is a large underground monastery, [60] the -chief temple (tsugla khang) of which is cut out of the massive rock. -There are twenty inmates to this lamasery, and the church furniture and -images are said to be of great antiquity. - -Fording the little Tibgyu chu, said to rise in the Chabug la, we -proceeded in an easterly direction, and passed the little village of -Wena, a mile from which stands the village of Chani, where lives the -Chyugpo mepang family, or the “rich men who never reply nay.” When -travellers passing by this way have asked the rich men (chyugpo [61]) -if there was such and such a thing to be had at their place, they have -never replied in the negative. One day, in the month of August, a -traveller who had heard the story concerning this family came to test -its truth, and asked the housewife to give him a piece of ice, when she -at once produced a piece from the butter-cask. On another occasion a -traveller asked for a chile pepper in February, and the mistress of the -house gave it to him at once. - -December 3.—At about a mile from our camp of last night we came to a -rivulet some fifteen feet broad, flowing in a north-easterly direction. -We selected a shallow part of it, across which Phurchung waded, -carrying me on his back. Irrigation ditches led the water of this -stream on to the neighbouring barley-fields. We stopped towards 7 -o’clock at the camp (dok [62]) of Pole, situated in the middle of a -plain extending from east to west some ten miles, and bounded to the -north by the Arun river. There were several sheep-folds with walls of -sun-dried bricks six or seven feet high and two feet thick; in the -corners of these folds were turret-like houses, in which the shepherds -sought shelter from the severity of the weather. Here we hired two yaks -for a tanka [63] a-piece to carry us to the village of Tebong, about -six or seven miles away. This whole plateau was covered with a species -of briar, amidst which grew long fine grass, on which cows and jo -(half-bred yaks) were feeding, and whence innumerable hares and foxes -ran, startled by our approach. Midway between Pole and Tebong, but on -the mountain side, lies the village of Mug, with some forty families -(mitsang). Before reaching Tebong, which is the first village this way -on Tashilhunpo soil, we crossed the dry bed of the Chorten Nyima river, -forming the boundary, and which I had already passed over on my first -journey to Shigatse in 1879. [64] Near here we were overtaken by a -violent dust-storm, which hid the whole country from our view and -forced us for a while to remain motionless. - -Once on Tashilhunpo territory, all my fears of being arrested were -over, and I walked on to the village of Tanglung [65] with a light -heart. An hour’s walk brought us to the door of my old acquaintance, -Nabu [66] Wanga, who led me with much ceremony into the best room of -his home, apologizing for his not being able to lodge me in his chapel, -which was filled with carcasses of sheep and goats drying for winter -use. - -December 4.—Our host appeared early in the morning to inquire what we -required in the way of food for our journey, and Ugyen gave him a list -of articles, comprising mutton, barley-meal (tsamba [67]), butter, etc. -He also undertook to procure us three ponies, for which I was to pay -Rs. 4 each as far as Shigatse. While we were breakfasting a number of -old acquaintances came in, bringing me presents of tsamba, mutton, -butter, and chang. One man, a doctor (amchi), brought a fox-skin cap of -ingenious make, which he offered to sell me. It was so contrived that -it protected every part of the head, leaving only the eyes and nose -exposed, or it could be turned up and used as an ordinary hat. [68] - -In the evening Delah Tondub, the head of the militia or village police -(yulmag [69]), received an order from Khamba djong, which he brought me -to decipher. It was to the effect that he must hold himself and force -in readiness to proceed at once to the Lachan boundary, fully equipped -with matchlocks, lances, swords, slings, etc., in view of the fact that -a “very important European official, deputy of the Lieut.-Governor of -Bengal, was on his way to the Tibetan frontier. This information was -communicated by the frontier guards, in consequence of which necessary -precautions were urgently needed.” I told them that the official -referred to was probably Captain Harman of the Survey Department, with -whom he was acquainted, having met him the year before at Tangu, near -Lachan. - -December 5.—Our arrangements being completed and the ponies at the -door, we hastened to finish our breakfast. From the sheep-pen close by -the house we saw some fifty sheep led to the slaughtering-place behind -the village. The butchers mutter some mantras over each one before -killing it, and they receive as their perquisite the heads. - -Following the same route I had taken in 1879, we left the village of -Mende [70] on our left, and, crossing several frozen streams, we came -to the village of Targye, where we stopped in the house of an old man, -who invited us to be his guests in the hope of getting some medicine -for dyspepsia from which he was suffering. He put us up in his -storehouse, amidst his barley, yak-hair bags, farming implements, etc. -He had manufactured some rugs, and I bought one from him for a couple -of rupees. The villagers, hearing of my purchase, brought me a number -of their choicest carpets, but the price asked was larger than I cared -to give. - -December 6.—I learnt with pleasure from my host that the Minister of -Temporal Affairs (Kyab ving [71]) of Ulterior Tibet (Tsang) was Phendi -Khangsar, to whom I was well known. My host and his wife came and -begged some medicine, and I prepared for him an effervescent draught, -which the old man swallowed with much difficulty. “Oh, sir,” he -exclaimed, “it boiled and foamed even as it ran down my throat; it must -be a medicine of wonderful potency! I never took such a drink in my -life, nor heard of its like before!” And the spectators all said, in -amazement, “This amchi is a miracle-worker (tulpa); his medicine boils -in cold water.” And so my fame was noised abroad. - -Crossing the Yaru la, we made for Kurma, before reaching which place we -experienced some difficulty in crossing the broad bed of the frozen -river. [72] Near the village we saw in the fields several wild asses -(kyang), some wild goats (ragyo), and wild sheep (nao). At Kurma we put -up in the house of a doctor, an acquaintance of Phurchung, who had -brought him a quantity of medicines the amchi had the year past -commissioned him to buy at Darjiling. Our supply of meat being -exhausted, Ugyen bought a sheep’s carcass (pagra). When the sheep get -very fat, the people, for fear of losing any of the fat by skinning -them, roast the whole as they would a pig. [73] - -December 7.—Leaving Kurma early in the morning, we arrived at Iago [74] -by 6 p.m., where we got accommodations in the house of a rich farmer, -paying him a tanka as room-rent (nala). I had been feeling very badly -all day, but Phurchung whispered to me to let no one know I was ill, as -sick men are not admitted into people’s dwellings in this country. - -December 8.—By 10 a.m. we reached Tamar, [75] in the valley of the Re -chu, here thickly dotted with hamlets. Numerous flocks of pigeons and -swallows were picking worms and grain in the fields, and Ugyen told me -that the pigeons were a serious nuisance to the people, for they are -not allowed to kill them, animal life being held sacred. - -We passed the foot of the hill on which the Regyinpai lamasery [76] is -situated, and by 2 p.m. came to Labrang dokpa; but finding all the -houses closed, we continued on to the Nambu la, [77] crossing which we -reached the village of Nambu, where we stopped in the house of a friend -of Phurchung. - -December 9.—We arose by 3.30 in the morning, and put on our best -clothes, for to-day we were to enter Tashilhunpo. Travellers were more -numerous now; we met several parties of traders with yaks and donkeys -or laden sheep going to or coming from Shigatse. The day was cold, and -there was a light wind blowing. I alternately rode and walked, and -though I was by this time greatly reduced in flesh by the hardships I -had had to encounter, I was in high spirits at the success which had so -far attended me. Not so Ugyen: he was ill, and fretted fearfully, his -appearance was repulsive, and his language to the Tang-lung men, whose -ponies we rode, was most abusive, but they bore patiently with him. At -9 o’clock we passed through Chuta, and an hour later came to the -village of Jong Luguri, [78] where I was most kindly received by my -former host of 1879, Lobdon puti. I ate a couple of eggs and drank a -few cups of tea; then, reloading our ponies, we paid our bill (jaltse) -and set out for Tashilhunpo, where we arrived by half-past four, -entering it by the small western entrance marked by two chortens. [79] - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -RESIDENCE AT TASHILHUNPO. - - -We entered the monastery of Tashilhunpo by the little western gate, in -front of which stand two chortens—one very large with a gilt spire, the -other smaller but neatly constructed. I walked along the narrow lane, -lined on either side by lofty buildings, with the measured steps and -grave demeanour which all wearers of the sacred costume are supposed to -have. The rays of the setting sun shone on the gilded spires of the -houses and tombs in the monastery, and made a most enchanting picture. -[80] - -The minister, I learned from his head cook (Machen [81]), whom I now -met, had gone to Dongtse, his native town, but he had left instructions -that I be lodged in the Targod chyi-khang until his return. - -Though the news of the absence of my friend Phendi Khang-sar somewhat -damped my spirits, yet the pleasing thought of having been able for the -second time to visit Tashilhunpo was a source of infinite -gratification. The Machen opened the padlock which closed the great -door of the house, and ushered me in with outstretched hands and -greetings of “Pundib la, chyag-pheb nang,” “Welcome, Mr. Pundit.” [82] - -The building was a three-storied one, the ground floor, adjoining which -were two stables, being used as a godown. The rooms on the first floor -were spacious and neat, but very cold on account of the height of the -roof and the absence of sunlight. The third story, though it looked -snug, was exposed to the wind, and therefore uninhabitable. The -minister’s steward (Nerpa [83]), coming in while we were looking over -the house, recommended the first floor for our residence, as it would -be warm in winter, when much air is not desirable. Having made up my -mind to occupy it, he had the rooms dusted, and removed some two -hundred volumes, a pile of printing-blocks, boards, and tables with -which the rooms were encumbered; and then, some thickly stuffed -cushions having been spread, on which our carpets and rugs were placed, -he begged us to be seated. Cups were placed on some small tables before -us, and tea was brought from the minister’s kitchen and served us by -the head cook. A few twisted biscuits, [84] some pieces of mutton and -tsamba were put before me, and from another teapot tea, of evidently an -inferior quality, was served to my companions. - -The Nerpa told me that we were to be lodged here by the minister’s -order, but if we did not like the place we might write to him on the -subject, and he would have the letter forwarded to Dongtse. The -remoteness of the house, with only that of the minister near it, and, -above all, its location near the western gate, gave it peculiar -advantages, which appeared to me very essential for my purposes, and we -had every reason to be delighted at the forethought of our patron, who -had shown himself so anxious about our safe arrival and comfort. - -When the Nerpa and Machen had left us, I consulted with Ugyen about -making presents to the servants of the minister and to our former -acquaintances. Money, being very scarce in Tibet, is valued above all -things, so that for the renewal of our former acquaintance we could do -nothing better than to make presents of silver coin and scarves -(khatag). - -Later on in the evening we returned the visits of the steward and his -comrades, and presented them with rupees, eight-anna or four-anna -pieces, according to the importance of their respective offices. With -difficulty we persuaded them to accept the presents, for they feared -lest the minister might be vexed at their taking money from me. - -December 10.—Ugyen and Phurchung were up by daylight, arranging things -and buying firewood and other necessaries. Shortly after I had arisen -the men we had hired at Tang-lung to lead our ponies came in for their -rewards. I gave each of them six tankas, and some twisted biscuits to -carry home to their children, all of which pleased them greatly. It -felt strange to me not to have a day’s journey before me, so accustomed -had I become to daily travel, instead of which I could sit peacefully -reclining on my cushions on the balcony, lighted up by the rays of the -morning sun. Phurchung was the only servant I now had to attend on both -myself and Ugyen, so it was decided to hire a man to help him in -fetching water and in blowing the bellows. We had to wait till the -Shigatse market (tom) opened at 11 o’clock before we could get any -breakfast, for our provisions were exhausted. Both Ugyen and Phurchung -went to the market, from which they shortly returned with butter, salt, -mutton, tsamba, phing, [85] and a few Chinese cakes for me. They had -been surrounded on the way by two parties of beggars (Rogyaba), who, -recognizing Ugyen as a new arrival from Sikkim, had by alternate -threats and solicitations succeeded in squeezing from him several -silver pieces. They had also seen an altercation between a woman -selling salt and some Khamba traders. One of the latter had bought -several seers of salt from the woman, and had offered her a debased -tanka in payment, which she had refused. The Khamba would not return -the salt or pay in better coin; he called six or seven of his friends -to him, threw the salt on the ground, and wanted to beat the woman, -whom there was no police to protect. It ended by the savage Khamba -walking off unmolested, and the poor woman losing her salt. Ugyen was -greatly surprised at the lawlessness of the people in the market, their -violence towards the helpless, and the absence of police supervision. I -smiled at his fears, and told him to take a hearty breakfast. In the -evening I called at the Phuntso Khangsar, and learnt from the steward -that Kusho Tung-chen, [86] the minister’s secretary, would be back on -the following afternoon. - -December 11.—My breakfast consisted of a cup of broth (tugpa), with -tsamba, radishes, marrow, and minced mutton, a little salt and some -dried cheese (chura) in it. When it was over Ugyen and Phurchung went -to market, and on the way they met Choi-tashi, a Mongol monk, whom I -had once helped at Darjiling with food and money. The faithful Mongol -had not forgotten my kindness: as soon as he saw Ugyen he threw his -arms around him and led him to his home in the lamasery. Ugyen learnt -from him of the whereabouts of some of my old acquaintances—Lob-zang -Tanzing and other Mongol friends. Lob-zang had failed to pass his final -examination for admission into the monastery, in which it is required -of candidates to repeat without a single omission or mistake 120 pages -of selected sacred texts, [87] so he had been deprived of subsistence -allowances, and had seen his name struck off the roll of monks. He had -in consequence left Tashilhunpo four months before my arrival for his -native land, proposing to visit Lhasa on the way. - -In the market Ugyen met another old acquaintance, the Chinese head of -the Shigatse police, who invited him into his house, where his mistress -(ani) served them chang and a dish of vermicelli (jya tug). [88] Then -the Chinaman told Ugyen of the recent row in which the junior Amban had -been involved, and of his own incredibly swift ride to Lhasa to carry -dispatches to the senior Amban. As the senior Amban, together with the -Shape Sa-wang rampa and Lhalu, had come to Shigatse to settle the -trouble, the head constable claimed for himself no small share in the -successful termination of the affair. It was also said that the Shape, -together with the Amban, had decided to enforce the circulation of -every kind of silver coin, no matter how debased. The distinction made -in the Shigatse market between good and bad coin was considered to be -productive of much inconvenience to trade, and so they had forbidden -it. The same order had been recently enforced at Lhasa, to the great -convenience and satisfaction of the people. Secret orders were issued -to arrest the few respectable monied men who might offer objections to -the enforced circulation of debased coin, by which means all trouble in -the matter, it was hoped, would be averted. In consequence of this -Ugyen took care not to get into trouble by changing our Indian coins -for Tibetan tanka, by exchanging them in the monastery itself. - -In the market-place my men saw several parties of prisoners loaded with -chains weighing twenty pounds and upwards. Some had their hands -manacled, others their arms passed through blocks of wood, not a few -had their eyes put out. The Government does not provide these miserable -wretches with food, but lets them beg their sustenance in the -market-place. They are more troublesome than even the Ragyabas, and -pour out curses and vile abuse on all who do not at once give them -alms. At 4 p.m. I was told that the minister’s secretary, the Kusho -Tung-chen, had arrived, and wanted to see me; so I dressed myself in my -lama costume, and, accompanied by Ugyen carrying a few coins and some -khatag, I went to the Puntso Khangsar. - -Being conducted into his presence, I presented him with a scarf and a -couple of rupees, and Ugyen did the same. We were then given fine -khatag, and asked, with an air of genuine cordiality and kindness which -greatly pleased me, to be seated beside him. A stuffed raised seat, -covered with a Chinese rug, was given me, and a small table placed -before me. Ugyen occupied a lower seat, and the table given him was -also lower than mine, to show the difference of rank between us. Plates -of dried and boiled mutton, together with bowls of tsamba, were served -us. An attendant then brought from the minister’s shelves handsome -china cups, and, filling them with tea, asked me to drink with “Pundib -la, sol-ja-she” (“Please drink, Mr. Pundit”), at which I drank about a -third of the contents; for it is customary in Tibet not to drink more -than this at first, while to drink less would be a reflection on the -cook or the host. After a short conversation of no importance I -returned to my dwelling. - -December 12.—The secretary sent to inform us that he would be -despatching a messenger to Dongtse in the evening, and that if we had -any letters to send they should be ready before noon. We at once -applied ourselves to drafting a letter to the minister, which was no -easy matter, as the form of the paper, the margin to be left at the top -and bottom of the sheet, and the choice of complimentary words at the -beginning, had all to be carefully weighed. We tried to convey to the -minister how sorry we were in not having had the honour and pleasure of -meeting him at Tashilhunpo, and how thankful we felt to him for his -great kindness in arranging for our comfort and accommodation. We -begged him, if possible, to return to the capital for the good of all -living beings, and particularly for ourselves, who depended solely on -his mercy for the security of our lives. We also told him that the -lithographic press he had ordered me on my first visit to buy for him -in India had arrived at Lachan, where it was held by the prefect of -Khamba djong. Ugyen wrote a separate letter to the minister, and then -we took them to the secretary, who added a few lines to our notes, -asking his master to vouchsafe his sacred protection and mercy to us -who had come so far and had encountered such incredible hardships and -dangers. - -Returning home, I found Lupa gyantsaan (gyaltsan?), a former -acquaintance, awaiting me. He presented me some provisions and other -things, and offered his services to buy what I might require, and see -that I was not cheated. He also agreed to send me a good servant. - -In the evening I called on another old friend, a most respectable man, -Kusho Dechang. He was delighted to see me. Rising from his cushion, he -begged me come in, saying, “Chyag-pheb-nang-chig.” The steward (solpon -[89]) then served tea, replenishing my cup from a silver teapot -(chambim) as soon as it was about a third empty. Kusho Dechang then -questioned me concerning the present condition of affairs in Aryavarta -(India), and about its government under the Frang (Europeans). The -conversation then turned on the recent row with the Chinese and its -settlement, reached to-day. - -The two Chinese Residents at Lhasa inspect each year in turn the -Nepal-Tibet frontier, in order to ascertain the discipline of the -garrison at Tingri and the state of the defences and military resources -of the several frontier posts. As the task is a most tedious and -fatiguing one, owing to the desert-like condition of the country, the -Ambans draw lots to find out who is to go on the inspection tour. In -the latter part of October of this year it fell to the junior Amban’s -lot to visit Tingri djong and Shigatse. He started accordingly, -accompanied by an experienced Tibetan civil officer with the rank of -Tsipon (accountant), who was to arrange, as usual, for the -transportation of the Amban and his retinue by sending messengers -(ngondo) ahead to the different stations along the road. The Amban -decided to follow the northern road (chang lam) viâ Toilung Tsorphu. -Now, according to pre-established custom, the Tibetan treasury has to -pay the Amban a daily travelling allowance of four doche, or Rs. 500; -[90] but the Government of Lhasa, instead of paying it out of the -Government treasury, raises it from the people at the time of the -Amban’s journey and along his route. The obligation of raising the -Amban’s allowance then devolved on the Tsipon Kong chyang-lochan. On -arriving at Shigatse, the Amban demanded six doches, or Rs. 750, -instead of four. The Tsipon notified the people (misser) between -Shigatse and Tingri, and when they refused to give this amount, the -headmen (tsog-pon) were flogged, and their ponies and property sold to -make up the amount. - -Returning to Shigatse on his way back to Lhasa, the Amban stopped there -several days, during which he insisted on a daily allowance of Rs. 750, -which, the people protesting they could not pay, the Chinese soldiery, -by various oppressive means, tried to squeeze out of them. The Tsipon -tried to resign his commission, and then the Amban visited his anger on -him. In the mean time the people combined in a body to resist the -exaction, and, with the connivance of the two prefects (Djongpon) of -Shigatse, openly refused payment of the Amban’s unjust demands. The -Amban, furious, ordered his Chinese soldiers to arrest the Djongpon and -put the Tsipon in irons; but the former fled, and the soldiery were -stoned by the mob. The next day the Tsipon was tied to a pillar of the -Amban’s house and flogged. After he had received some fifteen cuts, -volleys of stones were thrown, and the Amban severely hurt before he -could escape into the house, and he was only saved from the infuriated -populace by the prompt arrival of the Tibetan general (Dah-pon) with -the troops under his command. Then it was that a messenger was sent -post-haste to Lhasa, and the senior Amban, the ministers (Shape) Rampa -and Lhalu having arrived, formed, with the temporal minister of the -Tashi lama (Kyab-dvang chenpo) and the paymaster of the forces, a -commission to investigate the matter. - -Their judgment in the case was made known on the 12th. It bore that the -two Djongpon of Shigatse should be degraded from the third to the -fourth class of Chinese official rank, losing also their position as -Djongpon for that of Djongnyer under new Djongpon; and that, -furthermore, each of them should receive two hundred blows with the -bamboo. The village headmen (tsog-pon) were to receive four hundred -blows with the bamboo, and be imprisoned for two months in the jails of -Re and Khamba djong. Eight elders (gampo) were to receive fifty blows -of the bamboo, and wear the cangue for six months. - -As to the junior Amban, it being proven that he had attempted to extort -more than his allowance from the people, the Commissioners decided to -petition the Court of Peking to no longer allow the payment by the -Tibetan people of the Chinese travelling allowance (jya-tal [91]) in -such cases, only supplying the usual travelling facilities. To obtain -this concession, it is said that two Lhasa Shape paid the Amban fifteen -doche, or Rs. 1875. - -Dechang then inquired what medicines I had brought, as he was suffering -from a cold and cough, and I promised to give him some later on. Then, -pouring the contents of my cup into the slop-bowl (shalu [92]), as a -sign of taking leave, I arose and went home. - -December 13.—To-day some 15,000 persons assembled at noon in the -market-place to see the arrival of the Kashmir Envoy with his guards -and escort in military dress. All the alleys of Shigatse, the courtyard -of Kesar Lhakhang, and the adjacent gardens were filled with people all -eagerly waiting for the temo (sight). There was the Envoy of the -Maharaja with some fifty sowars, all in uniform, besides a hundred -mounted followers of various nationalities, some Sikhs, Mohammedans -with flowing beards and white turbans, Ladakis in clumsy lambskin -dresses, Murmis from Nepal, Dokpas from Chang, a few Nepalese, and some -Tibetans from Kirong. There were also with the Envoy a number of -merchants dressed in princely style, and attended by servants in -liveries of silk and broadcloth. Some of their ponies were also richly -caparisoned with ornaments of silver and brocade of gold. The Kashmir -Government, I learnt, sends an envoy to Lhasa every three years with -presents (called tribute) to the Grand Lama. The Tibetan Government, on -receiving notice of the proposed setting out of the mission, has relays -(ta-u) of ponies and mules, about 500 head, and also coolies, prepared -at all the towns and post-stations along the road from the Ladak -frontier to Lhasa. Although so large a number of ponies and men is -hardly necessary for the Envoy, who only brings presents of precious -things of little bulk, the party avails itself of the privilege for the -carriage of personal property and merchandise to and from Lhasa. As the -mission passed by, we heard the people remark that all this splendour -and ostentation was at the expense of the Government of Lhasa, and to -the ruin of the poor people of Tibet. - -The origin of this tribute from Kashmir to Lhasa is as follows: After -the conquest of Ladak, Balti, and Skardo, Zorwar Sing, the famous Sikh -general of Maharaja Golab Sing, turned his arms against Rudok and Gar -in the year 1840–41. These two provinces, which produce the finest wool -of Tibet, and contain the wealthiest and most sacred of its -monasteries, were held by the great Buddhist ruler of Tibet as his most -valued possessions, and the Sikh general, by attempting their conquest, -excited the wrath of the Lhasa Government, who, applying to their -suzerain, the Emperor of China, was able to put more than 10,000 men in -the field. Zorwar Sing, with some 5000 men, invaded these two -provinces, and the governor (garpon) fled to the Chang tang, [93] -leaving the fort (of Rudok?) and the whole country at the mercy of the -enemy. The general established himself near the sacred lake Mapham -(Manasarowar), and sent detachments all over the country to pillage and -spread desecration in the holiest of Buddhist sanctuaries at Mapham and -Kailas; and one body of troops he posted at Purang, near the Nepal -frontier, to watch the Lhasa forces. The combined forces of Lhasa and -China now marched on Rudok under the leadership of one of the Shape; -and Zorwar Sing, whose contempt for the Tibetan soldiery was great, and -who underrated the strength of the forces opposed to him, sent some -small detachments of his troops to oppose their advance. These were cut -to pieces, when he himself, at the head of his troops, advanced to -encounter the Lhasa forces. The two armies fought for two days and -nights without any decisive result, but on the third day the Sikh -general fell, and victory declared itself for the lamas. The defeat was -complete, and the number of slain on both sides immense. The victorious -troops now threatened Ladak, and the Maharaja sued for peace. A treaty -was concluded by the agent of Golab Sing and the Government of Lhasa, -of which one of the terms was the payment of a triennial tribute. - -Talking with the Kusho Tung-chen of the severity of the punishment -inflicted yesterday on the Djongpon of Shigatse and the circle headmen -(tsog-pon), he told me that, besides those mentioned above, the -Djongpon had had the flesh and skin stripped off their hands. The -tsog-pon had offered to pay the mandarin Rs. 2000 a-piece to escape the -400 blows of the bamboo, but the Chinese had been inexorable. - -December 14.—The Tung-chen sent me one of his acquaintances, Norpu -Tondub, a Donnyer of Dongtse, with a request that I would let him have -some medicine, as he was suffering from dyspepsia. At first I refused, -as I had but very few drugs with me, and only in quantity sufficient -for myself; but, the Tung-chen insisting, I took my medicine-chest with -me and went to his house. Lifting up the lid, I displayed the various -bottles with their sparkling contents, the secretary, his friends, and -the servants all looking on with amazement, while Norpu Tondub, at the -very sight of the bottles, seemed to become certain of recovery, and -said he would pay as much money as I might ask. I replied that even -then I could not let him have any medicine, as no amount of money could -get me a fresh supply of drugs from India once these finished, for the -passes were all closed by the Tibetan Government. At this the Tung-chen -looked anxious, so I opened one of the bottles and called for a china -cup, and three or four persons ran to the kitchen and brought me half a -dozen large and small ones. I weighed the medicine in my brass balance; -the drams and scruples, which glittered like gold coins, perplexed them -much, as they thought I was a miracle-worker who used gold coins for -weights. I now told them that the two medicines when mixed would boil. -The very announcement of this filled the spectators with mute -amazement, and made the patient tremble with fear; he looked at the -Tung-chen and then to heaven with anxiety, evidently repenting him for -having pressed me for medicine, and seemed anxious to escape from my -hands. The secretary, too, looked aghast; but the medicines were mixed, -and to his mind they were too valuable to be thrown away; so, having -examined if the two mixtures were hot, and finding that they were not, -he encouraged the patient, saying that I was a great physician, and he -had no cause to apprehend danger from my hands. I told the patient that -he could depend on me that I was not going to administer poison to him, -and to be ready to take the draught as soon as it frothed up. All -waited with eager expectation to see the phenomenon, when lo! the -mixture foamed with a hissing noise, which made the patient shrink -back. I told him to dip his finger in the boiling mixture; and when he -found it cold he uttered the mystic sentence, “Om mani padme hum,” and -swallowed it, and said it was agreeable and refreshing. He then drew -from the breast of his gown a khatag and a few coins, and offered them -to me, laying the scarf on the ground before me. “Great physician,” he -said, “accept this little token of my gratitude, though it is not -worthy of your acceptance. Considering, however, that you are a pious -man to whom money is of no value, I venture to hope you will accept -it.” I declined the money, but at the request of the Tung-chen accepted -the scarf. With looks of open-mouthed astonishment and feelings of -endless admiration for the marvellous properties of the medicine and -for the wonderful amchi (physician) who disdained money, the little -circle of spectators returned to their houses and work. - -The punishment of the Djongpon had filled the people with fear of the -Chinese. They apprehended new insults at the hands of the Chinese -swaggering about the streets of Shigatse. People who had come to the -market from a distance to sell their goods were packing them up to -hurry off home. No provisions could be had, no purchases could be made. -Ugyen met some grain-dealers whom he knew, and begged them to sell him -some rice, but none would acknowledge even that they had any for sale. -An old woman who had sold us rice on our first visit here said, “Do not -talk of rice before the Chinese and their friends, for they will come -and take what I have away and throw some bad coins in my cloth. Come in -an hour or two, when the rascals have gone away, and I will let you -have what you want.” On one side of the market-place is a large -zakhang, or restaurant, where Phurchung and Ugyen went to appease their -hunger. While they were busy with their chopsticks the proprietor came -in. He was a nobleman of Tashilhunpo, head of the Tondub Khangsar -family, and held the office of Chyangjob of the Tashi lama. He asked -Ugyen whence he had come, where he had put up, and what merchandise -(chong) he had for sale. The lady, under whose immediate supervision -this establishment is, is no less a personage than the wife of this -dignitary. Her manners were gentle and dignified, and she spoke in a -sweet and polite manner. Her head-dress was covered with innumerable -strings of pearls, worth certainly not less than Rs. 3000, and besides -these there were on it coral beads, rubies, turquoises, and other -precious stones. Although she belongs to one of the richest and noblest -families in Tsang (Ulterior Tibet), besides being connected with the -family from which the Tashi lama has sprung, yet she does not feel it -beneath her dignity to keep the accounts of the inn and superintend the -work of the servants. - -December 15.—To-day was the twenty-fifth of the tenth Tibetan moon, and -one of the greatest holidays of the Gelugpa Church, being the -anniversary of the death of Tsongkhapa. It is known as Gadan namchoi. -In every chapel new torma [94] of tsamba take the place of the old -ones, which are now thrown away. - -Late in the afternoon the Mongol monk Lobzang tanzing, to whom I have -previously referred, came to pay me his respects, and presented me a -long khatag and the carcass of a large sheep. He had only a few days -before been released from a two-months’ imprisonment, under suspicion -of being implicated in a case of forgery, and had been repeatedly -flogged. His tutor had been sentenced to three years of imprisonment, -and had been sent to the prison of Khamba djong. - -In the evening the monks of Tashilhunpo busied themselves illuminating -their chapels. Hundreds of butter-lamps were tastefully placed in rows -on the roof of every building in the lamasery. The Government supplies -butter to every house in the town and to every resident monk, to enable -them to contribute towards the illumination. From the roof of my house -I saw the illuminations to great advantage. The fantastic roofs of the -four tombs (gyophig) of the Tashi lamas were beautifully lit up. The -mitre-shaped spires, the upturned eaves of the temple looked most -gorgeous, and resembled the illuminated tajiahs in a mohurum procession -in India. The great monastery of Tashilhunpo, situated as it is at the -foot of a hill, presented a magnificent appearance. For an hour the -illumination was beautiful, but towards 7.30 o’clock the wind began to -blow a gale, and had soon extinguished all the lights and driven me -into my house shivering with cold. - -One of the newly incarnated lamas of Tashilhunpo, who had just arrived -from the province of Tu-kham, in Eastern Tibet, [95] took advantage of -to-day being a holiday to get himself admitted into the tu-kham tsan -order of monks. He invited the Panchen from Kun-khyab ling, and -presented to 3800 monks a tanka each, making also large presents to the -Grand Lama (of Lhasa?), his court, and the College of Incarnate Lamas. -At about 8 a.m. his holiness, the Panchen, [96] arrived, and was -received with due honours by the monks and State officials. The road -for about 300 yards was lined with red broadcloth and banners. Some old -lamas stood in a profoundly reverential attitude on either side of the -road, bearing divers sacred objects to receive the Panchen’s chyag-wang -(blessing [97]). Chinese trumpets, melodious flutes (gyaling), and -great resounding horns (dung ch’en) sounded in his honour. He took his -seat on an altar in the grand hall of worship (Tso khang), to preside -over the inaugural ceremonies. By 10 o’clock the ceremony was over, and -we saw the monks returning cheerfully to their cells, each bearing a -large flat cake, sticks of candy, and strings of beads. The new -incarnation, now admitted as a novice in Tashilhunpo, had gone through -the usual course of moral discipline and study like any other monk. -Within a year from the date of admission, every monk is required to -pass an examination in selections from the sacred books, of which he -must repeat from memory, and without a single mistake, 125 leaves. -Candidates coming from outside Tibet are generally allowed three years -to prepare for their final admission, which gives them the privileges -of a resident monk, with an allowance of food. Any one failing to pass -the final examination forfeits his rights to residence and his -allowances. Once admitted, the monk may rise, by dint of industry and -study, to the various degrees of lamahood. [98] - -At noon there was a large crowd between Tashilhunpo and the Shigatse -djong (fort)—men and women in holiday dress, monks from the lamaseries, -and not a few Chinese, to witness the annual rope-dancing. A long rope -was stretched from the top of the fort to the foot of the lower castle -bridge, a distance of 300 feet or more. Then an athlete appeared, a -white khatag tied around his neck, and took his place at the upper end -of the rope. With his face turned upwards, he invoked the gods; then, -looking downwards, he invoked the nagas of the nether world, raising -his voice to its highest pitch, and at times shrieking in a terrific -manner. Then he scattered flour on all sides, and sang a snatch of a -song, to which some one in the crowd sang out a laughable reply. He -then let himself slide down the rope, exchanging jokes thrice with the -crowd on his way down, and finishing with a shriek. [99] - -Phurchung and Ugyen, whom I had sent out to buy books for me, returned -towards 2 o’clock with a quantity, and later on, while I was sitting -making my choice of volumes, the bookseller’s son came in to carry back -those I did not require. I had a talk with him about different books, -and he gave me some very interesting information. - -I engaged also, to-day, a new cook in place of Phurchung, whom I -proposed sending to Khamba djong to arrange for the conveyance from the -Lachan barrier to Khamba of the lithographic press bought for the -minister. - -December 16.—Getting up from bed at 7 a.m., I spread two mattresses on -the third floor, opened the shutters, and, while basking in the sun and -sipping tea placed on a little table before me, began to turn over the -leaves of one of my newly purchased volumes. The residents of the -neighbouring houses peeped out from their windows to observe my manners -and habits. Henceforth I was careful to conduct myself like a good -gelong (priest). Reading attentively, writing and making notes was the -chief occupation of my days. It was not my habit to chant mantras, or -hymns, or say my beads, for in the former practice I was never -proficient, and with my beads I could only separate one bead from -another without any knowledge of the prayers meant to accompany that -mechanical action. - -The new cook has proved no improvement on Phurchung; he is a sloven, -and though I promised him a reward for cleanliness, he neither washed -his face nor cleaned his teeth, [100] and always smelled most -offensively. Finally I got Phurchung to make him wash his clothes and -face. Our breakfast usually consisted of a few pieces of bread, tea, -and one or two cups of a thin paste made of boiled tsamba, mutton, and -dried milk, and called yatug. In the evening I met the Tung-chen, the -minister’s secretary, and talked to him about getting the lithographic -press here. Two of his friends were sitting with him, one of them -engaged in munching a piece of boiled mutton. He told me that the -Tung-chen had toothache, caused by worms in the root of a tooth, and -could only eat hashed or pounded meat. The secretary showed me the -cavities made, he said, by thread-shaped worms (ringpa). He had killed -several, he added, by inserting red-hot pins in the cavities. [101] - -December 17.—A messenger arrived from Dongtse with a letter from the -minister asking Ugyen and me to come to Dongtse, a distance of about 40 -miles, which town he was unable to leave, for various reasons, for some -time to come. Before leaving I was anxious to start off Phurchung for -Khamba djong, and also to get winter clothes for myself, as the cold -was getting keener every day. Our house, like all houses in Tibet, had -no chimney, and as the ceiling was covered with fine Chinese satin, -dung-fuel was most objectionable, so I had charcoal burnt in the room -in nicely made earthen stoves (jalang), paying about a rupee four annas -a maund weight. - -At about noon a great procession arrived from Dechan Phodang [102] to -pay homage before the image of the Emperor of China kept in the -monastery. From the roof of the minister’s house I commanded an -excellent view of the southern and western quarters of the town. The -Tung-chen told me that to-day was a Chinese holiday, the anniversary of -their present Emperor’s accession to the throne, when all Chinese and -subjects of the Emperor are required to offer him homage and to pray to -Heaven for his long life and prosperity. Within the monastery there -exists an image of the Emperor of China, probably Chien-lung, to pay -reverence to which the procession I now saw, headed by the Lhasa Shape, -the Ambans, the Shape Bora of Tsang, was now advancing. Flag-bearers -and a mounted troop came first, then Tibetan officials, in their best -apparel of brocaded satin (kinkab), painted with the dragon of the -Tartars, and Chinese satins of various colours and patterns, riding on -richly caparisoned ponies, were marching slowly and solemnly towards -the western gate of the monastery. The Chinese were conspicuous by -their pigtails and petticoats, and, though very well dressed, were all -black and of villainous appearance, greatly contrasting with the -respectable Tibetan gentry, which forced me to think that they were all -recruited from low-class people from Western China; and the Tung-chen -told me that these men were noted in Tibet for their dissipated and -licentious habits. - -Some men carried boards about two feet square, on which were written -the Amban’s titles and his commission to supreme authority over the -whole of Tibet. [103] Some of these inscriptions were in Chinese, and -were carried by Chinamen; others, in the Tibetan language, were carried -by Tibetans. The Shape also rode, their advance heralded by two men who -warned passers-by to keep out of the way. Each was escorted by three -mounted men, one on either side of him, and one marching in front, -keeping off the crowd with whips, which they freely used, while two -grooms ran behind holding his horse’s tail. There were about three -hundred dignitaries and gentlemen of the provinces of U and Tsang, -besides the followers and retainers of the Ambans. The Ambans’ sedan -chairs were carried by eight Chinese soldiers to each, and some fifty -Tibetan soldiers helped to drag them with long cords attached to the -bars of the chairs. [104] After paying homage at the sacred chapels and -tombs of the departed saints, the procession came out of the monastery -by the eastern gate, and, headed by the Shape Bora, marched across the -market-place towards Kun-khyab ling. First came the officers of state, -then followed the paymaster’s (Pogpon [105]) party, then the Chinese -officials, followed by the chief Amban in his state chair. The flags, -carried in tasteful array, were all of China silk, those at the point -of the lances of the guard being of brocade, and inscribed in Chinese -and Tibetan. Throughout the march the Tibetans occupied a subordinate -position, and the Chinese displayed their superiority in every possible -way. Though the crowd had reason to fear a whipping from the Chinese, -who ran on all sides, they did not suffer from the Amban’s guard. The -junior Amban, as he followed on horseback, seemed pleased to see the -heavily chained prisoners, the recently punished headmen groaning under -the weight of their cangues. His sedan chair was carried by the same -number of soldiers as that of the senior Amban, and his retinue and -followers resembled his. Then came the other Shape with their -respective retinues. The guards were all armed with Chinese matchlocks -and long spears. Following them came the captains and lieutenants of -the army, with a hundred men; and behind these marched the yellow and -black turbaned officers of Labrang and the Djong. The Ambans were -received by his Holiness, the Panchen, with due honours, and they paid -him the reverence due to his exalted position and holy character. - -In the evening I saw the Tung-chen, who gave me a very valuable -manuscript entitled Dsamling gyeshe, or “General account of the world.” -[106] I carried it off with me to my house to read. - -December 18.—The Tung-chen sent one of his storekeepers, Tsering-tashi -by name, to Tondub Khangsar to get a passport (lam-yig) to enable me to -send Phurchung to Khamba djong and Lachan, to bring here our heavy -luggage. The tailor came at 7 o’clock this morning to begin work on my -winter clothes. We kept ready for him a kettle of tea on an earthen -stove. A cup, a few pieces of boiled mutton, and a wooden bowl filled -with tsamba remained all the time before him, and he drank some tea -every hour or so, making also three meals a day. His breakfast -consisted of mutton, tsamba, and tea; at noon we gave him a dish of -rice and mutton curry, tsamba, and tea; and at 6 o’clock he ate a few -balls of tsamba, put on his yellow turban (bakto), and, making a low -bow, walked off towards his home at Tashi-gyantsa. I was much pleased -with his steady work, which had earned for him the proud title of Uje -chenpo, or “head craftsman,” [107] and secured for him a tanka a day -wages, exclusive of food. - -December 19.—Tsering-tashi was despatched again after the passport. The -delay in securing it was occasioned by the Tung-chen not having tipped -the clerks and officials who had charge of the matter. The senior Amban -started to-day for Lhasa viâ Gyantse and Nangartse djong. All the -ponies of Shigatse had been requisitioned to supply his numerous -retinue with riding and pack animals, so the junior Amban and the Shape -could not get off for want of ula, and the local authorities of Gyantse -were ordered to supply what they could to them as soon as the senior -Amban reached their place. In the meanwhile the Chinese were strolling -about the Shigatse market, carrying off the best of everything, paying -nothing, or only a nominal price for the things they took. People -coming into town saw their ponies seized by the ta-u officers for the -Amban’s service, and started off with loads to Gyantse. My men could -buy nothing, for most of the people had packed up their wares and fled; -but they managed to purchase some mutton and rice inside the monastery, -and we found out that good things could be had there at comparatively -moderate prices. - -December 20.—I passed most of my day reading a collection of hymns, the -composition of the second Dalai lama, [108] which I had bought from a -Lhasan bookseller. To-day there arrived five men from Gyantse, whose -advent was at once detected by the Rogyabas, for these pests are always -on the look-out for new-comers, whom they at once surround with -clamorous solicitations for alms. Few can escape from their hands -without paying them something. As soon as the Rogyabas saw these -Gyantse men, they informed all the fraternity of the new prey, on which -vulture-like they pounced. Well do they deserve their name, which means -“corpse-vultures,” though, to speak the truth, they prey on the living. -[109] These Gyantse men brought news about the orders issued by the -Lhasa Government stopping the egress and ingress of all traders at the -frontier passes. The two Djongpon of Phagri were busy executing these -orders; no one, it was said, had eluded their vigilance and reached -Darjiling. Even some Bhutanese traders on their way to Lhasa were -stopped at Phagri; but another party of these people had started out, -in defiance of the Djongpon, for Lhasa. The Bhutan Government resented -such unusual interference on the part of the Tibetans in a trade which -had been carried on from ancient times. - -December 21.—To-day is the new moon (nam-gang, or “full night”), one of -the holiest days of the month. The conch-shells called loudly the lamas -to prayers. From break of day to an hour after sunset large numbers of -men and women circumambulated the monastery, some carrying strings of -beads, others prayer-wheels. Early in the morning the Nepalese, beating -cymbals and chanting Sanskrit mantras, walked around the great -monastery. - -Towards 10 o’clock my attention was attracted by an unusual scene to -the east of the monastery, where the entire space between the great -mendong of the market-place and the eastern gateway of Tashilhunpo was -filled with beggars, both men and women. Among them were people from -Amdo and Khams, whose eyes had been put out for crimes such as -murdering lamas; some were cripples and walked with crutches, some in -heavy chains and drawn on wheelbarrows, some maimed, others deaf and -dumb, others, again, still bearing traces of the torture to which they -had been subjected—a vast concourse of misery and pain. In their midst -stood the well-known Lhagpa-tsering distributing alms, an anna to each -one. For ten years past he had done thus on the first of every moon. -The circumstances which led this worthy man to undertake giving alms to -the indigent is very remarkable and instructive. - -Lhagpa-tsering had been a silversmith, and had by patient work amassed -such wealth that he established himself as a jeweller and banker. His -business prospered; in his shop were all kinds of goods—fine china, -besides pearls, coral, turquoises, and jade; and here came all the -great men of the country. He became noted also for his munificent gifts -to the lamasery of Tashilhunpo. Some ten years ago there lived at Shang -a saintly lama called Chyabtam lama; the purity of his life and his -vast learning had made him an object of worship for all classes of -people in Tsang. The jeweller Lhagpa, believing that if he made -offering to so holy a personage his profits in trade would increase a -hundred-fold, went to Shang and offered the lama Rs. 1250, besides -numerous objects of value. The saint refused them all, telling him that -they represented dishonest earnings, and were the property of a -dishonest man. “In a previous existence you were a great sinner, and in -your next you will be a crocodile.” - -On the following morning Lhagpa, filled with horror at his impending -fate, came and begged the sage to tell him how he might avert the -horrible punishment—what acts of charity, what good deeds would save -him; but the lama made no reply. Again the next day he came, and the -saint looked in his magic mirror, and said, “If henceforth you give -alms to the poor and helpless, of whatever station, creed, or country -they may be, on every new moon throughout the year till your death, you -will surely get immense wealth, as well as escape from rebirth as a -crocodile. There are no other means to save you;” and he sent Lhagpa -away without accepting his gifts. Since then he has been in the habit -of distributing alms on the first day of the moon. His example has -produced a wholesome influence on the merchants of Khams, who now show -some hesitation in cheating. A trader, when he cheats others, thinks, -as a general rule, if he is a Buddhist, that the amount thus gained was -due to him in a previous existence. This is a dangerous principle. - -Close to the cemetery of Shigatse, called Kega tsal, is the Chinese -graveyard, where there are about three hundred tombs of varying size -and very rude construction. At a short distance from this is the -parade-ground, about half a mile square, called Jah-hu-tang, and -touching it a walled enclosure, used for target practice with bow and -gun, in the centre of which is a large house used by the Ambans. On the -sides are high towers for the drum-beaters and trumpet-blowers. The -headmen of the whole country had assembled here to-day to muster the -porters and pack-ponies required by the junior Amban and the Tibetan -officials returning to Lhasa. Three hundred ponies were ready, and it -was decided that one man should accompany each horse. Orders had been -given by the Amban to requisition all the ponies in the province, no -matter whether they belonged to subjects, traders, or pilgrims. - -December 22.—To-day, at 9 a.m., the junior Amban, with a retinue of 300 -men on horseback, left for Lhasa. The owners of the relay ponies -followed them on foot, keeping pace with the ponies, or if they lagged -behind they were whipped by the men on horseback; so that some dropped -out and disappeared, abandoning their property to the Chinese rather -than undergo their ill treatment. Of the six village headmen exiled to -Re and Khamba djong for their share in the recent trouble, I learnt -to-day that one had died on the road, and another is hanging between -life and death. - -December 23.—To-day the Shape Lhalu and 100 followers, all on -horseback, left for Lhasa. The ponies and the men who have to accompany -them on the ula are treated with great hardship. They have to carry -their food with them, as well as provender for their beasts. In the -present case they had received but short notice, and are ill prepared -for the long journey. This forced service is, however, patiently borne -by the people, as it is a recognized custom of the country. - -The market to-day received a large supply of pottery from the village -of Tanag and Lholing, on the Tsang-po, a few miles north-west of -Shigatse. In these localities excellent potter’s clay is obtainable, -and the people carry on a profitable trade in earthenware with the -surrounding districts. The Tanag pottery has not only an extensive sale -in Tibet, but in the cis-Himalayan countries as well, where most -utensils are of untinned copper, and the Sikkim and Darjiling people -use them exclusively in preference to the earthenware made by the -Nepalese inhabiting the Lower Himalayas. The Tanag earthenware is -carried to the banks of the Tsang-po on donkeys, and there transferred -to hide-boats (kodru), in which it is brought down to the Patama ferry, -about four miles to the north-east of Shigatse. The Patama dealers, -who, by the way, raise fine crops on the alluvial soil along the river -banks, and make a good deal of money by fishing and ferrying, carry the -earthenware to Shigatse on donkeys that jog slowly along the road to -the jingle of big bells fastened around their necks. The Lholing -pottery is brought to Shigatse viâ Tanag; this locality manufactures -very large vessels for keeping wine or water in, and so heavy that two -men can hardly lift them. The Tanag pottery is so highly glazed that it -compares favourably with the Chinese and European earthenware sold in -the Calcutta shops. [110] - -There were on the market-place many wildly dressed Dokpas of the Chang -province. The women wore such heavy and fantastic apparel that one who -had not before seen them might well be taken aback. From a distance -these savages looked as if they wished to imitate the peacock’s gaudy -plumes in their costume; they had so many beads of glass, coral, amber, -and turquoise suspended from their headdress that one could hardly see -their faces. - -To-day the tailor finished our winter suits, consisting of a Chinese -coat (kwa-tse) and trousers (pishu). [111] The lambskin lining in all -the suits was quite neatly sewed. I was also furnished with a foxskin -(wapa) cap, made after the Lhasa fashion. Provided with these, I felt -well equipped for my journey to Dongtse. To make the linings of the -coat, I had bought about sixty fine lamb-skins at a cost of Rs. 7.8. -These skins appeared to have been obtained from very young lambs, which -must have died shortly after birth, for the cost of a single piece of -skin was not more than three or four annas, and as the live lambs would -fetch at least double that price, it is not likely that they had been -killed for their skins. It is, however, not unusual for the shepherds -to kill ewes for the soft skin of their unborn lambs, for they fetch a -high price. The demand from China for this kind of lamb-skin has, -however, of late years much decreased, and the practice of killing ewes -for the purpose of obtaining them is becoming rare. [112] - -In the evening Tsering-tashi brought us the passport from the Tondub -Khangar, to enable us to bring our things from Lachan to Tashilhunpo. -Though it is customary to issue passports in open covers, this one was -enclosed in a letter to the Djongpon of Khamba, and we were therefore -unable to know its wording, but feared from this fact that some orders, -probably to examine closely our packages, were contained in it. The -Tung-chen, however, did not apprehend that any trouble would arise from -this fact, but we could not share his confidence. - -December 24.—In the morning, after washing, I went upstairs to sit in -the sun. The cook brought tea and placed the pot on the stove before -me. I had emptied three or four cups, warming my numbed hands against -the warm cup, when Dungyig Phurching, a copyist, arrived, and was -shortly followed by the Khamba Dungyig. [113] I received the first with -“chyag-pheb nang-chig” (“Please come in”), extending my right hand -towards him, and, as an additional mark of respect to the latter, I -half raised myself from my seat and placed him on my left hand on the -same rug on which I was sitting. After an exchange of the usual -compliments, he opened a bundle of papers and showed me an almanac he -was engaged in copying for the minister. - -He said he was sorry that he was unable to copy the manuscript of the -Dsam-ling-gyeshe, but recommended Dungyig Phurching; and the latter -agreed to do the copying at the rate of six leaves for a tanka, -exclusive of ink and paper. - -To-day news arrived of the death of the Tsopon Shanku, one of the six -headmen, and the richest among them, punished on account of the late -riot. I saw several monks and laymen carrying from the monastery to -Shigatse three huge copper caldrons, about five feet in diameter, and I -learnt that tea and tugpa (a soup of tsamba, minced meat, and radishes) -were to be prepared in them for the entertainment of upwards of a -thousand beggars in honour of the deceased. The caldrons belong to the -lamasery, and were loaned for the occasion. - -During market-time Ugyen visited a Nepalese (Balpo) [114] friend in -Shigatse, from whom he learnt that Nepalese trade was suffering greatly -by the introduction of Calcutta goods on the Tibetan market. “The Balpo -traders,” he said, “used to make a hundred per centum profit in former -times, but nowadays the introduction of Calcutta goods by shorter -routes than the Katmandu one we have to follow has caused a great -falling off in our profits and the bulk of our trade.” - -Later on in the day the Tung-chen’s men came and told us of the -arrangements made for our journey to Dongtse, and that we were to be -ready to start on the following morning. As we would only remain at -Dongtse a very short while—for the minister was expected to return in a -few days to Tashilhunpo—we were told not to take many things with us, -and were not to hire donkeys, as we had intended, to carry our luggage. -I passed the evening writing letters to send home by Phurchung, who was -to start at the same time as we did for the Sikkim frontier. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -JOURNEY TO DONGTSE. - - -December 26.—We were up early, finishing our letters and getting -Phurchung ready for his journey to the Sikkim frontier. After tea I -sent Ugyen to the market to buy provisions for our journey, and he -brought back a large quantity of ping, a piece of mutton, and -vegetables, and also purchased some fresh gya-tug (vermicelli), of -which I had become very fond. Two strong ponies were waiting saddled -for us in charge of a groom at the western gateway (gyalgo) of the -monastery. Our traps and bags being made over to the charge of the -Tung-chen’s men, we left Tashilhunpo at 3 p.m., and rode off at a -gentle trot towards the village of Tashi-gyantsa. The Tung-chen wore -his church raiment, and a silk-lined chosa, [115] or clerical hat, -covered his head; but as soon as we had reached this village he changed -it for a fox-skin cap lined with brown satin. The view of Tashilhunpo -from Tashi-gyantsa was most beautiful, and the four gilded tombs of the -former Tashi lamas, situated in the middle of the lamasery, blazed in -the rays of the sun. [116] - -One approaches Tashi-gyantsa by a lane cut through a hillock some 20 -feet high, on top of which the village stands. The alleys are crooked -and dirty, the houses of comfortable appearance, are painted with clay -in bands of red, black, and blue colour, and surrounded by walls -forming a courtyard in front of each. On the left of the road is a -neatly constructed mendong. The whole village is inhabited by clerks, -copyists, painters, and artisans from Tashilhunpo, most of whom get -allowances (pod) from Labrang. Cattle (jo) are plentiful in the -village, and as we passed, a few yaks with pack-saddles on their backs -were being led off from the village by two tall, savage-looking men -dressed in goatskin gowns (bokhu). The old people sat in their -doorways, warming themselves in the sun, and a caravan of yaks and -donkeys had halted at the chorten just outside the village. - -We passed by Perong shavea, a group of hamlets, in the midst of which -is a little garden and a willow grove; then by the village of -Deki-rabdan; and when two miles from Tashi-gyantsa we reached the large -village of Khara Tedong, the chief of which is a Dahpon (general), -lately dismissed from a command at Gartok, near Rudok. Judging from the -outward appearance of the houses, the village is prosperous. Passing -the villages of Sunapara and Sarsha, and leaving Doring and Semaron on -our right, we came, after two miles, to the Num chu, now a nearly -dried-up stream, which comes down from the mountains to the north-west -of Nartang, which border the plateau-like valley of Chyugpu shung. A -little to the east of this stream is the large village of Gyatso-shar, -composed of a dozen hamlets forming two or three groups. - -At 5 p.m. we reached the village of Chyang chu, about a quarter of a -mile from the Num chu, belonging to our friend the minister. To the -east of the hamlet is a little garden, and in it a small house called -Lobding; here the minister spends a few days during the autumn -holidays, and takes the baths. Chyang chu is the birthplace of the -Tung-chen, and we put up in his house, at the gate of which were -chained two big mastiffs. Two servants assisted us to alight from our -ponies, and two held the dogs back while we walked in. The headman of -the village, the Deba Shikha, [117] received us, and recognized me as -an old acquaintance. We were conducted to the central room of the upper -story, where we found two stuffed seats (bu-dan) spread for us. The -room, though spacious, was dark and dusty, and a heap of yak-hair bags, -resembling Indian gunnies, filled a corner of the room. My servant, -Lhagpa-sring, spread my khamba rug on the seats, and busied himself -fetching our bags and traps from the courtyard. The Deba presently -arrived, and begged us to refresh ourselves with tea and chang. Lhagpa, -looking with peculiar eagerness at the maid-servant who was pouring -chang in Ugyen’s cup, winked at her to fill his cup from her bowl, but -to his disappointment she turned away; but shortly after another maid -appeared with a large bowl, and poured out wine to the servants. Then -the Deba’s wife, with a very pretty jug in her hand, came to serve me, -but I declined. After a few minutes dinner was served in tin-lined -copper dishes resembling salad-bowls, the first course consisting of -minced mutton and tsamba. This was followed by minced mutton and -vermicelli, the Deba waiting upon me himself, to show me the attention -due to a guest from a distant country. - -After dinner the Tung-chen, who had taken his meal in a separate room, -led me to his mother’s room, where old lady Angla [118] and the Deba’s -son, Damdul, were sitting around a blazing fire in a stove (jalang). -The old lady had seen upwards of eighty summers, and her hair was snowy -white. I joined the party, which was shortly added to by the entrance -of several other members of the household, and we sat drinking tea and -talking of the sacred cities of India, of Vajrashena, Varanasi, and -Kapilavastu, and the state of Buddhism in modern India. Angla sighed -repeatedly when she heard that all their sacred places in India were -now in ruins. I then gave her a short history of ancient India and -Tibet, which delighted the whole party, and the Tung-chen expressed -himself highly pleased with my narrative. Before taking leave for the -night of my kind host, I presented the Tung-chen with a couple of -rupees, and his mother with one. They very reluctantly accepted them, -saying, however, that as it was their duty to please me, they would not -deny me the pleasure of making them presents. Lhagpa led me to my bed, -which was spread in a corner of the room where we had dined; and the -Deba, coming in to see if I was comfortable, found my wraps rather -light, and brought me two thick blankets, in which my servant wrapped -me up. - -December 26.—The Deba has a dozen jomo and cows yielding plenty of -milk. A jomo yields four times the quantity of milk which a cow or -female yak gives. The di yak cow, which pastures on mountain-tops, -yields ordinarily two seers of milk a day, is not much prized, though -yak milk is both sweet and wholesome; but the Tibetans value very -highly the jo, which is, besides a good milker, most useful in -husbandry. - -The women of the house were up by four and busy milking and churning. -The village looked from afar like one big house, but it is in reality -composed of a number of houses, each with a courtyard in front. The -place is vulgarly called the “Anthill” (Dog tsang [119]), on account of -the great number of serfs inhabiting it. After breakfast, which -consisted of boiled mutton, minced radish, and pa-tug, or balls of -flour cooked in mutton broth, we mounted our ponies and started off. - -To the south-west of Gyatsho-shar [120] is the plateau of Chyugpu -Shung, dotted with numerous hamlets, chief of which is Lhena djong. -About two miles from Chyang chu is Norgya Nangpa, with numerous hamlets -surrounding it, and one mile and a half to the east of Norgya, where -the valley approaches the edge of the mountains to the south, is Kena, -[121] composed of a dozen hamlets. The houses of Kena are well built -and prosperous looking, the door-frames and windows showing -considerable taste, and the walls of most of them painted with long -blue and red stripes, the favourite colours of the Tibetans. From Kena -the mountains of Pankor-shornub, [122] notorious as a lair of brigands, -were clearly discernible, and far to the east, across the Nyang chu, we -could just discern the village of Sanga-ling. At Kena we crossed, by a -culvert some fifteen feet long, an irrigation canal which comes down -from Nyang chu. From this point our way lay over a barren plateau more -than two miles broad; in the upper part of it are several villages, in -the largest of which is the Shalu monastery. A little above the -junction of the Shalu with the Nyang chu stands the hamlet of Chuta -Chyangma, three or four dilapidated mud hovels, the ground everywhere -overgrown with thistles and briars. Here, we were told, the Grand -Lama’s [123] camels are pastured in winter. The Nyang chu flows here in -several channels, and some cranes were seeking for food in the ice -along the banks. - -Going south-eastward for nearly two miles and a half, we reached a -fertile tract of land, in which stand the villages of Panam-gang, -Jorgya, Pishi, Penagangdo, and Natog, [124] which, we were told, -belonged to Hamdang Kam-tsan of Tashilhunpo. At Jorgya, which belongs -to the Djongpon of Pagri, the same who stopped Sir Richard Temple near -Chumbi, there is an irrigation canal running from the Nyang chu, and on -its bank is a beautiful garden bordered with poplars, willows, and -other fine trees. Its walks are tastefully laid out, and the -two-storied building in its centre is the finest one this side of -Tashilhunpo. In the principal lane of this village is a deep well about -four or five feet in circumference at the mouth, and a number of women -were drawing water from it in sheep’s paunches. - -A short distance beyond Jorgya we came to Pishi Mani Lhakhang in a -grove of poplars and willows, with a large orchard and several hamlets -close by. This place, which belongs to the Pishi Deba, is famous for -its manufacture of a superior quality of serge and broadcloth called -unam. [125] At the entrance to the Mani Lhakhang, a chorten-shaped -edifice, are rows of drum-shaped prayer-wheels. [126] Five furlongs -farther on we passed through Panam-doi, [127] and two miles beyond this -place we came to the village of Taugang (or Tagong). The trail—for -there is no regular road—then led by Patsal, Belung, to Penjang, from -which village we could see, on the hillside beyond the Nyang chu, the -large monastery of Kadong. We were now in the district of Panam, [128] -said to be very fertile, and to this the numerous hamlets scattered -about give testimony. A mile to the south of Tagong we came to -Tashigang, around which there is no vegetation, not a blade of grass -nor a tree, nothing but sand and gravel. Here we were to spend the -night. We were kindly received by an old lady, Angputi by name, and -shown by the servant up a flight of stone steps to the top floor, where -rugs were spread for us. Angputi had a headdress (patug) studded with -flawed turquoises and faded coral; she had worn it, she said, for -nearly twenty years, and purposed leaving it as a legacy to her second -son. Shortly after we were seated, her daughter, a nun who had lately -arrived on leave from her convent, brought us a kettle of tea and two -wooden bowls of tsamba. [129] The Tung-chen was given the room the -minister uses when travelling along this road. It was provided with -curtains, silk-covered ceiling, some nice tables, and had in it several -volumes of Yum scriptures, [130] a small chapel, two dozen bells, -oblation cups, a sofa-like altar, and a number of pictures. The rugs in -this room were made of the finest Panam wool, and were the best -articles of furniture in the house. After drinking tea, the hostess -brought me some boiled and dried mutton, tsamba, and tea. This kind of -present is usually offered to guests on their arrival in a house, and -is called solichi, [131] or “first show.” - -December 27.—Leaving the Tashigang valley, we came to the foot of the -range which here borders the left bank of the Nyang. Two and a half -miles to the south-west (east?) there is a precipice called Ritong, -where some twenty years ago two generals of Lhasa were murdered by the -usurper Gadan Gyahu. At this point we obtained a fine view of the fort -of Panam, of Gontai, of Takar, Palri, [132] and various other -monasteries. Up to this point the river banks are overgrown with furze, -brambles, and various thorny plants of which it is said camels are very -fond. - -Two miles to the west (east?) of this place we came to a large village, -called Tsog-chi, [133] with an imposing castle, formerly the residence -of several noted generals, but now the property of one of the chief -civil officers (Dung-khor [134]) of Lhasa. Close by is Dukpa-nagpa, -formerly a town of Sorcerers or Nagpa, [135] but now mostly in ruins, -and inhabited by only a half-dozen families. - -A mile and a half farther on we came to Norpa khyung-djin (“Eagle’s -Gem” [136]), where there was once an important lamasery of the Karmapa -sect. Its ruins crown the hilltop, and the village, of a hundred -houses, is scattered along the slope and the base of the hills. Near -this place is Nembotong and Pangang. [137] - -In the upland near Taimen, [138] a hamlet of three huts, where the wind -that sweeps the broad plateau on which this place is built has drifted -the sand in long waves, are the villages of Phola and Wangdan. The -former place is the birthplace of King Miwang, and the latter is noted -for the excellence of its rugs. Due south from Taimen, and at the head -of the broad valley which opens between that place and Norpa -khyung-djin, is the Gingu la, over which a trail runs to Retoi, or -Upper Re, near Iago, and also the fort of Darchung djong. [139] - -A little more than a mile in a southerly direction from Taimen brought -us to Shar-chyog Aniung, also called Isa. [140] The poplar and willow -groves around it give it a most prosperous appearance. Here we overtook -a monk of the Dongtse monastery, sent by the minister to fetch him some -books from the Kahdong gomba, near Panam djong. His tall, lithe frame, -but poorly covered with torn raiment, his curious boots and headdress, -and the bundle of incense-sticks slung like a quiver across his back, -evoked smiles from our party as he walked swiftly along, keeping pace -with our ponies. Across numerous frozen irrigation ditches, and through -various little hamlets of three and four houses, the road led us by -Taling, Dao-targe, [141] and Pangri, to the village of Nesar, where -live some twenty families. Just before reaching this place a mad dog -ran by, and though it bit an old man and several donkeys, the Tung-chen -would not let me shoot it. Nesar has, on the hillside above it, a -neatly built temple and a number of small towers, the latter sacred to -the sylvan goddesses or Mamos. The images of Shenrezig and Padma -Sambhava are painted on the walls of its mani lhakhang and on the -towers on the hill. A little beyond this village we fell in with four -Khambas, each armed with a long, straight sword, who were -unquestionably highwaymen. Their dress and features showed them to be -natives of Gyarong, in Markham, in the eastern part of Tibet. [142] - -At 5 o’clock we arrived at Dongtse. [143] The monastery where the -minister was residing was on a rocky eminence some 300 feet above the -village. After walking up several flights of stone steps, we reached -the gateway in the now partly ruined wall of the monastery. Near this I -was welcomed by the minister’s page, and led to the eastern room of his -master’s apartments, which had been set apart for my use. Before we had -finished drinking tea a message came calling me to the minister’s -presence. With two scarves and a couple of rupees in our hands, we -proceeded to the drawing-room, and approached his holiness with -profound salutations. He touched our heads with his hand, and returned -us the scarves we had in the first place presented him, tying them -around our necks. His holiness graciously inquired after our health, -and asked if we had not suffered great privations and hardships on the -way. We gave a brief account of our troubles in the snows and of our -miraculous escape at Tashi-rabka. “By the grace of the Three Holies,” -[144] I added, “we have overcome all difficulties, and now our delight -is boundless in being able to present ourselves at last at your -Holiness’s feet.” The minister expressed his regrets at our sufferings -and his pleasure on our safe arrival after an absence of three years. -He had to go to prayers, but before leaving he gave orders that all -proper attentions be shown us. Large dishes of biscuits, bread, fruit, -and meat were then placed before us, and tea was poured into our cups -from the minister’s own pot, as a mark of his special favour. - -December 28.—After we had finished taking tea the page Ka-chan Gopa -called us to the minister’s presence, to whom we gave a detailed -account of our journey. After listening with attention, he observed, -“Pundib la, I fail to see why you chose such a dangerous route as that -by the Kangla chen and Tashi-rabka, for you had the passport issued to -you three years ago by which you were permitted to return to Tsang by -way of Khamba djong. Did not the officials at that place treat you well -when you passed there on your way back to India?” I replied saying that -I had feared that difficulties might have been raised by the Sikkim -Durbar at the instance of the Phodang lama, who had of late been making -trouble in Sikkim. The minister again remarked that there had been no -necessity for our undertaking such a difficult and perilous journey -through the Tingri djong country, when we had the Grand Lama’s (Panchen -Rinpoche’s) passport authorizing us to cross the Lachan pass, which was -very easy and free from snow. After a short conversation he retired to -his contemplation room (oratory). - -December 29.—We had an interview with the minister in the Nihog [145] -on the roof of the Tsug-la-khang, over which a canopy had been spread. -His holiness said that since last I had been to Tibet he had composed -two large volumes on the history of the philosophical schools of Tibet, -and that they were now being stereotyped at the Namring monastery. He -showed us the manuscript of the second volume, and read us extracts -from it. - -December 30.—After breakfast Ugyen-gyatso and I went to make obeisance -to the deities (choi jal), carrying with us a bundle of incense-sticks, -two tankas’ worth of clarified butter, and about a dozen khatag, to -present as offerings to the gods. Descending a steep ladder, we came to -the lobby of the congregation hall (du-khang) of the Tsug-la-khang. The -portico faced eastward; its painted wooden pillars had capitals most -fantastically and picturesquely carved, the walls painted in fresco, -with relief images of the sixteen Sthaviras (Naten chudug [146]) -gorgeously coloured, but of a much lower style of work than what is -seen in India, though the thick coat of varnish which covered them hid -their defects, when not examined too closely. - -The most remarkable part of the building was the floor made of pebbles, -nicely set and smoothly beaten to make a glossy surface. [147] The -du-khang is about 25 feet long and 20 broad; the images of the gods -were arranged on a beautifully carved wooden and metal altar along the -north and south-west side of the building, the principal ones occupying -niches. Most of the images were very old, and of gilt-copper, called -ser-zang (“gilt-copper”), and had been made with much skill. The image -of the Lord (Jovo) Buddha had been made, the Tung-chen told me, by a -great Indian Buddhist in imitation of the great image of Shakya tuba at -Lhasa. [148] The founder of the monastery, Je Lha-tsun, once prayed -that the gods might send him a skilful artist to make images for the -newly built lamasery; and shortly afterwards an Indian visited Dongtse, -made this image, and then returned to India. The Tung-chen, when he had -told me this, smilingly asked me if I was not a reincarnation of this -Indian Buddhist, and I felt proud to hear of my countrymen being so -highly admired and venerated. Ugyen-gyatso prostrated himself before -every one of the images, and touched with his head their feet or body, -and I showed my veneration for these sacred shrines by touching with my -head their right hand, to thus receive their chyag wang (blessing). My -companions muttered mantras and made prayers to them, while I felt -reverential gratitude to the Supreme Ruler alone, whose merciful -providence had brought me safe thus far. - -The roof of the du-khang is supported by two rows of pillars of wood, -on the artistically constructed capitals of which hang shields and -quivers full of arrows, the arms of the Dharmapalas, [149] with which -they protect Buddhism against demons and heretics. From the ceiling of -the hall hang rich China brocades, with dragons magnificently -embroidered on them in gold and silver. Among the various pictures seen -here, the most interesting is that of the first Dalai lama, -Lobzang-gyatso, in which he is portrayed receiving the kingdom of Tibet -from the Mongol conqueror, Gushi Khan. His prime minister, the -celebrated Desi Sangye, is seated on his left, and is thanking the -magnanimous and liberal prince for his munificent gift on behalf of his -thrice holy master. I was also shown the dais reserved for the -minister. Opposite it, and at the top of the second row of seats -reserved for the monks, is a chair three feet high, on which the head -lama of the monastery sits during service. There is accommodation for -about eighty monks in this hall, and I was told that service is held in -it daily, at which most of the monks are present. They receive a -monthly allowance of sixty pounds of barley from the church endowment -fund (labrang gzi). This they parch and grind themselves, and bring a -little supply of it daily with them to the hall in a small bag, to eat -with the tea, which is given them three times during each service, and -is furnished from the church stores (labrang djo). On returning from -the choi jal, I was called to the minister’s, whom I found seated on a -satin-covered cushion in the shade of a nyi-hok on the roof of the -third story of the chief temple of the Tsug-la-khang. - -His page (shabdung), [150] Ka-chan Gopa, placed a cup of tea before me, -together with some tsamba, meat, and twisted sugar-biscuits. The -minister raised his cup to his lips, and graciously said, “Drink, -Pundit, please” (Pundib la, sol ja nang). I at once drank a third of my -cup, as etiquette requires, and every time he drank I also took a sip. -He made inquiries respecting the lithographic press and the various -other articles which I had brought to present to him, and which were -now on the way to Tashilhunpo. After dinner he showed me a work he was -writing on history, rhetoric, astrology, and photography. The latter -section he had composed from notes I had furnished him, in 1879, from -Tassinder’s ‘Manual of Photography,’ and I was delighted to see the -diagrams he had drawn to represent the various photographic apparatus I -had then left with him. He afterwards read to me an account of the -ancient controversies between the Brahmans and Buddhists of India. - -While we were thus engaged the page informed him that the Dahpon [151] -Phala and Kung Chyang-chan were approaching Dongtse, so we went to the -top of the fourth story of the Dongtse choide to see them arrive. The -Dahpon being the chief of Dongtse, the monks had to show him due -respect. When the party got near the foot of the hill on which the -choide stands, two monks in full canonicals blew two long copper -hautboys (horns?), two others played on a clarionet-like instrument -called gya-ling; and when the party came to the grove, or linga, in -front of the castle, the Chya-dso-pa [152] received them with his -band—a gong and two tambourines. The Daphon and his friend rode -spirited mules gaudily caparisoned with brocades and tinsel. They were -preceded by five sowars, and followed by an equal number, all carrying -lances with pennants at their points. The minister told me that of the -four Daphons, or commanders of forces in Tsang, two are ordinarily -stationed at Shigatse, one at Gyantse, and one at Tengri. - -December 31.—I was anxious to take a trip to Gyantse, which Ugyen said -was only eight miles distant, and could be reached in two hours. He -dissuaded me, however, saying it would not be prudent, as that place is -frequented by Bhutia traders from Darjiling and Phagri. At nine I was -called in to the minister’s, and read a few sentences of English from -the ‘Royal Reader No. 1’ with him. After this I asked to be allowed to -visit the great temple of Gyantse, called the “Palkhor choide.” “If you -want to visit Gyantse,” he replied, “I will arrange it for you; but you -must bear in mind that the people of that town are not good. They speak -much, and are given to spinning a great deal out of a little. I will -have the Tung-chen take you there.” Ugyen-gyatso then asked if he might -go there, as he wanted to buy me some blankets; and having obtained the -minister’s authorization, he left at noon. - -January 1, 1882.—For about half an hour the minister practised writing -the Roman characters on a wooden slate (chyang-shing) about two feet -long and ten inches broad. A little bag of powdered chalk was tied to -it; and when the slate had been washed and dried, the minister rubbed -the chalk-bag lightly over the board, and thus covered it with a thin -white film. In this he scratched letters with a steel style about a -foot long. I told him of the slates we had in India—how much more -convenient and neat they were than his rude contrivance. He smiled and -said, “My chyang-shing is a very nice one; even the great ministers of -China use the like; [153] but they are not clean. And if you can get me -a couple of your Indian slates from Calcutta, I shall be much obliged.” - -January 2.—In the morning preparations were made for a grand reception -of the Dahpon Phala and Kung Chyang-chan, the Tsipon. [154] All the -furniture of the room we occupied was replaced by choice articles from -the minister’s storeroom. Silk drapings and curtains were hung in the -waiting-room and lobby, beautiful silk cushions were spread in the -minister’s drawing-room, and its ceiling made resplendent with a -covering of orange-coloured Chinese brocade. Artistically worked -dragons appeared everywhere—on the ceiling draperies, on the curtains, -and even in the carpets. Handsome dining-tables, three feet by eighteen -inches, and two feet high, were placed before each cushioned seat. The -minister’s seat was placed as usual before a gilt chapel (niche), and -three feet above the floor, on his right hand, were seats, two feet -high, for his two guests, and to his left two other cushioned seats, -about eighteen inches high, for their sons. Pretty china cups, painted -wooden and gilt metal bowls, were set on the tables, and all the -curiosities and ornamental objects the minister had here with him were -conspicuously displayed. On the corner of his table was the beautiful -stereoscope I had given him in 1879, with some two hundred slides, and -in the middle of the table a calendar-watch and some toys I had -recently presented him. Different kinds of Tibetan and Chinese dainties -were arranged by the head cook, under the Tung-chen’s directions, and -the minister personally supervised the arrangement of the seats and the -decorating of the room. When all was ready I went on to the roof to see -the procession arrive. On both the roads leading to the monastery from -Dongtse the monks were waiting, bearing a dozen or so flags and musical -instruments—two flageolets, a pair of brass hautboys (horns?), or -dungchen, two tambourine-like drums, the same number of bells, and a -gong. - -At 1 o’clock the Dahpon and his friend, the Tsipon, together with their -sons, arrived at the Dongtse choide, escorted by the Chya-dso-pa. They -were very simply dressed in silk robes, Chinese jackets, soft yellow -woollen hats, velvet boots, and silk trousers; from their right (left?) -ear hung long earrings. [155] The Dahpon appeared to be about thirty -years old, the Tsipon a little older. - -Arriving before the minister, they thrice prostrated themselves, each -time touching their foreheads with their joined palms. The minister -touched their heads with the palm of his hand and blessed them, and -then they presented him with two pieces of red English broadcloth and a -handful of silver coins each. - -I was surprised to see such powerful and wealthy chiefs kotow before -the minister; but great is the triumph in this country of the Church -over the laity, and the greatest ministers of state fall down at the -feet of the incarnate lamas! - -Dinner was served with great ceremony. As soon as the minister had said -grace, all fell to with chopsticks and spoon, and partook of each -succeeding course in profound silence. After dinner, tea was served, -when at last the silence was broken, conversation began, and the guests -were shown the minister’s curios, the watches and the stereoscopic -views especially interesting them. - -In the evening there was a review in the pleasure grove, or linga, by -the commander of the militia, when exercise in musketry, running, -archery, etc., took place in the presence of the two dignitaries. - -January 3.—After tea I was asked to read English with the minister. He -transliterated the English words phonetically, but did not take the -trouble of spelling them, observing that his ordinary duties left him -hardly any time to devote to study. He intended asking the Grand Lama -to relieve him for a time from his numerous duties in connection with -the Church, when he hoped to be able to apply himself assiduously to -the study of English. - -Breakfast was now brought in, and consisted of a kind of pot-herb, -called pa-tsal, [156] cured in the cold draught, potatoes, and -radishes, which had been kept in sand underground. I asked the minister -if I might go to visit the Palkhor choide of Gyantse with the Tung-chen -on the morrow; and having obtained his consent, two ponies were ordered -to be ready for an early start. - -January 4.—The ponies were ready at an early hour, and after receiving -from the minister a few khatag to present to the deities of the Palkhor -choide, the Tung-chen and I rode off. - -Our way lay across fields watered by the Nyang chu. The Nyang chu -valley is one of the richest in Tibet, and extends from Shigatse to -about 15 miles beyond Gyantse, a distance of from 60 to 70 miles, and -has an average breadth of 10, every inch of which is cultivated. Its -great natural fertility, and its being so very favourable for the -growth of different kinds of millet and pulses, has given the whole -district the name of Nyang, or “land of delicacies,” and the river -which fertilizes it has been called Nyang chu, [157] or “the river of -delicious water.” - -Flocks of wild geese and ducks were swimming on the river, near the -bank of which our road now and then led us, and long-billed cranes were -stalking along searching for food. From the bushes of furze and other -thorny plants with which the river banks were overgrown, hares [158] -leaped out and made off towards the mountain recesses, and beautiful -little birds, probably a variety of kingfisher, were seen fishing in -the stream—but the Tung-chen said that though the bird was pretty to -look at, it emitted a most offensive odour from its body. - -Passing a few villages, we came to a stream flowing into the Nyang chu -from the south. Here were two flour-mills, of which we had seen at -least a dozen since leaving Shigatse. They were very large, and the -stones four times the size of our ordinary millstones in India. In the -village of Gyabshi the people seemed very industrious, the women -engaged with their looms or spinning, the men tending sheep or -collecting fuel from the fields. - -When we came within two miles of Gyantse, our attention was attracted -by the Tse-chan monastery, the entire north-eastern slope of a hill -being closely covered by its whitewashed houses, so that it looked like -a great castle of towering height. The Tung-chen told me that this -lamasery was nearly eight hundred years old, and that the great -reformer Tsong-khapa had spent several years here in the study of -metaphysics (tsan-nyid). I was also shown the Tinkar la, by which -herdsmen travel to the foot of the Lachan pass of Sikkim, this being -the shortest route between Gyantse and the latter country. - -A few minutes’ ride brought us to the bridge over the Nyang chu, a -light temporary wooden structure, about twenty feet long and six feet -broad, built on the ice which covered the stream. - -We entered the town of Gyantse, [159] passing beside a long mendong, on -either side of which were dwellings, and by a narrow lane reached the -gate of the Gandan Chakhang on the left side of the main street, and -facing the great chorten of the Palkhor choide. - -The Kunyer, or priest, of the Gandan Chakhang, an acquaintance of the -Tung-chen, greeted him, and, showing him to a seat, had tea served us. -We sent the groom, Lhagpa-rida, to the market to buy arrack, and he -there met Ugyen, and told him of our arrival. - -As we were eating our meal several pilgrims chanting sacred hymns -entered the chapel of the Lhakhang, and added some spoonfuls of butter -to the lamps. Some of them stared at Ugyen and me, observing to one -another that we were strangers from beyond the Himalayas, taking Ugyen -for a Sikkimese, but not being able to decide whether I was from Ladak -or Besahir. - -Ugyen told me of his movements since leaving me at Dongtse on December -31. - -He had left Dongtse at noon on December 31, riding one of the -Tung-chen’s ponies. On the road he met some of the muleteers of the -Dongtse Dahpon Phala, who were proceeding to Lhasa with barley, butter, -and meat for the use of Bangye-shag, Phala’s residence. - -Ugyen inquired of them about the state of the road to Lhasa, and the -best time to make the journey there. They told him that winter was the -best season to travel to Lhasa, for then there was no rain, and one -could easily ford the streams and get across the Tsang-po; moreover, -feed was cheap, and meat, barley, and wine obtainable everywhere. - -The following day (January 1, 1882) Ugyen visited the Gyantse tom. This -market and the town generally are inferior to Shigatse in importance -and in the variety of articles for sale. There were people selling -Calcutta and Chinese goods of very inferior quality. He saw fifteen or -twenty Nepalese shops and half a dozen pastry shops kept by Chinese. -The tom (or market-place) is the property of the Palkhor choide, the -great monastery of Gyantse, and contributes largely to its maintenance. -The monastic authorities also collect rents from the shops in the -vicinity of the tom, which do not belong to either the Government or -landholders (gerpas). The barley for sale was inferior to that of -Shigatse, as was also the chang, which was, however, cheaper than -there; and butter and mutton were in larger quantities than at the -latter place. - -The market only lasts for three hours daily, opening at 10 a.m. Ugyen -here saw, for the first time, women selling fresh meat and dried -carcasses of sheep and yaks. At Shigatse they never take part with the -men in this business. [160] Some of these women have amassed much -wealth by this profession, and wear rich headdresses (patug) thickly -studded with pearls, amber, and turquoises. - -Returning to his lodgings, Ugyen made the acquaintance of a lieutenant, -or Dingpon, named Nyima tsering, who was putting up in the same house. -Ugyen plied him with chang, and when he had become very jolly over it, -he questioned him about the military arrangements of Gyantse. The -Dingpon stated that there were ordinarily 500 Tibetan soldiers -stationed here. This force was divided into two battalions under two -Rupon. Under each Rupon were two captains (Gyapon) and four -lieutenants, or Dingpon. The commander, or Dahpon, of the Gyantse -troops was Tedingpa. Besides these troops there are 50 Chinese soldiers -under a Chinese official called Da-loye, [161] and the native militia. -The troops both at Gyantse and Shigatse are under the inspection of the -Chinese paymaster (Pogpon) of Shigatse. Nyima tsering told Ugyen that -the Tibetan soldiers were very poorly paid by the Government. The -Emperor of China contributes towards their maintenance five rupees per -man a year, and the Government of Tibet gives them forty pounds of -barley per man a month, but no pay in money, on the ground that they -are furnished by the landholders at the rate of one soldier for every -kang [162] of land. - -The Dingpon and Gyapon receive pay at the rate of thirteen srang and -twenty-five srang a year from the imperial treasury, but no more -rations from the Tibetan Government than the soldiers. - -The Emperor allows Chinese soldiers serving in Tibet a family allowance -of six srang a month and sixty pounds of rice per head as subsistence -allowance, in addition to their monthly pay of six srang. [163] On the -next day (January 2) Ugyen surveyed the town and its great monastery, -the Palkhor choide. A stone wall nearly two miles and a half long -surrounds the town. He estimated its length, by means of his -prayer-beads, to be 4500 paces. [164] At each pace he dropped a bead -and muttered om mani padme hum, and the good people of Gyantse who -accompanied him in his circumambulation (lingkor) little suspected the -nature of the work he was doing. When he reached the foot of a mendong -called Gojogs, and situated to the north of the Djong, he took the -bearing of the Tse-chan monastery, one of the most ancient religious -establishments of Tibet. It bore south-west, and was nearly three miles -from him. To the north of Gyantse he saw Ritoi gomba, a cloistered -lamasery with five or six long houses, each with a large number of -cells. To the south-south-east of Gyantse djong is the road to Pagri, -in the direction of the Nia-ni monastery and the Niru chu, one of the -principal feeders of the Nyang chu, which drains the northern glacier -of the Chumo-lha ri mountain. To the north-east of Gyantse the Nyang -chu is visible for a great distance, and Ugyen conjectured from its -course that it came from the snow-clad Nui-jin kang-sang mountains, -which stretch out to the north and north-east. On the uplands to the -north of Gyantse, and some three miles away, is the Choilung gomba. - -The Chinese cemetery Ugyen found situate at the foot of the hill on -which the Djong stands, a little above the high-road to Lhasa, and some -three miles from the town. He counted three hundred tombs, some of -which appeared very old and dilapidated, but a few quite new. - -The castle or Djong of Gyantse stands on the top of a hill nearly 500 -feet above the town. It is very strong, and was built by the famous -Choigyal rabtan who ruled in the fourteenth century over the province -of Nyang, of which Gyantse was the capital. This province was a part of -the domain of the Sakhya hierarchs. He had built a long stone-covered -way running from the Djong to the foot of the hill, by which he meant -to secure a supply of water in time of siege from the three deep wells -at the foot of the hill. Ugyen visited these wells, where -water-carriers were drawing water in hide buckets attached to a rope -about 150 feet long passing over a pulley. - -The landlord of the Litophug sub-division of Gyantse told Ugyen that -about eighteen years ago the ex-Dewan of Sikkim had come here on some -State business, and had put up in the same house in which he was now -stopping. One night about fifty sinister-looking Khamba traders -suddenly broke into the house, beat him with clubs, tore his earring -out of his ear, stripped him of his clothing, carried off all his -property, and thrashed his servants and forced them to run for their -lives. Some of the robbers ran away from Gyantse, taking the Dewan’s -property, his mules and ponies; but on the following morning, when the -matter was brought to the notice of the Djongpon, the chief of the -robbers, who had stayed behind, was apprehended. He said that a year -previously the Dewan had treated him and his accomplices most harshly -during their stay at Chumbi on their way to Darjiling, exacting from -them the last pice they had in their purses, besides depriving them of -all their property to the value of upwards of Rs. 500. The Dewan lost, -in his turn, over Rs. 1000 in cash, besides jewellery, clothes, etc. - -A well-informed Nyingma lama, the manager of Palri kusho’s (an -incarnate lama) estate near Panam Jong, came and put up at the house -where Ugyen was stopping. He was on his way back from Lhasa, where he -had stayed for two or three months after a pilgrimage to the Tsari -country. His master was studying sacred literature at Lhasa. He -promised to let Ugyen see the books of the Palri library, and to lend -them to him on the surety of the minister or his Chyag-dso-pa. He told -him, furthermore, that there existed two printed volumes about Choigyal -rabtan, the famous king who had founded the Palkhor choide of Gyantse, -but that these works and the history of Gyantse were now kept as sealed -works (terchoi) by the Lhasa Government. Ugyen also learnt from the -lama that in the recluses’ monastery of Lhari-zim-phug, situated on a -wild mountain to the east of Panam djong, there was a complete account -of the life and writings of Lama Lha-tsun chenpo, who had introduced -Buddhism into Sikkim. [165] - -At this season of the year the climate of Gyantse is very bad, high -winds blowing daily, raising dense clouds of dust. The inhabitants -spend this time of the year in idleness, having but little to do -besides weaving and spinning. - -Such was the information that Ugyen gave me to-day. - -When we had finished our breakfast we went with the Kunyer of Gandan -Lhakhang to perform choi-jal at the different shrines of Gyantse. The -chorten is a splendid edifice of an unique style of architecture. -Hitherto I had been under the impression that chorten were nothing more -than tombs intended solely to contain the remains of departed saints, -but now my views became entirely changed. This chorten is a lofty -temple nine stories high. Ugyen, I, the Kunyer, Lhapa-rida, and our -servant, Lhagpa-sring, went into the enclosure and entered the shrine -with a number of pilgrims and travellers, most of whom seemed to be -from Ladak or the Changtang. In the service hall, where the priests -were assembled for religious service, hundreds of lamps were burning, -and incense-sticks were smoking so as to nearly darken the room. We -ascended at once to the top story, but the other visitors began their -circumambulation from the bottom upwards—the usual practice, though -many become so wearied going round and round that they do not reach the -uppermost story. The chorten is about 100 to 120 feet high, the top -covered by a gilt dome, the gilded copper plates of which are so thick -that they have withstood centuries of exposure to the weather. The base -of this sacred edifice is, we found by actual count, 50 paces square. -From the cupola (pumpa), immediately under the gilt dome, I had a -magnificent view of the town and monasteries and the surrounding hills -and distant mountains; their black surface, broken here and there by -some white-walled monastery, offered a singularly wild aspect. - -There were inside the chorten innumerable niches filled with images of -Buddhas and saints, and in visiting the various chapels we were -required to do so walking from left to right, for this is the Buddhist -usage. - -On the first floor we were shown the statue of Choigyal rabtan, under -whose benign rule Gyantse became famous, and who gave a fresh impulse -to Buddhism and literature. The Kunyer of the chorten touched our heads -with the sword of this illustrious monarch, and said that by his -blessing (jin-lab) we could triumph over our enemies and enjoy -longevity and prosperity in this world. - -We were also shown two images of Dorje chang, the supreme Buddha of the -Gelugpa sect, [166] one of which was very old and of small size, the -other large and very highly burnished. Once on a time, the Grand Lama -of Tashilhunpo, visiting the chorten, touched the breast of the former -image to see if it was warm and full of life, as was popularly said. He -soon repented of his sacrilegious act, confessed his sin, and, to atone -for his wrong-doing, had made the large gilt image, which was placed -beside the old one. - -Returning to the Gandan Lhakhang, we were refreshing ourselves with -copious draughts of tea, when the abbot of the Palkhor choide, with -half a dozen disciples, came to make reverence to the great image of -the Buddha in the shrine, on whose right and left were images of -Tsong-khapa and Maitreya. - -The Kunyer remarked to me that I was peculiarly fortunate in having -come to Gyantse to-day, as it was the full moon, a sacred day with -Buddhists, on which day, and on the day of the new moon, the doors of -all the shrines and of the great chorten were thrown open to the -public. - -After an hour’s rest I went with the Tung-chen and Ugyen to visit the -Palkhor choide. Its grand “temple of learning” (tsug-la khang) is a -splendid and lofty edifice, the hall lighted by one thousand lamps. On -three sides—the north, east, and west—are high niches, in which are -huge images of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. The image of the Buddha is -made of copper, heavily gilt. Five hundred monks were engaged in divine -service, and some two hundred more were occupied reading the sacred -scriptures. No one lifted his eyes to look at us, so strict is the -discipline observed here. We were conducted to the great library, the -very sight of which filled my mind with feelings of awe and reverence. -The books were all old, broad-leaved, and some two to four feet long. I -was shown the sacred scriptures, all written in letters of gold. - -With what assiduity and devotion the Buddhists perform the sacred -duties of their religion, the deep interest they take in the collecting -of sacred books and images, and their zealous care in preserving them, -can only be realized by visiting such places as this. I was shown some -sculptures executed by Indian Buddhists, and some stone images similar -to what I had seen at Buddhagaya. The gilt, Indian-made images of the -Sravakas, of Saripu, Mudgalputra, Ananda, Kashyapa, and other arhats -were of exceeding interest. On each side of the image of Shakya Buddha -were four rows of monks, of twenty each, and in front of them burned -hundreds of butter-fed lamps. Behind the seats of the monks were drums, -each with a long handle; these the monks beat at intervals, and to the -accompaniment also of cymbals, brass hautboys (dung chen), and -clarionets (gyaling), they chanted hymns in deep sonorous voices. - -When exhausted by continual repetitions of mantras, they refreshed -themselves with tea. Wine is not brought within the precincts of these -Gelugpa monasteries; and, in fact, all drinkers of wine among the monks -are expelled from the Gelugpa Church. - -In the lobby of the monastery I found a grand collection of stuffed -animals, such as the snow-leopard, wild sheep, goat, yak, stag, -mastiff, etc., and a Bengal tiger. [167] - -Returning to the Gandan Lhakhang, we visited the second and third -floors of that building, where several recluses were reading the sacred -books. I was told that when the Tashi lama visited the Palkhor choide, -he puts up in this building, and I was shown the raised seat he -occupies when here. I also learnt that successful students among the -monks of Tashilhunpo are sent here to complete their course of study -for the degree of tom-ram-pa [168] (bachelor of sacred literature), -which this lamasery alone has the right to confer. - -In the portico of the building and underneath its eaves I noticed -several sorts of flowering plants in bloom. - -At 3 p.m. we left for Dongtse, where we arrived before dusk. The -minister’s page met me at the foot of the hill, and led me to his -master, who made many kind inquiries about my trip. I told him how -greatly I had enjoyed it, and that, as it was a holiday, all the -buildings, the great chorten and the temples, had been open to me. “I -rejoice at it,” he replied; “and I must say the gods have shown you the -way [lha lam tan song], for it did not strike me at the time that -to-day was a holiday. If you should have put it off till to-morrow, you -would have seen but very little.” - -January 5.—I called on the minister, and talked to him of my visit to -Gyantse. He told me that there were half a dozen chorten in Tibet like -the one I had seen there. There were now, he said, about six hundred -monks in the Palkhor choide, and an equal number in the adjacent -lamaseries, but in former times there were three thousand monks on the -register of the college. - -Ugyen-gyatso returned to-day from Gyantse, and told the minister of his -experiences there. He had been lodged in Litophug in a priest’s house, -where the master (nabo) and mistress (namo) showed him great courtesy. -Ugyen presented the minister a dozen oranges he had bought in the -Gyantse market for one anna each. I told the minister that these -oranges came from Sikkim. “Oh, indeed!” he said. “It must be a happy -land. In Tibet no oranges mature; at Lhasa there are orange trees -producing small fruit, which do not, however, ripen.” - -In the evening Ugyen told me a tale he had heard from the Chyag-dso-pa -of the Palri monastery. - -Once on a time Dugpa-kunleg, a famous but eccentric saint of the -red-hat school, was staying at Khang-toi shikha, in Lhasa. He saw the -wife of his host stealing a piece of amber from the bag of a beggar who -was stopping in the house, and putting an apple in its stead into his -wallet. The saint told her it was both sinful and criminal to act thus, -and related to her the following tale by way of instruction. - -In ancient India there lived two friends. One, a highlander, was a -dishonest man; the other, a lowlander, was upright and honest. One day -the two, while walking in a valley, found a bowl of gold. The lowlander -said, “Well, now that fortune has favoured us with a treasure, let us -first return thanks to the local divinities, and then divide the gold -between us.” The other rejoined, “Friend, the day is far advanced; we -can do all this to-morrow; let us rather take the bowl home now.” - -To this the lowlander agreed. The next morning when he called at his -friend’s house, he found him in a corner wailing and shedding tears. -“Ah, friend,” he exclaimed, “my heart is filled with grief and shame. -How can I tell you! The bowl of gold has been miraculously changed, for -this morning I found but sawdust in it. The gods alone know what has -become of the treasure! This, I am grieved to say, will put an end to -our friendship, for it will create in your mind a suspicion against -me.” So saying he began weeping afresh. - -The other, perceiving his design, said, with wonderful calmness, -“Friend, you need not cry. The loss of the treasure is not the greatest -mishap which might befall us. If we two continue friends, we should -hold ourselves very happy. Chance brought the treasure; chance has -taken it away; crying will not bring it back.” - -The false friend, thinking he had gained his end, soon dried his tears. -Before leaving for his home, the lowlander said, “Friend, I have not -mentioned something to you. In my orchard most delicious mangoes and -other fruits are now ripe. I have no children to eat them; let your two -sons come home with me that I may regale them with the luscious -fruits.” - -To this the other assented, and the two boys accompanied the lowlander -home. On his return to his home he bought two monkeys, to which he gave -the same names as the boys, and trained them to come when called by -their names. - -After a while the false friend came to take his boys home, when the -other came out crying in a loud and pitiful voice, “Friend, my heart -bleeds to have to tell you of the misfortune which has befallen you. -Your two darlings have been changed into monkeys!” “How can I believe -such a story?” the other replied. “If you doubt it, call your sons, and -you will see.” So the father called his older son by name, and a monkey -came leaping forth, and sat upon his lap, fondling him and chattering -to him as if he were an old friend. Filled with surprise, he called his -second son, when out came the other monkey, and climbed into his lap -also. - -After a while the lowlander asked his friend, “How can this have come -about? Tell me how it was that the gold was changed into sawdust; it -may help to explain this new wonder.” The other, fearing lest his sons -had been transformed into monkeys by the incantations of the friend he -had deceived, replied, “Friend, I deceived you when I said the gold had -been turned into sawdust. I have got it with me; we will divide it -equally between us. Is it true, my much injured friend, that my sons -have been transformed into monkeys?” “Oh no. How could men become -monkeys? Your sons are in excellent health, and are now in one of my -distant orchards.” So the two returned to their houses with their -respective treasures—the one with his children, the other with his -gold. - -Years passed by, and the two friends were finally summoned to the court -of the Lord of death, there to have their good and bad acts weighed. -Their moral merits and their prayers were also weighed, and the balance -turned in their favour. A game of chess was then played by the gods and -the demon, in which, by means of casting dice, the merits and demerits -of gods and men are determined. In the mirror of karma (mundane -actions) the two friends saw and blushed for the evil deeds they had -done—the gold turned into sawdust, and the boys into monkeys. The Lord -of death decreed that the uplander should pass five hundred years in -hell, and that the other should for five hundred existences be born a -monkey. The punishment of the latter was the severer in that he had -stolen human beings, and said that they had been transformed into -monkeys; but because he had desired to make offerings to the gods when -the treasure had been found, the gods had pleaded for him. - -Having finished his tale, Dugpa kunleg exhorted the woman to keep from -stealing, and threatened her with such-like dire punishment if she did -not desist. The woman put the amber back in the beggar’s bag, and the -saint left her house and returned to Lhobrag. - -Ugyen also heard at Gyantse that much was to be learnt concerning the -ancient history of that place in a work called ‘Nyang choi jung Nyimai -odser.’ He furthermore told me that he had heard that last year a -mendicant from Gyantse visiting Sikkim gave out there that he was one -of the discoverers of sacred books of which the Nyingma history of -Sikkim makes mention. He showed what he claimed was a very ancient -manuscript volume on the propitiatory ritual of Guru Thag-mar, a -fearful deity of the Ningma pantheon. The Sikkim rajah gave him a very -warm welcome, and, in consultation with the chief lama of his Durbar, -arranged to have block prints made of the text. Recently this impostor -had returned to Gyantse, bringing with him many valuable copper and -brass articles, silk gowns, and coined money. - -January 6.—The minister’s mother, accompanied by a maid-servant, came -to pay reverence to her saintly son while I was seated with him. I -could not believe that she was his mother when I saw her make three -profound salutations before the minister, touching the ground with her -forehead and receiving his blessing. She then presented him with a few -balls of butter and a khatag; and when his holiness said he would leave -for Tashilhunpo in three days, she wept bitterly. - -January 7.—Early in the morning we received a message from the minister -asking us to postpone our departure for Tashilhunpo, as the -Chyag-dso-pa much wished me to accompany the minister to his house at -Kye-pa Khangsar, where he proposed staying three days. - -The parents of the minister, accompanied by their youngest boy, came -again to pay their respects. The father, a quiet, respectable-looking, -elderly man, saluted me by taking off his yellow felt turban and -inquiring after my health. They kotowed before the minister, who gave -them his blessing by touching the crowns of their heads with his hand. - -At 2 o’clock the minister, dressed like a Buddhist cardinal, and -accompanied by the Tung-chen, ourselves, and his domestics, entered the -grand hall of worship (du-kang), the Tung-chen carrying a bundle of -incense-sticks and some khatag. The head lama threw some grains of -barley towards the images of the deities, and recited some mantras; -then the minister, standing, recited a short prayer, and approaching -the image of the Buddha, took off his mitre and placed a khatag on it. -Then the head lama took the other khatag which the Tung-chen had -brought with him, and flung them one by one at the other images, while -the monks who accompanied him scattered flowers before them. - -After this we circumambulated the monastery, and descended to the foot -of the hill, where the son of the Chyag-dso-pa, dressed in a rich -Mongol costume, was awaiting us with two spirited and richly -caparisoned ponies held by grooms, one of which the minister mounted, -while we walked the short distance which separated us from the gateway -of Kye-pa Khangsar. A band of drums, hautboys, bells, gongs, and fifes -marched before us, playing as we went through the lay town (sho) and -along a broad road lined with poplars to the gate of the Khangsar, -where the Chyag-dso-pa was standing to receive the minister. He was -dressed in a rich scarlet satin robe girded by a yellow scarf, a yellow -woollen turban, and a pair of Tartar velvet boots. His tall stature, -graceful looks, broad forehead, and uncommonly well-shaped nose, gave -him a commanding appearance. He greeted the minister with a profound -bow, and presented him a khatag, and received a blessing (chyag wang) -from the latter, who afterwards dismounted, putting his foot on a -velvet-covered stool placed here for the purpose. - -The Chyag-dso-pa salaamed to Ugyen, whom he took for me; and the -latter, not taking off his hat to return his salutation (or pay his -chyam-bu, as it is called), was reminded of it in a whisper by the -Tung-chen. - -We then ascended a flight of steps and entered the building. The -minister was conducted by the host to his drawing-room, while we were -led by his third son, Phuntso Yu-gyal, in company of the Tung-chen, to -the chapel, the central room on the first floor. The house was very -neatly built, with solid rubble walls and beautifully carved beams of -old poplar. There was a skylight in the centre of the roof; thick -cushions covered with Khamba rugs were placed around, and on these we -took our seats. A collation was served on little tables consisting of -Chinese cakes, buckwheat cakes, twisted sweet biscuits, and tsamba and -tea was given us by the Chyag-dso-pa’s page Pinu. After a little while -we were led into the Chyag-dso-pa’s presence, when we presented him a -khatag and a few rupees, also a khatag to his wife, Ama Tung-la, and -his daughter-in-law, Rinpoche. After dinner we were conducted to a -dormitory on the south side of the chapel, where we found three -bedsteads, and after a cup of tea we retired to rest. - -January 8.—Early in the morning we asked our host’s leave to start for -Tashilhunpo, but he was most reluctant to let us go, and, having -obtained the minister’s sanction to our remaining here two days more, -we postponed our departure. - -Breakfast was served by a maid-servant (shetama) and our host’s -daughter-in-law (patsa), Rinpoche, the only wife of his two sons. She -is entitled to be addressed as Chyam Kusho, though it is seldom used in -speaking to her. She is a young lady of about twenty, of modest manners -and intelligent looks. She lingered about until the servants and other -guests had left, with the evident intention of conversing with us. - -Ugyen-gyatso opened the conversation by asking her to what family of -Tibet she belonged. She replied by asking him if he had ever heard of -Kusho Mankipa of Tanag. “Yes,” replied he, “if you speak of Manki, who -is the maternal uncle of the Rajah of Sikkim.” “’Tis he,” she said; -“and he died last year without my seeing him. Are you a subject of my -cousin Den Jong gyalpo [the chief of Sikkim]? Oh, how I long to see my -aunt!” And she began to weep. “It is now full three years since I came -here, and never in that time have I been allowed to visit my -fatherland. Oh, I am miserable! I have to work continuously at the -loom, supervise the workwomen, attend to the kitchen, and serve the -meals. My mother-in-law is without mercy. She thinks my frame is made -of iron. Though this family is rich, they work like ploughmen.” - -She then begged Ugyen to inform the Sikkim rajah’s mother, Lha-yum -Kusho, of her trouble, and to persuade her, if possible, to take her to -Chumbi for a couple of months. I told her, by way of consoling her, -that she was a most accomplished person, married into one of the -richest families of Tsang, and might hope to soon be a mother, so she -must not consider herself miserable. “Do you know palmistry?” [169] she -suddenly asked; and placing her right hand on the table, she desired me -to tell her fortune by the lines on her hand (lag-ri). I was much -embarrassed, and told her that I understood very little of this art. -Fortunately just then a servant came and called us to the presence of -the Chyag-dso-pa. - -I took a seat on his right hand, and his wife, Ama Tung-la, occupied -one on his left, while Ugyen, seated a little distance off, acted as my -interpreter. The Chyag-dso Kusho began with: “In the sacred books we -find mention of Indian Punditas who laboured for the diffusion of the -enlightened religion. If you be a Pundita, as I hear from the minister -that you are, we are most fortunate to have you among us. I also learn -that you know about medicines, and I will later on avail myself of your -knowledge.” Then, calling his son, Phunsho Yugyal, he desired me, to my -great embarrassment, to foretell his fortune by the lines on his hand. -Being considered a Pundit, it was impossible for me to say that I did -not know such an essential science as palmistry. After mature -reflection I told him that although I had studied a little palmistry, I -never attached much importance to explanations it afforded of men’s -fortunes. The science was very little understood, anyhow, and, in my -opinion, it did not deserve any more attention than it had received: -nothing could be more unpleasant than a foreknowledge of one’s misery. -Human life was, albeit, full of trouble; it was for deliverance from -its recurrence that the Buddha has expounded the doctrine of nirvana. - -He listened attentively to me, and seemed to think very highly of me. -He said that if he but knew how long he and his son would live, he -could devise means of preventing accidents in consultation with the -minister, for in the sacred books one is told of religious remedies by -the use of which calamities caused by devils (dé) can be averted. He -pressed me to examine his palm, and stretched it out toward me. How -could I refuse, and how could I predict falsely? So I told him that -there are certain figures and lines in the palm of the hand from which -experts in palmistry can draw indications of a long or short life. In -his palm the line of life was very long; and as to fortune, it was well -known that he was favoured by the gods. - -Ama Tung-la then showed me her hand, and I said, “Ama-la, you are very -fortunate. The mother of three sons, all of them grown up and -accomplished men; the wife of a great man. What more can you want of -the gods?” She smiled at this, and said that for some days past she had -been suffering from a cough; could I give her some medicine that would -relieve her? I asked for some black pepper and rock-candy, and prepared -a powder for her. - -At noon we dined with the minister and the Chyag-dso Kusho. The dishes -were prepared and served in the Chinese fashion. Chopsticks and spoons -were used. The first course was gya-tug, a tape-like preparation of -wheat-flour and eggs, cooked with minced mutton, and soup. The minister -did not eat it, as he had, in common with all lamas, taken the vow of -abstaining from eggs. The second course was rice and half a dozen -preparations of mutton curry, rice, mutton with preserved vegetables, -white and black mushrooms, Chinese green grass, vermicelli, potatoes, -and fresh shoots of peas. [170] The third course (leu, literally, -“chapter”) was buttered and sweetened rice; the fourth, and last, -boiled mutton, tsamba, and tea. The Tung-chen told me that at sumptuous -entertainments thirteen courses are usually served. - -About an hour after dinner we visited Jerung la, the second son of the -Chyag-dso Kusho, who is a monk in the castle of Diba Dongtse. This -building, about six hundred years old, is built of stone of the best -quality; it faces south, and has balconies (rab-sal) provided with -shutters along each of its five stories. It is of a partly Indian, -partly Tibetan style of architecture, with a central courtyard about -100 feet broad and 200 long. Around this, on the sides, the building is -40 feet high, and has three stories, along the outer edge of which, on -the courtyard side, are rows of drum-shaped prayer-wheels two feet -high, and as much in diameter, that take the place of railings. There -are some three hundred of these prayer-barrels on the stories of the -three sides. The main building is on the north side of the court, and -is some 60 to 70 feet high. We ascended to the top story by a steep -ladder, and were there shown the gonkhang, [171] the shrine of the -guardian deities—terrible figures, among which I noticed three of -Mamos, resembling Jaganath, Balavendra, and Subhadra, of the Hindus. - -There were several chapels, in each of which was a resident priest -called am-choi. On the balconies of the wings three or four old women -were weaving blankets, and at the entrance to the building a huge -mastiff was chained, who made furious attempts to rush at us as we -passed. - -One hundred yards south of the castle is a garden (linga) with tall -poplars—some 80 to 100 feet high, and four other kinds of trees planted -in rows along its four walks, in the middle of which is a tastefully -built summer-house, its cornice and external decorations remarkably -pretty. One hundred yards away from it is a target for musket and bow -practice. - -While we visited the linga a greyhound [172] was running about it, but -he paid no attention to us. On our way homeward we passed through the -village where, under some tall poplars, tradesmen were displaying -pottery for sale. We also saw four yellow-turbaned men, who, we were -told, were the tax-collector’s understrappers. - -January 9.—While we were breakfasting Rinpoche came in, and again spoke -of her hard work and of the merciless treatment of her mother-in-law. I -asked her if her husband was not fond of her. “Oh, sir,” she said, “we -two are like one soul and body; but he is most of the time at Shigatse, -where he is the Dahpon’s steward” (Nyerpa [173]). She told me that she -had just heard that her cousin, the Rajah of Sikkim, was coming to -Tibet to get married. If his mother came with him, she could surely -persuade her to take her with her to Chumbi for a couple of months. She -also said to me that her mother-in-law ought not to have given her such -a high sounding name as Rinpoche (“the Jewel”), for it is a name given -to incarnate lamas and chiefs; but I answered, to her evident pleasure, -that Rinpoche was a most appropriate name for handsome and accomplished -women. - -After this I went to the minister’s apartment for dinner. Before it was -served we washed our hands. A large copper bowl, or katora, was placed -for the purpose before the minister, who, in washing his hands, rubbed -them with a kind of wood dust called sugpa, [174] obtained from a plant -growing in Tibet, and used instead of soap. - -After dinner the Chyag-dso-pa made presents to the minister, consisting -of blankets, Tibetan serge (pulo), three pieces of red, scarlet, and -yellow English broadcloth, Gyantse rugs of superior quality, Khamba -rugs, Chinese brocaded satin, spotted woollen chintz, about two bushels -of tsamba, a large quantity of buckwheat cakes, twisted sugar cakes, -loaves of bread, and three hundred tankas. The presentation of these -gifts he accompanied by profound salutations, and the minister gave him -his blessing, when he begged him to pray to the gods to make him -prosperous and happy. After this he gave presents of about half the -value to the Tung-chen, and so on, less and less, according to each -one’s rank; to me he gave two Gyantse rugs, two pieces of spotted pulo, -and a khatag. Alms were also distributed among the monks and the -minister’s menials. - -When the Chyag-dso Kusho had finished making all these presents he -returned to the minister’s room, where we were with him. In course of -conversation he suggested the propriety of my presenting the Tashi lama -with an elephant. He said that two had recently been sent by the Rajah -of Sikkim to Lhasa, to be presented to the Dalai lama, one of which had -died on the way. [175] He also spoke of the superiority of Indian metal -images over those made in Tibet, and said that those made in Magadha, -and called jai-khim, were very rare in this country. “If you had -brought some of these, or of shar-li [Bengal bell-metal], or nub-li -[lower Indus valley], [176] and presented them to the minister, he -would have been infinitely more pleased than with glass and other -fragile and useless toys.” - -In the evening it was settled that the minister should start for -Tashilhunpo on the morrow, and that Kusho Jambala, the Chyag-dso-pa’s -elder brother, who was suffering from ophthalmia, should accompany him, -to submit there to my medical treatment. - -January 10.—We were up early, and got ready to leave for Tashilhunpo. -The Tung-chen advised me to start ahead of the minister, who would -overtake me on the road, as he travelled very rapidly, and he -furthermore let me pick out for my use the quietest pony in the stable. -We had not gone four miles when the minister and four attendants caught -up with us. We rode on together some six miles, and when we reached the -bed of the stream, now dry, which empties into the Nyang chu, we all -alighted. The minister ordered his page to bring him a basketful of -earth from a spot he pointed out. This was placed before him as he sat -cross-legged on a rug, when he muttered some mantras and made an -oblation of tsamba and water. The Tung-chen informed me that on the -last journey the minister had made this way he had at this spot fallen -from his pony, and it was supposed that some evil spirit haunting this -spot was desirous of hurting him, and so this ceremony was performed to -drive it away. - -When it was over we had a light collation, the minister giving me some -dried dates and Cabul fruits, while the Tung-chen gave the others -treacle, biscuits, and tsamba. - -At 4 o’clock we reached Tashi-gang. After partaking of refreshments the -minister took his seat on the roof of Ang-putta’s second story. He -called me and Ugyen up, and asked us to teach him the foreign system of -land surveying. Ugyen showed him his prismatic compass with attached -clinometer. We explained the use of these instruments, and expressed -regrets that we had no tape-measure or chain with which we could take -measurements, carefully abstaining from mentioning measuring distances -by pacing, lest he might suspect us of being surveyors, and withdraw -his protection. - -He then spoke of his desire to have a sextant, various mathematical -instruments, a chest of medicines, and an illustrated work on -astronomy. Ugyen expressed his willingness to go to Calcutta to -purchase them, were it not that he could not leave me here alone, and -with my desire to see Lhasa unfulfilled. The minister replied, “That is -easily provided for. I will look after the Pundit; and as to his going -to Lhasa, why, there is every probability that the Tashi lama will go -there to ordain the Dalai lama in the fourth month (June), when it will -be possible to arrange for the Pundit’s going there also. The Shape -Rampa, and Phala are my friends; they will help him. However, we will -think of all this later on at Tashilhunpo.” - -He then said there were five persons in Tsang who took interest in -science and study—the Shape Porapa, the Chief Secretary (Dung-yig -chenpo) Ka-chan Dao, the Donyer, and himself. “There are,” he added, -“many other learned men at Tashilhunpo and in various other monasteries -of Tsang, but they only interest themselves in sacred literature; they -do not care to know of the science and civilization of other great -countries such as that of the Phyling (foreigners) and India.” - -The minister finally informed me that to-morrow he would visit the -Kyi-phug nunnery, about three miles off in the hills behind Tashigang. -The Lady Superior and her nuns (tsun-mo) had repeatedly begged him to -visit their convent, but he had been so pressed for time that he had -only been able to do so once in the last six years. - -January 11.—The minister and his party left for the Kyi-phug convent at -7 a.m., and we set off for Tashilhunpo after breakfast. Old Kusho -Jambala was unable to keep up with us. As he followed slowly the -minister’s muleteers, his yellow-satin mitre, his spectacles, his -manner of sitting on his pony, and his tall lank figure recalled to my -mind the renowned knight of La Mancha. With his leave we rode ahead. We -saw on the way a woman sweeping the ground, and on inquiry she told us -that she was removing the thick grime which covered the ground so that -her cattle might the more easily pick up the grass. Many sheep, we were -told, die in winter on account of the ice crust which covers the grass. -At 4 p.m. we arrived at Chyang chu, where we were most kindly received -by the Deba Shikha, and lodged in the same quarters we had previously -occupied. - -January 12.—After breakfast we strolled about the linga in front of the -minister’s bathing-house (cham chu). It is surrounded by a wall of -sun-dried bricks, stones, and turf seven feet high. In the south-east -corner is the snug little two-storied house where the minister passes a -few days in October. The cooking and bathing is done under yak-hair -tents pitched in the western avenue of the grove. - -At 9 o’clock we set out, and were at Tashilhunpo by noon, and there -found Phurchung, who had arrived the day before from Khamba jong. The -Djongpon, who knew him, had told him that unless he came bearing a -passport from the Tashi lama or the Commander of Shigatse, he could not -let him pass the frontier. There were formal orders from the Lhasa -Government not to let any one cross the frontier, even if bearing -letters from the high officials of Labrang, who are not, however, in -charge of frontier affairs. So Rinzing Namgyal had to leave our luggage -with the Pipon of Lachan, and had gone back to Darjiling. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -RESIDENCE AT TASHILHUNPO, AND PREPARATIONS FOR JOURNEY TO LHASA. - - -January 13.—The money we had brought from Darjiling being almost -expended, we were now in the necessity of selling the pearls and gold -we had brought with us. I therefore sent Ugyen to the market to inquire -of Lupa gyaltsan, with whom we had left some tolas of pearls for sale, -if he had been able to dispose of them. Lupa gyaltsan told him that he -had shown the pearls to a Lhasa merchant, who had not offered more than -cost price for them. The market for pearls, he added, was very poor, -and we must not expect to realize much profit out of ours for some -months to come. - -He also told Ugyen that great preparations were being made for the -Grand Lama’s visit to Lhasa in May, for the ordination of the Dalai -lama. [177] On that occasion the Tashi would have to make return -presents and give rewards in money to the various officials and chiefs -of Tibet, for which robes, boots, etc., were now being made in great -numbers. - -January 14.—On the way to the market to-day Ugyen met Lupa gyaltsan, -who informed him that some traders from Phagri, Chumbi, and -Rin-chen-gang had just arrived, and that, to judge from their -conversation, they were not well disposed towards us. He therefore -cautioned Ugyen, so that he might not meet them unprepared. Ugyen, in -consequence, first went to the police station and learnt from his -friend, the Chinese havildar of Shigatse, who the new-comers were; then -he looked them up, and questioned them about the passes to India. They -told him they had been able to get here through the Lhasa Government -having declared the Phagri pass open. As to the Sikkim rajah coming -here, they could give no definite information, though they said there -was much talk about his marrying the daughter of a great man of Lhasa. - -In the afternoon the minister sent for me, and told me that the boxes -containing the lithographic press sent him some months ago had not been -opened for fear of small-pox. “I thought the cases contained some -miraculous remedies which could neutralize small-pox. One night I smelt -some gaseous emanations coming out from the boxes, which I thought -contained the germs of small-pox; so I could not sleep that night, so -troubled was my mind lest small-pox should attack us.” We laughed -heartily at his holiness’s fancies, and I told him that the vaccine he -had asked for was among the things still at the Lachan pass. At last he -was convinced of the groundlessness of his fears, and joined with us in -laughing at them. - -January 15.—After breakfast we unpacked in the minister’s library the -lithographic press, and set it up, the minister taking great interest -in the work and assisting me himself. - -January 16.—After breakfast, which we took with the minister in the -west drawing-room of the Phuntso khangsar, he told me that he was most -anxious to get the things I had at Lachan. Phurchung was not -intelligent enough to get around the Djongpon of Khamba, even if he -were provided with the best of passports. He thought it indispensable -for Ugyen to undertake the journey to Lachan, especially as he had -relatives there, a circumstance which would greatly facilitate the -accomplishment of his mission. - -Ugyen objected to start on such a difficult journey at a season of the -year when the cold would be intense and the Kangra lamo pass would be -blocked with snow; but he felt, nevertheless, called upon to comply -with the minister’s request, if he provided him with a proper passport. -Not only did the minister promise to give him an excellent passport, -but he also said that he would propitiate the gods to the end that they -would protect him from dangers from man, beast, or disease, till the -first of the third Tibetan moon (end of April, 1882). - -When this was settled Ugyen begged the minister to look after me in his -absence, and not to allow any injury to be done me on the ground that I -was a foreigner. He asked him to give him a letter stating, first, that -he (the minister) would see to my welfare, and that I would be in no -way molested; second, that on Ugyen-gyatso’s return he and I might go -on a pilgrimage to Central Tibet; third, that we should be protected in -any difficulty which might arise on the score of our being foreigners. - -Besides the great importance of obtaining these written assurances from -the minister, the production of such a letter by Ugyen, in case of my -death during his absence, would relieve him of all responsibility -towards our Government. - -The minister promised to keep me in his house as a member of his -family, to defray all my expenses, and to send me to Lhasa in May with -the Tashi lama’s party. Should, however, neither the Grand Lama nor -himself go to Lhasa, he would make other arrangements for our -pilgrimage there. As to the third point mentioned in the above -agreement, he said that he was fully aware when he invited us to come -to Tashilhunpo of the responsibility he assumed towards us, and that he -would not allow us to be molested by any one during our stay in Tibet. - -January 17.—The minister went in the morning to Shigatse, to grant -absolution to the departed soul of Shang-po, one of the six Tsopon who -had been so severely punished by the Chinese authorities on the 13th of -December last, and who had died from the effects of the flogging then -received. We devoted the whole day to the setting up of the -lithographic press. - -January 18.—The minister told Ugyen that Kusho Badur-la, the head of -the transportation department, wished to see the pearls we had brought -with us. Ugyen did not find him at home, but conversed with his wife, -whom he at once recognized, having seen her at Tumlung and Chumbi, she -being the elder sister of the present Rajah of Sikkim. She gave him a -very kind reception, and talked to him for nearly an hour, treating him -to tea and gya-tug (vermicelli). - -January 19.—To-day being the day of the new moon, nearly a thousand -beggars lined the road leading from Tashilhunpo to Shigatse, where -Lhagpa tsering was distributing alms to them. - -At noon Ugyen visited the market-place, where he witnessed a quarrel -between a woman and a Khamba over a tanka’s worth of tsamba, in the -course of which the woman challenged the man to take an oath very -common in Tibet, namely, that if he told an untruth, he might never see -the Grand Lama’s face. The people of Khams are a fierce race who infest -the solitudes of Tibet, and generally carry on depredations on the -isolated villages north of Lhasa. They are a dangerous class. [178] - -January 20.—Early in the morning we received an invitation to dine with -our acquaintance, Lupa gyaltsan. We were told that to-day was the New -Year’s Day of the working class, and was so observed by all the people -of Tibet, with the exception of the clergy. - -After breakfast we went to the minister’s, and told him the press was -ready for working. I asked him to print a very auspicious hymn, that -the first fruit of our labour might be a sacred composition. He at once -ran to his study and brought a stanza, or stotra, composed by the -present Grand Lama (of Tashilhunpo?) in honour and praise of the -minister. This he copied himself on the transfer paper, and we obtained -excellent impressions of it, much to his delight. The “stone press” (do -par) was forthwith given the name of the “miraculous press” (tul par). - -At three in the afternoon we asked leave to go to Lupa gyaltsan’s -house, where I had a most hearty reception, he and his wife coming to -help me dismount from my pony. We were ushered into a newly finished -room on the first floor, where was also his chapel. First chang was -served, then tea was brought by his daughter, a girl of ten, and the -wife placed a wooden bowl filled with tsamba and some pieces of boiled -mutton on a little table before us. Then Lupa gyaltsan, taking off his -turban, asked me to take sol ja and consider that I was dining in my -own house. Shortly after, Ugyen, in accordance with Tibetan custom, -made a short speech exhorting Lupa to always inquire after my health -during his absence from Tashilhunpo, and to get for me all such -articles of food, etc., that I might want. He thanked him for his -kindness, and added that, as Lupa and I were old acquaintances, we -should behave to each other as brothers born of the same mother. So -saying, he presented him and his wife with a rupee and a khatag each, -putting the coins in their hands and the scarfs round their necks. -Ugyen then put a khatag around my servant Lhagpa’s neck, telling him to -serve me ever faithfully. Lupa’s daughter, having dressed herself in -her gala dress, danced for us and sang a song, first in the Tibetan -way, then in the Chinese; she sang also a Chinese song, Lupa -accompanying her on the flute (ling-bu). After this Lupa’s wife sang a -song, and then wished us a happy new year. We then took leave of our -hosts, wishing them also a happy new year. - -Having inquired if the observance of this day was a purely Tibetan -custom, I gathered from their reply that this was the New Year’s Day -according to the Tibetan custom of the pre-Buddhist period. It is the -only remnant of ancient Tibetan custom, as far as I know, which has not -been displaced by Buddhism. - -January 21.—This day was also observed as a holiday by the laity. There -were so few persons in the market-place that Ugyen could buy no -provisions. The minister graciously insisted that I should take up my -quarters in his residence, Puntso khangsar, where he offered me the -library with an attached waiting-room and bath-room. - -In the evening Nyima-dorje, the oldest son of the Chyag-dso-pa of -Dongtse, came and consulted me about his eyes. On the right one I found -that a cataract had formed. I told him I was exceedingly sorry I had no -medicines with me to suit his case, but that Ugyen was going to -Calcutta as soon as he had obtained a passport, and that he would bring -back some drugs with him. He then said that it was this passport that -had brought him here to speak to the minister about, and that he -believed it would be ready in a day or two. - -January 22.—I resumed reading English and working sums in arithmetic -with the minister. After reading a few lines he turned over the pages -of Ganot’s ‘Physics,’ and asked me to explain the diagrams on -telegraphy and the camera obscura. He wanted everything explained to -him; but, unfortunately for me, I was not myself acquainted with most -of the subjects which excited his curiosity. Not prepared to expose my -ignorance, I dwelt longer on such questions as I could best explain, -and with which I was most familiar; but in spite of all my attempts to -evade his inquisitiveness, the shrewd minister gauged me well, and -expressed his earnest desire to meet such men as I had described to -him, Dr. Sircar and my brother, Navin Chandra, to be. - -In the afternoon Nyima-dorje brought the lam-yig (passport), and -presented it to the minister. We were called in and shown it; but Ugyen -disapproved of it, as nothing was said in it of his return journey -here, so it was sent back for correction. - -January 23.—Crowds of visitors came to receive the minister’s blessing -(chyag-wang); among them were many Khalkhas and other Mongols from -remote sections of that country. The Khalkhas were introduced by -Lobzang Arya, my cook during my first sojourn at Tashilhunpo in 1879, -and now a man of standing and elder (gyer-gyan) of the Khalkha -Kham-tsan. The minister talked with him in Mongolian, after receiving -the pilgrims with much kindness. - -January 24.—Early in the morning I was called by the minister, and -found a young monk of the Nyagpa Ta-tsang (a Tantrik school) [179] -sitting with him. The minister asked me to examine his eyes, which were -a little swollen, telling me at the same time that this young man had -served him devotedly during his residence at the Nyag-khang, and was -deserving of my care. I gave him a few doses of alum lotion to wash his -eyes with, and made him promise to walk round the monastery several -times a day whenever it was fair weather. - -In the afternoon I lunched with the Tung-chen, and we conversed about -the high winds which at this season blow every afternoon. He spoke also -of the Phagri pass, and told me that the collector of customs (Serpon) -there was a friend of his, and that if Ugyen went to Darjiling by the -Phagri pass, he could give him a letter of introduction to that -officer. I thanked him for his kindness, adding that Ugyen preferred -the Lachan pass, as he had a passport from the commander of Shigatse -which did not extend to Phagri djong. - -January 25.—The minister told me that in certain stellar maps he had -examined he saw that figures were given the different constellations, -and that he understood these figures really existed in the sky; so, -wishing to see them, he had bought a large telescope at much cost. He -did not know, however, how to use it, and was most anxious to have a -well-illustrated work on astronomy, that he might know what to look for -and where to look for it. He also remembered my saying that the regions -of the moon, Saturn, and even of the sun, were visible through the -telescope, and he was curious to know what these luminaries contained, -for he had hitherto been under the impression that these celestial -bodies were angelic luminaries who, for the excellence of their moral -merits, had been promoted to celestial mansions of different heights, -thence to shed on us their radiant lustre, and thereby guide all living -beings of the earth in the path of dharma. - -While we were thus talking Nyima-dorje arrived, and presented the -passport to his holiness. After perusing it he handed it to me, and I -passed it to Ugyen. We found that the commanders of Shigatse (Dahpon), -in order to prevent the introduction of small-pox, had instructed in it -the Djongpon of Khamba to examine the contents of our boxes, to prevent -contagion being brought into the country in them. This would put the -Djongpon in a position to exact from Ugyen any amount of money he might -choose; but as it would be inconvenient to wait longer for a corrected -lam-yig, the minister advised Ugyen to be satisfied with the present -one, and to do the best he could with it. - -January 26.—Ugyen declared that Phurchung’s services were absolutely -necessary to him, and asked that he be lent to him for six months, -adding that without him he would not start on the journey. After -breakfast the minister consulted with the Tung-chen and Gopa about -keeping me with him. Arrangements were soon made; but they all objected -to my keeping Lhagpa as my servant, telling me that a Shigatse man -could not be trusted, as they were cunning, deceitful, and faithless. -He added that, as he had undertaken to look to my wants and comforts, -there was not the least necessity for my keeping a servant at my own -expense. Fearing lest he should suspect me of ulterior designs, I at -once accepted his decision, though I had hoped, by means of Lhagpa, to -keep myself informed of what was going on in the monastery and the -town, I myself being practically confined within the walls of the -minister’s residence, as I was required, according to custom, to wait -upon his holiness. - -January 27.—Ugyen and Phurchung busied themselves in preparing for the -journey. The former took a pair of Gyantse blankets and a suit of -lambskin clothes, and I gave Phurchung a pair of my own blankets for -his use during the journey. They purchased a large quantity of sheep’s -fat to distribute among the Sikkimese on the way. Dried mutton, tsamba, -and sheep’s fat are the dainties the Sikkimese esteem above all others. -They hired four ponies to ride and carry their luggage. - -In the evening we were invited to take tea with the minister, when -Ugyen took formal leave, making three profound bows to his holiness, -and praying that his blessing might always be on him, and that, by the -mercy of the sacred Buddhas, he might reach his destination safely. - -January 28.—To-day, the 10th of the 12th moon, was considered a highly -auspicious day on which to start for India. At 6 o’clock Ugyen, -Phurchung, and I went to the minister’s apartment, when his holiness, -after a short prayer, wished them a safe and pleasant journey, and -placed khatag on their necks. At Ugyen’s special request I desired -Phurchung in a short speech to serve Ugyen as he would serve me, to -which he answered, “La laso, laso” (yes, sir, yes). Then we returned to -the Torgod chyi-khang, our lodging, where, after breakfast, I presented -parting khatag to my faithful companions. The scene was extremely -touching, and they shed tears at leaving me alone. I, too, could not -suppress my feelings as I exhorted them to take care of themselves in -the snows, and to be prepared for heavy snowfalls. They both rode off -in high spirits towards Delel. [180] - -Shortly after I sent Wang-chyug gyalpo and the minister’s page to fetch -my clothes, utensils, etc., to my new quarters. They brought some, and -told me that my trusted servant, Lhagpa, was quietly carrying off my -kettles and plates. I immediately went to the Torgod chyi-khang, and -asked him to give up the missing articles, but he denied any knowledge -of them, though we could see the breast of his gown stuffed out with -them, and he insisted the devils (de) must have carried them off. I at -once sent for the Nyerpa and the Tung-chen. It was impossible, however, -to search Lhagpa, so we had to confine ourselves to drawing up a list -of the things missing and of the things I had with me; and then, -locking the door of my lodgings, the Tung-chen told Lhagpa to return -quietly to his house. The Tung-chen smiled at the roguery of my trusted -servant, and made me understand that I knew very little about Tibetans, -and that I should not have trusted Shigatse people. - -January 29.—The minister came to my rooms, and insisted on nailing up a -curtain, so as to divide the room in two, the books in the northern -part, and my seat and bedstead in the southern half of it. He said that -such an arrangement was necessary, as the books were of arsenical -paper, and I would fall ill if I continually breathed the air of this -place. Underneath my room was the cook-room (sol-tab), the heat from -which kept the library dry and warm. There was but one window, about -four feet square, in my room, through which I could see the Nartang -hills. - -At 9 o’clock breakfast was announced, when the Nyerpa conducted me to -the minister’s presence. Tea was served me in a pretty china cup, and -Kachan gopa brought me a bowl of tsamba and a few slices of boiled -mutton, and, noticing my difficulty in making dough of the tsamba and -tea after the Tibetan fashion, took it from me and mixed it himself, -twirling the cup on the palm of his hand, and mixing the flour and tea -with his forefinger. - -In the dining-room there was a parrot lately presented to the minister -by the Chyan-dso shar of Tashilhunpo, and a small saffron plant raised -from some seed brought from Kashmir. This plant throve well, I was -told, but yielded no saffron. - -After breakfast I returned to my studies, and, with the permission of -the minister, commenced a search for Sanskrit books in his library. At -noon the cook placed on an earthenware stove near me a pot of steaming -tea, and in the afternoon he filled it again. I was told it was -injurious to drink cold water; Tibetans very seldom drink it; the -laymen quench their thirst with draughts of cold fermented barley -liquor (chang), and lamas with hot tea. - -As the minister, on account of his vows, was debarred from eating in -the afternoon, evening, or night, he desired me to take my supper with -the secretary; so when the lamp was lighted I went downstairs, and sat -gossiping in the kitchen with him. - -January 30.—To-day I discovered three Sanskrit works written in the -Tibetan character. They were the Kavyadarsha, by Acharya Sri Dandi; the -Chandra Vyakarana, by Chandra Gomi; and the Sarasvat Vyakarana, by -Acharya Ami. I was transported with joy when I saw that they contained -explanations in Tibetan. - -In the afternoon I showed Sri Dandi’s work to the minister, who, to my -surprise, was able to give me more information concerning him than I -had expected, and he had committed the entire work to memory. “Dandi,” -he said, “must have lived a thousand and more years ago, for this work -was translated into Tibetan by one of the Sakya hierarchs who lived -about six hundred years ago, and it is probable that the work was not -very new when it came to be known in this country.” - -January 31.—Preparations for the new year’s ceremonies now occupy the -attention of all classes. Large numbers of men are coming to take the -first vows of monkhood, and Kachan Shabdung introduced to-day a number -of them to his holiness. The minister’s time was largely taken up with -these religious duties, and I could not see him for more than ten or -twelve minutes. When I withdrew to my room, the astrologer, Lobzang, -came to see me; he was busy with the almanac for the new year, and kept -turning over its pages to see if there were any mistakes. The minister -also had to examine it before submitting it to the Grand Lama. - -Lobzang, seeing the lithographic press, was curious to know what “those -stones and wheeled apparatus,” as he put it, were meant for. He begged -me to explain the process of printing, but I evaded his questions, as I -had been told not to talk of the press to outsiders. - -In the evening the Deba Shika arrived with a large supply of butter and -tsamba, evidently to be used in the new year’s ceremonies. - -From this time on I devoted myself to the study of the sacred books and -histories of Tibet, and ceased to keep a regular diary, noting only -such things concerning the customs and manners of the country as seemed -interesting. When I felt tired of Tibetan I refreshed my mind with the -melodious verses of Dandi’s Kavyadarsha, both in the original and the -Tibetan translation, and during my leisure hours I conversed with the -Tung-chen, the Nyerpa, and other well-informed men. - -The first part of February was very cold; the north wind blew daily, -raising clouds of dust in the plain to the west and south of the city. -People, however, were busily engaged out-of-doors, gathering fuel and -tending cattle; in fact, this is the busiest season of the year, a -period of universal merry-making, and also of great activity in trade. - -The Tibetans, whether monks or laymen, are very early risers. In the -monastery the great trumpet (dung chen) summoned the monks to the -congregation hall for prayers at three in the morning, and those who -failed to be present were punished at the Tsog-chen; for, though there -is no roll call, yet the absence of a single monk is surely remarked by -the provost. - -The minister, who frequently peeped into my room to see whether I was -studying or no, excused me from early rising on the ground that he -often found me up with my books at midnight. - -On the 16th I was asked by the Deba Shika to go with him the following -day to see the Grand Lama dance, or cham. [181] On my observing that I -feared the whips of the stage guards (djim-gag-pa) if I mixed with the -crowd, he promised to have seats reserved for our party. - -Early the next morning men and women dressed in their best began -streaming into the monastery to see the cham. Accompanied by the -Tung-chen, the Deba Shika, and a lama friend, we went our way towards -the Nyag-khang, in the courtyard of the Tsug-la khang, in which the -dances were to begin. On the way we stopped to visit an old chapel -containing several inscriptions relating to Gedun-dub, the founder of -Tashilhunpo, and the mark of a horse’s hoof impressed on a rock, which -passers-by touch with their heads. [182] - -Then we took our seats on the balcony of the second floor of the -Nyag-khang building, and watched the preparations for the dance. -Twenty-four sacred flags of satin, with embroidered figures of dragons -and other monsters worked in threads of gold, were first unfurled at -the top of long and slender poplar poles, and square parti-coloured -flags were also hung all around the Tsug-la khang. About a dozen monks -wearing coats of mail had masks which, for the most part, represented -eagles’ heads. The dancers entered one after the other, and then -followed the abbot of the Nyag-pa Ta-tsan, Kusho Yon-djin Lhopa by -name, holding a dorje in his right hand, and a bell in his left. He -wore a yellow mitre-shaped cap, with lappets covering his ears and -hanging down to his breast. He was tall and fair; he looked -intelligent, his manners were most dignified, and he performed his part -most cleverly. - -After a while the flag-bearers, the masked monks, and all the cortége -repaired to the great Tsug-la khang of Tashilhunpo, which is about 300 -yards long and 150 feet broad. Round this courtyard are four-storied -buildings with handsome pillared balconies, the Grand Lama’s seat being -on the western side. The long balconies on the east and south were -occupied by the nobility of Tsang, and those on the north by Mongol -pilgrims and a number of Shigatse merchants. The abbots of the four -Ta-tsan had seats just above the Nyag-pa, who, to the number of fifty -odd, and assisted by their Om-dse [183] and the Dorje Lopon, these -holding in their hands cymbals and tambourines, went through a short -religious service under the direction of the Kusho Yon-djin Lhopa. This -latter made during this service peculiar motions with his hands, in -which he held, as I have said, a dorje and a bell. - -When this was over a figure with a dark-coloured mask, and representing -the Hoshang Dharma-tala, [184] advanced, and the spectators flung him -khatags, which his two yellow-faced wives picked up. When these three -had left the scene, the four kings of the four cardinal points -appeared, dressed in all the wild and barbaric splendour in which such -monarchs could indulge. Then came the sons of the gods, some sixty in -number, dressed in beautiful silk robes glittering with gold -embroideries and precious stones. These were followed by Indian -atsaras, whose black and bearded faces and uncouth dress excited loud -laughter among the crowd. Then appeared four guardians of the graves, -whose skeleton-like appearance was meant to remind the spectators of -the terrors of death. After this the devil was burnt in effigy on a -pile of dry sedge, and with this the cham came to an end. [185] While -it was in progress incense was burnt on Mount Dolma (Dolmai-ri), behind -the monastery, and on all the other neighbouring mountain-tops. I -learnt from the Tung-chen that there were several books on the subject -of these religious dances and music. - -The following day (February 18) I went with the Tung-chen for a walk. -Proceeding about 300 paces, we came to a flight of stone steps below -the western gateway. This latter, which is some twelve feet high and -eight wide, has massive doors, which are closed between sunset and -sunrise; it is the principal entrance of the monastery. About fifty -feet beyond this gate, and on a line with the gilt mausolea of the -grand lamas (gya-phig), we came to another flight of steps, some of -them cut in the rock, which led us to the north-western corner of the -monastery and well up the slope of the Dolmai-ri, whence we obtained a -good view of the whole of Tashilhunpo monastery, the adjacent villages -and mountains. - -We now turned to the north-east along a narrow rocky path, which -brought us behind the Nyag-khang. I was surprised to notice among the -rocks some willows (chyang-ma) in flower, and we saw also the impress -of hoofs on the rocks, left there, the Tung-chen said, by the chargers -of some Bodhisattvas; rang chyung, or “naturally produced,” the -Tibetans say of such marvels. There were several half-starved pariah -dogs lying about, who looked at us with sleepy eyes, and the Tung-chen -remarked that in all probability they had been sinful gelong (monks) in -some former existence, and were now expiating their evil deeds. He much -regretted that we had not brought some balls of tsamba for them. - -Some 200 paces farther on in the same direction we came to a huge stone -building called Kiku-tamsa. It is about 60 paces in length and 30 in -breadth, and I counted nine stories in it. Though it is upwards of two -hundred years old, it is still in excellent repair. Captain Turner made -a sketch of it in 1783, [186] but he mistook it for “a religious -edifice.” It is at present used as a godown for dried carcasses of -yaks, sheep, and goats. Every year, in the latter part of November, all -the sacred pictures of the Labrang are hung up on this building for the -benefit of the people, who, by touching these paintings with their -foreheads, receive the blessings of the gods they represent. [187] - -On our way down to the eastern gateway of Tashilhunpo we met two Ladaki -Tibetans, who told us that they had just come from the Chang-tang, or -the desert in the north-western part of Tibet. [188] - -The Tung-chen showed me the Dongtse Kham-tsan, where the people of -Dongtse and neighbourhood put up. We also saw a juniper bush planted by -Gedun-dub, the founder of Tashilhunpo, in which that saintly lama’s -hair is said to still exist. [189] I had pointed out to me, as we -walked along the spacious buildings of the Taisamling college, the Kyil -khang Ta-tsan and the Shartse college. - -The descent to the foot of the hill proved very steep, but all along it -we found rows of prayer-wheels, which we put in motion as we passed; -near the gateway, and beside a mendong, there were two dozen of them -together. - -Passing by the main Mani lha-khang, we reached the eastern gateway of -Tashilhunpo. Over it is a notice forbidding smoking within the -monastery, for both the red and yellow-hat schools of lamaism strongly -denounce tobacco-smoking by monks. - -From this gateway a road leads south to the Kiki-naga, where the Grand -Lama’s mother resides, while another runs westward to the court of the -Tashi lama, or Labrang gyal-tsan tonpo. - -It was dusk when we had finished our walk around the monastery, and -lamps were already burning in many of the houses to bid farewell to the -old year. - -February 19, New Year’s Day. [190]—The preparations for the day’s -celebration commenced before dawn, and the noise of the blowing of the -kitchen fires never ceased, as there were many dishes and dainties to -be got ready for the dinner the minister was to give to a large party -of nobles and incarnate lamas. - -When the minister came back from visiting the Grand Lama, he told me -that the latter had inquired about me, as he had some translation into -Sanskrit which he desired I should make for him. “His holiness,” the -minister said, “has given me a hundred and twenty titles of chapters of -a work he has written, and wishes you to put them into Sanskrit for -him.” The minister further said that when I had finished this work he -would present me to the Grand Lama. - -The next day the minister was called to Dongtse by the illness of the -Dahpon Phala’s wife; his prayers, it was hoped, would restore her to -health. About a week after his departure he was suddenly recalled by -the Grand Lama, with whom he had, on March 3, a long conference. The -Dalai lama’s Government had protested against the Tashi lama having -taken the vows of monkhood from the Sakhya Pan-chen, a red-hat lama, -the hierarch of the Sakhya school. The Dalai lama charged him with -encouraging heresy, if not with being a heretic himself. It was for -this reason that the Tashi lama had not been invited to ordain the -supreme ruler of Tibet, for, belonging to the Gelugpa or yellow-hat -school, the Dalai lama could have no connection with the school of -which the Sakhya Pan-chen was the chief. - -On March 4 the minister ordained some forty monks gelong. Formerly the -Grand Lama used to perform this ceremony himself, but he has now -delegated a large portion of his religious duties, including -ordination, to the minister. [191] - -Two days after this the minister was again asked to go to Dongtse, as -the wife of the Dahpon was still ill, and he (the Dahpon) had orders to -proceed at once to Lhasa. The minister asked me if I would accompany -him, and I readily assented, as it would enable me to make arrangements -for my journey to Lhasa during the next summer. - -On March 7 we started, and reached Tashigang the same day. Some of the -people we passed were already ploughing, and the trees showed signs of -budding. - -The next day we reached Dongtse by 4 o’clock in the afternoon. We found -the Dahpon’s wife, a lady of about thirty, and his sister, Je-tsun -Kusho, in the central room of the fifth floor of the castle (phodrang). - -The Lhacham was dressed in a Mongol robe; on her head was a -crown-shaped ornament studded with precious stones and pearls of every -size. Pearl necklaces, strings of amber and coral hung over her breast, -and her clothes were of the richest Chinese satin brocades and the -finest native cloth. [192] The Je-tsun Kusho, an elderly woman and a -nun, was dressed very plainly; but, though nuns all shave their heads, -she wore all her hair. She belonged, it appears, to the Nyingma school, -which allows nuns certain privileges, this one among others. [193] - -The following day I prescribed some medicines for Je-tsun Kusho, who -was suffering from bronchitis, and four days later I administered some -to the Dahpon’s wife, who had had until then a lama from the Tse-chan -monastery attending her. My medicines did her no good, and at this the -minister appeared much concerned. I tried a second dose, but with like -absence of effect. In fact, the Lhacham felt worse, and said that evil -stars were in the ascendant in her quarter of the sky (khams), and -would work her ruin. Some people, she said, insisted she was being -persecuted by evil spirits who had followed her here from Tingri -(Djong), but she did not believe it; it was the stars which were -against her. The minister looked at me and asked me how it was that my -medicines were unavailing in the Lhacham’s case. In the midst of a dead -silence I told him that all the medicines which different persons had -administered to the patient were affecting her nervous system, each in -a different way. I had heard her say that she had first taken those of -a Chinese quack, then those of a Nepalese physician, and lastly the -medicines of several learned lama doctors. Under the circumstances I -should not have prescribed for her at all, but that as every one had -expected me to do something for her, I had ceded to their wishes. It -was, however, my opinion that if the Lhacham would be cured, the only -medicine she required was no medicine at all. - -Under this new treatment, which she promptly adopted, there was a -marked improvement in the Lhacham’s health within the next ten days. I -used frequently to talk with her, and she seemed to entertain a kind -regard for me. One day the minister suggested in her presence that it -would be a good thing if I could be sent to Lhasa to see the Lord -Buddha, the incarnate Shenrezig, the Dalai lama. The Lhacham approved -the suggestion, and promised to have me lodged in her residence at -Lhasa, and to take me under her protection while there. - -On March 23 I left Dongtse for Tashilhunpo. On the way to Tashigang we -saw lambs picking the young shoots of grass, and the country folk were -busy in the fields with their yaks, which were decorated with red, -yellow, blue, and green hair tassels, and collars of coloured wool, and -cowries. The farmers hold certain religious ceremonies on beginning -ploughing and on first putting the yokes (nya-shing) on their yaks. -They also have at this time most amusing ploughing races. - -Beyond Norbu khyung-djin we saw, as we rode along, afar off on a slope -of rock, incised in gigantic characters, the sacred formulæ, Om vajra -pani hum, om wagishvari hum, om ah hum, etc. - -The next day, at 3 p.m., just as we reached the house of the Deba -Shika, there was quite a heavy fall of snow. On the 25th we arrived at -Tashilhunpo, and I once more took up my interrupted historical studies. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -FROM TASHILHUNPO TO YAMDO SAMDING, AND THENCE TO LHASA. - - -On Wednesday, April 26, 1882, being the eighth day of the third moon of -the water-horse year of the Tibetan cycle, I left Tashilhunpo for -Dongtse, there to make my final arrangements for the journey to Lhasa. - -The cook, Dao-sring, nicknamed Aku chya-rog, or “Uncle Daw,” on account -of the dirt and soot which always covered his face, now turned out with -well-washed face and hands, in new leather boots and fur cap, and -helped me to mount my pony. - -Tsering-tashi, who had been designated to accompany me, had procured -all that was necessary for a long journey—butter, meat, pounded dry -mutton, spices, rice, a copper kettle, an iron pan, flint stones, -tinder, and a bellows, and the Tung-chen had presented me with tsamba, -chura, and pea-flour for the use of the servants, and peas for the -ponies. Of all the articles Tsering-tashi had brought, the one which he -valued the most was a bamboo tea-churn, [194] which he thought the most -beautiful and useful of all our belongings. - -I tied up my medicine-case in one of my saddle-bags, and in the other I -put my clothes, and at 2 o’clock we started. There were five of us in -the party, all mounted, and riding in single file: first came the -Tung-chen, then I, then came Tsering-tashi, and the cook and a groom -brought up the rear. We followed the same road I had already gone over -on several occasions, and stopped the first night at Chyang-chu, where -we put up in the house of our friend the Deba Shikha. - -April 27.—About two inches of snow had fallen in the night, and there -was a slight fog when we got up in the morning. In front of the house I -noticed some men and women digged a kind of root called rampa. This -underground grass acquires, in some places, a length of five or six -feet, and in the early spring, when vegetables and forage are scarce, -it is dug up. The people know where to dig for it by the little shoots -which rise above the ground. [195] - -We were detained at Chyang-chu all day, waiting for Tsering-tashi, who -had been obliged to stop over at Tashi-gyantsa to make some purchases. - -In the evening tea was served by Po-ka-chan, a grey-haired monk who -works on the estates of the minister at Tanag. He had travelled much in -Kongpo, Naga, and among the Mishmis, and in Tsari. He related how the -savage Lhokabra [196] harassed the Tibetan pilgrims, and how the -Tsang-po river entered the country of defiles in Eastern Bhutan, -rushing in a tremendous waterfall over the top of a gigantic precipice -called the “Lion’s Face,” or Sing-dong. - -April 28.—The villagers had all assembled to bid us farewell, and the -Tung-chen’s sister presented me with a “scarf for good luck” (tashi -khatag). We saw as we rode along numerous flocks of cranes (tontong), -and brown ducks with red necks were swimming in the river and the -irrigation ditches. We stopped for the night at Pishi Mani lhakhang, -where Angputti received us with the same kindness she had shown us on -my former visits. Snow fell during the night, but our hostess’s -servants watched over our ponies, and stabled them under the roof of -the okhang, [197] or godown, on the ground floor. - -We reached Dongtse at 4 p.m. on the 29th, and took up our lodgings in -the Choide; but in the evening the Deba Chola came and invited us to -put up at the castle, where the minister was still staying. - -The Tung-chen took an early opportunity to inform the minister that his -presence was anxiously expected at Tashilhunpo, where hundreds of lamas -were awaiting his return to be ordained gelong (priests). He also told -him that the Mirkan Pandita, a Mongol Kutuketu who had come to Tibet -for the sole purpose of studying under the minister, now intended -coming to Dongtse, and had begged that arrangements might be made for -his accommodation in the minister’s residence. While the minister -recognized the necessity for his returning to Tashilhunpo, he said he -could not leave until the services for the propitiation of the Lord of -death, Dorje jig-je, to be undertaken for the recovery of the Dahpon’s -wife, were finished. - -May 2.—The monks of Dongtse, headed by a learned old lama named Punlo, -arrived at the castle to commence reading the Kahgyur. Arrangements -were made in the nyihok for the worship of Dorje jig-je. Torma -offerings [198] were placed on the terrace on the top of the castle, -and rugs were spread on the floor of the little glazed room (nyihok) on -it for the accommodation of the lamas. In the house was a raised seat -for the minister, and in a corner of the room a little chapel, with all -the necessary church furniture, among which the tsegi bumba, or “bowl -of life,” of Tse-pamed was conspicuous. [199] This propitiatory -ceremony occupied three days. - -May 8.—News arrived to-day that small-pox was raging at Lhasa and other -places of Central Tibet. Several persons had also died of it at -Gyantse, and three or four localities between that town and Lhasa were -infected. The Lhacham was in so great dread of the disease that she -confined herself to her sitting-room, refusing to see any one. - -On May 9 the Lhacham left for Lhasa, after confiding to the minister’s -care Ane, her third son, a boy of ten, who was destined for the Church. -The Lhacham and her two other sons, Lhasre [200] and Kundi, made their -devotions at the different chapels of the castle, which it took them -nearly an hour to accomplish, and then returned to the fifth story of -the building to receive the minister’s blessing, after which they took -their leave. - -At the foot of the ladder in the courtyard a white pony, with handsome -housings of embroidered cloth and a Tartar saddle, awaited the Lhacham. -With her pearl-studded headdress, her gold and ruby charm-boxes, her -necklaces of coral and amber, and her clothes of satin and kinkab, she -looked like a heroine of romance or a goddess. - -On the following day I went with the minister and the Kusho Ane, and -took up my residence in the Dongtse Choide. Here I witnessed the -opening ceremonies connected with the Kalachakra mandala worship. The -Om-dse, [201] or high priest of the Choide, with the help of two -assistants, had described with coloured tsamba a circle about 20 feet -in diameter on the floor of the northern room on the third floor of the -Tsug-la khang. Within this mandala were drawn the entrance, spires, -doors, and domes of the Kalachakra mansion. The presiding deity was -tall, many-armed, and had several heads; his attendants were of the -tantrik order of deities, and all these paintings were made in coloured -powders and tsamba. [202] The minister highly praised the work, and -gave as a gratuity to each of the eighty monks of the monastery half a -tanka, and an entertainment of tea and tsamba. - -May 11.—A messenger arrived to-day to inform us that the Lhacham would -leave Gyantse the next morning, and that we would do well to see her at -Gyankhar before she started; so, though I was feeling very poorly, I -made up my mind to start at once. - -My ponies were brought inside the monastery by Pador, a stalwart young -fellow who had been several times to Lhasa, and who had been chosen by -the Chyag-dso-pa [203] to accompany me, and I got ready to leave early -on the morrow. - -At an early hour the next day I went with Tsering-tashi to see the -minister, ask his protection (kyab ju), and beg to be favoured with his -advice as to the conduct of our journey, or sung-ta, as it is called. - -As is usual on such occasions, each of us presented him with a khatag, -in the corner of which were tied up a few tankas in a bit of paper, on -which was written our request. - -After a hurried breakfast, while the servants were engaged in saddling -the ponies and packing, I went and kotowed to the Buddha in the temple, -placed khatag on the sacred images, and distributed alms to the monks -assembled in the courtyard to offer prayers for my safe journey. Then I -returned to my room, picked out the handsomest khatag I possessed, and -presented it to the minister. His holiness graciously touched my head -with his palms, and in solemn tones said, “Sarat Chandra, Lhasa is not -a good place. The people there are not like those you meet here. The -Lhasa people are suspicious and insincere. You do not know, and, in -fact, you cannot read their character. I advise you not to stay long in -one place there. The Lhacham Kusho is a powerful personage in Lhasa; -she will protect you, but you should so behave as rarely to require her -protection. Stay not long in the vicinity of the Dabung or Sera -monasteries. If you intend to make a long stay at Lhasa, choose your -residence in a garden or village in the suburbs. You have chosen a very -bad time for your pilgrimage, as small-pox is raging all over Central -Tibet; but you will return safely, though the journey will be trying -and fraught with immense difficulties.” [204] Then, turning to -Tsering-tashi, around whose neck the minister’s page put a khatag, he -said to him, “Tsing-ta, I believe you know whom you are accompanying. -You should serve him as you would serve me; your relations with him -must be those of a son with his parents.” - -After saying good-bye to the members of the minister’s household, -presenting and receiving khatag and various other little presents, and -drinking tea, I mounted my pony and set out for Gyantse. Thus did I -start on a journey to a hostile, inhospitable, and unknown country with -only two men as my companions, and they strangers to me. - -At a huge willow stump I waited a while for Tsering-tashi to join me, -for Pador, with the pack-pony, had gone to his home to get his lance. -As Tsering-tashi came up, he was delighted to see water flowing from a -pool in the direction we were to follow; this he took for a most -auspicious sign. On reaching chorten, about a mile from the town, we -alighted and waited for Pador, who shortly after made his appearance -with a lance full 12 feet long in his hand. - -By noon we reached Gyantse, and, passing rapidly through the -market-place, where I feared to be recognized, we entered the Gyankhar, -or castle of Gyantse. - -At 1 p.m. the Lhacham and her sons started for Lhasa, and as she passed -by me she told me to meet her at Gobshi that evening. - -I was now surrounded by the Chyag-dso-pa and his family, all curious to -see the Indian physician of whom they had heard so much of late. From -what the Chyag-dso-pa told me, I concluded he had chronic bronchitis, -which might end in consumption. I gave him a few grains of quinine and -some doses of elixir of paregoric, and directed him also as to his -diet. - -After partaking of some gyatug, rice, and boiled mutton with the -family, I asked permission to leave, and was escorted to the gate, -where, mounting my pony, I bade them farewell. - -The Lhasa high-road I found very similar to a rough Indian cross-road; -in some places it is more than 20 feet wide, in others a mere trail, -while in many places, where it runs between fields, it is also made to -serve the purpose of an irrigation ditch. The Tibetan Government pays -very little, if any, attention to road-making, though, in such a dry -climate, it would be easy to construct good ones, and it would be -little trouble to keep them in repair. Thus far on my travels in Tibet -I had seen no wheeled conveyances, and I now learnt that such things -are unknown throughout the country. - -Shortly after starting it began snowing heavily. As we rode on along -the bank of the Nyang chu, Tsering-tashi pointed out to me the road to -Phagri, the monastery of Na-ning, the ruins of Gyang-to, both formerly -places of importance. Then we entered the rong, or defiles, [205] where -used to live three tribes of herdsmen, the Gyangro, Ning-ro, and -Gang-ro, who carried on a thriving trade in yak-tails (chowries), felt -hats, felt, and blankets. - -Crossing the river at Kudung zampa, we reached by dusk the village of -Gobshi, [206] where the Lhacham had only preceded us a little. I found -her very gloomy, for she had just learnt that there were in the house -where she was now stopping five small-pox patients. I was asked to -vaccinate her and her whole party; but, unfortunately, the lymph which -I had asked for in India had not reached me before leaving Tashilhunpo; -it was still at the Lachan barrier with Ugyen-gyatso. - -May 13.—Gobshi, or “four gates,” is a large village of about fifty -houses, half of it belonging to the Lhacham’s father-in-law. There are -a few poplar and pollard willow trees growing in front of the village, -and terraced fields planted with barley extend along the river banks. A -little to the east of the village, in the hills beyond the confluence -of the Nyang and Niro chu, there is a very ancient Bonbo lamasery, -called Khyung-nag, or “Black Eagle” monastery, which in the fifteenth -century was a place of pilgrimage famous throughout Tibet. - -After leaving Gobshi, we passed by Kavo gomba, a Ningma religious -establishment, and Tsering-tashi called my attention to the blue and -red bands painted on the walls of the temple and dwellings of the -lamas, telling me that these coloured stripes are characteristic of -this sect. - -Pushing on through a number of small villages, the road in some places -extremely difficult and even dangerous, we forded the Nyang chu at -Shetoi, [207] took a short cut to the Ralung zamba, and by 3 p.m. -reached the village of Ralung chong-doi, crossing once more the river -by a wooden bridge before entering it. - -Ralung [208] is one of the most sacred places in Tibet, for it is here -that the great Dugpa school of red-hat monks originated, a school still -influential with numerous adherents in Southern, Northern, and Eastern -Tibet, and in Bhutan, which latter country is, in fact, called Dugpa -owing to the preponderance of this sect. The Ralung-til, the head -monastery of the Dugpa, is to the south-east of this village. This -monastery owes its name to the fact that it is surrounded by mountains -as the heart (mt’il) of a lotus is by the corolla. - -May 14.—We left without even waiting for a cup of tea, as the Lhacham -was desirous of reaching Nangartse the same day, and, in spite of my -enfeebled condition, I was anxious to keep up with her party, for the -country we had to traverse is infested by brigands. - -After following up the river for a while, we ascended the Karo la, -[209] a lofty plateau from which we could distinguish to the north-east -the snow-covered slopes of the Noijin kang-zang (or Noijin norpa -zang-po and Kang zang-po). The plateau of the Karo la is called Oma -tang, or “milky plain,” [210] as is also the little hamlet near the -summit of the pass. On this plateau, which is about five miles broad -where we traversed it, there is fine grazing, and we saw numerous herds -of yaks by the sides of the little streamlets which meander over its -surface, the one flowing westward becoming the Nyang chu; the other -flows to the east, and is called the Kharnang-phu chu, and along this -the road led. On the summit of the pass I noticed a species of thorny -shrub, the like of which I had not seen in any other part of Tibet; the -thorns were quite long, and the stem and leaves of the plant of an ash -grey colour. - -A short way down the other side of the pass we came to a little hut -made of loose stones, where we rested and partook of some refreshments. -In conversation with the Lhacham, I mentioned the superiority of sedan -chairs (shing-chyam) over saddle-horses, especially for women when -travelling. But she held that it was degrading men to make them serve -as beasts of burden, and that if it should be tried in Tibet the people -would certainly resent it as an indignity. “There are only the two -Great Lamas, the Amban and the Regent, who are allowed to use sedan -chairs in Tibet,” she went on to say; “no other persons, however great -they may be, can make use of them.” - -About six miles down the valley we came to the hamlet of Ring-la, where -the Kharnang-phu chu turns north to empty into the Yamdo-yum-tso. At -this village the Nangartse plain begins, and the monastery of Samding -becomes faintly visible. - -The road now became good, and the ponies quickened their pace, and by 5 -o’clock we came in view of the town of Nangartse. - -The houses of the fishermen and common people (misser) are perched on -the hillside overlooking the prefect’s house (djong), and the broad -blue expanse of Lake Palti’s waters spreads out beyond. The party -stopped, and the Lhacham changed her garments for finer ones, and put -on her jewelled headdress (patug). On arriving at the gate of the house -where we were to stop, there was a raised platform covered with soft -blankets; here the Lhacham alighted, while her sons and the rest of the -party got down near by. - -The brother and nephew of the host were laid up with small-pox -(lhan-dum), and in a corner of the house some lamas were reading the -holy books to bring about their speedy recovery. [211] In the courtyard -lay another man lately arrived from Lhasa, and suffering from the same -disease, and near him were two lamas chanting mantras to the discordant -accompaniment of a bell and a damaru (hand drum). - -I passed a miserable night, with a raging fever and violent cough -racking my whole frame. My two companions sat beside me and did what -they could, but concluded that it was impossible in my present state -for me to keep up with the Lhacham’s party all the way to Lhasa. - -The next morning I was no better, the fits of coughing were more -violent. The sons of the Lhacham and her attendants came to see me, and -expressed their sorrow at having to leave me. The host said that the -best thing for me to do was to go to the Samding monastery, where there -were two skilful physicians who had recently successfully treated a -case similar to mine. Hearing this, one of the Lhacham’s maids -suggested that her mistress might give me a letter of introduction to -the lady abbess of this convent, the Dorje Phagmo, with whom she was -related and on the most friendly terms; the only danger was that she -might not allow me to enter her convent, as, on account of the epidemic -of small-pox, she had closed it to pilgrims. - -I followed the advice of those around me, and the Lhacham kindly wrote -to the Dorje Phagmo to take care of me and look to my wants; and after -taking an affectionate farewell, and telling me to come straight to her -house at Lhasa as soon as I recovered, she recommended me to the people -of the house and rode off. - -After taking a little breakfast, I made up my mind to go at once to the -Samding gomba, which I learnt could be reached in two hours’ ride. - -My companions wrapped me in woollens and blankets, and with a turban -round my head they set me on my horse. About two miles from town we -came to the river (the same we had followed since crossing the Kharo -la), and found it teeming with a small variety of fish. After crossing -several rivulets we came to the foot of the hill, on the top of which -stands Samding lamasery. [212] A flight of stone steps led up to the -monastery, and I looked at the long steep ascent with dismay, for I did -not see how I would ever be able to climb it in my present condition. -Taking a rest at every turn in the steps, I managed finally to reach -the top, some 300 feet above the plain. We had not, however, arrived at -the convent; a narrow pathway led up to the gateway, near which were -chained two fierce watch-dogs (do khyi), who barked furiously and -strained at their chains as we passed. The Yamdo dogs, I had heard, -were famous throughout Tibet for their size and fierceness, and these -certainly justified the reputation given them. - -I sat down on a stone near the gateway to wait until Tsering-tashi had -looked up the physicians. After an hour he returned and informed me -that one of the Amchi (physicians) was in the lamasery, and he led me -to his house, at the top of which I waited his coming. After a little -while the doctor made his appearance. He was a man of about seventy -years of age, but still sturdy, of middle stature, with an agreeable -face, broad forehead, and dignified appearance. He asked me a few -questions, examined my eyes and tongue, and then led the way into his -house. We ascended two ladders, and thus reached the portico of his -apartment. The old man sat for a while turning his prayer-wheel, and -taking frequent pinches of snuff while he scrutinized me closely. [213] -Then he gave me a powder to be taken in a little warm water, and -ordered his cook to give me some weak tea (cha t’ang), after which, -bearing the Lhacham’s letter in his hand, he went with Tsering-tashi to -present it to the Khyabgong Dorje Phagmo. [214] - -In the evening I was led to a house in the western end of the lamasery -belonging to a monk called Gelegs namgyal, where I had to accommodate -myself as best I could under the portico. - -Tsing-ta, as Tsering-tashi was usually called, told me that he had -asked the Dorje Phagmo to tell my fortune, and that she had made out -that my illness would prove very severe but not fatal, but the -performance of certain religious ceremonies was most urgently needed to -hasten my recovery. She sent me word that, in view of the letter of -introduction from the Lhacham I had brought with me, she would shortly -be pleased to see me, and that we might have all we required while -stopping in Samding. - -The next day my companions asked me to give a “general tea” (mang ja) -to the eighty odd monks of the convent, and to distribute alms to them -at the rate of a karma (two annas) a head. I gave my consent, and at -the same time my companions made, in my name, presents to the Dorje -Phagmo and to the deities that were pointed out to them as best able to -drive away the fiends of disease which surrounded me. - -The Dorje Phagmo gave Tsing-ta a sacred pill (rinsel) containing a -particle of Kashyapa Buddha’s relics, and the latter hastened to bring -it to me, and insisted on my swallowing it forthwith. [215] - -The Amchi advised me to carefully abstain from drinking cold water, -especially as the water of the lake was injurious to many persons even -when in good health. He also forbade me drinking buttered tea. - -By agreeing to pay my host a daily sum of four annas, I managed to rent -his two miserable rooms. They were about six feet by eight, and six -feet high. In the bedroom were a couple of little tables, half a dozen -books, and a couple of boxes; in a corner there was a little altar and -two images of gods. - -The next day there was a new moon, and the monks assembled early in the -congregation hall to perform religious services, as on the morrow began -the fourth month (saga dao), [216] the holiest of the year. - -At the conclusion of the ceremonies Tsing-ta again saw the Dorje -Phagmo, and, presenting her with a khatag and a couple of tanka, -obtained another sacred pill. The doctor and his assistant impressed -upon me the importance of only taking such medicines as experience had -shown were efficacious in the Yamdo country. They also insisted that it -was essential to my recovery that I should not sleep in the daytime. I -felt so weak and ill that towards midnight I called my companions to my -side, and wrote my will in my notebook. Later on some medicine given me -by the doctor’s assistant, Jerung, brought me some relief. - -May 18.—Tsing-ta again gave the lamas a mang ja and money to read the -sacred books to my intent, and got still another sacred pill from the -Dorje Phagmo. On his way back to our quarters he saw the ex-incarnate -lama of the Tse-chog ling of Lhasa. He had been degraded for having -committed adultery. - -Seeing no pronounced improvement in my condition, my faithful follower -went again in the afternoon to see the Dorje Phagmo, presented her a -khatag and ten tanka, and got her to perform the ceremony known as -“propitiating the gods of life” (tse dub). She also gave him a long -list of religious rites, which, according to her, it was imperative -that I should immediately get learned lamas to perform to insure my -speedy recovery. - -These rites were the following: 1. Reading the Pradjna paramita in 8000 -shlokas, together with its supplements—twelve monks could do this in -two days. 2. Making the three portion (cha gsum) offerings, these -consisting in painted wafers of tsamba and butter. One-third is offered -to the ten guardians, Gya-ljin (Indra), the god of fire, the ruler of -Hades, the god of wind, etc.; another portion is offered to the -spirits, and the third to the demi-gods. 3. Gyal-gsol, or propitiating -certain genii to the end that the patient’s mind may be at rest and he -enjoy peaceful dreams. 4. Libations to the gods or Gser-skyems. This is -held to be one of the most efficacious ways of propitiating the gods. -5. “To deceive death” (hchi-slu), by offering an image of the sick -person, together with some of his clothes, and food to the Lord of -death, and beseeching him to accept it instead of the person it -represents. This means is resorted to after all others have failed. 6. -“To deceive life” (srog-slu), by saving from death animals about to be -killed. This is also known as “life-saving charity.” The saving of the -lives of men, beasts, and particularly fishes, is calculated to insure -life. [217] When Tsing-ta proposed this to me, I at once agreed to save -five hundred fish. The old doctor said he would go to the fishermen’s -village, some three miles away, buy the fish, and set them free for me, -if I would but lend him a pony. He came back in the evening, and -reported that he had successfully accomplished this most important -mission, by which much merit would come to me. - -In spite of all these rites and observances, for some days my illness -showed no signs of improvement, and so at last, on May 22, Tsing-ta -went once more to the Dorje Phagmo, and, making her a present of five -tanka and a khatag, asked her to find out by her divine knowledge if -the old Amchi was the right man to attend to me. She threw dice -(sho-mon), [218] and then said that the two physicians could be -depended on. - -Accordingly, I sent for the physicians, gave them each a present, and -begged them to prepare some new and energetic remedy for me. In the -evening Jerung brought me some pills, which smelt strongly of musk, and -some powders, probably those known as gurkum chusum. [219] After having -taken some of each I felt somewhat better. - -By the following morning there was a marked improvement in my -condition, and I was able to sit propped up on my blankets. The news of -the favourable change was at once reported to the Dorje Phagmo, who -advised Tsing-ta to have performed the ceremony for propitiating -Tamdrin, Dorje Phagmo, and Khyung-mo (the Garuda); especially of the -first-named. Tsing-ta made her a further present of seven tanka and a -khatag, and she agreed to perform these ceremonies herself. - -May 24.—Early this morning the old doctor visited me. “The danger is -over,” he said; “the fatal stage is passed; you can take a little food, -some tsamba, a little soup and meat.” In truth, I felt so much better -to-day that I took some exercise, and the fresh, bracing air did me a -world of good. - -The next day I was able to visit the shrines of Samding, on which tour -my two companions accompanied me, carrying a bowl of butter, a bundle -of incense-sticks, and about fifty khatag. - -We first went to visit the kind old physician and his assistant, and I -was much struck by the neat appearance of the floors of his rooms, made -of pebbles very evenly laid in mortar, and beautifully polished. In the -doctor’s sitting-room the walls were frescoed with Buddhist symbols, -trees, and hideous figures of guardian deities. The furniture comprised -of four painted chests of drawers, half a dozen small low tables, some -painted bowls for tsamba, two little wooden altars covered with images -of gods, and some rugs spread on the top of large mattresses. On the -walls hung some religious pictures covered with silk curtains, and in a -corner there were a sword and shield. - -On leaving the physician’s house I entered the courtyard of the -monastery, which I found more than 150 feet long, and 100 broad. There -were buildings on three sides, and broad ladders, each step covered -with brass and iron plates, leading to the main floor; the middle -ladder is used by the Dorje Phagmo alone. On inquiring for her -holiness, we learnt that she was engaged in certain religious duties, -and would see me later. - -In the meanwhile I visited various chapels and shrines. In the -gong-khang (upper rooms) are lodged the most terrifying of the demons -and genii; their appearance is so awful that they are usually kept -veiled. Almost all the images were dressed in armour, and held various -weapons in their hands. To each of the images Tsing-ta presented a -khatag and a stick of incense, and Pador poured a little butter in the -brass or silver lamps kept continually burning before them. - -It is due, by the way, to the Dorje Phagmo’s spiritual influence that -the waters of the inner lake or Dumo tso (“Demons’ Lake”), of the Yamdo -tso, are held in bounds, for otherwise they would overflow and inundate -the whole of Tibet. ’Twas for this that the Samding lamasery was -originally built. - -In the largest room on the same floor are the mausolea of the former -incarnations of Dorje Phagmo. The first is made of silver gilt, and was -built in honour of Je-tsun Tinlas-tsomo, [220] the founder of the -monastery. The whole surface of the monument is studded over with large -turquoises, coral beads, rubies, emeralds, and pearls. In shape it -resembles a chorten, six to seven feet square at the base. Inside of -it, on a slab of stone, is an impress of the foot of the illustrious -deceased. The second monument is also of silver, and in shape like the -preceding, but I could not ascertain the name of the incarnation in -whose honour it had been erected. The third, also of silver, is that of -Nag-wang kun-bzang, the predecessor last but one of the present -incarnation, and has around it, placed there as great curios, some -pieces of European chinaware and some toys. The upper part of the -monument is most tastefully decorated with gold and precious stones. -This work, I believe, has been done by Nepalese, though some persons -said it is of native workmanship. - -In another room, not open to the public, however, are the mortal -remains of the former incarnations of Dorje Phagmo. I was told that -each incarnation of this goddess visits this hall once in her life to -make obeisance to the remains of her predecessors. - -After visiting all the shrines we returned to the Dorje Phagmo’s -apartments, where I was most kindly received. She occupied a raised -seat, and I was given a place on her left, while the ex-incarnate lama, -of whom I have previously spoken, occupied one a little behind her, but -his seat was higher than mine. The ceremony of propitiating Tamdrin -(Hayagriva) was proceeding, and twelve lamas in full canonicals were -acting as assistants. A number of respectably dressed men and women who -had come to be blessed were also seated about on rugs. - -The service lasted about two hours. Every now and then the Dorje Phagmo -used an aspergill, with an end of peacock feathers and kusha grass, -[221] to sprinkle saffron water taken from a “bowl of life,” most of -it, much to my annoyance, for I feared catching cold, falling on me, -but it was a much envied token of her special favour. I could not catch -the words of the charms (mantras) she uttered, as she spoke very -rapidly, so as to get through the services as quickly as she could. - -At the termination of the service sugared tsamba balls, about the size -of bullets, most of them painted red, were distributed among those -present. Before each person received any he prostrated himself before -her holiness, who then gave them to him. - -When all the spectators had left, the Dorje Phagmo told me that she -took great interest in my recovery on account of the Lhacham, who was -not only her friend, but her half-sister. I besought her to allow me to -proceed on my journey to Lhasa, as I was most desirous of reaching the -sacred city by the 15th of the present moon (June 1), the birthday of -the Buddha, and she graciously gave me leave to start as soon as I was -strong enough to bear the fatigue of travelling. - -On taking leave, she gave me three more sacred pills, and directed her -valet (gzim-dpon) to show me through her residence, where there was -great store of handsomely carved and painted furniture, images of gold, -silver, and copper neatly arranged on little altars. There was also a -library with about 3000 volumes of printed and manuscript books. One -work, in 118 volumes, was by Podong-chogleg namgyal, the founder of the -sect to which the Dorje Phagmo belongs. - -The present incarnation of the divine Dorje Phagmo is a lady of -twenty-six, Nag-wang rinchen kunzang wangmo by name. She wears her hair -long; her face is agreeable, her manners dignified, and somewhat -resembling those of the Lhacham, though she is much less prepossessing -than she. It is required of her that she never take her rest lying -down; in the daytime she may recline on cushions or in a chair, but -during the night she sits in the position prescribed for meditation. -[222] - -I learnt that the Dorje Phagmo, or the “Diamond Sow,” is an incarnation -of Dolma (Tara), the divine consort of Shenrezig. In days of old, -before the time when the Buddha Gautama appeared, there was a hideous -monster called Matrankaru, who spread ruin and terror over all the -world. He was the chief of all the legions of demons, goblins, and -other evil spirits; even the devils (raksha) of Ceylon had to become -his subjects. He subdued to his rule not only this world, but the eight -planets, the twenty-four constellations, the eight Nagas, and the gods. -By his miraculous power he could lift Mount Rirab (Sumeru) on the end -of his thumb. - -Finally the Buddha and gods held council to compass about Matrankaru’s -destruction, and it was decided that Shenrezig should take the form of -Tamdrin (“Horse-neck”), and his consort, Dolma, that of Dorje Phagmo -(“the Diamond Sow”). When the two had assumed these forms they went to -the summit of the Malaya mountains, and Tamdrin neighed three times, to -fill the demon with terror, and Dorje Phagmo grunted five times, to -strike terror into the heart of Matrankaru’s wife, and soon both were -lying prostrate at the feet of the two divinities. But their lives were -spared them, and Matrankaru became a devout follower of the Buddha, a -defender of the faith (chos gyong), and was given the name of Mahakala. - -In 1716, when the Jungar invaders of Tibet came to Nangartse, their -chief sent word to Samding to the Dorje Phagmo to appear before him, -that he might see if she really had, as reported, a pig’s head. A mild -answer was returned him; but, incensed at her refusing to obey his -summons, he tore down the walls of the monastery of Samding, and broke -into the sanctuary. He found it deserted, not a human being in it, only -eighty pigs and as many sows grunting in the congregation hall under -the lead of a big sow, and he dared not sack a place belonging to pigs. - -When the Jungars had given up all idea of sacking Samding, suddenly the -pigs disappeared to become venerable-looking lamas and nuns, with the -saintly Dorje Phagmo at their head. Filled with astonishment and -veneration for the sacred character of the lady abbess, the chief made -immense presents to her lamasery. - -May 26.—To-day we made our preparations for the journey to Lhasa, and -as food of all kinds was very scarce at Samding, the Dorje Phagmo was -so kind as to supply us with all the necessary provisions. The old -doctor presented me with a basket of dried apricots and some rice, and -our landlord brought us some wild goose eggs. - -May 27.—We left to-day for Lhasa. From a little hillock behind our -lodgings I cast a last glance towards the lake and the dark hills -around it, behind which rose the snow-covered mountains. My eyes fell -on the Dumo tso, and on the place where the dead are thrown into the -lake, and I shuddered as I thought that this had come near being my -fate. Dead bodies throughout Tibet are cut up and fed to vultures and -dogs, but on the shores of Lake Yamdo the people throw their dead into -the lake. It is generally believed that a number of Lu (serpent -demi-gods) live in Lake Yamdo, and that they keep the keys of heaven. -In a palace of crystal in the deep recesses of the lake lives their -king, and the people think that by throwing their dead into the lake -there is a chance for them of reaching heaven by serving the king of -the Lu during the period intervening between death and regeneration. -Bardo this time is called. - -Passing through cultivated fields, where the ponies sank up to their -knees in mud, we came to a broad steppe where wild goats and sheep and -a few musk deer were grazing. Dorje Phagmo is their special patron, and -no wild animals may be killed in the Yamdo district. - -At about 2 o’clock we reached Nangartse, and, passing by the town, -proceeded northward along the bank of the far-famed Yamdo (Palti) lake, -also called Yum tso, or “turquoise lake”—a name which the deep blue -waters of the lake amply justify. - -Travelling along the lake-side by the villages of Hailo, [223] -Dab-lung, and Dephu, where the fishermen’s hide boats (kudru) were -drying against the houses, and near which are a few fields where a -little barley is raised, we came to the Kal-zang zamba, where we rested -a while and drank some tea. Though this place is called “bridge” -(zamba), it is in reality an embankment about 300 to 400 feet long -dividing a narrow arm of the lake into two parts. - -A little beyond the Kal-zang zamba, at a place where a string of -coloured rags, inscribed with prayers, stretched between two crags on -either side the narrow path, Tsing-ta made me dismount. He climbed on -to a large rock, and scattered a few pinches of tsamba, and, striking a -light, lit an incense-stick, which he fixed in a cleft in the rocks. -This place is called Sharui teng, and is the haunt of evil spirits; -should any traveller neglect to make these offerings, he would incur -their anger. - -On reaching Palti djong, [224] we put up at a house where the Lhacham -had stopped when on her way to Lhasa, and were most hospitably -received. We bought some milk, a few eggs, and some chang from the -hostess, who supplied us also with water, firewood, and two earthen -cooking-pots. I was offered some fish, but I forbore buying any, as it -would have been incompatible with my character of a pious pilgrim, such -indulgence being forbidden by the Dalai lama. The Grand Lama, I must -mention, having lately taken the vows of monkhood, had issued an edict -prohibiting his subjects killing or eating fish for the space of one -year. - -From ancient times the town of Palti has been a famous seat of the -Nyingma sect, and the lake was popularly known by its name. The name of -the town as applied to the lake by foreigners probably originated with -the Catholic missionaries who visited Tibet in the eighteenth century. - -When, in the eighteenth century, the Jungars invaded Tibet, their wrath -was especially turned against the lamaseries and monks of the Nyingma -sect. There then lived in Palti djong a learned and saintly lama, -called Palti Shabdung, well versed in all the sacred literature, and -proficient in magic arts. Hearing that the invaders had crossed the -Nabso la and were marching on Palti, he, by his art, propitiated the -deities of the lake who caused the waters of the lake to appear to the -Jungar troops like a plain of verdure, so that they marched into the -lake and were drowned, to the number of several thousands. Another -corps which had advanced by the Khamba la, not finding the troops which -had gone by the Nabso la, retraced their steps, and so the town of -Palti was saved. - -May 28.—We left by daylight, and followed along the shore of the lake -till we reached the foot of the Khamba la. The ascent was comparatively -easy; on the rocks by the wayside were painted in many places images of -Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. From Tamalung, [225] a small village halfway -up the mountain, a trail led eastward along the cliffs overhanging the -lake, and the sinuosities of the shore could be followed with the eye -to the remote horizon. - -On the summit of the pass are two large cairns, to which each of my -companions added a stone; they also tied a rag to the brush sticking -out above the heaps, and already covered with such offerings. Then they -made an offering of a little tsamba and some dust, instead of wine, to -the mountain god, reciting a prayer the while, which they brought to an -end by shouting— - - - “Lha sol-lo, Lha sol-lo! - Lha gyal lo, lha gyal lo! - Kei-kei—ho, hooo!” - - -From this point I enjoyed one of the grandest views I have ever had in -Tibet—the valley of the Tsang-po was before me, the great river flowing -in a deep gorge at the foot of forest-clad mountains. Here and there -was to be seen a little hamlet, most of the white-walled houses -surrounded by a cluster of tall trees. - -By 3 o’clock we had reached the foot of the pass, the way down being -over a tedious zigzag for over five miles. Along the wayside grew -brambles and wild roses, a few evergreens and rhododendrons, and some -flocks of sheep were grazing on the hillsides. - -Then we came to a sluggish stream, and shortly after reached the -straggling village of Khamba partshi, [226] with some forty wretched -stone hovels. Passing through a patch of barley surrounded by pollard -willows, we reached the sandy banks of the Tsang-po, and followed along -it to Tongbu, the surrounding plain being known as Khamba chyang tang. - -Two women weeding their barley patch approached me as I rode by, and -offered me a bunch of the young sprouts, in the hope, as Tsing-ta -explained, that I would give them some money. This is a custom -obtaining throughout Tibet, and is called lubul. - -Further on, near Toi-tsi, we saw women making bricks, and some donkeys -and yaks were carrying away those which had become sufficiently dry to -be used. Two miles beyond this point we came to the famous Palchen -chuvori monastery and the chain bridge (chag-zam) over the Tsang-po. -This bridge, built, tradition says, by Tang-tong gyal-po in the -fifteenth century, consists of two heavy cables attached at each end to -huge logs, around which have been built large chorten. [227] - -The bed of the river here is about 400 feet broad, but at this season -of the year it spreads out several hundred feet beyond the extremities -of the bridge, and travellers are taken across in boats. - -The monastery of Palchen chuvori was also built by Tang-tong gyal-po, -who is likewise credited with having constructed eight chain bridges -over the Tsang-po, 108 temples, and 108 chorten on the hills of Chung -Rivoche, in Ulterior Tibet, and of Palchen chuvori, in Central Tibet, -or U. The Palchen chuvori monastery, where there are upwards of one -hundred monks, is supported by the toll collected at the ferry. - -We and our ponies crossed the river in a roughly made boat about 20 -feet long, but a number of skin coracles were also carrying travellers -and freight from one side to the other. It was sunset when we reached -the village of Jim-khar, belonging to the Namgyal Ta-tsan, the great -monastic establishment of Potala at Lhasa. Here we obtained lodgings -for the night in the sheepfold attached to the house of the headman, or -gyan-po. All the members of the gyan-po’s family were ill with -small-pox, and he himself had but recently recovered from it. It began -to rain shortly after our arrival, and what with the leaks in the roof -and the noise made by nine ponies tied up near us, we passed a -miserable night, and were glad to resume our journey at the first -streak of dawn. After proceeding some distance we came in sight of the -ruins of Chu-shul djong, on a ledge of rocks about a mile from where -the Tsang-po is joined by the Kyi chu, the river of Lhasa. Some two -hundred years ago Chu-shul was a place of importance, but now it is but -a village of about sixty houses, surrounded by wide fields, where -barley, rape, buckwheat, and wheat are grown. [228] - -Passing near the hamlets of Tsa-kang and Semu, the road in many places -so boggy that the ponies sank in the mire up to their knees, we came, -after about four miles, to the ruins of Tsal-pa-nang, [229] where we -overtook some of the attendants of the Lhacham on their way to Lhasa. -After conversing with them for upwards of an hour, they rode on ahead, -as they were desirous of reaching Netang by sunset; and they advised us -to put up in the Jya-khang (or Chinese post station) of the same place, -where we would find good accommodation. - -Beyond Tsal-pa-nang the road led over a sandy plain, while crossing -which we scared up several rabbits (hares?). Proceeding eastward for -several miles, we came to the large village of Jang hog, or “Lower -Jang,” then to Jang toi, or “Upper Jang,” [230] where the beauty of the -country so greatly charmed me, each cluster of houses surrounded by -groves of willows and poplars, and the fields a mass of flowers, that I -called a halt, and, spreading my rug under a willow tree, we made some -tea, and my companions indulged in a good long drink of chang. - -From Jang toi, following a narrow trail overhanging the Kyi chu, we -came to Nam. Beyond this little hamlet the path leads over a confused -mass of rocks and boulders along the river bank; it is called gag lam, -or “narrow road,” and a false step would throw one amidst the -quicksands on the river’s bank, or into its eddying waters. I was not -surprised to be told that the two elephants sent to the Grand Lama by -the Sikkim rajah had had great difficulty in getting by this place. -After a tedious journey of about three miles through the sand and over -the rocks, we got sight of the famous village of Netang, [231] where -the great saint and Buddhist reformer, Atisha, or Dipankara, died. - -An old woman led us to the Jya khang, where we were most hospitably -received, and though there were other travellers stopping in it, we -were accommodated for the sum of a tanka in a well-ventilated outer -room, the inner ones being reserved for officials, particularly -Chinese. Netang has about forty or fifty houses, all built closely -together, but many are only miserable hovels. - -May 30.—We were off at an early hour, as to-day we wanted to reach -Lhasa. The hamlets of Norbu-gang and Chumig-gang, through which we -passed, had a number of fine substantial houses belonging to civil -officers (Dung-khor) of Lhasa, and around them were gardens and groves -of trees. Leaving these places behind, we travelled for some miles over -a gravelly plain, the river some distance on our right. - -When near a gigantic image of the Buddha, cut in low relief on the face -of a rock, Potala and Chagpori came in sight, their gilt domes shining -in the sun’s rays. My long-cherished wish was accomplished—Lhasa, the -sacred city, was before me. - -Four miles over a fairly good road now brought us to the Ti chu zamba, -a large and handsome stone bridge about 120 paces long and eight broad, -beneath which flowed a rivulet coming from the hills to the north-west, -where stands the monastery of Tsorpu, founded by Karma Bagshi, one of -the two celebrated lamas who resided at the Imperial court of China in -the time of the Emperor Kublai. - -The Ti chu zamba is in the lower part of the big village of Toilung, -around which are numerous hamlets, each amid a little grove of pollard -willows. The adjacent plain, watered as it is by the Kyi chu and the Ti -(or Toilung) chu, is extraordinarily fertile. The country around was -everywhere cultivated, and the barley, wheat, and buckwheat were in -many places already a foot high. - -The road now became alive with travellers, mostly grain-dealers or -argol-carriers, on their way to the city with trains of yaks, ponies, -mules, and donkeys with jingling bells. - -We halted for breakfast in a small grove in front of the village of -Shing donkar, belonging to Sa-wang Ragasha, one of the senior Shape of -Lhasa. We could hear from where we sat the voices of lamas chanting -prayers, and I learnt from an old woman who brought my men some chang, -that there were some eighteen Dabung lamas reading prayers for the -recovery from small-pox of the foreman (shinyer) of the farm. - -About a mile from Sing donkar we came to Donkar, which is considered as -the first stage for persons travelling officially from Lhasa. [232] -Then we passed by Cheri, where is the city slaughter-house; and here, -strange as it may seem, the Kashmiris come to buy meat, for most of -those living at Lhasa are so lax in their observance of the Mohammedan -laws about butchering that they will eat yaks killed by Tibetans, even -though they have been put to death by wounds of arrows or knives in the -stomach. - -We stopped at Daru at the foot of the hill covered by Debung and its -park, and Pador went to look up a friend whom he was desirous of -attaching to my service. After an hour’s delay he returned without -having found him, and we pushed on, passing the far-famed temple of -Nachung chos kyong, where resides the oracle by whom the Government is -guided in all important affairs. The temple is a fine edifice of dark -red colour, built after the Chinese style, and has a gilt spire -surmounting it. At this point the road nears the river, and the whole -city stood displayed before us at the end of an avenue of gnarled -trees, the rays of the setting sun falling on its gilded domes. It was -a superb sight, the like of which I have never seen. On our left was -Potala with its lofty buildings and gilt roofs; before us, surrounded -by a green meadow (maidan), lay the town with its tower-like, -whitewashed houses and Chinese buildings with roofs of blue glazed -tiles. Long festoons of inscribed and painted rags hung from one -building to another, waving in the breeze. - -Beyond Daru the road lay for a while through a marsh (dam-tso) -overgrown with rank grass; numerous ditches drained the water into the -river, and at the north-east end of the marsh we could distinguish the -famous monastery of Sera. Beyond a high sand embankment on our left was -the park and palace of Norbu linga, and the beautiful grove of Kemai -tsal, in the midst of which stands the palace of Lhalu, the father of -the last Dalai lama. - -At 4 p.m. we passed Kunduling, the residence of the regent, and entered -the city by the western gateway, called the Pargo kaling chorten, and -my heart leaped with exultation as I now reached the goal of my -journey—the far-famed city of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -RESIDENCE AT LHASA. - - -Preceded by Pador carrying his long lance and by Tsing-ta driving the -pack-pony, we entered the city. The policemen (korchagpa) [233] marked -us as new-comers, but none of them questioned us. My head drooped with -fatigue, my eyes were hidden by dark goggles, and the red pagri around -my head made me look like a Ladaki. Some people standing in front of a -Chinese pastry shop said, as I passed, “Look! there comes another sick -man; small-pox has affected his eyes. The city is full of them. What an -awful time for Tibet!” - -After a few minutes’ ride we came to the Yu-tog zamba, a short stone -bridge with a gate, where a guard commanded by a lama is stationed, -which examines all passers-by to ascertain the object of their visit to -the city. To the great delight of my companions, who had been most -anxious about my getting over the bridge, we passed by without a -question being asked us. - -Near the bridge I noticed the doring, [234] a monolith on which is an -inscription in Tibetan and Chinese. Though a thousand years old, the -stone has been but little affected by the weather, and the characters -can be easily read. The monolith I took to be between eight and ten -feet in height, and it stands on a low pedestal. - -At the Yu-tog zamba the city proper begins. The street on both sides -was lined with native and Chinese shops; in front of each was a -pyramidal structure, where juniper spines and dried leaves obtained -from Tsari are burnt as an offering to the gods. - -Coming to the street to the south of Kyil-khording, [235] we found on -either side of it Nepalese shops several stories high, also Chinese -ones, where silk fabrics, porcelain, and various kinds of brick-tea -were exposed for sale. - -A lama guided us from this street to the Bangye-shag, a castle-like -building three stories high, the residence of Sawang Phala, the husband -of my protectress, the Lhacham. Leaving me at the postern gate, my two -companions went in and presented the lady with a khatag, and she -directed them to take me to Paljor rabtan, a building belonging to the -Tashi lama, where all officers and monks from Tashilhunpo find lodgings -when in Lhasa, and where we would be given accommodations. - -The gateway of Paljor rabtan was about eight or nine feet high and five -feet broad, and from the lintels fluttered fringes about a foot and a -half broad. [236] Two stout flag-poles 20 to 25 feet high, carrying -inscribed banners, stood on either side of it. Ascending a steep -staircase, or rather a ladder, we came to a verandah, opposite which -was a pretty glazed house, the dwelling of the khang-nyer (or -“house-keeper”), and were soon given by him a room to lodge in, and -served with tea and chang by an old woman. From the window of our room -we could see the damra, or grove of poplars and willows in a marshy bit -of land adjacent to the Tangye-ling monastery, and further west shone -the lofty gilt spires of Potala. - -May 31.—The heavy shower which had fallen last evening cleared up the -atmosphere, and the gilt domes and spires glittering in the morning sun -filled me with delight, and I had difficulty in subduing my impatience -to visit all the monuments now before me, and of which I had dreamed of -for so many years. At 7 o’clock Pador brought me a pot of tea prepared -in the house of the water-carrier; but, instead of butter, tallow had -been used in its preparation, and I could not swallow it; [237] but we -managed, after a while, to make some in our own room. Shortly after -Tsing-ta came in, bringing a pair of rugs, two cushions, and two little -tables he had borrowed at the Bangye-shag. He had also an invitation -from the Lhacham to visit her in the afternoon. - -Having shaved and donned my lama costume and goggles, we started for -Bangye-shag, which was about a mile from our lodgings. Most of the -shops we saw were kept by Kashmiris, Nepalese, or Chinese; the Tibetan -ones were few and poorly supplied. - -Bangye-shag is a lofty, flat-roofed stone building with two large -gateways. The ground floor is used as storerooms and quarters for the -amlas or retainers of the Phala estates. The beams, the cornices, as -also the window-frames, are painted red; a few of the windows have a -little pane of glass in them, but most of them are covered with paper. -On reaching the second floor, the Lhacham’s maids (shetama) greeted me -most kindly, and insisted on my taking a cup or two of tea, after which -they led me to her ladyship’s room, where, taking off my hat, I -presented her a visiting scarf (jadar) and a piece of gold of about a -dzo weight. [238] Making motion to one of her maids to present me a -scarf, she kindly wished me welcome (“Chyag-peb nang chig, Pundib la”), -and bade me take a seat (“Pundib la, shu dang shag, shu dang shag”). -After conversing with her a while about my recent illness, and telling -her of the kindness of the Dorje Phagmo, that merciful Lady of the Lake -to whom I owe my life, I took my leave and returned home. - -June 1.—June 1 is the holiest day of the year, saga dawa, [239] the day -of the Buddha’s nirvāna, and incense was burnt on every hilltop, in -every shrine, chapel, lamasery, and house in or near Lhasa. Men, women, -and children hastened to the sacred shrine of Kyil-khording (or Jo -khang, as it is commonly called), to do puja to the Jo-vo (“Lord -Buddha”) and obtain his blessing. All carried in their hands bundles of -incense-sticks, bowls of butter, and khatag of all sizes and qualities. -Our fellow-lodgers went with the rest, calling at my room on the way -out, and in a short time we also joined the crowd. - -A broad street runs in front of the Jo khang, and the road which comes -from the Pargo kaling gate terminates on its western face, and here -grows a tall poplar said to have sprung from the hair of the Buddha. -Beside this is the ancient stone tablet erected by the Tibetans in the -ninth century to commemorate their victory over the Chinese, and which -gives the text of the treaty then concluded between the Emperor of -China and King Ralpachan. [240] - -The magnificent temple engrossed, however, all my attention. In front -of it is a tall flag-pole, at the base of which hang two yak-tails, -some inscriptions, and a number of yak- and sheep-horns. In the -propylon of the chief temple (Tsang khang), the heavy wooden pillars of -which are three to four feet in circumference, and about twelve feet -high, upwards of a hundred monks were making prostrations before the -image of the Lord (Jo-vo) on a throne facing the west. This famous -image of the Buddha, known as Jo-vo rinpoche, is said to have been made -in Magadha during the lifetime of the great teacher. [241] Visvakarma -is supposed to have made it, under the guidance of the god Indra, of an -alloy of the five precious substances, gold, silver, zinc, iron, and -copper, and the “five precious celestial substances,” probably -diamonds, rubies, lapis-lazuli, emeralds, and indranila. - -The legend goes on to say that the image was in the first place sent -from India to the capital of China in return for the assistance the -Emperor had given the King of Magadha against the Yavanas from the -west. When the Princess Konjo, daughter of the Emperor Tai-tsung, was -given in marriage to the King of Tibet, she brought the image to Lhasa -as a portion of her dowry. - -The image is life-size and exquisitely modelled, and represents a -handsome young prince. The crown on its head is said to be the gift of -Tsong-khapa, the great reformer. The Kunyer said that the image -represented the Buddha when at the age of twelve; hence the princely -apparel in which he is clothed and the dissimilarity of the image to -those seen elsewhere. [242] On the four sides of it were gilt pillars -with dragons twined around them, supporting a canopy. On one side of -the image of the Buddha is that of Maitreya, and on the other that of -Dipankara Buddha. [243] Behind this, again, is the image of the Buddha -Gang-chan wogyal, and to the right and left of the latter those of the -twelve chief disciples of the Buddha. - -We were also shown the image of the great reformer, Tsong-khapa, near -which is the famous rock, called Amolonkha, discovered by Tsong-khapa. -[244] On this rock is placed the bell with a gem in the handle, -supposed to have been used by Maudgalyayana, the chief disciple of the -Buddha. - -After the image of the Buddha, the most celebrated statue in this -temple is that of Avalokiteswara with the eleven faces (Shen-re-zig -chu-chig dzal). It is said that once King Srong-btsan gambo heard a -voice saying that if he made a full-sized image of Shenrezig, all his -wishes would be granted him; so he constructed this one, in the -composition of which there entered a branch of the sacred Bo tree, some -soil of an island in the great ocean, some sand from the River -Nairanjana, [245] some gosirsha sandalwood, some soil from the eight -sacred places of India, and many other rare and valuable substances. -All these were first powdered, then, having been moistened with the -milk of a red cow and a goat, made into a paste and moulded into a -statue. To give it additional sanctity, the king had a sandalwood image -of the god brought from Ceylon put inside of it. - -This statue is also known as the “five self-created” (nya rang chyung); -for the Nepalese sculptor who made it said that it had sprung into -shape rather than had been moulded by him, and it is further said that -the souls of King Srong-btsan gambo and his consorts were absorbed in -it. It occupies the northern chapel in the temple, and is surrounded by -the images of a number of gods and goddesses. - -In the outer courtyard of the temple is a row of statues, among which -is that of King Srong-btsan gambo and various saints and Pundits. On -the porch of the Tsang-khang are images of the Buddhas of the past, -present, and future. Innumerable other highly interesting images and -votive offerings were shown us, among which I will mention a hundred -and eight lamps made out of stone under Tsong-khapa’s directions. - -Among the other objects of interest shown us was a stone slab (Padma -pung-pa) which King Srong-btsan gambo and his wives were wont to use as -a seat when taking their baths, and a life-size statue of Tsong-khapa -surrounded by images of gods, saints, and worthies. In the room where -these statues are seen, and which is closed by a wire lattice, is also -a famous image of the god Chyag-na dorje (Vajrapani). When the -iconoclast King Langdarma [246] began persecuting Buddhism, he ordered -this image to be destroyed. A valet tied a rope around its neck to drag -it from the temple, but he suddenly became insane, and died vomiting -blood, and the image was left undisturbed. - -In the outer court, or khyamra, [247] is the image of the god Tovo -Metsig-pa, [248] by whose power the invading armies of China were -routed in the war which immediately followed the death of King -Srong-btsan gambo. Near it are statues of the king and his two -consorts, and some huge yak-horns, of which the following anecdote is -told to inquisitive pilgrims by the temple servants (kunyer). -Ra-chung-pa, a disciple of the great saint Milarapa, [249] had been to -India, and had there studied under the most learned masters all the -mysteries of the faith, and had returned to Tibet filled with pride -over his knowledge. Travelling to Lhasa with his master, they reached -the middle of the desert called Palmoi-paltang, when Milarapa, who knew -of the conceit of his disciple and wished to teach him a lesson, -ordered him to fetch him a pair of yak horns lying near by. But -Ra-chung-pa said to himself, “The master wants everything he sees. -Sometimes he is as fretful as an old dog, at others as full of childish -fancies as an old man in his dotage. Of what possible use can the horns -be to him; he can neither use them for food, drink, nor clothing?” Then -he asked the sage what he proposed doing with them. “Though it is not -possible to say what may occur,” replied Milarapa, “they will certainly -be of use some time or other;” and he picked them up himself and -carried them along. - -After a while a violent hailstorm overtook the travellers, and there -was not so much as a rat-hole in which they could find shelter. -Ra-chung-pa covered his head with his gown, and sat on the ground till -the storm had passed by. When he searched for the lama, he could see -him nowhere; but he heard a voice, and, looking about, lo! there was -Milarapa seated inside one of the horns. “If the son is the equal of -the father, then,” said the saint, “let him seat himself inside the -other horn;” but it was too small to even serve Ra-chung-pa for a hat. -Then Milarapa came out of the horn, and Ra-chung-pa carried them to -Lhasa, and presented them to the Jo-vo. [250] - -After visiting all the ground floor we climbed up to the second and -third stories, where we were shown a number of other images, among -which I noticed that of Paldan lhamo. By the time we had seen all the -images we had exhausted our supply of butter, for Pador had put a -little in every lamp lighted that day in the chapels. Those before the -image of the Jo-vo were of gold, and each must have held ten or twelve -pounds of butter. - -By the time we reached our lodgings I was completely worn out, and -passed the rest of the day in my rooms or on the housetop, the view -from which always charmed me, especially when the rays of the setting -sun shone brightly on the gilded domes of the temples and palaces. - -I was much troubled in my mind by hearing from Tsing-ta that small-pox -was raging in town, even the keeper of our house, his wife and -children, were down with the disease, and in every dwelling in the -neighbourhood some one was ill with it. - -On the following morning (June 2), after an early breakfast, I went to -visit the famous shrine of Ramoche, [251] carrying, as on the previous -day, a bundle of incense-sticks, some butter and khatags. We took a -horribly muddy lane, where heaps of filth emitted a most offensive -odour; then, turning northward, we crossed the Potala road at the -north-west corner of the Tomse-gang, as the Kyil-khording square is -commonly called, and passed by the lofty Wangdu chorten, which was -built to bring under the power (wang, “power;” du, “to subjugate”) of -Tibet all the neighbouring nations. This spot is also called Gya-bum -gang, for it is said that once during the Ming dynasty of China 100,000 -(gya-bum) Chinese troops camped (gang) on the plain to the north of -this chorten. Other accounts explain this name by saying that in the -war with China, after the death of King Srong-btsan gambo, 100,000 -Chinamen were killed in a battle near this spot. [252] - -A few hundred paces beyond this place we reached the gate of Ramoche, -the famous temple erected by the illustrious Konjo, [253] daughter of -the Emperor Tai-tsung, and wife of King Srong-btsan gambo. It is a -flat-roofed edifice three stories high, and has a wide portico. At the -front of the building there is to be seen a very ancient inscription in -Chinese, giving probably the history of the building of the temple. The -image of Mikyod dorje (Vajra Akshobhya), brought here by King -Srong-btsan’s second wife, a Nepalese princess, is of undoubted -antiquity, even though the face of the statue is covered with gilding. - -In the northern lobby are heaps of relics—shields, spears, drums, -arrows, swords, and trumpets, and in a room to the left of the -entrance, and shut in by an iron lattice, are a few very holy images. -With the exception of a very small gilt dome built in Chinese style, I -saw nothing strongly indicative of that description of architecture, -and, taking it all together, Ramoche fell far short of the preconceived -idea I had formed of it. [254] - -Lay monks, or Serkempa, usually perform the services held at Ramoche, -and half a dozen of them and a kunyer (sexton) live in the upper -stories of the temple. - -As we left the temple we were met by a party of singing beggars, who -followed us to our house clamouring for solra, or alms; finally we sent -them off with a karma, or the value of two annas. Had we given more we -would have been persecuted by numerous other parties of these pests. - -June 3.—A lama of Khams, whom I had met at Tashilhunpo, came to see me -to-day. He told me that he was waiting for nine loads of silver from -Tashilhunpo, on the arrival of which he would leave for Western China, -coming back to Lhasa next March or April. I had heard at Tashilhunpo -that he had a caravan of 700 mules, and carried on trade between -Darchendo [255] and Lhasa. This Pomda [256] lama was a man of gigantic -stature, something over six feet, well proportioned, and of great -strength; he was well known to brigands, and none dared molest him. My -further acquaintance with him confirmed me in the opinion I had formed -of the Khambas. Though they are wild, they are devoted friends, and -when once one becomes intimate with one of them, he will be faithful to -the end. - -I heard to-day the following story about the famous Regent Tsomoling -and his social reforms: Once there came to Lhasa a lama pilgrim from -Tsoni, in Amdo, [257] and he was admitted into the Sera convent, where -he studied under a learned Mongol lama. After a few years the Amdo -lama’s tutor returned to his home, and on parting he left his pupil a -couple of earthen pots, a khatag, and a bag of barley, the most -valuable things he possessed, as he told him. The pupil, disappointed -with these gifts, carried the pots to the market and sold them for half -a tanka, with which he bought butter that he put in the lamps burning -before the great image of the lord (Jo-vo), praying that if he ever -became Regent of Tibet, he might be able to reform the social customs -of the country. - -In the course of time he rose to the dignity of a teacher in his -convent; then he became its abbot, or khanpo; and finally he rose to -the rank of regent. One of the first acts of his administration was to -expel all public women from Lhasa, and to compel all women to cover -their faces with a coating of catechu, so as to hide their comeliness -from the public view. [258] Women were also made to wear a bangle cut -out of a conch-shell on their right wrist, by which they could be held -when arrested. From his time also dates the use by women of aprons -(pang-den) and of the present style of headdress, or patug. The old -style of patug is now only worn by the wives (or Lhacham) of the Shape -(ministers). He was the first of the Tsomoling lamas, and his -reincarnations still inhabit the lamasery of that name behind Ramoche. - -On June 4 I again visited the Jo khang. [259] After paying reverence to -the Jo-vo and circumambulating his sacred throne, the kunyer poured -some holy water (tu) into my hand from a golden vessel. In a little -chorten in one of the chapels on the south side of the temple is kept a -statue of red bell-metal, or li-mar, made, so says tradition, in the -days of King Kriki, when men lived 20,000 years. For many centuries it -was kept by the kings of Nepal; but when a princess from that country -married King Srong-btsan gambo, she brought it to Tibet, and placed it -in this temple, where it is the object of constant worship. - -But perhaps the most revered of all the images in the Jo khang, -exclusive of that of the Jo, is that of Paldan lhamo (Srimati devi). -The terrifying face of the goddess is kept veiled, but the kunyer -uncovered it for us. This terrific goddess is regarded as the guardian -of the Dalai and Tashi lamas. The chestnut-coloured mule she rides, the -offspring of a red ass and a winged mare, was given her by the goddess -of the sea. The saddle she sits on is the skin of an ogre, and the -bridle and crupper are vipers. Kya dorje gave her dice with which to -play for lives, and the ogres, or Srinpo, presented her a string of -skulls, which she holds in her left hand, and the goblins that haunt -graveyards gave her corpses, on which she feeds. In her right hand she -holds a club given her by the god Chyagna-dorje. ’Twas in such fearful -attire that she waged war against the foes of Buddhism, and became the -greatest of all its guardian deities. - -The chapel of Paldan lhamo is overrun by mice, so tame that they -crawled up the kunyer’s body. They are supposed to have been lamas in -former existences. On one of the walls we saw a painting made with the -blood of King Srong-btsan. - -As we were walking home I saw some men hawking books, and told them -what works I would buy if they could but procure them for me. They -promised to bring them to me shortly. - -The excellent brick-tea (du tang-nyipa) which I had brought from -Tashilhunpo was now exhausted, and I was reduced to drinking a -miserable quality known as gya-pa. Du tang, or first-quality tea, is -more highly flavoured than the quality I liked, but it was too strong -for me. - -Tea was introduced into Tibet earlier than the tenth century, but it -only became of universal use from the time of the Sakya hierarchy and -the Phagmodu kings. [260] During the early part of the Dalai lama’s -rule the tea trade was a governmental monopoly, and since the beginning -of the present century, though nominally open to every one, the trade -is practically in the hands of the officials. - -Some notes on the mode of selection of incarnate lamas may not be out -of place here. It used to be customary when selecting incarnate lamas -to either decide by throwing dice or by some other trial of luck, or by -taking the opinion of the College of Cardinals; but that method not -giving perfect satisfaction, it was decided that the candidates should -undergo certain examinations, which, together with the hints thrown out -from time to time by the defunct incarnation as to where and when his -successor would be found, helped in the determination of the lawful -reincarnation. - -From the middle of the seventeenth century down to 1860, when the Dalai -lama, Tinle-gyatso, was chosen, the rightful reincarnation of a defunct -saint was found out by the use of the golden jar, or ser-bum. [261] - -Three years after the death of an incarnate lama the names of the -different children, who it was claimed were his reincarnation, were -taken down. These names, in the case of the Dalai or Tashi lamas, were -sent to the regent for examination, after which the president of the -conclave, in the presence of the Regent and the ministers, enclosed in -tsamba balls slips of paper, on each of which was written the name of a -candidate. In other tsamba balls were slips on which was written “yes” -or “no,” as well as some blank slips. All these were put together in a -golden jar, which was placed on the altar of the principal chapel of -Lhasa, and for a week the gods were invoked. On the eighth day the jar -was twirled round a certain number of times, and the name which fell -out three times, together with a pellet in which was a slip inscribed -“yes,” was declared the true reincarnation. Those who were sent to -bring the reincarnated saint to Lhasa or Tashilhunpo submitted him to -certain trials; as, for example, picking out from a number of similar -objects the rosary, the rings, cup, and mitre of the deceased lama. -[262] - -In 1875, a year after the death of the Dalai lama Tinle-gyatso, the -regent and the College of Cardinals consulted the celebrated Nachung -Chos-gyong oracle [263] about the Dalai’s reappearance, and the oracle -declared that the reincarnation could only be discovered by a monk of -the purest morals. It required, again, the supernatural powers of the -oracle to find the future discoverer of the Grand Lama; he was the -Shar-tse Khanpo of Gadan, a lama of great saintliness and profound -knowledge. The oracle further stated that he should go to Choskhor-gya, -as the reincarnation was to be found somewhere near Kong-po. [264] The -Khanpo went there accordingly, and sat in deep meditation for seven -days, when, on the night of the last day, he had a vision and heard a -voice which directed him to repair to the Mu-li-ding-ki tso (lake) of -Choskhor. Awakening from his sleep, the Khanpo went to the lake, where, -on the crystal surface of the water, he saw the image of the incarnate -Grand Lama seated in his mother’s lap, and his father fondling him. The -house, its furniture, all was shown him. Suddenly the image -disappeared, and he set out at once for Kong-po. On the way he stopped -in Tag-po at the house of a respectable and wealthy family, and at once -he recognized the child and all the images seen in his dream. He -promptly informed the Government at Lhasa, and the regent and the -cardinals came to Tag-po and took the child, then a year old, and its -parents to the Rigyal palace, near Lhasa. This child, now aged ten, is -called Nag-wang lo-zang tubdan gya-tso “the Lord of speech, the mighty -ocean of wisdom.” [265] - -The reason why the golden jar was not used for finding this -reincarnation was because of the apprehension that the Dayan Khanpo’s -spirit—he had but recently died, and had been violently opposed to the -Dalai lamas and their form of government—might be able to cause a wrong -name to be drawn from the jar. - -June 5.—Early this morning I was invited to dine with the Lhacham at -Bangye-shag. I was received most graciously, and was led by the Lhacham -to her drawing-room, a room about 16 feet by 12, facing the south and -on the third story of the building. There were in it two Chinese chests -of drawers, on top of which were a lot of porcelain cups; Chinese -pictures—picnics and dancing most of them represented—covered the -greater part of the walls; the ceiling was of Chinese satin, and thick -rugs of Yarkand and Tibetan make covered the floor. Well-polished -little tables, wooden bowls for tsamba, and some satin-covered cushions -completed the furniture of the room. - -After conversing for a while and drinking a few cups of tea, the -Lhacham withdrew, and one of her maids showed me the rooms in the -mansion. The furniture was much the same as that in the Lhacham’s room, -only of inferior quality and ruder make. The walls were painted green -and blue, with here and there pictures of processions of gods and -demons, and the beams of the ceiling were carved and painted. The doors -were very roughly made and without panels; the windows were covered -with paper, with a very small pane of glass fitted in the middle of -each. There were no chimneys in any of the rooms, but earthenware -stoves, or jala. In a few of the rooms flowers were growing in pots. - -Returning to the Lhacham’s room, dinner was served me at noon, and -while I ate she asked me many questions concerning the marriage laws of -India and Europe. When I told her that in India a husband had several -wives, and that among the Phyling [266] a man had but one wife, she -stared at me with undisguised astonishment. “One wife with one -husband!” she exclaimed. “Don’t you think we Tibetan women are better -off? The Indian wife has but a portion of her husband’s affections and -property, but in Tibet the housewife is the real lady of all the joint -earnings and inheritance of all the brothers sprung from the same -mother, who are all of the same flesh and blood. The brothers are but -one, though their souls are several. In India a man marries well -several women who are strangers to each other.” “Am I to understand -that your ladyship would like to see several sisters marry one -husband?” I asked. “That is not the point,” replied the Lhacham. “What -I contend is that Tibetan women are happier than Indian ones, for they -enjoy the privileges conceded in the latter country to the men.” [267] - -June 7.—My two men had heard from Gadan Tipa, a soothsayer, that they -would be stricken with small-pox if they ventured to go to Samye, and -they besought me to give up the idea; but I declared emphatically my -resolve to visit that famous lamasery, and also that of Gadan. - -On June 8 I again visited the Jo khang. The numerous wooden pillars -supporting the second story are among the most remarkable things in -this temple. The largest of these have capitals with sculptured -foliage, and are called ka-wa shing-lho chan. [268] At their base are -buried, it is said, great treasures of gold and silver. Other pillars, -with dragon-heads as capitals, have hidden under them charms against -devils, for curing diseases, and for keeping off and thwarting the evil -designs of the enemies of Buddhism and of the government of the church. -Other pillars, again, called seng go-chan, “having lions’ heads as -capitals,” have concealed under them many potent charms (yang-yig) -[269] to insure bounteous crops. - -Under the floor of the Lu-khang are many charms and precious things -wrapped in snow-fox or snake-skin. These, it is supposed, preserve the -flocks and herds of Tibet. Beneath the image of Dsambhala is hidden in -an onyx box some tag-sha, [270] which preserves the precious stones, -the wool, the grain, and the other riches of the country. - -Among the other objects of special sanctity, I was shown in the passage -for circumambulating the temple a cavity in the rock where neither moss -nor grass grow; it is said to keep back the waters of the Kyi chu from -invading the Jo khang. [271] - -June 9.—I went out walking to-day in the direction of Ramoche. On the -streets I met numerous bands of ragyabas, or scavengers, wandering from -place to place, clamouring for alms from every new-comer or pilgrim -they saw. If no attention is paid to them, they thrust their dirty hats -in the stranger’s face and lavish insults on him; and if he take -offence, they reply, “Why, my lord, this is not insolence; we are but -saluting you!” - -These ragyabas of Lhasa form a guild. Persons convicted of any crime, -or vagabonds, are usually sent back to their native villages, there to -work out their sentence; but when the authorities cannot learn whence -they come, they are handed over to the chief of the ragyabas, who -receives them into his guild. Besides begging, the ragyabas cut up the -corpses which are brought to the two cemeteries of Lhasa, near which -they live, and feed them to vultures and dogs. A ragyaba may not show -his wealth, however great it be; the walls of their houses must be made -with horns of sheep, goats, or yaks, the convex sides turned upwards. -[272] - -At present the chief of the ragyabas is a man of about fifty years, -called Abula; he wears a red serge gown and a yellow turban. Cursed is -the lot of the ragyabas, and twice cursed is Abula, if a day passes -without a corpse being brought to the cemetery; for people believe that -if a day passes without a death it portends evil to Lhasa. - -In connection with the erection of Ramoche, it is said that the -princess who had it built discovered that the spot on which the temple -was erected was in communication with hell, and that there was a -crystal palace inhabited by the Nagas deep in the earth underneath this -place. [273] - -Among the most remarkable relics preserved in this temple, and which I -had not had time to examine on my first rather hurried visit, I now -noticed one of Dolma [274] made of turquoise, and which is said to -render oracles, one of Tse-pa-med [275] made of coral, and one of -Rin-chen Khadoma [276] in amber, and a number of others of jade, -conch-shells and mumen, [277] besides many jars and bowls of jade and -gold. - -In the afternoon I called on the Lhacham, and was sorry to learn that -her second son had small-pox. I told her how disappointed I was at not -having been able to get even a glimpse of the Kyabgong, the “lord -protector” of Tibet, the Dalai lama. “Alas!” I added, “I have not -acquired a sufficient moral merit in former existences to be able to -see Shenrezig in flesh and blood!” - -“Do not be cast down, Pundib la; though it is not an easy matter for -even the Shape and nobles of Tibet to see the Dalai lama, I will -arrange an audience for you.” [278] - -Early the next day a gentleman (ku-dag), who was a Dungkhor of Potala, -called on me, and said that the Kusho Lhacham of Phala had arranged -with the Donyer chenpo of Potala for an audience for me with the Dalai -lama, and that I must get ready as soon as possible. - -Swallowing breakfast as quickly as possible, I put on my best clothes, -and had hardly finished when the Dungkhor Chola Kusho, accompanied by a -servant, arrived. Having provided myself with three bundles of -incense-sticks and a roll of khatag, we mounted our ponies and sallied -forth. As we crossed the doorway we saw a calf sucking, and several -women carrying water. My companions smiled, and Chola Kusho remarked -that I was a lucky man, as these were most auspicious signs. [279] - -Arriving at the eastern gateway of Potala, we dismounted and walked -through a long hall, on either side of which were rows of -prayer-wheels, which every passer-by put in motion. Then, ascending -three long flights of stone steps, we left our ponies in care of a -bystander—for no one may ride further—and proceeded towards the palace -under the guidance of a young monk. We had to climb up five ladders -before we reached the ground floor of Phodang marpo, [280] or “the Red -palace,” thus called from the exterior walls being of a dark red -colour. Then we had half a dozen more ladders to climb up, and we found -ourselves at the top of Potala (there are nine stories to this -building), where we saw a number of monks awaiting an audience. The -view from here was beautiful beyond compare: the broad valley of the -Kyi chu, in the centre of which stands the great city surrounded by -green groves; the gilt spires of the Jo-khang and the other temples of -Lhasa, and farther away the great monasteries of Sera and Dabung, -behind which rose the dark blue mountains. - -After a while three lamas appeared, and said that the Dalai lama would -presently conduct a memorial service for the benefit of the late Meru -Ta lama (great lama of Meru gomba), and that we were allowed to be -present at it. Walking very softly, we came to the middle of the -reception hall, the roof of which is supported by three rows of -pillars, four in each row, and where light is admitted by a skylight. -The furniture was that generally seen in lamaseries, but the hangings -were of the richest brocades and cloths of gold; the church utensils -were of gold, and the frescoing on the walls of exquisite fineness. -Behind the throne were beautiful tapestries and satin hangings forming -a great gyal-tsan, or canopy. The floor was beautifully smooth and -glossy, but the doors and windows, which were painted red, were of the -rough description common throughout the country. - -A Donyer approached, who took our presentation khatag, but I held back, -at the suggestion of Chola Kusho, the present I had for the Grand Lama; -and when I approached him I placed in his lap, much to the surprise of -all present, a piece of gold weighing a tola. We then took our seats on -rugs, of which there were eight rows; ours were in the third, and about -ten feet from the Grand Lama’s throne, and a little to his left. - -The Grand Lama is a child of eight with a bright and fair complexion -and rosy cheeks. [281] His eyes are large and penetrating, the shape of -his face remarkably Aryan, though somewhat marred by the obliquity of -his eyes. The thinness of his person was probably due to the fatigue of -the Court ceremonies and to the religious duties and ascetic observance -of his estate. A yellow mitre covered his head, and its pendant lappets -hid his ears; a yellow mantle draped his person, and he sat -cross-legged with joined palms. The throne on which he sat was -supported by carved lions, and covered with silk scarfs. It was about -four feet high, six feet long, and four feet broad. The State officers -moved about with becoming gravity: there was the Kuchar Khanpo, with a -bowl of holy water (tu), coloured yellow with saffron; [282] the -Censor-carrier, with a golden censor with three chains; the Solpon -chenpo, with a golden teapot; and other household officials. Two gold -lamps, made in the shape of flower vases, burnt on either side of the -throne. - -When all had been blessed and taken seats, the Solpon chenpo poured tea -in his Holiness’s golden cup, and four assistants served the people -present. [283] Then grace was said, beginning with Om, Ah, Hum, thrice -repeated, and followed by, “Never losing sight even for a moment of the -Three Holies, making reverence ever to the Three Precious Ones. Let the -blessing of the Three Konchog be upon us,” etc. Then we silently raised -our cups and drank the tea, which was most deliciously perfumed. In -this manner we drank three cupfuls, and then put our bowls back in the -bosoms of our gowns. - -After this the Solpon chenpo put a golden dish full of rice before the -Dalai lama, and he touched it, and then it was divided among those -present; then grace was again said, and his Holiness, in a low, -indistinct tone, chanted a hymn, which was repeated by the assembled -lamas in deep, grave tones. When this was over, a venerable man rose -from the first row of seats and made a short address, reciting the many -acts of mercy the Dalai lamas had vouchsafed Tibet, at the conclusion -of which he presented to his Holiness a number of valuable things; then -he made three prostrations and withdrew, followed by all of us. - -As I was leaving, one of the Donyer chenpo’s (or chamberlain) -assistants gave me two packets of blessed pills, and another tied a -scrap of red silk round my neck—these are the usual return presents the -Grand Lama makes to pilgrims. - -As we were going out of the hall, we were met by Chola Kusho’s younger -brother, a monk in Namgyal Ta-tsan, the monastery of the palace, and in -his and his brother’s company I visited the palace, and learnt from -them much relating to the history and the traditions of the place. - -We first visited a chapel where is an image of Shenrezig with eleven -heads and a thousand arms, an eye in the palm of each of his hands. -Near it is an image with four arms, also many small gold chorten and -objects in bronze. Next I was led to a hall where there is an old -throne, opposite which are images of King Srong-btsan, his two -consorts, his minister Tonmi Sambhota, General Gar, and Prince Gungri -gung-btsan. [284] Leaving this room, we went to the great hall where -Nag-wang lob-zang, the fifth Dalai lama, used to hold his court. Old -paintings, supposed to be indestructible by fire, representing King -Srong-btsan’s family, Shenrezig, and the first Grand Lama, hung from -the pillars, and several images, among which one of sandalwood -representing Gon-po, [285] may be seen here. - -We were then led to the hall where the Desi Sangye-gyatso used to hold -his councils. [286] Here also is the tomb of the first Dalai lama. It -is two-storied, and the dome is covered with thin plates of gold. The -Dalai’s remains are entombed with many precious things, and the -sepulchre is ornamented with various objects of the richest designs and -most costly materials brought hither by devotees. This tomb is called -the Dsamling gyan, [287] and is the prototype of the tombs we saw -around it containing the remains of the other incarnations of the Dalai -lama; but these are all smaller than it. - -After visiting these halls we descended to the Namgyal Ta-tsan. The -architecture of the Phodang marpo embarrassed me greatly, the halls and -rooms being piled up story on story. The stonework was beautiful, but -it is so poorly drained that in many places the odours are stifling. - -Entering a small room, the cell of our guide, we were given seats and -served with tea and a collation. Shortly after we started home, having -expressed in the warmest terms our thanks to Chola Kusho and his -brother for their kindness. We followed the ling-khor, as the road -which encircles Lhasa is called. On the way we passed a small grove -where is the elephant-shed, the solitary occupant of which—a present -from the Rajah of Sikkim—was standing in a barley patch near by. -Further on we came to a place where the corpses of the townspeople are -fed to pigs, whose flesh, by the way, is said to be delicious. Near -here are numerous huts of Ragyabas. - -In the evening a drove of donkeys loaded with tsamba and butter arrived -from Gyantse, and I was distressed to learn that my friend the minister -had small-pox. My men again began pestering me to return to Tsang, -alleging as a pretext that I might be of assistance to the minister, -and I finally prepared to go to him, especially as the donkey-men said -he had expressed a desire to have me near him. - -On June 11 I went to see the Lhacham, thanked her for having obtained -for me an audience of the Kyab-gong Rinpoche, and spoke to her about my -intention of setting out for Dongtse. She advised me to leave at once, -as small-pox was raging at Lhasa; her two sons now had it, and from her -appearance I feared that she was about to fall ill of the same disease. - -Returning to our lodgings, I despatched Tsing-ta to her to ask a loan -of 200 tankas. The sum was brought me in the evening by her maid Apela, -and the Lhacham also sent me provisions for the journey and feed for -the ponies. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -GOVERNMENT OF LHASA—CUSTOMS, FESTIVALS, ETC. - - -The Dalai lama’s [288] position resembles that held until lately by the -Pope in the Christian world. He is believed by the Northern Buddhists -to be the Buddha’s Vice-regent incarnate on earth, and the spiritual -protector of Tibet. He is known as Tug-je chenpo Shenrezig, or the Most -merciful Avalokiteswara. He never dies, though at times, displeased -with the sinfulness of the world, he retires to the paradise of Gadan, -[289] leaving his mortal body on earth. The ancient records of Tibet -say that he has only appeared on earth fourteen times in the eighteen -centuries from the time of the Buddha’s death to the beginning of the -fifteenth century. - -In the year 1474 Gedun-gyatso was born, an embodiment of Gedun-dub, who -was an incarnation of Shenrezig, and the founder of the famous lamasery -of Tashilhunpo. [290] Gedun-gyatso was elected head lama of Tashilhunpo -in 1512, which office he resigned to fill the same position in Dabung, -the chief lamasery of Lhasa. He had built at this latter place the -Gadan phodang of Dabung, which since then has been famed as the -principal seat of Buddhist learning. [291] He was the first of the line -of Dalai lamas. - -His successor was Sonam-gyatso. He was invited to Mongolia by the -famous conqueror Altan Khan, and on his arrival at the latter’s camp -the Khan addressed him in Mongol by the name of Dalai lama, the Tibetan -word gyatso, “ocean” being the equivalent of dalai in Mongol. Altan, -knowing that the lama’s predecessor had also the word gyatso in his -name, took it for a family name; and this mistake has been the origin -of the name of Dalai lama since given to all the reincarnations of the -Grand Lama. - -In 1642 Kushi Khan conquered Tibet, and made over the sovereignty of -the central portion of it to the fifth Dalai lama, Nagwang -lozang-gyatso, and that of Tsang, or Ulterior Tibet, to the Grand Lama -of Tashilhunpo, though he continued himself to be the de facto -sovereign, appointing Sonam chuphel as Desi, or Governor, of Central, -and another as administrator of Ulterior Tibet. The spiritual -government remained, however, in the Dalai lama’s hands, and he -conferred on Kushi Khan the title of Tandjin chos-gyi Gyalbo, “the most -Catholic king.” - -In 1645 the Dalai lama erected the palace of Potala, Kushi Khan having -his residence in the Gadan khangsar palace in Lhasa itself. Engrossed -with extending and consolidating his newly acquired kingdom, he had, -little by little, to transfer to the Dalai lama and the Desi most of -his authority over Tibet. In 1654 Kushi Khan died, and the Desi Sonam -chuphel followed him shortly to the grave. By this time so much of the -temporal authority had devolved on the Dalai lama, that, from the time -of the death of Kushi till his successor Dayan arrived in Lhasa in -1660—even though for a year (1658–1659) there was no Desi—the country -enjoyed peace and prosperity under his rule. - -During Dayan Khan’s reign, which only lasted eight years, a Mongol -chief, Jaisang Teba, was Desi of Tibet, and the Desi who succeeded him -was appointed by the Dalai lama himself. - -The successor of Dayan was Ratna-talai Khan, but by this time the -management of State affairs had entirely passed into the hands of the -Grand Lama. In 1680 he appointed Sangye-gyatso Desi, and conferred on -him such authority that, under the title of Governor-Treasurer -(Sa-kyong-wai chyag-dso), he was in reality King of Tibet. He -remodelled the Government, and introduced many useful reforms in every -branch of the public service. - -The Desi is commonly called “regent” (gyal-tsab), or “king” (gyalbo). -[292] The office is now elective, but no layman may hold it; it is -filled by a lama from one of the four great lings, Tangye ling, Kundu -ling, Tse-chog ling, and Tsomo ling; though there have been cases, as, -for instance, that of the Desi Shata (or Shadra), where lamas from -other places have been selected. [293] - -The council of ministers (Kalon) and the Prime Minister (Chyi-kyab -khanpo [294]) select the regent, and their choice is confirmed by the -oracles of Nachung chos-gyong and Lhamo sung chyong-ma; and, lastly, -the nomination is ratified by the Emperor of China. - -When the Dalai lama reaches his majority, fixed at eighteen years, the -regent, in the presence of the Kalon, the chiefs and nobles, presents -him with the seals of office of both spiritual and temporal affairs. -Since the beginning of the present century no Dalai lama has reached -majority, and the regency has been without interruption. [295] - -The regent is assisted by a Chasag, whose appointment is also subject -to confirmation by the Emperor of China. He wields great power, and -sometimes exercises the functions of the regent himself. No petitions -on any official business can reach the regent without passing through -his hands. He is entrusted with the great seal, and when a paper has -been prepared by the chief secretary, or Kadung, the Chasag affixes the -seal to it. The word Chasag means “a strainer for tea,” the dignitary -so designated being the test and model of merit. [296] - -The council of ministers, or Kalon shag lengya, is composed of four -laymen and one monk, all of them appointed for life. Formerly there -were only four Kalon, but of late the preponderating influence of the -clergy has forced the Grand Lama to put in the council one of its -members, and he takes the first seat in the council hall, or kashag, -the Kalon kripa coming next to him. The council sits daily from nine to -two, and transacts the political, judicial, and administrative work of -the Government. It hears appeals from the Djongpon, or from the Court -of the Timpon of Lhasa, known as “the black court” (Nagtsa-shar). [297] -The ministers sit cross-legged on thick cushions placed on raised -seats, with a bowl of tea on a little table in front of each of them, -which is kept full by the Court Solpon. The secretaries and clerks -occupy adjoining rooms. The ministers and all the officers of their -court are provided with dinner at the expense of the State. - -Estates (or Lonshi) are set apart for the maintenance of the ministers, -who receive no other salary. They are not allowed the privilege of -being carried in sedan chairs (pheb-chyam), the Amban, the Dalai, the -Panchen lamas, and on certain occasions the regent, being alone -permitted to use this conveyance. The Kalon dress in yellow tunics, and -wear Mongol hats with a coral button on top. [298] - -When the office of a Kalon becomes vacant, the regent, in consultation -with the other Kalon, selects two or three generals (Dahpon), and sends -their names to the oracles of Nachung and Lhamo sung-chyong-ma of -Potala for them to pronounce upon. The person approved of by the -oracles is appointed. - -In literary style the ministers are called Chying-sang or Dun-na-dun, -but colloquially they are known as Kalon or Shape, and the title of -Sa-wang (“power of the land”) is usually affixed to their names, as -they are selected from among the wealthy and powerful nobles. When -sitting in a judicial capacity they are known as Shalchepa, and -Shulenpa when they perform the duties of advocate. - -Formerly the wives of Gyalbo and Desi were addressed by the title of -Lhacham, but nowadays it is only given to the wives of Kalon. Their -sons are called Lha-sre, or “prince.” - -There are four secretaries, or Kadung, chosen from among the Dungkhor, -and one chief clerk, or Kabshopa, attached to the Kalon’s court. Under -these secretaries are 175 Dungkhor, or civil officers, under the -immediate supervision of the Tsipon, or accounting officer. - -The Dungkhor [299] are chosen from among the best scholars of the Yutog -school, where the sons of nobles and the leading people are educated. -They are taught accounting by serving five years in the Bureau of -Accounts, or Tsi-khang, after which they are deputed to perform various -duties, especially in connection with the treasury, and the most -experienced among them are appointed Djongpon, or prefects. - -The salaries of the Dungkhor are barely sufficient for their -maintenance; but, as they belong for the most part to well-to-do -families, this question is unimportant. [300] The Dungkhor have a -peculiar way of dressing their hair, which distinguishes them from all -other officers. - -Those among the sons of the wealthy and prominent people of Lhasa who, -having become members of the Church, desire to enter public life, are -trained at the Tse labdra of Potala, after which they become Tse-dung, -or monk officials. The number of these Tse-dung cannot exceed 175. In -all places of trust and responsibility there are two officers, and -sometimes more, one at least of whom is a Tse-dung. Thus, in the office -of the treasurer of Potala there are two Tse-dung and one Dungkhor; in -the Labrang treasury there are two Tse-dung and one Dungkhor, etc. The -Tse-dung are appointed to these offices for a term of three years. - -The Djongpon, or prefects, are entrusted within their respective Djong -with civil and military powers; they try civil and criminal cases, and -levy taxes, the latter duty being performed under Kargya, or, as we -would say, Purwanas from the Court of Kalon. There are 53 Djong and 123 -Sub-prefectures under Djongnyer. - -There are two Djongpon to every Djong, [301] their authority being -equal in all respects. In military matters they are subordinate to the -generals and the Amban. They render yearly accounts to the Amban of the -military stores in their district, and have also to show their -proficiency in shooting, riding, and other athletic sports at the -annual inspection of the troops made by the Amban and the Dahpon; and -the former confers on them blue or crystal buttons, to be worn on their -official hats. [302] - -The establishment of a Djongpon comprises two Dungkhor and two -storekeepers (Djong-nyer)—administering sub-districts—and a number of -under-strappers. The heads of villages (or Tsopon), the headmen (or -Mípon), the elders (or Gyanpo), all of whom are elected for a term of -years, are also under his orders. - -In every Djong there are two store-houses—the kar-gya, or reserve -store, and the djong-dso, or repository of the Djong. The keys of the -former are kept by the Kalon, and it is opened only once or twice a -year. The Government sends annually a revenue officer to check the -accounts of the Djongpon and tax-collectors (Khraldupa), and to take -over the revenue collected by them. The Djongpon have, like the Kalon, -their jagirs or djong-shi for their maintenance, in lieu of salary. - -The following citation, taken from a work entitled ‘Sherab dongbu,’ or -‘Bits of Wisdom,’ may prove of interest:— - -“Whenever petitions or requests are made, they should be carefully -examined. Impartiality should be shown to all classes alike, to great -and small, to lamas and to laymen. Uninfluenced by gratuities or the -fear of criticism, the Djongpon should administer perfect justice. -Questions of jurisdiction, of taxes due by the misser, and of forced -labour, should be settled by the rules (tsa-tsig) of each Djong. The -villages, houses, and inhabitants should be counted and inspected -yearly, and the numbers compared with those of preceding years. He -should have returned to their houses those who have left them, -particularly misser who have been absent from their houses for not more -than five years. Servants and labourers of the Djong should not be -employed by him at his private work; the number of servants allowed him -is fixed by the tsa-tsig. He should be kind to the misser, and not -without a good cause have disputes with neighbouring Djongpon, as the -Government’s interests would thereby suffer. He should not allow the -public lands to be encroached upon, nor should tenants on them be taken -away by landholders (gerpas). - -“No women should be allowed to loiter about the Djong, and the Djongpon -should carefully refrain from any flirtation. He should see to -facilitating the courier service, and he should see that no one -receives supplies for their journey unless they are bearers of -passports (lam-yig). Frontier or foreign traders who cannot show a -passport should be held, and any information he may obtain of affairs -in other quarters should be transmitted to Lhasa.” [303] - -As previously mentioned, the Kalon and Djongpon exercise judicial -functions. In the case of the Sera and Dabung lamaseries, the abbots -decide all minor offences committed within the monastery limits, but -the more serious charges are committed to the court of the regent and -the Kalon. In all other lamaseries only offences against the common law -are tried by the convent authorities. - -It is customary for both parties in a suit to make presents to the -judge. When the case has been examined, the judge fixes the costs -(tim-teg) to be borne in equal portions by the plaintiffs and -defendants. As a general rule, disputes are settled by the village -elders; but few lawsuits occur on the whole, for the Tibetans are a -peaceful, kind-hearted, law-abiding people, and very amenable to -reason. - -The Amban, or Imperial Resident of China in Tibet, is the head of the -Tibetan army. His Chinese staff consists of an Assistant Amban, two -Laoyeh, and a paymaster (pogpon). [304] There is also one Tibetan -general, or Magpon, six Dahpon, [305] or division commanders, six Rupon -commanding regiments, and a number of subordinate officers. - -The Amban is the medium of all communications between the Tibetan -Government and China. He settles all political differences between the -various states of Tibet and the Lhasa Government; he confers titles and -honours on native military officials; but he has, theoretically, no -authority in the internal administration of the country. He ordinarily -resides at Lhasa, and annually makes an inspection of the Nepalese -frontier as far as Tingri djong. Sometimes the Assistant Amban performs -this duty, and he then inspects the military stores and forces at the -different Djong. - -The political relations between Tibet and China are now so intimate -that the Imperial Residency established at Lhasa in the first quarter -of the last century has converted Tibet from a protected state into a -dependency of China. The two Ambans are commanders of the militia, and -arrogate to themselves the supreme political authority of the country. -The appointment of two Ambans to watch the political interests of the -country is probably based on the principle that the one acts as a spy -on the other. This has, as in China, become a custom in Tibet. - -The Ambans are the terror of the Tibetans, who abhor them from the -depth of their hearts. [306] Whenever they leave the capital on -pleasure excursions, or on inspection tours, provisions, conveyances, -and all sorts of labour are forcibly exacted from the poor villagers, -who are deprived of their ponies and yaks, which, owing to the -merciless treatment of the Ambans’ numerous retainers, die in numbers -on the road. No compensation is given them for their losses, and no -complaints are admitted by the courts of justice, presided over by the -lamas, against this kind of oppression. Tsamba and sheep are also on -these occasions taken away by force from the people, who, unable to -bear the oppression, not unfrequently rise in a body against the -Ambans’ retainers, when matters are settled by the district Djongpon, -who are generally the creatures of the Ambans. Nor is this all. Every -Chinese or Manchu soldier or merchant who enters Tibet, whether in a -public or private capacity, is provided with a pass from Peking, which -facilitates his journey and brings him safe to his destination free of -charge. [307] The same is the case with those who leave Tibet for -China, the Ambans being the only officials qualified to grant -passports. The happy traveller, armed with the Ambans’ authority, takes -every advantage of his pass, and never fails to use his whip freely -when the villagers delay in complying with his requisitions. - -One of the Ambans at least is required to pay a visit to the Tashi lama -once a year, to confer with him on State affairs, when, as the -representative of the Emperor of China, he is received with the highest -marks of distinction. The Amban is required to make a low salutation -with joined palms, and as he approaches the throne he presents a khatag -to the lama. The Tashi lama, on his side, blesses him by touching his -head with his open hand, and seats him on his right on a State cushion. -After a short interchange of compliments the conversation turns on the -health of the Emperor, the happiness of the people, and the prospects -of the year’s crops. Interpreters who understand the Mongol, Manchu, -and Chinese languages always accompany the Amban, and the Tashi lama -has also his interpreters. When the Amban appears abroad he is carried -in a yellow chair, and attended by a numerous retinue bearing the -insignia of his high office. - -Of the Dahpon, two are stationed at Lhasa, two at Shigatse, one at -Gyantse, and one at Tingri djong. Three of the six Rüpon belong to -Central Tibet, and three to Ulterior. - -The regular army consists of 6000 men, 3000 being under arms, and the -other 3000 at home on half-pay. Those in active service serve for three -years at a monthly pay of two ounces of silver. After this they return -to their homes, and enter the territorial army, or yul-mag, whence they -may be at any moment recalled to active service. They are not usually -uniformed, though some wear a black Chinese jacket. They are armed with -matchlocks, bows and arrows, long spears, and slings (ordo). - -Besides the regular army, the Government may, in case of need, call out -all the forces of the country, when each family has to supply one man -fully equipped and provisioned, and every landholder sends a man for -every kang [308] of land he owns, and a follower to carry his -provisions. The Kalon, Djongpon, Dahpon, and chief men furnish quotas -of cavalry (or tamag), all those who have ponies being incorporated in -this arm. - -Besides the expense of maintaining the army—each Chinese private being -paid fourteen rupees a month and thirty surs of tsamba, and every -Tibetan 2¼ rupees a month—the Tibetan Government has to contribute -50,000 rupees to the Residency establishment, exclusive of the Amban’s -salary. The Tibetan Government, as well as the whole nation, groan -under this excessive and useless expenditure; but the maintenance of -this order of things is declared to be essential for the protection of -the holy lamas against the encroachments of the English, Nepalese, and -Kashmir Governments. Both the latter states are allies of Tibet, while -the very name of the first is dreaded by the Government officers, -especially the monk officers, as an invincible power, and as being the -incarnation of the Lhamayins (giants) who fought against the gods. - -It is universally believed in Tibet that after two hundred years the -Tashi lama will retire to Shambala, the Utopian city of the Buddhists, -and will not return to Tibet, and that in the mean time the whole world -will succumb to the power of the Phylings (Russians and English). -Neither the Emperor of China nor the combined legions of gods and -demi-gods who reside round the golden mount of Rirab (Sumeru) will be -able to arrest the progress of their arms or the miracles of their -superior intellect. It is the policy of the Tibetans to keep them at a -distance, not by open hostilities, but by temporizing and diplomacy. -They were initiated into this policy by the Ambans, who are always busy -in devising fresh plans for guaranteeing the safety of the country -against all sorts of imaginary foreign aggressions. - -The Nepalese are not now so much the object of this terror as they were -a century ago, but are regarded as peaceful allies under the rule of -the Emperor of China. Tibet pays no tribute to Nepal, nor does it -entertain any agent at Katmandu, while Nepal maintains an agent at -Lhasa to promote friendly relations, as also to protect her commercial -interests with Tibet. It is to be remembered that the richest merchants -and bankers of Lhasa are Nepalese Palpas. - -During the late disturbances between the monks of the To-sam ling -College and the Nyer-chang chenpo, the late Tashi lama did not consult -the Amban, or invite the aid of his soldiers to quell the rebellion -among the 1500 disaffected and unruly monks, but secretly apprised his -subjects of the neighbouring villages of his intentions, and on the -appointed day 10,000 armed men were assembled, carrying long spears, -bucklers, matchlocks, and slings, who at once struck the rebel monks -with terror. He has since that day been convinced of the sincere -veneration and devoted loyalty of his people, and of the perfect -uselessness of the Amban’s forces. This instance of tact in the Panchen -rinpoche has raised him higher than ever in the estimation of the -people, much to the discomfort of the jealous Amban. It is also -pleasing to notice some signs of independence in the youthful Tashi, -who is now the senior sovereign of Tibet, the Dalai lama being as yet -an infant. The villagers and common folks, who suffer most from the -Amban’s tyranny, say that in course of time the present Tashi will -prove a worthy successor of the great Tempai nyima [309] in faith as -well as in strength of mind. - -The principal sources of revenue of the Lhasa Government are the -family-tax and the land-tax, the first being usually paid in coin, and -the latter in kind. The family-tax may be paid at any time of the year. - -Apart from the lands held by chiefs and nobles, there are, as already -stated, altogether fifty-three Djong, or districts, under Djongpon, and -a hundred and twenty-three sub-districts under Djongnyer. These -constitute what are called shung shi, or State lands. Each djong -contains, on an average, five hundred families of misser, or farmers. A -misser family consists of one wife, with all her husbands, children, -and servants. Each family, on an average, possesses two or three kang -of arable soil. If one khal (50 lb.) yields nine or ten khal, it is -considered a good harvest; six to eight is a tolerable crop, four to -six a bad one. The Government revenue for each kang is, on an average, -fifty srang (125 rupees), or about one hundred and fifty khal of grain. -The Crown revenue, if taken entirely in kind, would therefore amount to -2,625,000 khal, which would be equivalent in money to 2,000,000 rupees. -This is partially expended by the State for the Church, and in -distributing alms to the whole body of lamas belonging to the -monasteries of Potala, Sera, Dabung, Gadan, etc. In every Djong are -kept registers, in which are entered the collections in previous years -and the quality of the land under cultivation. The collector, after -examining these, inspects the crops, and estimates the quantity of the -yield, and by comparison with that of the five preceding years he fixes -the tax for the current year. In very prosperous years the State takes -two-fifths of the crop (the maximum allowed it). - -Ulag consists in supplying to all those bearing a Government order for -ulag, in which the number of animals, etc., is enumerated, beasts of -burden—ponies, mules, yaks, and donkeys. If the misser have no ponies, -they have to furnish yaks or donkeys instead. For stages along which -neither yaks nor ponies can pass, porters must be supplied for carrying -the traveller’s goods. In default of these, the misser are required to -pay a certain sum for carriage or conveyance. Misser, and all those who -own more than one kang of land, must supply ulag and ta-u, consisting -of either one coolie or pony, free of charge when the traveller -produces his Government pass. The system of levying ulag is a kind of -indirect taxation, accounts of which are kept by the village headmen. -Some families supply a hundred ulag in a year, others only five or ten. -If a misser fail to supply ulag once in a year, he is required to -supply double the amount the following year. This duty is levied on all -kinds of State lands and subjects, freeholds and private property -granted to sacred personages alone being exempt from this hateful tax. -Lands purchased from Government are also liable to it. Under the Lhasa -Government there are about a hundred and twenty landlords, out of whom -about twenty are very rich and powerful. The present regent, Lama -Ta-tsag Rinpoche, of Kundu ling, has upwards of 3000 misser on his -estates in Kharu and Tibet Proper. The ex-regent, whose estates lie in -Kongpo, has about 5000 misser, and other great lamas and laymen about -1000 misser each. The greatest noble of Tibet, Phags-pa-sha, of -Chab-mdo, [310] is lord over 10,000 misser. - -When questions arise about newly reclaimed lands, the tax-collector, -having no register (tsi-shi) to guide him, measures the field and -superintends the harvesting, when he fixes the amount due to the State. -He is forbidden fixing his assessments otherwise than by personal -examination. The land-tax may be paid in three instalments—in November, -December, and January, at which latter date it is remitted by the -Djongpon to Lhasa or Tashilhunpo, as the case may be. The tax-gatherer -has authority to remit a portion of the tax when the crops have failed -for some reason or other; in fact, as a Tibetan author puts it, “as -eggs are quietly taken from under a sitting-hen without disturbing the -nest, so should the tax-gatherer collect the taxes without oppressing -or disturbing the misser.” [311] - -The great monasteries at Lhasa and its neighbourhood, such as Sera, -Dabung, Gadan, Samye, etc., have large freehold estates. - -Besides these, there are more than three hundred landholders, called -gerpa, who pay a nominal revenue to the Government, varying from ten to -thirty doche (1250 to 3750 rupees), and who are also called upon to -furnish ulag, ta-u, and other indirect taxes. Cows and jomo belonging -to the Government and tended by dokpa are calculated to yield at the -rate of five pounds of butter per head per year. In the provinces of -Kong-po and Pema-kyod numerous pigs are reared, and rich families count -their pigs by the thousands. The Lhasa Government levies a tax of one -tanka on every pig, and derives no inconsiderable revenue from these -districts from this source. The tenants in each Djong contribute ten -days’ labour per head for the ploughing or harvesting of the State -lands. This service is called the las-tal, or “labour-tax.” - -There is in Tibet no fixed rate of duties on merchandise, nor is there -a regular import duty. Rich merchants who come from foreign countries -are required to pay annually a tax of fifty srang to Government; large -traders are charged twenty-five srang, and small traders three srang. -Shopkeepers and pedlars pay five sho (1¼ rupee) annually, and itinerant -Khamba hawkers who carry their own loads are charged half a tanka per -quarter both in U and Tsang. - -For crossing large bridges the charge is from one kha (one anna) to one -tanka per head for a man, and a karma (two annas) to a sho (four annas) -for ponies. For pasturing cattle on public lands there is a charge of -from three to five sho yearly for every head. Besides these, there is a -capitation tax of from two to three srang (7½ rupees) on people owning -no land but only homesteads. The revenue-collectors (Khraldupa) and -their servants get conveyance, ponies, and yaks at every stage free of -charge, and the villagers are bound to furnish them in addition with -attendants, water, fuel, and lodgings. The revenue-collectors may -accept for their own use all the khatag, butter, tea, and silver coin -which the misser may see fit to offer them. They are also authorized, -when on tour, to kill one out of every hundred sheep belonging to the -misser for their own consumption. [312] In all other matters they are -guided by the usages and laws of the country. No Government official, -revenue officer, or Djongpon may oppress the poorest misser. If one of -these peasants fails to pay his taxes in money, he may offer the -equivalent in tea, butter, or blankets; but live stock, except when -nothing else is available, are not to be accepted. The property in -cattle belonging to the Lhasa Government exceeds 1,000,000 head. There -is a superintendent of this Government stock, who, at the end of every -year, submits an account of the live animals and the number died or -killed during the year. In order to satisfy the authorities, he is -required to produce the entire dried carcasses of the dead animals with -their tails and horns. These superintendents are appointed annually, -and as a consequence they take every opportunity of making their -fortune at the expense of the State before the expiration of their term -of service. - -Letters are carried by messengers and special couriers called -chib-zamba (or ta-zamba), meaning, literally, “horse-bridge.” The -couriers generally discharge their duty with admirable efficiency, and -every one assists them with great promptness. All Government messengers -are provided with the best and swiftest ponies, and at every halt are -furnished with lodgings, water, firewood, and a man to cook their -victuals. Couriers on foot usually travel from 20 to 25 miles a day, -while those who ride do from 30 to 35 miles. The latter is the express -rate, for which the Government generally gives an extra remuneration. -Government couriers alone get ta-u, or ponies for travelling; private -letters of officials are carried by them, while common people make -their own arrangements for the conveyance of their letters, which are -not, however, numerous. - -The express couriers, or te-tsi, on the road between Lhasa and China -are dressed in tight blue-coloured gowns, the tape fastenings of which -are tied on their heads, and the knot sealed. They are required to -subsist daily on five hen’s eggs, five cups of plain tea, a pound of -corn-flour, half a pound of rice, and a quarter-pound of lean meat. -[313] They are forbidden to take much salt, and are strictly forbidden -to eat onions, garlic, red pepper, butter, or milk. At midnight they -are allowed to sleep in a sitting posture for three hours, after which -they are awakened by the keeper of the stage-house. It is said that -these couriers are in the habit of taking certain medicines to give -them the power of endurance against fatigue. [314] The letters are -enclosed in a yellow bag, which the courier carries on his back, -generally using some soft feathers to keep it from coming into contact -with his person. They get relays of ponies at the end of every five -lebor. [315] Arriving at a stage-house, they fire a gun as a notice to -the keeper of the next postal stage to make ready a post-pony. At every -such stage a relay of five ponies is usually kept ready. The courier is -allowed to change his dress once a week. [316] - -A special class of trained men are employed on this service. The -distance between the Tibetan capital and Peking is divided into a -hundred and twenty gya-tsug, or postal stages, of about 80 to 90 lebor -each. This distance of nearly 10,000 lebor is required to be traversed -in seventy-two days. Couriers are generally allowed a delay of five -days, but when they exceed that they are punished. On occasions of very -great importance and urgency the express rate to Peking is thirty-six -days. [317] During the last affray between the junior Amban and the -people of Shigatse the express took a month and a half to reach Peking. - -As regards the administration of justice and the laws of Tibet, the -following peculiarities may be noted: Both parties in a suit make -written statements of their case, and these briefs are read in court. - -The judge has the evidence, depositions, and his decision written down, -three copies of the latter being given to the parties concerned. Then -he states the law fee (tim tég) and the engrossing fee (myug-rin), both -of which vary with the importance of the case, and are borne by both -parties to the suit. - -The death punishment is only inflicted in certain cases of dacoity -(chagpa), when those convicted are sewed in leather bags and thrown -into a river. - -Offences of a less heinous nature are dealt with by banishment to the -borders, whipping, imprisonment, or fines. [318] - -Nothing can be more horrible and loathsome than a Tibetan jail. There -are some dungeons in an obscure village two days’ journey up the river -from Tashilhunpo, where life convicts are sent for confinement. The -prisoner having been placed in a cell, the door is removed and the -opening filled up with stone masonry, only one small aperture, about -six inches in diameter, being left, through which the unhappy creature -is supplied with his daily food. There are also a few small holes left -open on the roof, through which the guards and the jailor empty every -kind of filth into the cell. Some prisoners have lived for two years -under this horrible treatment, while others, more fortunate, die in a -few months. [319] - -In cases of murder, there are four fines to be paid by the murderer: -first, “blood-money” (tong jal); second, a sum for funeral ceremonies -for the benefit of the slain; third, a fine to the State; and fourth, a -peace offering to the family and friends of the murdered person. These -fines vary from, the weight of the body of the slain in gold, to five -ounces of silver, or the equivalent in kind. Should these fines not be -paid, the murderer is thrown into prison. - -When the murderer is insane, or a minor, aged less than eight years, -the relatives or friends are only required to pay the funeral expenses -of the victim; the same rule applies if any one is killed by a horse, -yak, or other animal, the owner paying the funeral expenses of the -person killed. - -When a husband kills his wife, or a master his servant, he is required -to pay the usual fine to the State and the funeral expenses. - -Thieves have to pay from a hundred to seven times the value of the -goods stolen, according to the social standing of the person from whom -they have stolen. - -When the thief is a recidivist, his hands may be cut off if it is his -fifth conviction, and he may be hamstrung if it is his seventh. For the -ninth conviction his eyes can be put out. - -If a thief is punished by the person from whom he is attempting to -steal, the courts will not take cognizance of the case; but should the -thief be killed, blood-money, to the amount of five ounces of silver, -must be paid to his family. - -Children aged less than thirteen are not punishable for theft, but -their parents are remonstrated with. When a woman commits a theft, the -fines and possible corporal punishment are borne in equal proportions -by herself and her husband. - -No corporal punishment can be inflicted on a pregnant woman, nor on -those suffering from an illness, who have recently lost parents, or who -are older than seventy. - -He who harbours a thief is held to be a greater culprit than the thief -himself. If a person witness a theft and do not give notice thereof, he -is held equally guilty with the thief. Thefts by one member of a family -on another member should be punished by the head of the family alone. - -The theft of a lock, a key, or a watch-dog, is considered equivalent to -robbing the objects they keep safe. - -Rape on the person of a married woman of high degree is punishable by -emasculation and fines. In case the woman belongs to the middle or -lower classes, the culprit pays the husband a fine and gives the woman -a suit of clothes. - -If a man of low rank has intercourse with the unmarried daughter of a -man of high standing, he must serve the father without wages for a term -of years. If the offender is of high standing, he has only a fine to -pay. - -In all cases of assault and battery, fines, known as song jal, or “life -money,” are alone imposed, to which may be added the amount necessary -for medical treatment for the wounded party. The amount of the fine is -fixed by the size and depth of the wounds, the importance of the bone -broken or the organ injured. - -When judges or arbitrators are unable to reach a decision, they may -permit the plaintiff to challenge the defendant to make a deposition on -oath, or undergo an ordeal. In Khams and Amdo this practice is dying -out, but it is still in vogue in Central Tibet. On account of the -nature of these oaths and ordeals, the law exempts certain classes of -men from taking them. Lamas, teachers, genyen (semi-priestly laymen), -monks, and novices are not allowed to take oaths and pass through -ordeals, nor are Tantriks (religious sorcerers) and other practitioners -of mystic incantations, who are supposed to be able to counteract the -fearful consequences of breaking an oath by means of their powerful -spells. Destitute and famished people, to whom food and clothing are -all in all, and men who will do anything they like, regardless of the -consequences in a future existence, are not allowed to make a -deposition on oath, nor are wives and mothers, who can easily be -persuaded to swear in the interests of their husbands and children. -Besides these, young boys, lunatics, and the dumb, who do not -understand the difference between good and evil, happiness and misery, -are equally exempt. All others, not included in the above list, who are -honest, know the difference between good and evil, believe in the -inevitable consequences of one’s actions (karma), are held proper -persons to take oaths and undergo ordeals. - -The challenger is required to pay the defendant the “oath -compensation,” or “oath blood” (na-tra), which varies from a trifling -amount to a very large sum, according to the nature of the case; but -for one of considerable importance the usual compensation is fifty -silver srang (125 rupees), and a yak; besides this “oath flesh” (na -sha) is claimed. - -The person challenged to take the oath first offers prayers to the -all-knowing gods, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, to the gods of the land -and to the goddesses called Srung-ma (protectresses), to the demi-gods -of the land, and to the goblins and nymphs who live in the land, -invoking them to bear witness to his solemn deposition. Then he speaks -the following words: “What I depose is the truth, and nothing but the -truth.” He then seats himself naked on the skin of a cow or ox newly -slain, smears himself with the blood of the animal, and places an image -of Buddha, with some volumes of religious books, on his head. Next, -after eating the raw heart of the ox, and drinking three mouthfuls of -its steaming blood, he declares to the spectators, “There is certainly -no guilt in me, and if there be any, may the guardians of the world and -the gods make me cease to exist before the end of the current month.” -He then receives the oath compensation (na-tra) and the slain ox or -“oath flesh” (na sha). - -It is commonly believed among the Tibetans that, should one perjure -himself, he either becomes insane, or dies vomiting blood, before the -expiration of a hundred and seven days. When this does not befall him, -other misfortunes happen, such as the loss of his wife or children, -quarrels, feuds, or the loss or destruction of his property. Death is -believed to be the most common consequence of perjury. - -The undergoing of such an oath liberates the swearer from the penalty -of death, and from paying fines in all cases of robbery and murder, as -well as from civil liabilities, such as debts and disputes about land, -even though it involves thousands of srang. On the other hand it is -believed that if the challenger be guilty of false and malicious -accusation, all the evils reserved for the perjured swearer will fall -upon him. - -In certain cases the guilt or innocence of parties is decided by the -throwing of dice, the person being exculpated who gets the greatest -number of points. - -Important cases of murder, dacoity, and theft are also decided by -ordeals, of which there are two kinds—picking out white and black -pebbles from a bowl of boiling oil or muddy water, and handling a -red-hot stone ball. In the presence of the prosecutor, the witnesses, -the judge, or his representative, and many other spectators, the -accused person invokes the gods and the demi-gods to bear witness to -his statement, and declares that he tells the perfect truth. A copper -or iron bowl filled with boiling oil or muddy water is then placed -before him, in which two pebbles of the size of an egg, one white and -the other black, each enveloped and tied up in a bag, are thrown. The -swearer washes his hands first with water, and then with milk, and, -having heard read a section of the Law written on a tablet with the -blood of a cow slain for the occasion, plunges his hand in the boiling -oil or water, and withdraws one of the pebbles. If he takes out the -white one without scalding his hand, he is believed to be innocent; but -if his hand is scalded, he is considered to be only partially innocent. -If he brings out the black stone and gets his hand scalded besides, he -is pronounced guilty. - -The second form of ordeal is performed by heating a stone ball of the -size of an ostrich’s egg red hot, and then placing it in an iron -vessel. The person taking the oath, having washed his hand in water and -milk, seizes the ball and walks with it to a distance of seven, five, -or three paces, according as his challenger is of the first, second, or -third class of social rank. After this, his hand is enveloped in a -white cotton bag, which, in the presence of the spectators, is tied up -and sealed. At the end of the third, fifth, or seventh day, the bag is -opened and the palm examined. If it is found unscalded, with only a -pale yellowish line or stain upon it, the accused is declared innocent; -if there appear a blister of the size of a pea, he is thought partly -guilty; if three blisters of that size appear, he is considered half -guilty; but if his hand be burned all over, he is held guilty of all -the charges. - -According to the laws of Tibet, the interest on money, grain, or any -other commodity is twenty per cent., or one measure for five measures -yearly. The courts in a few cases admit contracts at even a higher rate -of interest; but those who claim more according to their contract deeds -may be punished as usurers, though sometimes their claims are allowed. -In urgent cases thirty-three per cent. have been known to have been -agreed upon. All contracts are required to be made in writing, attested -by witnesses, and duly signed and sealed. The interest must be paid at -the end of the year. If the debtor abscond, the witnesses are called -upon to make good the loss sustained by the lender; but if he die, or -become insolvent, and the money be not realized, the witnesses are not -held responsible. If, however, the money has been lent by the -Government, by certain monasteries, or lamas, or by the paymaster of -the army, the amount is realised from the relatives, witnesses, and -neighbours of the debtor. At every military station, a certain amount -of money is generally lent out by Government, on the interest of which -the militia is paid by the quartermaster, who is one of the chief -Government money-lenders. Usually when the person soliciting a loan is -not known, or if doubts about his honesty are entertained, securities -are required. Not so in Tibet, where the lenders have been known to use -their power to collect debts from the heirs of debtors to the third -generation. The more the debtor exceeds the fixed term for the payment -of his debt the more urgent is the creditor in his demands. The court, -when it sees that the creditor has extracted compound interest for many -years from the debtor, can put a stop to the accumulation of further -compound interest; but there is no fixed period mentioned in the law -after which compound interest must cease to accumulate. [320] - -In Tibet such articles as household utensils, implements of husbandry -or war, drinking cups, borrowed articles, articles held in trust, -landed estates of which the revenue is paid to the State, and images of -gold, are never given in loan or mortgaged. - -When a man has a single pony, one milch cow or jo, one plough, one span -of bullocks or yaks, or one suit of clothing, nobody can ask for a loan -of any of these articles without committing the offence of “impudence,” -for which he may be severely rebuked. Creditors, whether the Government -or private persons, cannot seize upon any of these properties for debt. -This is the Grand Charter of the Tibetans. Nor can any creditor by -force seize the property of his debtor. If without the debtor’s -permission he removes one srang, he forfeits his entire claim on a loan -of a hundred srang; if he remove two, on two hundred srang, and so on -in the same proportion. Nobody, be he a public officer, landlord, -master, or creditor, can, for any kind of pecuniary claim, exercise -violence on the people. If, while being in possession of means to do -so, a man of the people refuses to pay off his liabilities or debts, -his creditors may employ mediators, or institute proceedings against -him in a court of justice; but if, without resorting to these means, -they beat him or use any kind of violence on him, they forfeit all -claims upon him. - -If after buying an article the purchaser wishes to return it on the -same day, he must forfeit one-tenth of the price. If he return it on -the following day he forfeits one-fifth; on the second, one-half; and -if he keeps it beyond the third day it is not returnable. If a -householder cheat a merchant lodger, he is required to pay compensation -at the rate of five srang for every srang’s worth stolen. If a trader -deceive his customers by using false weights and measures, or by -selling adulterated goods, imitation gems or jewels, or by circulating -counterfeit coin, he must be immediately handed over to the police, and -committed for trial. If the merchant convicted be a Tibetan subject, -all his goods are confiscated, and he is sentenced to penal servitude -for a certain number of years. If he be a subject of some foreign -Government, such as China, Mongolia, Kashmir, or Nepal, such fine, as -is prescribed by law, is exacted from him. His goods are seized, -examined, taken stock of, and after being securely packed, are sent -with the owner in charge of the police to his own Government, together -with a document complaining of his conduct, and stating the amount of -the fine exacted from him. - -The jealousy of the Tibetans towards Europeans is supposed to date from -1791–92, when English soldiers were believed to have taken part in the -war which followed the incursion of the Gorkhas into Tibet; and as the -English Government, then in its infancy in India, took no steps to -cultivate the friendship of the Tibetans, that feeling took a lasting -hold on their minds. The shock which China, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim -have received from their reverses when at war with the British power, -has also extended to the peace-loving Tibetans. - -Throughout the nineteenth century the Tibetans have followed the -Chinese policy of exclusiveness, not from fear of annexation, but -because they had been shortly before nearly conquered, and were -entirely under Chinese influence. This fear has been sedulously -encouraged by an ex-minister of the Rajah of Sikkim, the Dewan Namgyal, -who was expelled from that country for his treatment of Drs. Hooker and -Campbell, [321] and subsequently obtained from the Grand Lama the post -of frontier officer, to watch the “encroachments” of the Indian -Government. The attempts of Dr. Hooker, Mr. Edgar, and lastly of Sir -Richard Temple, to enter Tibetan territory were described by him as -instances of encroachment on the part of the Government of India, which -he represented as devoting all its energies to the invasion of Tibet, -and as having been foiled by his diplomatic skill and wisdom, aided by -the zealous co-operation of the Djongpon of Khamba and Phari. On one -occasion he even stated to the Lhasa officials, as a proof of his -unshaken loyalty to the Grand Lama, that he had refused a pension of -fifty rupees which had been offered to him by the Indian Government for -supplying information respecting the state of affairs in Tibet! This -functionary has, however, together with his coadjutor the Djongpon of -Khamba, lately fallen into disgrace with the Grand Lama, and has also -lost all influence at Tashilhunpo. - -The exclusiveness of the Tibetan Government is to be chiefly attributed -to the hostile and intriguing attitude of the frontier officials -towards the British Government. Next to it is the fear of introducing -small-pox and other dangerous diseases into Tibet, where the people, -being ignorant of the proper treatment of this disease, die in great -numbers from it. Death from small-pox is the most dreaded, since the -victim is believed to be immediately sent to hell. Not the least -important cause, however, is the fear of the extinction of Buddhism by -the foreigners—a feeling which prevails in the minds of the dominant -class, the clergy. - -Besides jealousy of foreigners, there is another cause of great -importance, being connected with the commercial interests of China. -Peking is eight or ten months’, and Silling (Hsi-ning) four months’ -journey from Lhasa, yet the Tibetans carry on a brisk trade with these -and other noted cities of China in tea, silk, wooden furniture, and -other commodities. The Government of Lhasa sends every year two or more -caravans to purchase goods for the State from the commercial centres on -the borders of China. An escort of 500 soldiers accompanies each -caravan, for it is not unusual for mounted bands of robbers, from 200 -to 300 strong, to attack the caravans. By the opening of the Darjiling -railway, Calcutta, where most of the Chinese articles valued in Tibet -may be easily and cheaply procured, will be brought within three weeks’ -journey of Lhasa. - -The Tibetans thoroughly appreciate these facilities, and every Tibetan -who has ever visited Darjiling warmly praises our Government for making -the Jalep la road. The Chinese Government naturally fear that with the -opening of free intercourse between Tibet and India, China will be a -great loser so far as her commercial interests are concerned. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -RETURN TO TASHILHUNPO AND UGYEN-GYATSO’S VISIT TO THE BONBO SANCTUARY -OF RIGYAL SENDAR. - - -The bells of the Jo khang were ringing and the great trumpets of -Tangye-ling were summoning the lamas to early morning service, when, on -June 13, I took from the roof of our house a last look at the gilded -spires and red walls of Potala, and started out for Tashilhunpo. I -noticed near our lodgings a number of women drawing water from a well -in rawhide buckets. The water of Lhasa is excellent, and both abundant -and very near the surface, most of the wells being not over four feet -deep; and this is the reason for the belief that the town is over a -subterranean lake. - -Arriving at the foot of Chagpori, on the summit of which is the College -of Surgeons of Tibet, I got off my horse and ascended the hill, as I -had promised to visit an old doctor known as Amchi Rivola, who was -afflicted with cataract. On the way up I was met by one of the Amchi’s -pupils, who presented me with a khatag. I was led into a nice room -containing a few neatly-finished tables, on one of which was a cup full -of delicate rose-coloured tea of the most delicious aroma. [322] The -ceiling was covered with silk, and satin hangings hid the walls, on -which hung also pictures of the god of medicine and his attendants. - -Amchi Rivola soon made his appearance, a man of commanding looks and -heavily built. He was the Principal of the Vaidurya Ta-tsan of -Chagpori, and physician to the regent. He expressed his pleasure at -seeing me, and said he had heard me most kindly spoken of by the -Lhacham Phala, and he would be greatly pleased if I would postpone my -journey to Shigatse and endeavour to cure his disease, which he thought -curable by an operation, but he knew of no surgeon in Tibet able to -perform it. - -I was pained at my utter inability to help him, and told him that I -would willingly prolong my stay at Lhasa if I had any means of curing -him, but I had none whatever, and must take my leave. So saying, I rose -from my seat, and left after the usual leave-takings. [323] - -Following the same road by which we had come to Lhasa, we stopped that -night at Netang. On the 15th we reached Palti djong, and on the 18th -arrived at Dongtse at 10 o’clock at night, and put up in Pador’s house. - -Early the following morning I went to the monastery, and was promptly -led to the minister’s apartments, where I found him covered with -small-pox pustules, and hardly able to speak. The Lhacham’s son was -also ill with the same disease, but convalescing. - -When the minister fell asleep, I went to the Tung-chen’s room. He asked -me if I had not met Phurchung on the road, as he had left for Lhasa -only a week ago carrying my letters and a shot-gun. As to Ugyen-gyatso, -he had returned from Lachan with the luggage that had been left there, -and was now waiting for me at Gyatsoshar, near Shigatse. I remained at -Dongtse until July 3, when, in company with Phurchung and Pador, I set -out for Gyatsoshar, which place we reached the following day, and Ugyen -gave me, to my infinite delight, a package of letters from India. - -Ugyen told me that since his return from the Lachan barrier he had been -busy collecting plants. He had also carefully kept a diary from which I -culled the following details, which may prove of interest. - -One evening a lama friend had called on him, and asked him if he would -like to meet a Golog from Amdo. These Golog, his friend went on to say, -are a nation of brigands living in Amdo in Eastern Tibet. [324] Their -country is nowhere cultivated, but they breed many ponies, which they -use for making raids on the adjacent peoples. Their chiefs exact -black-mail (chag tal) from all people, and rob all they fall in with, -unless they have passports from the Golog chiefs. - -The Gologs have a few lamaseries, the heads of which come from -Tashilhunpo, and are appointed for a term of five years, after which -they return to Ulterior Tibet. Not long ago one of these lamas returned -to Tashilhunpo, after having enjoyed during his sojourn in Gologland -the confidence of the people and chiefs. He had amassed considerable -wealth, and he spent on his return several thousand rupees in -entertaining all the Tashilhunpo monks, and in giving them presents of -money. Two years ago the wife of the Golog chief, near whom he had -lived, came to Tashilhunpo on a pilgrimage, and after visiting the -temple, she expressed a desire to see their former lama, but he was -nowhere to be found, though it was known that he was at Tashilhunpo. -Among the Golog people it is customary to greet one another with a -kiss, and whoever omits the kiss when meeting or parting with an -acquaintance is considered rude and unmannerly. - -The lama had kissed this lady hundreds of times in her own country, but -how could he kiss her now before all the monks? and particularly as the -Panchen rinpoche was present at Tashilhunpo; how could he hope to -escape unpunished if he committed an act of such gross immodesty? - -The lady, however, before leaving Tashilhunpo, invited him to a dinner, -and as soon as she appeared in the room he shut the door and greeted -her with a kiss on the mouth, and explained to her the reason of his -failing to see her at first, and the embarrassment he had felt in -approaching her in public. [325] - -Ugyen’s friend also told him that in the Bardon district of Khams, -[326] when two acquaintances meet they touch each other’s foreheads -together by way of salutation. - -The same friend, who had imparted to Ugyen the preceding information, -told him one day this fable: In times of yore, when beasts could talk, -a leopard met an ass, and, though he had a strong inclination to kill -him, he was impressed by his strength, of which he judged by his loud -bray, so he offered him his friendship on condition that he would watch -his den when he went out in search of prey. - -One day the leopard sallied forth with a mighty roar by way of prelude -to his day’s work, and forthwith a wild yak rolled down the cliff -overhanging his den, killed from fright at the sound. When the leopard -returned and saw the dead dong, the ass said he had killed it, and -stuck out his tongue, smeared with blood, in proof of his prowess. - -The leopard believed him, and promised to help him when the time came. -One day he told him to go and graze in the meadow on the other side of -the hill. When the ass had eaten his fill he brayed twenty or thirty -times in sheer wantonness, and the leopard thinking his friend in -trouble, ran to his rescue, but the ass told him he was only braying -for pleasure. A little while after a pack of wolves attacked the ass, -when he brayed loudly, calling his friend to his help; but the leopard -thought that he was only amusing himself, and did not go to his rescue, -and the ass was torn to pieces by the wolves. - -On the 7th of the eighth moon (June 23) a grand military review was -held at Shigatse, when more than a thousand soldiers were present, and -there was a sham fight in the presence of the general. There are two -reviews (mag chyang) every year, one in summer, the other in winter; -and besides these there is one whenever the Amban visits Shigatse on a -tour of inspection. - -On June 29 the summer prayer ceremony (or monlam) was celebrated. [327] -All the monks of Tashilhunpo, some three thousand odd, assembled at -Chyag-tsal-gang. A satin wall or gyabyal, 1000 feet in circumference, -was erected, and inside it was a great State canopy, under which the -Panchen rinpoche’s throne was placed. He was unable to be present, but -his stole and mitre were put on the throne, and round it thronged the -lamas in order of precedence and rank. The people of Shigatse were -there, some under tents, others under bowers of cypress and willow -branches, all amusing themselves singing and joking. A mast about 120 -feet high was erected, and ropes stretched from it to the great Kiku -building, and on these were hung pictures of all the gods of the -pantheon. At Shigatse, the while, there was racing and military -manœuvres and drill. - -The following day was sacred to Dipankara Buddha, and his picture was -made to occupy a prominent place in the exhibition. This representation -of him was about 100 feet high, and skilfully worked in different -coloured satins. On either side of it were gigantic representations of -the Buddha. - -All the lamas and nobles of Shigatse with their families made merry -under the great tent in the Chyag-tsal-gang. Sumptuous dinners, cooked -by the best native and Chinese cooks, were served to the great -personages of Tashilhunpo and of the Government. Many persons had -pitched tents near the great one, and were amusing themselves there -with their families and friends. From morning to evening the deafening -music of drums, cymbals, and trumpets never ceased. - -No one was absent from the fête save the Grand Lama, who, it was -rumoured, was laid up with small-pox at Tobgyal, where he had gone -after a visit to the hot springs of Tanag. On either side of the great -nine-storied building of Kiku, between Shigatse and Tashilhunpo, were -two huge lions in which men were concealed; these were moved about from -time to time to the great delight of the people. - -The next day was the full moon, and was sacred to Sakya Buddha. The -great picture of Dipankara Buddha was removed, and one of Sakya Sinha, -of gigantic size, and surrounded by all the Buddhas of past and future -ages, took its place. This picture was brought out from the lamasery to -the sound of deafening music, and with great ceremony. Ten black -priests (Nagpa), well versed in tantrik rituals, conducted a solemn -religious service, and were assisted by 300 lamas from Tsomaling -chanting hymns. - -In the plain of Chyag-tsal-gang the lamas and people again feasted and -enjoyed themselves as on the previous day. - -On the morrow (July 2) the picture of Sachya tubpa was displaced for -one of the Buddha who is to come, Maitreya (or Chyamba). It was brought -out and hung up with the same ceremony as was observed on the preceding -days. This day Tashilhunpo was open to women, and crowds of them in the -gayest and richest apparel visited the temples and shrines. Ugyen -estimated the value of the headdress of one lady he saw at 40,000 -rupees. In the evening every one went and touched with his or her head -the picture of Chyamba, and thus received his blessing. [328] - -During my stay at Gyatsoshar I occupied the little pavilion belonging -to the minister, which I have described previously. [329] The flowers -in the garden which surrounded it filled the air with their fragrance; -the tall poplars, the widespread willows, the fragrant junipers, the -graceful cedars, all contributed to make this place the most favoured -of all the neighbourhood. - -My health rapidly improved in these pleasant surroundings and genial -temperature, and I worked diligently at transcribing works of great -interest into the nagari character which had, though written in -Sanskrit, been preserved in the (Wu-chan) script of Tibet. Ugyen -devoted himself to botanizing, extending his excursions to considerable -distances. Finally, to facilitate bringing in his collections, he -bought a donkey and a pony for himself to ride. - -July 19 was kept as a great holiday, it being the day on which the -Buddha first turned the Wheel of the Law. The people of Shigatse and -neighbourhood visited the different chapels and sanctuaries and -thronged in every corner of Tashilhunpo. - -Two days later the Deba Shikha, of whom I have had so often to speak, -gave a garden-party to a number of his friends in the garden -surrounding the house in which I was living at Gyatsoshar. There were a -dozen men and women; the former amused themselves the whole day at -archery and quoits, [330] in both of which they exhibited considerable -skill. The same day Ugyen started on a botanizing trip, which took him -as far as Sakya. - -On July 26 I returned to Dongtse, and was pleased to find that the -Minister had recovered from the small-pox. I found the Tung-chen busy -preparing for the ceremony of consecrating a new house of the Seng -chen, [331] as the minister is called, now nearly complete, and built a -little to the north of the Tsug-la khang temple. In the room given me -were some five or six hundred balls of butter of about two pounds -weight each, and a number of bags of tsamba and wheat flour. - -I had only been here four days when I was requested by the Chyag-dso-pa -of Gyantse to visit him and see if I could not do something for the -complaint from which he had now been suffering for some time. The -invitation was so pressing that I could not refuse; so I set out at -once, and was most kindly received by him and his family. I remained -here until August 13, when a letter reached me from the minister, who -was still at Dongtse, asking me to rejoin him there at once. This -letter of the minister, though written in Tibetan, was in the Roman -character, which I had taught him to write the preceding winter. [332] - -As I rode back to Dongtse I was greatly struck by the beauty of the -vegetation; the little pools were frequently covered with lilies, and -wild-flowers were in full bloom. - -The minister asked me if I would go to Tobgyal and see the Grand Lama, -who was desperately ill. He had received a letter from him asking for -some consecrated pills (tsé-ril); I could take this medicine along with -me, and at the same time he would inform the Panchen that I was a -skilful physician and might be able to cure him. - -Hearing of the desperate condition of the Grand Lama, I naturally -hesitated to undertake this commission, and so asked for time for -reflection. The next day, however, I told the minister that I could not -venture to wait on the Grand Lama unless he expressed a wish to see me; -or, at all events, unless I was accompanied by the minister himself. He -finally decided that he would send the tse-ril by a confidential -servant, and hint in his note accompanying them, that perhaps Indian -medicines might prove beneficial. - -On August 25 and 26, the final ceremonies of consecrating the new house -built by the minister (and which had been going on for the last five -days) were begun. The last ceremony is called the chin-sreg. [333] The -mask of the god of death (Shinje gyalbo), his weapons and armour were -hung on a stake stuck close to the fireplace. Then bundles of -sandalwood were arranged in six heaps, and melted butter poured over -them to feed the flame; and a lama, chanting hymns, sat opposite each -fire. Sesamum and barley were scattered about. At the termination of -the first day’s ceremony, a dinner was served to all the guests and -monks. - -The chin-sreg ceremony on the 26th was similar to that of the day -before, and wound up with a long service. In the afternoon the Seng -chen (the minister) took his position on a raised seat under a spacious -awning spread on the roof of the tsug-lha-khang, and ordered all the -lamas, carpenters, masons, coppersmiths, gilders, etc., to assemble, -when he distributed presents to them. To the lamas and monks he gave -silver coins, khatag and blankets; and to the head labourers, rugs -(tumshi), felt hats (khamba), and homespun cloth (gyantse). - -On the 28th news reached us that two of the Grand Lama’s physicians had -run away, another had gone mad, and the fourth was without hope or -ability to do anything more for the illustrious patient, who had had a -severe hemorrhage. - -On the 31st the dreaded event took place, a letter was handed the -minister announcing the Grand Lama’s death. He had died on the day -previous at Tobgyal, or, as it is the custom to say, “He had left this -world for repose in the realm of bliss (Deva-chan).” - -A notice was issued to the people to assume signs of mourning; the -women were forbidden to wear their headdresses or any other jewellery, -and amusements and ornamenting of houses were prohibited. The people -showed signs of deep distress at the untimely death of the Panchen; -some attributing it to the sorrow he had felt at the disloyalty of his -people, others said he had left this world on account of the -discourtesy of the Dalai lama in not inviting him to his consecration. - -At Dongtse, where I was, the minister was having performed as a -termination to the ceremonies attending the consecration of the new -building, a grand religious dance in the courtyard of the Choide. A -great crowd, all in their holiday attire, was assembled on the roofs -and balconies of the temple. The dance had but commenced; the -minister’s page, who impersonated the herald of the gods, had twice -fired off a gun, and had proclaimed the arrival of the four guardian -deities of the world; the devils and goblins had gone through their -part of the performance, when the news of the death of the Grand Lama -was made known to the minister. At once the dance was stopped, and the -dancers and the crowd rapidly dispersed. - -On September 3 it was reported to me that the Chinese commander of -Shigatse had flogged several of the Grand Lama’s servants for not -having told him of the gravity of their master’s illness. One of the -physicians of the Panchen had been severely beaten, and the other -medical attendant was found dead shortly after the Grand Lama had -breathed his last. I thanked God I had not consented to the minister’s -proposal to go and attend the Grand Lama! - -On the 6th Ugyen returned to Dongtse from his trip to Sakya, and from -his journal I take the following facts, which may be of interest:— - -He had started, as previously stated, on July 21, and on the 23rd -crossed to the left bank of the Tsang-po near Tashi-gang, and camped in -the valley of Tang-pe. Thence he and his companion, a Mongol lama by -the name of Chos-tashi, went to the Tanag district, where a fine -quality of pottery is manufactured. [334] They could not get lodgings -anywhere, so afraid were the people that they might introduce small-pox -among them, coming as they did from the infected city of Shigatse. - -On July 26 they crossed the Tanag Tong chu by an iron suspension -bridge, and, travelling westward, stopped for the night in the lamasery -of Tubdan. Leaving Tubdan on the 28th, the travellers reached, after a -march of twelve miles in a northerly direction, the famous hot springs -of Burchu-tsan. A circular wall of stone encloses a portion of the -springs, and here the Grand Lama takes his baths. The place where he -camps is surrounded by a low turf wall. The Grand Lama had recently -taken the baths, but it was supposed that the water gods (or nagas) had -in some way or other been offended, as the water had but aggravated his -complaint. To propitiate these lu a hundred lamas had been employed -here until within a few days conducting religious services. In and near -these springs are numerous black snakes which, though they are said to -be venomous, do no harm to either man or beast. They enter houses in -the neighbouring villages, but no one ever thinks of hurting them. - -The next day they crossed the Jeh la and stopped for the night at the -village of Keshong, but again they could not get lodgings. On the 30th -they reached the old village of Shendar ding, [335] near which is -situated the famous Bonbo monastery of Rigyal Shendar. Ugyen visited -this lamasery the following day, and represented himself as a Bonbo -from Sikkim on a pilgrimage to the sanctuaries of Bonbo Shenrab mivo, -the chief deity of this religion. He expressed a desire to give a -general tea (mang ja) to the monks, presented the manager five tanka -for the purpose, and it was arranged that the entertainment should take -place on the morrow. - -In the mean time he was shown about the temple. In the congregation -hall the priests were reading the Bonbo scriptures. In the chapel of -the upper story he noticed among the images of the various gods of the -Bon pantheon that of Sakya Buddha. - -The next day the mang ja took place. There were about thirty monks -(dabas) present, [336] and, on inquiring why there were so few, Ugyen -was told that a large number of monks who are natives of Khams Gyarong -had gone to the Chang-tang [337] to look to the interests of the Bon -church there. - -Ugyen, in company with the head priest (om-dse), then visited the -gloomy chapels of the monastery, only lighted by torches and butter-fed -lamps, where he saw a number of curious pictures and tapestries on -which were represented various terrifying gods. After this he was -presented to the high priest, Je Khädub rinpoche, who received him most -kindly. He was a man of sixty-eight years of age, but strong and -hearty. He explained to Ugyen various points of the “black water” -(chab-nag) mysteries of Bonism, and lent him some books to read, a -number of which Ugyen made copies of. [338] - -The Rigyal Sendar monastery is said to have been erected on the site of -an ancient Bon temple, called Darding sergo tamo, and was built several -hundred years before Tashilhunpo; and was sacked by the Jungar Mongols -in the 17th century. When they demolished the chapel, the Bon high -priest hurriedly concealed the sacred treasures and scriptures, written -in silver on dark blue tablets, in the deep recesses of a cavern, and -hence the sacred writings of the Bonbo are now in a confused state. The -church furniture and other requisites of worship in the monastery are -extremely ancient. Among them are the huge tambourines (shang), and -gigantic cymbals made of the finest bell-metal, paintings representing -the Seven Heroic Saints (Pao-rab dun), numerous old tapestries, and -several volumes of scriptures written in silver and gold on thick -dark-blue (card) boards. The roof of the great hall of congregation is -supported by forty-two pillars, six feet apart, and all around the -monastery are fine-looking chorten, mendong, and cairns, which visitors -are allowed to circumambulate from right to left, instead of from left -to right, as do Buddhists. When questioned respecting the reason for -this custom, the priests replied that salutation, circumambulation, and -the chanting of mantra being intended by the sages as processes to -sanctify the body, speech, and mind, they did not at all benefit the -divinity. It is, therefore, immaterial how and which way one salutes -and circumambulates the sacred things, but it is the established usage -of the Bon community to circulate from right to left. [339] - -The Bon monastery of Shendar is now in the joint possession of the four -powerful members of the family of Shen-tsang. Though they are laymen, -having wives and children, yet being the descendants of Shenrab Mivo, -the illustrious founder of the Bon religion, they are venerated as -lamas. The mother of the two leading members of this family was the -elder sister of Sikyong, the late Rajah of Sikkim. The late Panchen -rinpoche was the nephew of these brothers, in consequence of which they -are addressed by the people as Ku-shang, “Royal Maternal Uncle.” The -late Grand Lama was of pure Bonbo stock, and the two families from -which he sprang are known by the names of Shen-lug and Tu-lug. People -inquire with wonder why the vice-regent of Buddha in the flesh should -have been born in the family of Shenrab Mivo, the heretic. Some -disaffected Tibetans were even in the habit of ridiculing this Grand -Lama by calling him the offspring of Bon heretics. - -In the monastery are two sections of monks, called respectively the -Tibetan Association (Bod kham-tsan) and the Khams Association (Khamba -kham-tsan), the latter being the most numerous. The officers consist of -one priest for the grand congregation (Om-dse), two discipliners -(Chos-tims), two church directors (Gekhor), two general managers -(Chi-nyer), and two chapel-keepers (Ku-nyer). - -While conducting service the monks dress like the Gelugpa monks of -Tashilhunpo. They wear tall mitre-shaped yellow caps, and a yellow -cloak covering the bodies. The ordained monks hang the chab-lug, or -badge of celibacy, [340] from their waist-bands like the Buddhist -monks, and wear red serge boots. They are not allowed to wear anything -that is blue, green, black, or white. During their residence at the -monastery they wear the church costume, composed of the sham-tab and -tongu, [341] and red boots made according to the Bon fashion. When they -enter the congregation hall for service they leave their boots at the -door. The cost of the tea drunk during the services is borne for the -most part by the Shen-tsang family. The monastery is maintained by a -small endowment, supplemented by the donations and subscriptions paid -by the Bon community of Chang. [342] - -The monks of the Khams Association, numbering about forty, go annually -during the summer to conduct religious services in the houses of the -Bon people of Chang. In the winter they remain in the monastery. During -divine service the monks are allowed to drink as much tea as they like, -there being no restriction in this respect, as in the great Buddhist -monasteries. - -The lamas here are divided into two sects, which differ slightly in -their vows. In the one called Shen-tang srung-lug, a man may take vows -when sixty years of age; while in the other, called Shen-tsang lug, he -must take the vows of abstinence and piety as soon as he has finished -his final clerical examinations. The high priest, or Je Kadub rinpoche, -Yung-drung gyal-tsan by name, administers vows and ordains monks. - -The rules of moral discipline, called tsa-yig, written on a broad sheet -of pasted daphne paper, are posted in a conspicuous position in the -monastery. When an ordained monk is found guilty of violating these -rules, and particularly those of chastity, he is immediately punished -and expelled from the monastery. Such punishments are, however, -commutable into fines, such as the payments of money to the lama who -ordained him, and providing entertainment and presents for the other -monastic authorities and the members of the congregation. - -The marriage ceremonies of the Bonbo are the same as those of all other -Tibetans; so also the funeral rites, although some communities throw -their dead into rivers and lakes. [343] After death the body is kept in -the house twenty-four hours, after which it is removed to the temple or -monastery. On the fourth day the ornaments and clothes worn by the -deceased are placed before the gods, and prayers offered to them to -take charge of his soul. At the end of the ceremony the corpse is -removed to the cemetery, where it is cut into pieces to be devoured by -vultures and dogs. [344] - -Ugyen left Shendar ding on August 5, and stopped at noon at the hot -springs of Langpag, where the Tashi lama has a temple-like house in -charge of an officer. The water is so hot that meat can be cooked in it -in half an hour. - -Proceeding thence they came to Non chu, where he saw the Non chu lama -rinpoche, who made many inquiries about Calcutta, the railways, -telegraphs, and telephones of which he had heard travellers speak. He -himself, he said, had invented a telephone, and was just then engaged -in making a new instrument with which he would be able to communicate -with people at a distance by means of strokes of a hammer. [345] He was -also most curious to know about illuminating gas. - -The next day Ugyen again called on the lama, who asked many questions -about the resources of India, its government, commerce, laws, etc., and -as Ugyen replied he noted down all he heard. - -Taking leave of the lama the same day, the travellers reached Rag-tso -ferry, where they crossed the Tsang-po in a rudely constructed boat, in -which men and animals were ferried across. They halted for the night at -Tondub ling, in the district of Jerong. They were unable to gain -admittance to any house, and had to pass the night in a sheepfold. - -The next day they came to Phuntso ling, where there is a lamasery with -five hundred inmates. This was formerly the seat of the Taranath lama, -and from here he went to Urga in Mongolia. Ugyen visited the cave where -Taranath once lived as an ascetic. He also saw the printing-house of -the Phuntso ling lamasery, which contained printing blocks for many -valuable historical works. - -Two roads lead to Sakya from this place, one viâ Tondub ling, the other -by way of Lhartse. The travellers followed the latter, which is the -shortest, arriving at Lhartse on August 10. Shakar djong, [346] Ugyen -learnt, can be reached from Lhartse in a day. The monks of Shakar are -noted for their wealth, much of which is acquired by buying gold. - -Lhartse castle (djong) is on a fine eminence overlooking the Tsang-po. -It is the chief place of trade of Upper Tsang. Its monastery used to -contain one thousand lamas, but now the number is considerably smaller. -Some distance from Lhartse is the famous monastery of Namring, whose -monks are noted for their great learning. - -Proceeding by way of Tana and Lasa, Ugyen and his companions reached -Sakya on the 14th, and put up in a house belonging to the chief of the -ulag department. There is a good market in this town, but with the -exception of meat, all articles of food are dearer than at Shigatse. No -good tsamba could be bought, and straw and hay were very dear, a tanka -for a basketful of not over five pounds weight. - -Sakya is a notorious place for thieves and all kinds of bad characters, -and the cattle have to be locked up at night in the stables and -sheep-pens. - -The next day, being the anniversary of the birth of Peme Chyungnas -(Padma Sambhava), a grand religions dance took place in the courtyard -of the temple, in the presence of the five surviving members of the -royal Khon family of Sakya, who sat on chairs on a raised daïs under a -large Chinese umbrella, with attendants carrying the gyal-tsan or -banners, and the sceptre. - -Eighty gaudily dressed dancers (chyampa) danced the day long to the -music of clarionets, trumpets, kettle-drums, tambourines, and cymbals, -stopping only occasionally to partake of tea. When they finally stopped -they carried off with them on their shoulders quantities of khatag -flung to them by the audience. - -This dance, called the “club dance” (phurpai kil chyam), was performed -in celebration of the birth, from a lotus flower in the lake of -Dhanakosha, of the sage Uddayani. Two Timpon and a dozen policemen kept -the great crowd in order with their whips. - -When the ceremony of the day was over, the heir apparent of the Sakya -Panchen took his seat in the maidan in front of the great temple, and -gave his blessing (chyag wang) to all who approached. Ugyen visited the -same day the famous library, where he saw many manuscripts written in -gold, the pages some six to eight feet long and three or four feet -broad. [347] On the board which covered these volumes were painted in -gold and silver the images of innumerable Buddhas. There were also many -books in Chinese, dating back to the early years of the Christian era. - -The next day another kind of dance, called the dsa-nag, or “black hat” -dance, was performed in the court of the residence of Gong-sa. There -were about eighty dancers. Seventy kept up the dance continually, while -the ten remaining took refreshments. They danced with much grace, the -movements of their arms and hands being especially curious. - -On August 17 Ugyen left Sakya, and travelling by way of Lhadong, -Shong-mar-tse, the Pa la and Chiblung, reached Dobta on the 20th. [348] -This latter locality he found very poor, the people living in great -squalor. The country is rocky and barren, yet the peasants have to give -half the produce of their fields to the Sikkim Rajah. - -Leaving Dobta, Ugyen came to the Tsomo tel-tung, or “Mule’s Drink -Lake,” which he went around, keeping it to his left, an heretical -action according to Buddhist ideas. - -Stopping at Naring for the night, he then passed through Tagnag and -reached Targye on the 24th. [349] Near here is the Dora chu-tsan (“Hot -Springs”), in the neighbourhood of which he saw several carpet looms, -on which excellent rugs, called tum-shi, were being made by women, who -showed great taste in designing patterns. - -Leaving Targye the travellers passed without any incidents through -Kurma, Kyoga, Labrang-dokpa, and Luguri Jong, [350] and reached -Shigatse about noon on August 29. - -Ugyen remained at Shigatse for seven days, drying the plants he had -collected on his journey, and observing the different incidents which -took place after the death of the Grand Lama. - -The day after the Grand Lama’s death, he and a friend had gone to -Tashilhunpo to perform their devotions, but were refused admittance. No -outsider was admitted into the lamasery, the inmates of which were now -not allowed to see any one or leave the monastery. - -As they were coming back they passed in front of the palace of -Kun-khyab ling, and saw a large pack of hounds and mastiffs, which the -Panchen kept for hunting; for, though his sacred character forbade him -shooting animals, he could indulge in this other form of sport. - -While in the palace of Phuntso phodang, the lama’s favourite residence, -and where they were allowed to enter, an officer from the Labrang -attached seals on everything belonging to the deceased, and on all the -doors of the principal rooms in Kun-khyab ling. - -The next day there was a report that the lama had come to life again, -and every one was thanking the gods; the tsamba vendors on the -market-place were throwing handfuls of their ware heavenward as -offerings to the gods who had restored their Grand Lama to them. - -The Dingpon of Shigatse said, in the hearing of Ugyen, that last year, -when the Government of Lhasa had consulted the oracle of Lhamo -sung-chyongma, it had foretold great calamities for Tibet. These were -inevitable, in view of the perversity of the people who no longer had -faith in the gods, but let themselves be led by demons in human shape. - -Witchcraft was steadily increasing, he said, and in every village there -were those who said they were in communion with devils. An edict had -been issued forbidding witchcraft and fortune-telling. It was found -that under the castle of Shigatse itself there were fifteen witches -(paonal jorma). These had been brought to trial, and had been submitted -to an examination which required them to describe the contents of -several chests filled with a variety of things. Four alone were able to -answer, the others were flogged and then released on condition that -they should give up imposing on the public credulity and would furnish -bonds for their good behaviour. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -FUNERAL OF THE PANCHEN RINPOCHE.—VISIT TO THE GREAT LAMASERY OF SAMYE -AND TO YARLUNG. - - -On September 19 the minister left Dongtse, and I despatched Ugyen once -more to the Rigyal Shendar monastery to obtain further information on -the Bonbos and their religion. I myself went to Gyantse, where I was -most kindly received by the Chyag-dso-pa and his family. - -The Chyag-dso-pa of Gyantse has under his superintendence a large rug -and blanket factory in which about ninety women are kept constantly -employed, some picking the wool, some dyeing it, and others weaving. -The tso, or “dye plant,” grows in rocky soil and is collected by the -Dokpas. It supplies a beautiful yellow colour. The leaves only are used -in dyeing. [351] - -The people employed in this factory are kept under the strictest -discipline. One day one of the women who was late beginning her work, -was whipped by order of the Chyag-dso-pa. A boy caught stealing wool -was also punished in the same way and imprisoned for a fortnight. I was -rather surprised at seeing the Chyag-dso-pa thus taking the law in his -own hands; but he told me that the Government allowed great landholders -like his master, the Shape Phala, judicial power over their own serfs. -I may here note that the pastoral tenants on this, and probably all -other estates, pay the owners every year two pounds of butter for every -she yak they own, and two pounds of wool for every sheep. - -On September 25, corresponding to the 13th of the 8th moon, harvest -began. This day was selected as it was a very lucky one. All the people -turned out for the work, and I went to the roof of the castle to watch -the reapers. While working they sang hymns and offered the gods bunches -of barley, peas, and wheat, as first-fruit offerings. - -Ugyen returned from his trip on the 1st of October. - -On September 13 (25?), the day of the full moon, while he was still at -Shigatse, the dead Grand Lama was brought from Tob-gyal to Tashilhunpo. -First of all came a crowd of people on foot, followed by about a -hundred men on ponies. After these came the officials of Labrang, -followed by the chiefs, nobles, and high officials of Tsang, all on -horseback. Behind them was carried the sedan containing the remains of -his holiness, the Panchen rinpoche. The sedan was followed by the -Chinese garrison, consisting of fifty soldiers. The lamentations of the -people increased as the procession approached, and Ugyen said he cried -like a child. Some prayed loudly, looking towards heaven: “God and -saints ordain that our beloved protector (kyab-gong), may soon return -to this world for the good of all living beings.” No bells were rung, -and the procession passed on in solemn silence, all, laymen and monks, -dressed in dark red apparel, without any ornaments. When the procession -entered Tashilhunpo, the sedan chair was placed on the State altar, in -the Hall of Departed Saints. On the following day Ugyen went to make -his obeisance to the dead Lama. He found the body (ku-por) wrapped in -khatags, and placed in a sitting posture. It was very small, bearing no -proportion to the stature of the Lama when living. Ugyen was told that -this was the result of the embalmment. [352] - -The same day the period of summer retirement (yar-nas) for monks came -to an end. It was observed as a holiday by the people: there was racing -and other sports, and all the people, lamas, men, women, and children -bathed together in the Nyang chu. The only sign of mourning still -observed this day was keeping the windows of the houses in town and at -Tashilhunpo shut. - -On the 17th Ugyen reached Shendar ding, where he put up in the house of -a man whose wife had just been confined. A woman in Tibet, as in India, -is held to be unclean (kyedib) for a month after her confinement, at -the expiration of which time certain religious ceremonies are performed -for her purification. - -Ugyen remained in this place until the 26th, and obtained from the high -priest of the lamasery much valuable information bearing on the -theology and history of the Bon religion. He also copied many valuable -works on these subjects, which were obligingly put at his disposal by -the lama. [353] - -Having been prevented when at Lhasa, as previously narrated, from going -to the celebrated monastery of Samye, the most ancient and famous, -probably, of all Tibetan lamaseries, I now endeavoured to make -arrangements for this much longed-for trip. I sent Ugyen to Dongtse, -after his return from his trip to Shendar ding, to try and get a guide; -but he failed, as rumours had got abroad that I was a British employé, -and Phurchung was accused of having brought me into Tibet in violation -of the express orders of the Nepal Durbar. - -In view of these disturbing rumours, I left Gyantse on October 4, and -returned to Tashilhunpo, where I was rejoined on the 13th by Phurchung, -who had been sent with letters to India in August. - -I now decided to send Ugyen back to India with the botanical and other -collections he had made, while I would visit Samye, and the Lhokha -country south of it. He bought ten yaks for a hundred rupees, and pack -saddles, and engaged Lachung men to accompany him to Khamba djong. He -started on the 17th, while Phurchung and I returned to Gyantse, -arriving there on the 18th. - -The people were now busy threshing their barley—cows, their muzzles -covered with wicker baskets, treaded it out, and were kept to their -work by two boys. - -The Chyag-dso-pa lent me a man to guide me to Samye and the south -country (Lhokha); his name was Gopon. He told me he was ready to start -at any time, for his brother (namdo pun, “joint brother”), as he called -him, had now returned from Shigatse, and he could leave his wife. These -two men had, though not related, one wife between them, and the three -of them got on very well together. - -On October 21 I finally started for Samye, and followed, as far as the -ruined village of Ring-la, the high road to Lhasa I had travelled over -earlier in the year. There is but one family now living in this once -prosperous place. These poor people earn a precarious livelihood by -making pottery. A concave wooden pan is used for the purpose, in which -the pots are shaped with a piece of wood or the fingers, by turning the -pan or mould around with the hand. This is the usual method employed in -Tibet. - -Leaving Ring-la, we travelled through the fine pasture-lands adjoining -the Yamdo tso, and over desolate highlands with an occasional stump of -a juniper or cedar tree, till we reached the village of Ta-lung, -famous, as its name implies, [354] for the number and breed of its -ponies. Around the village the land is cultivated, and showed evidence -of great industry on the part of the people. - -We at first failed to secure a night’s lodgings in any of the houses of -the village, for the people took us for Lhopa or Bhutia, of whom they -stand in great dread, as they frequently make raids on this district; -but we were so fortunate in the end as to secure the good-will of a -lama of the monastery, who got a friend of his to admit us to his -house. - -The next day (October 24) we resumed our journey by daylight, and -crossing the Shandung chu bay of Lake Yamdo, followed along the base of -the steep hills which overhang its shores. We got sight, on the way, of -the Chong-khor monastery, [355] from which come all the amchi lhamo -dancers and mimes, [356] some of whom annually visit Darjiling. Passing -the Rivotag river some eight miles north of the Djong of the same name, -we ascended a ridge, from the top of which we saw the villages of -Yurupe, Ke-utag, and Khyunpodo. The country was everywhere thinly -populated; but large numbers of yaks, donkeys, sheep, and goats were -grazing about. - -We stopped at the village of Shari, prettily situated between the Yamdo -and a little sweet-water lakelet, and put up in the mani lha khang, the -centre of which was taken up by a great prayer-wheel about six feet -high and three feet in diameter. An old man lived here whose sole -occupation was to turn the wheel. - -The next morning we crossed a low hill, the Kabu la, and, skirting the -northern extremity of the Rombuja lake, reached by eleven o’clock the -village of Melung, [357] thus called from the fire (me) stones found in -the valley (lung) in which it is situated. - -After a short halt at Melung, we resumed our march, the country opening -a little as we advanced, and villages and hamlets becoming more -numerous. That night we stopped at Khamedo, where there live about a -hundred families. - -We were off by sunrise, and passing some distance to the north of the -large village of Ling, [358] where the Djongpon of the Yamdo district -reside, we soon after found ourselves in the broad pasture-lands of -Karmoling, here some ten miles broad, where hundreds of ponies, -belonging to the Lhasa Government, were seen grazing. - -We ate our breakfast at Shabshi, and then, passing through the hamlet -of Tanta, [359] we began the ascent of the Tib la, which marks in this -direction the boundary between the Yamdo and Lhokha districts, and from -the top of which I had a magnificent view of the whole lake country, -the like of which I have seen nowhere in the Himalayas. - -The difficulties attending the descent of the Tib la were infinitely -greater than those of the ascent, and the violence of the wind made it -difficult even to stand erect. By five o’clock we reached the village -of Tib, where there are about ten houses, around which grow a few -stunted willows. The villagers were busy treading out their harvest -with their cattle, and their merry songs, wafted by the night wind, -fell pleasantly on my ears till I dropped asleep. - -Tib is under the authority of the Gongkhar Djongpon, who, with his two -lama assistants, or Tse-dung, usually resides in the neighbouring town -of Tosnam-gyaling. - -October 27.—Our road led us down the course of the Tib chu. The valley -was covered with willows (here called nyamyam shing, or “mourning -trees”), cypresses, junipers, and a species of silver fir, and though -the way was stony, it was pleasant on account of the forest growth -through which it led. - -We reached Tos nam-gyaling djong [360] early in the afternoon. This -place is celebrated for the serge and broadcloth manufactured here. The -Tib chu, as it flowed through the town between low banks covered with -flowers, and the tall poplars and walnut trees surrounding the high, -well-built houses, gave this place a most attractive appearance. We met -here a party of Horba [361] with a caravan of yaks laden with salt, -which they had brought from the north for sale in this country. - -Before reaching the town we passed by the little nunnery of Peru, and -shortly after leaving it we came to the large lamasery of Toi Suduling, -with about five hundred monks of the Gelugpa sect. - -We stopped for the night at Khede-sho, [362] a small town with two -castles, and situated near the Tsang-po. The town looks like a -fortress, with its old-fashioned solid houses, its narrow streets, the -Dombu choskhor, or lamasery, with encircling walls painted blue and -red, and an old monastery on top of the hill commanding the town. - -It seemed to be a prosperous place; there were flower gardens and -groves of trees, and in nearly every window and doorway flowers were -growing in pots. Two Nyerpa are stationed here, who administer the town -and supervise the manufacture of serge and cloth for the Dalai lama and -Panchen rinpoche. - -The next morning we passed through two miles of soft sand, and finally -came to the mighty Tsang-po, and after much shouting to the boatmen on -the farther side to bring over their junk (shanpa), [363] and after a -couple of hours waiting in the cold and fog, it came slowly across, -rowed by three women and two men, who sang lustily as they pulled. - -The river is here about half a mile broad, very deep, but with a -sluggish current. We were soon landed at the Dorje-tag ghat, where we -paid a tanka for each of our ponies, and five karma (or two annas) for -each man as ferry charges. The ferry belongs to the Dorje-tag lamasery -near by, one of the oldest and holiest of the Nyingma sect. The -incarnate lama who rules this lamasery died about a year and a half -ago, but he has reappeared recently in the flesh at Darchendo. [364] -This convent is at the foot of a range of hills which stretches along -the river to beyond Samye, and a large grove extends from near it to -the high road. - -We stopped for tiffin on the river bank, where I noticed the ground -covered with fish-bones and shells. Gopon told me that all the small -fry which the people of this country catch are used to manure the -fields with, as they are too bony to eat. - -Gopon, who, by the way, was a most loquacious fellow, told me while we -drank our tea that when a new-born child dies in this country the body -is packed in an earthenware jar or wooden box, and is thus kept in the -storeroom, or hung from the ceiling of its parents’ house. [365] In -Upper Tibet the body is usually kept on the roof with a little turret -built over it; though the people who cannot afford to do this keep it -also hung from the ceiling, the face turned upwards. - -The road now led over sand hillocks and spurs of rock, in some places -close to the edge of the river, where great care was necessary in -getting the ponies along. - -We stopped at Tag, behind which rise the forest-covered mountains, and -where we got quarters in a fine new house, and were made most -comfortable by the owners. - -The next day we were off before sunrise, and after a few miles through -heavy sand, came to Songkar [366] with about two hundred houses, and -around which grow walnut, willow, peach, poplar, and other varieties of -trees. It is said that Prince Lhawang, son of King Me agtsoms, was -drowned here, and the king, furious at the river gods for having caused -the death of his heir, ordered the river to be whipped. The nagas were -terrified when they learnt the order, and repairing to the king, told -him that if he would forbear, they would show him many good omens. ’Tis -for this that this place is also called Songkar (or Zungkhar) lha-tag, -or “Zungkhar of the gods’ omens.” - -Near the village passes the road to Lhasa by the Songkar la and Dechen, -[367] over which a great deal of timber is carried on yaks to Dechen -and thence by boat to Lhasa. - -From Songkar to Samye most of the way is over a great sandy plain -called Nagshu chyema, [368] which stretches from the base of the rugged -Lomda hills to the Tsang-po. Reaching the top of a low hill, Samye -stood before me, its gilded domes glittering in the sun, and the -hillock of Haboi ri rising amidst the sands to the south of the great -monastery. - -Passing under some willow trees growing through the sand just outside -the lamasery walls, we entered by the southern gate, over which was a -chorten made somewhat in the shape of a dorje. [369] The guide led us -to the house of the mother of the Om-dse (head priest), and we were -most hospitably received by the old lady, who gave us her oratory to -lodge in. Before the rooms assigned us was a little flower patch, and -other plants were growing here and there in pots. There were also two -singing-birds in cages. - -Tung-ma, our hostess, was a fine-looking old lady of about sixty years -of age. She wore as a necklace a number of silver ornaments and charm -boxes set with turquoises. Her head-dress differed from any I had seen, -being in shape like a pointed cap. [370] - -Phurchung was delighted with Samye; he had not only reached the holiest -of Tibetan sanctuaries, but a place where chang was extraordinarily -good and cheap; what more could he ask for? - -After taking tea I went with my two companions to visit the chief -temple of Wu-tse (Amitabha). I inquired of the beadle (ku-nyer) the -whereabouts of the celebrated library with the famous Indian books -which Atisha had found here when he came to this monastery eight -hundred years ago. I was told, to my great disappointment, that “for -our sins the great library was destroyed by fire about sixty years ago, -and there are at present but modern reprints in it.” - -In the great congregation hall the Dalai lama’s throne occupies the -north-eastern corner of the chapel of the Jo-vo. Near this latter is an -image representing the first Dalai and statues of the principal -disciples of the Buddha. - -In the second story of this building are images of Tsepamed (Amitayus) -and of the historic Buddha, besides many others of minor interest. In -the third or upper story are images of the three Buddhas of the present -cycle. From this story I had a splendid view of the Tsang-po, which is -very wide here. - -On the wall surrounding the Wu-tse temple are painted various -mythological and historical scenes, also pictures of the principal -sanctuaries of Tibet. [371] The monks attached to the temple live close -by in a two-storied building. - -The next day (October 30) I visited the four ling, or minor temples -built around the Wu-tse, and the eight ling-ten or lesser shrines. In -some of the smaller chapels were life-size images of Indian sages who -had visited Tibet in the early ages of Buddhism in this country, and -these images are said to have been made by Hindu artists. I also -noticed growing in some of the court-yards some stunted bamboos and -Indian shrubs. - -After visiting the white chorten, we went outside the temple walls to -see the chapel built by the wives of King Tisrong detsan, which -resembles in style the Wu-tse, though much smaller than it. - -We made an excursion the next day to the famous cave called Chim phug, -where Padma Sambhava and other worthies gave themselves up for a period -to abstraction. - -We passed through the village of Samye, in which there are probably a -thousand people and a few Chinese and Nepalese shops, and then for a -few miles travelled through cultivated fields, with here and there a -little village, till we came to the foot of the Chim phug hill. The -range of which it forms a part is a thousand feet or so high, well -covered with fine timber, and inhabited, so some of the numerous -woodcutters we met told us, by wild goats, sheep, deer, and snow -leopards. - -We reached the temple before noon. It is a two-storied, flat-roofed -building built on the rock. In the rock underneath the temple there is -a fissure about fifteen feet long and six feet broad, and varying in -height from three to six feet. In this there is a little chapel where -the image of Padma Sambhava, flanked by two female attendants, is to be -seen. In the building above are images of a host of deities and saints, -as also that of King Tisrong. The books I looked at in the temple -belonged to the Nyingma sect, and were of no special interest. - -Leaving Chim phug after a couple of hours’ rest, we returned to Samye -by another road, passing three little temples, or rather hermitages, -where Indian pundits are said to have lived in times of yore. Flocks of -pigeons were hovering about them, and walnut and willow trees grew -around, giving them a peaceful and secluded appearance. - -The sands are slowly but surely burying Samye, and a large portion of -the town, including some of the temples, is already lost under them. -There is a prophecy attributed to Padma Sambhava, to the effect that -Samye will be engulfed in the sands, and it is in a fair way of being -accomplished. - -November 1.—I again visited the Wu-tse. The principal room in the gong -khang (upper hall) is full of all kinds of weapons and armour sacred to -the gods, protectors of religion (Dharmapalas). In the beautiful temple -of Behor and Noijinhamara [372] is a room called the wu-khang, where -the breath of the dying is kept in a jar specially consecrated to this -purpose. [373] - -A few notes on the famous lamasery of Samye and Padma Sambhava find -place here. - -The temple was built by King Tisrong detsan, whose capital was on the -hill of Haboi-ri, just south of where Samye now stands, at the -suggestion of the Indian sage Santa Rakshita, and with the assistance -of Padma Sambhava, the originator of monasticism in Tibet. [374] It was -a copy of the great temple of Odantapura in Central India. Its three -stories were each in a different style of architecture, one Tibetan, -another Indian, and the third Chinese: so it was after a while given -the name of San-yang or “three styles,” which in Tibetan is pronounced -Samye, [375] though it was originally named Mi-gyur lhun-grub -Tsug-lha-khang, “the temple of the unalterable mass of perfection.” - -Both Santa Rakshita and Padma Sambhava were unable, on account of the -open hostility of the Bonbo, to remain long in Tibet. It is said by -some that the latter sage remained there six years, others make his -sojourn there eighteen years, after which he returned to India; but, -however long he stayed, he firmly implanted mysticism in Tibet. - -King Tisrong gathered together at Samye sacred images and treasures -from India and the borderlands of China; but of all the collections -made here the most valuable was the great library of Indian works, of -which Atisha, who visited Samye in the eleventh century, said that -there were more Indian books here than in the great Indian convents of -Buddhagaya, Vikramashila, and Odantapura united. - -Samye has experienced, since the days of its foundation, many -vicissitudes: it was partly destroyed by King Langdharma, [376] and -again later on by other followers of the old religion. Then it was -partially destroyed by an earthquake, in 1749 (?), and in 1808 (?) the -Wu-tse itself was destroyed by fire. [377] To rebuild it the people of -Tibet gave a hundred thousand ounces of silver, and the Shape Shada -Dondub dorje, who had charge of the works, occupied five hundred -workmen for seven years in reconstructing the temple. Again, in 1850, -an earthquake caused great damage to the temple, the dome fell in and -the frescoes, floors, etc., were irreparably injured. But the damage -was again repaired by means of public subscriptions and grants from the -State, amounting together to about 175,000 ounces of silver in value. -[378] - -On November 2 I left Samye for a visit to Yarlung, the early home of -the first Tibetan kings, if tradition is to be believed. - -The road we followed led eastward, over a sandy plain and by numerous -villages, the most important of which was Do, until we reached -Taga-sho, around which were many walnut (taga), peach, plum, poplar, -and willow trees, all planted with great regularity. [379] Here we put -up, in the house of a friend of our guide, who himself was from the -neighbouring village of Do. - -I was pleased to find mutton selling here at a very low price, a result -of the presence of a party of Hor Dokpa from Radeng, [380] who had -brought large quantities of salt, wool, and meat. Their yaks were the -largest I have seen in Tibet. - -Leaving Taga-sho the next morning, we passed by the ruins of -Tagkar-sho, probably at one time the residence of the kings of the -Phag-modu dynasty, who derive their name probably from a village near -by still called Phagmodu. [381] Near this place, in a commanding -position, is the lamasery of Nari ta-tsang, founded by the Dalai lama -Gedun-gyatso. - -At the village of Jong [382] we began the ascent of the steep hill on -whose summit is the old lamasery of Densa-til, the principal building -nestled amidst frowning crags, on which grow here and there a few firs -and juniper trees. In the adjacent cliffs were numerous caves for -recluses. - -This temple differs somewhat from all other buildings of this kind I -have seen in Tibet, the plan of it approaching rather that of a modern -public building in Bengal. I noticed here eighteen beautiful silver and -copper chorten, the finest specimens of such metal work I have seen. -Six tablets of gold, each six feet long and six inches broad, hung from -the ceiling, besides six piles of similar but smaller tablets in a -corner. - -Of all the monasteries in Tibet, this is perhaps the richest in -religious treasures, [383] and the Government of Lhasa takes particular -care of it. Among the curious objects placed before the images of the -gods in the principal temple, I saw some bowls filled with various -kinds of seed and some fossils, among which some grains of barley. - -The next day we resumed our journey. The road at first led through a -forest said to have sprung from the hairs of Je Phagmodu, the founder -of the Densa-til lamasery. [384] - -All the way to Samdub phodang, the capital of the Phagmodu kings, was a -gentle descent over gravel and mica-schist rock. Crossing a fine wooden -bridge about fifty yards long, with railings running along either side, -we found ourselves in the principal street of the town, in which a -large number of Dokpa traders were camped under some walnut trees. - -The three-storied castle, once a royal residence, is now occupied by -the Djongpon and the two Tsedung from Lhasa. Samdub phodang is now a -gon-shi, or “Crown Demesne” of Lhasa. - -A few miles beyond this town we came to the Sangri khamar lamasery, -[385] situated on a beautiful eminence overlooking the Tsang-po, whose -surface is broken here by huge masses of rock. Around the great -lamasery stretched broad fields of barley, now ripe for the sickle, and -the beauty of the crops surpassed anything I have ever seen in Tibet. - -Here at Sangri khamar once lived Saint Machig labdron, [386] an -incarnation of Arya Tara. I visited the cell she lived in, and saw her -tomb and an image of her. There are now two ascetics living here, who -have made vows never to come out nor to speak a word so long as they -live. When I approached them they smiled and seemed pleased with the -little present I made them. The beadle who accompanied me said they had -been immured in their cells for ten years. - -Resuming our journey, we passed by Sangri Jong, and following a narrow -path, scarcely a yard wide, overhanging the eddying river, reached -Logang ferry; [387] but, though we shouted for an hour to the boatmen -on the other side, we could not get them to come over for us, so we had -to return to the village of Jong at the western base of the Densa-til -mountain. Here we got lodgings for the night in the house of the -headman. - -November 5.—A little before dawn we left Jong and made for the Nango -[388] ferry. There is an iron suspension bridge at this place, but it -is so much out of repair that it cannot be crossed over, and we were -ferried across in a large boat, together with a number of traders and -their donkeys. The river is very narrow here, scarcely a hundred yards -in breadth. Passing through the village of Khyungar we entered -Tse-tang, [389] the capital of Yarlung, and formerly a place of great -importance. Our guide procured lodgings for us in the house of a woman -whose husband, a Kashmiri, had died a year or so before and who was now -living alone with her husband’s son. The Kache (Kashmiri) received us -very kindly, but after a short conversation with me he became -alarmingly suspicious of my true character, and kept continually -turning the conversation to the Saheb-logs (“Englishmen”) he had known -at Katmandu, and the greatness of the Engrez Maharani (“Queen of -England”). As often as he spoke of these subjects, so often did I -rejoin with some inquiry about Buddhism or a lamasery I wished to -visit. - -I soon began to feel excessively nervous, and told my men that we had -better leave Tse-tang as soon as possible; but Phurchung assured me -that I need have no fear, that furthermore the ponies absolutely -required rest, so that we must stay here a few days. - -The day after our arrival at Tse-tang I went on the roof of our house, -and was able to see a broad stretch of the surrounding country. To the -north of the town was the Gonpoi ri, one of the favourite resorts of -Shenrezig (Avalokiteswara), and where, according to tradition, the -monkey king and the goblin raised their family of monkeys, from which -ultimately descended the Tibetan race. [390] - -There are four lamaseries around Tse-tang, and in the town are some -fifteen Nepalese, twenty Chinese, and ten Kashmiri shops, besides -native traders from all parts of Tibet. Mutton and butter were -abundant, but barley, though cheap, is of inferior quality. - -I left Tse-tang on November 17 for a visit to the Yarlung valley and -its monuments. - -A short distance to the south of Tse-tang we passed through Ne-dong -djong, where resides the Djongpon of this district, and which used to -be a royal city of the Phagmodu kings. Save the lamasery of Benja, -little remains but ruins to attest its past importance. - -Following up the course of the Yarlung river, we came after a few miles -to the temple of Tandub, one of those said to have been built in the -seventh century by King Srong-btsan gambo, and to which a monastery was -later on added by Tisrong detsan. It is a copy, on a small scale, of -the Jo khang of Lhasa, and contains many objects of interest to the -pious pilgrim. - -Three hours’ ride from Tandub brought us to Ombu lha-khang, [391] the -most ancient of Tibetan palaces. It is situated on the side of a range -of bare hills, and is about a hundred yards from the village of Ombu, -which derives its name from the number of ombu trees (tamarisks) which -grow around it. Ombu lha-khang, though it has temples and shrines, is -more properly a kind of memorial hall. The images in it are not those -of gods and saints, but of kings, nobles, and ministers. The building -itself is a curious mixture of the Indian and Tibetan styles of -architecture, and the interior arrangement of the rooms and their -decorations were unlike those of Tibetan buildings. The rooms, I may -add, all face eastward. - -After taking our lunch under a tamarisk tree, we remounted our ponies -and rode on to Phodang djong, the most ancient town in Tibet. As all -the kings of the dynasty which sprang from this place bore the title of -Chos-gyal, or “Catholic majesty,” this town is also called Chos-gyal -phodang. The present chief of this place claims descent from this very -ancient line, but even his own people do not believe much in his -pretended genealogy. - -A few miles over gently rising ground brought us by sunset to the top -of a hill, on which is situated the Tag-tsan bumba, or “Dome of Good -Omens.” [392] We were kindly received by the young monk in charge of -the shrine, who presented me with a basket of splendid white potatoes, -which vegetable he assured me had grown around this place from time -immemorial. [393] - -November 8.—We left before daylight, and, crossing the Yarlung, reached -the Rachung lamasery on the top of a steep hill, where we gained -admittance after a good deal of trouble, the keeper being away and the -incarnate lama, Rachung, confined in a cell performing certain vows. A -little below the monastery we were shown the cave in which the original -Rachung, the greatest of Milaraspa’s disciples, dwelt for three years, -three months, and three days. [394] - -We rested here for a while, and then went to the village of Rachung at -the foot of the hill, where we found good lodgings for the night in the -house of an old acquaintance of our guide, Gopon. - -Formerly this broad valley of Yarlung, or Gondang-tangme, was covered -with innumerable populous villages, and in no other part of Tibet was -there such opulence. But one day the snows melting on the Yarlha-shampo -and torrential rains caused a mighty flood which submerged the whole -plain for many days. The villages were utterly destroyed, and the -people all perished, and when the waters had retired a deep deposit of -sand covered everything. In course of time the country was reclaimed, -and has now reached a certain degree of prosperity, but it has never -recovered its primitive flourishing state. - -The next day we rode across the northern slope of the Shetag mountains, -or “Black Crystal” (Shel-tag), thus called from the glistening black -rocks exposed to view along the road, [395] and after a few miles came -to the great cemetery which adjoins the lamasery of Yarlung-shetag. -Phurchung and Gopon rolled themselves on the blood-stained stone slab, -on which corpses are cut up, and mumbled some mantra. - -In this lamasery there live forty monks and as many nuns: [396] their -children are brought up to the professions of their parents. This -arrangement has been sanctioned by the Nyingma church, as the lamasery -was so lonely that no monks could be induced to reside in it till this -privilege was conceded them. - -Beyond this lamasery the trail led along the edge of a precipice where -we passed a number of little cells occupied by hermits (or tsampa), -who, as we passed, stretched out their hands for alms through the -little opening left in the front of their dens. Some of these men had -been immured five years, and many of them had also made vows of -silence. - -A little way beyond this point, and about 500 feet below the summit of -the hill, we reached the cell of Padma Sambhava, near which is a chapel -called the Upper Lha-khang of Shetag. The keeper led us to a heavy door -under a huge rock; unlocking it we entered the cavern, which is held -the most sacred shrine of the Nyingma sect. In it I saw a silver -reliquary in which is kept a silver image of the saint, representing -him as a boy of twelve. There was a plate before the image filled with -rings, earrings, turquoises, pieces of amber, gold and silver coins, -the offerings of pilgrims. - -Passing the Shetag, we came to the village of Ze-khang shikha, and -thence by a gentle descent we reached the famed temple of Tsandan-yu -lha-khang, “the temple of sandal-wood and turquoise.” It was thus -called, it is said, because that its founder, King Srong-btsan gambo, -only used in building it sandal-wood, and that the blue tiles which -covered it were glazed with melted turquoises. [397] It is a rather -Chinese-looking structure, but one of the handsomest I have seen in -Tibet. Every month six monks come here from Tse-tang to hold service. - -A very short distance to the west of this sanctuary is the Lha-bab-ri, -or “the mountain of the descent (of the king or god)” (lha having both -meanings), where the first king of Tibet, Nyakri-btsanpo, was seen for -the first time by Tibetans. There is a little plateau on this hill, -called the “King’s Plain,” or Btsan-tang, where a temple has been built -called the Btsan-tang lha-khang. [398] - -Leaving this interesting spot behind, we rode on across the fields -which the peasants were ploughing and irrigating for the autumn crops, -and came, after a few hours, to the sanctuary of Gadan namgyal-ling, -where Tsongkhapa took his final vows of monkhood. It is a fine building -in the midst of a grove of trees, through which flows a brook. - -From this point we retraced our steps to Tse-tang, which we reached the -same day, recrossing the Yarlung chu by a long stone bridge near the -monastery of Tse-chog-pa, where we saw a number of the monks bathing in -the river. - -The Yarlung valley appeared to me to be a most prosperous one, the -people gentle and good-natured. The soil produces grain and fruit in -greater abundance than any other part of Tibet; chang, butter, meat, -oil, barley, wheat, and fuel were everywhere plentiful. - -On November 10 we left Tse-tang, on the return journey to Tashilhunpo. - -We forded the Yarlung river, in which there was but little water, -nearly all of it having been drawn off by irrigation ditches higher up -the valley, and passing to the villages of Yangta and Gyerpal, we came -to the old sanctuary of Yarlung, called the Chyasa lha-khang, or “the -resting-place-of-birds temple,” for the vast flocks of birds [399] -which pass here in their migrations make it a resting-place. It is -situated on the banks of the Tsang-po, and is a finely built and -well-kept edifice, with a courtyard and beautifully frescoed walls. The -image of Sakya Buddha in the temple is said to be made with an alloy of -gold, silver, copper, and iron. - -Following the bank of the Tsang-po, through heavy sands or over low -hills, we came towards evening to Chincho-ling, a secluded and desolate -little hamlet, the houses surrounded by low walls of stone to keep off -the drifting sands, and here we put up for the night. - -The next morning there was a heavy fog—quite a rare phenomenon in these -parts—when we started. We breakfasted at the little fisher village of -Dong-sho, [400] and a mile or so beyond this entered a well-cultivated -valley containing numerous villages and fine trees. Near the first -village we came to stands the monastery of Chongdu-chog. [401] We -reached, before evening, the famous Nying-ma lamasery of Mindol ling, -in a dale opening on the west side of the valley; a little below it is -a very large village, where we found, after some difficulty, -accommodation in the house of a well-to-do man. - -The next day we visited the temple, which is very beautiful, though the -lamasery itself has never recovered from the pillage by the Jungars in -the seventeenth century; and the Nyingma [402] Church being at present, -moreover, persecuted by the dominant Gelugpa, no longer enjoys its -former wealth. The neatness of the stonework and the finish of all the -masonry about the temple were very remarkable, and the courtyard was -regularly paved with stone slabs. - -To the south of the monastery is the residence of the abbot, who is -always selected from the Tertalingpa family, in which this office is -hereditary. [403] - -I left Mindol-ling on November 12, returned to the Tsang-po, and -reached the village of Cho by dusk. Quite early the next morning we -entered Khede-sho, where our route joined that we had taken when going -to Samye. - -We left Khede-sho by daylight the next morning, and continuing along -the bank of the Tsang-po, crossed the long meadow of Ding-naga, which -is covered with a fine, short, moss-like sod. Then passing through the -villages of Kyishong, Panza, and Gyatu-ling, we came to where the -Gonkhar mountains abut on the river. On their farther side is the town -of Gongkhar, [404] still surrounded by imposing, though ruined walls. -Here, after much difficulty, we managed to obtain shelter in the house -of a fisherman, who gave us leave to pass the night in a hovel half -filled with yak hides. He and his wife were very kind to us, and -looked, to the best of their ability, after our wants and those of our -ponies. - -We resumed our journey at 4 in the morning, and pushed on slowly and -with considerable difficulty, for the path was over rocks, in places -overhanging the roaring river. At daybreak we passed by the village of -Shyati-ling, and shortly after the sun pierced the fog which had -enveloped us. A low col, called Yab la, was next passed, and we joined -the high-road between Lhasa and Shigatse, which I have previously -described. We stopped for the night at Tamalung. - -The next day (November 16) we reached Palti djong. - -On the 18th, a mile or so to the west of Oma-tang, where we had passed -the night, we fell in with the Chinese Amban and his train on their way -to Lhasa. First came numerous parties on horseback, then about three -hundred men on foot carrying all the paraphernalia common to Chinese -processions, and finally the Amban’s chair carried by Chinese and -sixteen Tibetans, the latter only holding strings attached to the poles -to show that they were assisting in the work. Two Chinese armed with -whips kept the way clear. - -On November 24 I found myself once more at Tashilhunpo, and immediately -set to work to prepare for a trip to Sakya, from whence it was my -intention to proceed directly to India. A day or so after my arrival I -was delighted at the receipt of a passport from the new Shape of -Shigatse, permitting me to proceed to India and return to Tibet. It had -been obtained at the instance of my friend, the minister. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -VISIT TO SAKYA AND RETURN TO INDIA. - - -On November 30, 1882, I said farewell to Tashilhunpo, and, accompanied -by Phurchung and Gopon, my recent guide to Samye, I started for Sakya, -from which place I proposed returning to Darjiling by way of Khamba -djong and the Kongra lamo pass. - -The country was now bare, the brown rocks, the gravelly soil, and the -distant snow-covered mountains, added additional bleakness to the -scene. We reached the village of Nartang the same evening, and were -kindly received by some old friends of Phurchung. - -A little before daylight the next morning we set out, following the -great high-road which leads to Upper Tibet, instead of taking the -direct road which leads there by the Lang la, but which is infested by -highwaymen. - -At the little hamlet of Chagri [405] we stopped to make some tea, and -had to pay three annas for a little water, as the people have to bring -all they use from a very considerable distance. - -The wind was blowing violently when we resumed our journey, and the -dust was so thick that we had to stop at Ge-chung, a little village to -the west of the Singma la. - -At daybreak we set out again, and after crossing the Re chu (here -called Shab chu), along whose banks are numerous hamlets, we came to -Lhimpotse, near which is a large lamasery built on a rocky eminence. -[406] - -We stopped for the night at Samdong, just beyond which village is a -long wooden bridge. We got accommodation in the house of a rich -villager, the younger of the two husbands (and they not brothers) of -the woman of the house. The other husband was the headman, or Sa-yong, -and when he appeared, he obligingly sold us very good chang, mutton, -onions, and other vegetables. - -December 3.—After drinking a cup of steaming chang [407] we set out, -and following the course of the Shab chu, came to where the Tsarong chu -empties into it, when we took up the course of this stream and followed -it to its source. - -Several miles above the village of Sikya, where cultivation practically -ceases, we came to the large Dokpa village of Jig-kyong, where we -stopped for the night. In all the villages small-pox was raging, and -where the people were free from it, they showed great apprehension -about letting us in, lest we should introduce the dreaded disease among -them. - -The next day (December 4) we crossed the Shong la, [408] which, though -quite high, was of easy ascent, and traversed the Tao valley. After -taking lunch at the Kham-yol we came to the Aton la, from whose summit -Sakya is visible, with all its red-walled buildings and gilded spires, -[409] bearing in a north-westerly direction. - -We secured lodgings in a house in the town, near the bridge over the -Tom chu, and from the window of my room, which opened to the south, I -had a gorgeous view of the town by which the river gently flows; also -of the great temple, and beyond these, of the snow-covered peaks of -Tinki (Tingri) and Pherrug. - -In the evening I strolled about the clean, though narrow streets, where -the market people were still busy selling their wares. - -Sakya is built on the eastern flank of Ponpoi ri, along whose base -flows the Tom chu. Facing the town, but on the other side of the river, -is the Lha-khang chenpo with its famous library and temple. - -The appearance of Sakya is different from that of most Tibetan towns. -The walls of almost all the public buildings, temples, and -dwelling-houses are painted red with a clay obtained from the -neighbouring hills. Black and blue stripes about nine inches broad cut -the walls perpendicularly. [410] - -The four Labrang [411] temples, built with Chinese roofs and gilded -spires, are especially noticeable. They are called Labrang-shar (or -“eastern”), Labrang-nub (or “western”), Labrang khung, and Khansar -chenpo, and in their general arrangement they do not differ from the -temples I had seen at Tashilhunpo and elsewhere. - -In the palmy days of the Sakya hierarchy there were four abbots under -the hierarch who ruled these four Labrang. The rank was hereditary in -their families, and all those abbots, the hierarch included, were -allowed to marry. This system of hereditary hierarchy was known as -dun-gyu. At the present time the abbots are Tantrik lamas from Khams. I -was told that neither the lamas nor the nuns of Sakya are held by the -people to be exceptionally virtuous, and, to tell the truth, the laity -of Sakya has a similar unsavoury reputation in Tibet. - -The Emperor Kublai made the hierarch Phagpa ruler of Tibet, [412] and -it was the latter’s deputy (or Panchen [413]), Kunga zangbo, who began -building the Lha-khang chenpo of Sakya, which was completed by one of -his successors in office, Anglen tashi. This latter proved himself an -able and vigorous administrator, and annexed Tagpo to the Sakya -principality. Zangpo-pal, the then reigning hierarch, sent him on a -mission to the Emperor of China, Buyantu, [414] who granted to him and -his heirs in perpetuity the Yamdo lake country. The Sakya Panchen have, -down to the present time, been taken from this family. The last Sakya -Panchen, Kunga nyingpo, died on June 20, 1882; his tomb, at the time of -my visit to Sakya, was almost finished, and his wife was still wearing -mourning. - -It is told of the late Sakya Panchen that, some sixteen years ago, -after the death of the two famous Dayan khanpo, the treasurer of the -Gadan gomba of Lhasa, when his wicked spirit was causing various dire -calamities to Tibet, every endeavour to expel it from the country -proved abortive. So finally the Government of Lhasa, at the suggestion -of the oracles, requested the Sakya Panchen to visit Lhasa to drive the -fiend away. At the foot of Mount Potala he had lighted a great fire, -and, by the potency of his charms, drove the evil spirit into a lay -figure prepared for the occasion, whereupon it fell straight-way into -the fire. Then the Panchen drove his charmed phurbu [415] into the -image, but while so doing the flames of the pyre surrounded him, and -all thought he was dead; but lo! after an hour or so he came out of the -flames dressed in rich satins, and with not even so much as a hair of -his head scorched. - -Panchen Jimed wang-gyal, or one of the other sons of the late Panchen, -will succeed him as ruler of Sakya. One son is an incarnate lama and -superior of the Tanag Donphug lamasery, [416] but he is obliged to -reside continually at Sakya on account of a rule which prescribes that -when the re-embodiment of a lama takes place in Sakya, the -reincarnation cannot return to the locality he occupied in his -preceding existence. The names of the four other sons of the deceased -Panchen will shortly be sent to Lhasa, and the Nachung oracle will -decide who shall become the ruler of the principality. - -These princely lamas wear long hair, ordinarily plaited in two queues -hanging down their backs and tied at the ends with white cotton -handkerchiefs. Over their ears they wear covers of gold studded with -turquoises and emeralds, and almost reaching to their shoulders. To the -lower part of these are appended earrings. [417] - -In the Lhakhang chenpo (or great temple) are five seats of equal -height, on which the princes take their places when conducting -religious services; the one reserved to the hierarch remains vacant so -long as the successor to the title has not been chosen. - -Under the hierarch there is a Shape, or minister, who attends to all -the temporal affairs of Sakya. The monks are divided into two orders, -according to the locality of their birth; those from Tibet proper -forming one set ruled by a Gekor, and having their cells near the great -temple, and those from Khams (or Eastern Tibet), also with a Gekor over -them, who live in the town. - -As to the great library of Sakya, it is on shelves along the walls of -the great hall of the Lhakhang chen-po. There are preserved here many -volumes written in gold letters; the pages are six feet long by -eighteen inches in breadth. On the margin of each page are -illuminations, and the first four volumes have in them pictures of the -thousand Buddhas. These books are bound with iron. They were prepared -under orders of the Emperor Kublai, and presented to Phag-pa on his -second visit to Peking. - -There is also preserved in this temple a conch shell with whorls -turning from left to right, a present of Kublai to Phagpa. It is only -blown by the lamas when the request is accompanied by a present of -seven ounces of silver; but to blow it, or have it blown, is held to be -an act of great merit. [418] - -On December 5 I left Sakya, and passing by the Choskhor-lhunpo -monastery, entered the broad Yalung valley, in which stands the big -village of Lora and numerous scattered hamlets. We stopped at Lora to -eat our breakfast, but so intense was the fear of the people of -small-pox, of which there were several cases in the village, that they -would have absolutely nothing to do with us, not even to sell us -firewood. [419] - -After crossing the Yalung river we ascended the Dong la, from whose -summit we saw the Chomo kankar (Mt. Everest), and the endless ranges of -mountains which jut out from it westward. At the Dong la the Arun and -the Kosi have their sources. - -The descent of the Dong la was very gradual, the country extremely -bare, not a single tree was to be seen anywhere. We reached Chu-sho, at -the foot of the pass, at about five o’clock, and it was only after much -persuasion that we gained admittance to a poor hut occupied by an old -woman and her son. - -The next day we followed for a while the course of a little stream, -called the Chu-shu, and then came upon a broad, barren plain, on either -side of which rose bleak and lofty mountains. - -Leaving the village of Map-ja, in which there are about one hundred -houses, we breakfasted at Donkar, and then made our way towards the -Shong-pa la, following up the course of the Shong chu. The ground in -many places was riddled with holes made by a burrowing animal called -srimong, [420] and our ponies had many tumbles by putting their feet in -them. - -On descending from the Shong-pa la we found ourselves in the broad -Chib-lung valley, [421] and towards six o’clock we reached the village -of Dogang, and found shelter for the night in the hut of some poor -people. - -The following morning we passed through Tashigong and breakfasted at -Gure, a village belonging to my friend the minister. Leaving this -place, we began the ascent of a high range which separated us from lake -Tel-tung, or “Mule’s Drink.” [422] This pass is known as the Dobta -Lachan la, and one commands from it a most gorgeous view of a wide -expanse of country, the Nepalese and Sikkimese Himalayas, with lake -Tel-tung and Dobta djong, belonging to the Sikkim Rajah, on a hillock -beside the lake in the foreground. - -We stopped for the night at Chorka, a part of Dobta, where a villager -gave us the use of a yak-hair tent standing in his courtyard. We only -remained here a short while, leaving before daylight, as we wanted to -reach Khamba djong the same day. The cold was intense, and the violent -wind which blew made it more piercing. Our way led along the margin of -lake Tel-tung, now completely dried up and more resembling a broad -pasture land than a lake. The country was alive with game; wild sheep, -goats, and asses were specially numerous. - -Leaving this broad plain, we entered the valley of the Che chu by a low -col between the Dobta and Yaru la ranges. Crossing the river, we -stopped for a while at Targye, [423] while Phurchung went on ahead to -Khamba djong to secure lodgings for us. - -At five o’clock we reached the village of Khamba, and were received -most kindly by Phurchung’s friend, Wang-gyal, who, together with his -wife, did everything in their power to make us comfortable. - -After tea I went with Phurchung, who had put on his best clothes for -the occasion, to visit the Djongpon. The Djong stands on a hillock, the -ascent of which is rather steep, and is made by flights of stone steps. -The fort is a spacious two-storied building, and is supplied with water -brought there through clay pipes from the mountains to the north, a -piece of work of which the people are not a little proud. [424] - -The Djongpon were reading religious books when I entered their -presence, and the lama one asked me questions about myself and the -object of my journey, all of which I managed to answer satisfactorily. -I showed my passport, to which they put their seals, retaining a copy -of the document. When I left they presented me with a dried sheep’s -carcass, ten pounds of rice, and a rug, and expressed the hope that -they would see me again the following year. - -On returning to our lodgings I hired two ponies and a yak-hair tent for -our use as far as Gen-pang tang. - -We left early in the morning, after saying farewell to our faithful -guide Gopon, who left us here to return to his home at Gyantse, and -breakfasted at Geru. On the way we saw several flocks of wild sheep and -some foxes. Leaving Geru, we ascended, one after the other, the -foothills of the Kongra lamo pass, through a wild but beautiful -country, till we finally reached the snow-covered summit, near which we -camped on a bare rock. Thanks to the yak-hair tent and the good fire of -argols which Phurchung kept burning, we did not suffer from the intense -cold and piercing wind. - -The following morning (December 10) we reached, at an early hour, -Gen-gang, which forms the boundary between the territories of the Grand -Lama and the Rajah of Sikkim, a vassal of the British Raj. From this -point my way lay through Sikkim by a route followed by various European -travellers, and concerning which I need say nothing here. I reached -Darjiling and my home on December 27, after an absence of over a year. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -SOCIAL DIVISIONS—MARRIAGE—FUNERALS—MEDICINE—FESTIVALS. - - -In Tibet there are three distinct classes among the people, lay and -clerical, which are determined by birth and social position, and each -of these has three sub-divisions. [425] They are as follows:— - -First, or highest class, Rab:— - -1.—Rab-kyi rab. The king, members of the royal family, and incarnate -lamas who have appeared many times on earth. - -2.—Rab-kyi ding. The Desi, or regent, ordinary incarnate lamas, -ministers and councillors of state, learned lamas, or abbots, -professors at important monasteries. - -3.—Rab-kyi tama. Secretaries to the Government, Dahpon, Djongpon, and -inferior lamas, or abbots. - -Middle classes, Ding:— - -1.—Ding-kyi rab, or “upper middle class,” including families who have -for generations possessed great wealth, landlords who do not claim -descent from illustrious ministers or warriors; Dungkhor, old families -and men who have personally contributed in a marked degree to the -welfare of the country; and lastly, the Don-nyer. - -2.—Ding-kyi ding. This class includes the Dung-yig, or clerks, -stewards, chamberlains, head grooms, head cooks, and other petty -officers. - -3.—Ding-kyi tama. Soldiers and subjects. [426] - -Lowest class, Tama:— - -1.—Tamai rab. Grooms, menials engaged in domestic service, and other -hired servants. - -2.—Tamai ding. Those who have no fixed homes, men who keep concubines, -but no wives, loose women, professional beggars, vagabonds, and -paupers. - -3.—Tamai tama. The lowest of the low are butchers, scavengers, -disposers of dead bodies, blacksmiths, and goldsmiths. - -In Tibet there are no caste restrictions with regard to marriage as in -India. The rich may bestow their daughters on the poor, the daughter of -a poor man may become the bride of the proudest noble of the country. -But the girls of the royal family and those of high rank are not -generally bestowed on the low classes; but in the event of their not -finding a suitable match, they are sent to convents. The daughters of -commoners do, however, occasionally become the wives of nobles. - -The nuptial ceremonies are alike for all classes, the only difference -being in the amount of money expended in the festivities. In the first -place, the friends of the bridegroom employ a go-between to make the -first overtures to the parents or guardians of the girl. Should the -latter entertain the proposal, the parents of the would-be bridegroom -either take or send presents to them, consisting of khatag and wine -(called long chang, “proposal wine”), and formally make an offer of -marriage. The girl’s parents make excuses, saying that she is neither -handsome nor accomplished, and will be of no service to the suitor. The -go-betweens thereupon more and more earnestly press their suit. After -these conventional phrases have been exchanged, the girl’s parents say, -“If you are really in earnest, and believe that she will be of service -to you, we shall consult with our friends and relatives, and let you -know our decision.” - -A few days later their consent to the union is formally conveyed to the -suitor’s parents, when the latter, taking with them twenty or thirty -gallons of wine, proceed to the home of the bride, where they entertain -not only all her relatives, but also the servants and neighbours, and -present each with a scarf. The purchase-money (rin) is then paid, -which, for the middle classes is usually five or six doche (625 to 750 -rupees), and about fifty gallons of wine. Another scarf is then -presented to each of the elder members of the bride’s family, and also -to prominent persons among her friends and neighbours. - -After an auspicious day has been fixed for the wedding, the parties -make the arrangements necessary for the occasion. On the appointed day -the bridegroom’s parents depute some seven or eight respectable men to -go as their representatives to bring home the bride. They remain at her -father’s house three days, during which they are engaged in making -negotiations and in assuring their hosts, by whom they are provided -during this period with all necessaries, that their daughter will be -happy in her new home. At the end of the three days the bride is told -by her parents to go to the bridegroom’s house. They give her a good -milch-cow or yak, a pony, four or five oxen, two suits of summer and -winter dress, a complete set of jewellery according to the custom of -the country, a piece of stuffed carpet and a small dining-table, cups, -plates, cooking vessels, and other articles for domestic use, fifty -ounces of silver, and a female attendant. All those who have received -scarves now come to present her in return with a scarf and a piece of -money. The nearest relatives and friends of the parents, the chief of -the country, and other people of position, present her with scarves, -clothes, blankets, etc., and silver coins. - -Presently about twenty of the bridegroom’s friends arrive to conduct -the bride to her new home. For the first half of the journey the -arrangements are made and expenses defrayed by the bride’s parents; for -the second half by those of the bridegroom, and it is made on -horseback, the bride riding in the middle of the party. Arriving at -their destination, the bride is seated on a cushion placed on a raised -stand by the side of her husband in the middle of the bridal party. At -an auspicious hour a short religious service is performed by the -village lama, and the parents or sponsors of the parties offer prayers -for the happiness of the union. [427] The bridegroom’s parents then -beseech the gods to witness the ceremony of their son’s marriage, and -declare that henceforth the bride will be owned by the bridegroom and -his brothers alone. For three days the festivities continue, during -which time as much as fifty chupan of wine, three oxen, and three pigs -are sometimes consumed. The notables among the bridegroom’s friends -arrive with presents of scarves, and are entertained by his father. - -On the third day the bride exchanges the clothes and jewellery she wore -on her arrival, for others supplied by the bridegroom. After a short -prayer to the gods the pair are left together, for the first time, and -on the following morning the bride begins to apply herself to her -household duties. Her brothers and relatives who have accompanied her, -return home at the expiration of seven days. - -Some three months after the wedding her parents, accompanied by the -chief men among their friends and by servants, arrive with presents of -food, and request that their daughter may pay them a visit. After being -entertained for ten or twelve days, they return home, and are followed -some weeks later by the young couple, who are accompanied by a number -of female servants bearing presents of scarves, provisions, wine, etc. -They remain a month, and on their departure the bride receives from her -father a new costume and jewellery, and the husband a complete suit of -clothes and the inevitable scarf. - -Among the very poor the proceedings are much simplified, the -negotiations being conducted by the parents in person. - -There is no fixed limit of marriageable age in Tibet. The average age, -however, for both sexes, is from fifteen to twenty-five, and frequently -the bride is older than the bridegroom. - -When parties are desirous of dissolving the marriage bond, the reason -for so doing must first be investigated. If the husband be found -entirely blameless and willing to live with his wife, but she be -resolved to divorce him, she is required to pay double the rin, or -price paid for her, as a fine for the dissolution of the marriage -contract, called borche and den yo, that is, “divorce fine” and -“innocence fine.” [428] In the absence of a marriage contract, the -divorce fine fixed by law for the wife to pay amounts to eighteen gold -sho, equal to 135 rupees; and for the husband three gold srang, equal -to 180 rupees. If the husband’s innocence be doubtful, but the wife’s -charges remain unproved, the wife is required to pay as divorce fine a -complete suit of clothes, a pair of shoes, a bed-carpet, bed-rug, and a -wrapper, and the husband must present to his wife a second scarf and a -third article of any kind. - -On the other hand, if a wife be found perfectly innocent, and willing -to live with her husband, but the husband be resolved to divorce her -for no fault of hers, he is required to pay to her twelve gold sho, -equal to ninety rupees, as divorce fine, and also yog la, “service -wage,” amounting to six pounds of barley for every day and six for -every night which she has spent with him from the day of marriage to -the date of separation. The husband is also required to return the -price of all the clothes and other gifts made to the wife by her -friends since the time of their marriage. The divorced woman also takes -away with her all jewellery given her by her relatives, but not that -given to her by her husband. The wife cannot demand the “innocence -fine.” If there be children at the time of separation, the father takes -the boys, and the mother the girls. If the husband be a man of -property, the court may order him to give the divorced wife a certain -share of his possessions for the maintenance of the girls. On the other -hand, if the wife be possessed of property, she may be required to give -something for the maintenance of her sons. - -Again, when a marriage is contracted between a man of noble blood and a -woman of humble rank, or vice versâ, with the definite understanding -that they shall share each other’s good and adverse fortune, their -property in case of divorce is to be divided between them according to -their faithfulness or guilt, and their amount of mutual presents at the -time of union. In cases of divorce between parties who were united at -their own wish for the enjoyment of pleasure or merriment, the court -should, without regard to the nature of their guilt, divide their -property equally between them. [429] In cases of marriage between -slaves or serfs, the owner decides their separation or continued union. -A man of this class is, for instance, married to a woman who, the owner -thinks, might be of some service to him. When the woman is found -useless, she is dismissed, being given one-sixth of her husband’s -belongings, and her place is supplied by a new wife chosen by the -owner. - -In Tibet members of the same family are forbidden by law to contract -matrimonial alliances with their kindred within seven degrees. This -rule is, however, nowadays disregarded by the people, who are known to -make alliances with their kinsmen who are distant only three or four -degrees of consanguinity. Among the Pobos and Khamba marriage is -promiscuously contracted, the brother marrying his sister, the nephew -his aunt. [430] Among the common Tibetans, so long as the parties do -not claim a common father, there is no objection to the marriage; the -uterine brother and sister may be united, and a man may marry his -stepmother or aunts. - -The custom of several brothers making one woman their common wife, to -keep the ancestral property entire and undivided, is said to have had -its origin in Khams, where it is at this day extensively practised. The -Tibetans of U and Tsang have borrowed it from their cousins of Khams, -but it is not universal with them. [431] The wife is claimed by the -younger brothers as their wife only so long as they continue to live -with the eldest one. When they separate from their eldest brother, they -cannot ask him to pay compensation for their share in the wife, and she -remains the lawful wife of the eldest brother. It is not unusual for a -father or uncle to live with his son’s or nephew’s wife, and even in -high life a father makes himself a partner in the marital rights over -his son’s wife. [432] - -The cessation of the pulse and the suspension of breathing are not -considered tests of the extinction of vitality. The Tibetans consider -that the spirit (nam she) usually lingers in the mortal frame for not -less than three days, though the spirits of those who have attained to -some stage of holiness quit the body immediately after the last breath -has been drawn, for communion with the dwellers in Paradise, called -Gadan or Tushita; but instances of such saintly personages are of very -rare occurrence. It is consequently considered a very sinful action to -move or dispose of the corpse immediately after death. Nowadays in -Tibet and Mongolia the dead bodies of all classes of men are carefully -kept within doors for three days, during which time their friends and -relations attend on them and make prayers for their future well-being. -On the morning of the fourth day the horoscope of the deceased, and -that of the man who is selected to be the first to touch the corpse for -removal, are consulted. A lama is employed to perform certain funeral -ceremonies, with a view to cause the spirit of the deceased to pass out -through a certain slit in the skull. [433] If this ceremony is omitted -the soul will make its exit by some other passage and go to a state of -damnation. The lama remains alone with the corpse, all the doors and -windows being closed, and no one is allowed to enter until he declares -by what passage the soul has fled. In return for this important service -he receives a cow, yak, sheep, or goat, or a sum of money, according to -the means of the deceased. - -Before the dead body is removed from the house, an astrologer notes the -dates of birth of the friends and relations present. If any among them -were born under the same constellation and planet as the dead person, -they are said to incur the risk of being ridden by his ghost, and are -consequently not allowed to attend the funeral. The astrologer also -receives his reward in money or kind. Then the corpse, tightly wrapped -in clothes, is placed on a stretcher facing the direction which has -been declared auspicious by the astrologer, and is placed in a corner -of the house. Five butter lamps are lighted near the head, and a screen -is drawn round it, within which his usual food and drink, together with -a lamp, are placed. Early on the morning of the day appointed for the -disposal of the body, it is carried to the nearest cemetery. At the -time of its removal the relations make profound salutations to it. Two -men carrying wine or tea, together with a dishful of tsamba, follow the -bier. The family priest, or lama, of the deceased throws a khatag on -the litter and walks behind at a slow pace, holding a corner of another -scarf tied to it. As he proceeds he mutters funeral mantra, turning a -hand-drum (damaru) with his right hand, and with his left ringing a -bell. It is inauspicious to place the litter on the ground before its -arrival at the cemetery. If by accident this should happen, the body -must be disposed of at that spot, instead of in the cemetery. In the -neighbourhood of Lhasa there are two sacred cemeteries, Phabongka and -Serashar. Those who dispose of dead bodies at the former pay two or -three tanka for tea to the monks of Phabongka monastery; and at the -latter they pay one tanka to the cemetery keeper, who also gets the -bedding and clothes of corpses. - -In every cemetery there is a large slab of stone, on which the corpse, -stripped of its coverings, is placed face downwards. The officiating -lama then crosses it with lines, and while repeating mantras, cuts it -in pieces. The first pieces are flung towards the biggest and oldest -vulture of the flock, called tankar, and the remainder to the rest. -They are so tame that they come one by one at the call of the priest. -Last of all the head of the corpse is crushed, and the bones pounded -together are mixed with the brain and distributed among the vultures. -[434] Then a new and unused earthen bowl, filled with fire of argol -(dried cowdung), with some butter and barley flour burnt in it as -incense, is presented to the departed by being placed in the quarter -towards which he is supposed to have gone. The funeral attendants now -wash their hands, and retiring to a short distance from the cemetery, -breakfast, and at about midday return home. During forty-nine days -after the drawing of the last breath, food and drink are offered to the -departed in his favourite dish; and incense, consisting of barley, -butter, and juniper spines, is burnt. - -During this period of bardo, as the interval between death and -regeneration is called, the departed spirit is believed to wander, and -in order to prevent its being subject to misery, on the forty-ninth day -some of the clothes, shoes, head-dress, coins, etc., which belonged to -the deceased, after being washed and sprinkled with saffron-water, are -presented to some incarnate lama for his blessing. The last service is -conducted by a Tantrik lama, with a view to expelling all the evil -spirits and hungry ghosts which haunt the house of the departed. - -On the seventh day after death, prayers are moreover offered for the -deceased’s well-being, and alms in coin, food, tea, gold, and silver -are distributed among religious men. This is repeated on every -consecutive seventh day until the forty-ninth day, when a grand feast -is given to the congregation of lamas. Nowadays, however, the rich -people of Lhasa generally distribute alms, at the rate of one tanka -each to the monks of Sera, Dabung, and Gadan, dispensing with the other -costly ceremonies. They also present the clothes belonging to the -deceased to the professors and heads of those monasteries. Some -bequeath the whole of their property to these monastic institutions or -to Lamas of great repute. - -The practice of making wills has been followed by the Tibetans from -very remote times. Every man of property leaves a will bequeathing his -movable property to his children or friends, and leaving instructions -for the performance of his funeral obsequies and other pious works. - -The cutting up and distributing of a corpse is a practical illustration -of the Tibetan belief that charity is the highest of all the moral -virtues. That man is said to be most virtuous whose funeral is attended -by the largest number of vultures, while if his corpse attracts but a -small company, the very dogs not deigning to touch his defiled remains, -he is judged to have led a sinful life. - -The dead bodies of pregnant and barren women, and also of lepers, are -packed in leather bags and thrown into the waters of the great -Tsang-po. A Tibetan proverb says, “She whose son dies after birth is -white barren (rab-cha karpo); she whose daughter dies after birth is -partly barren (rab-cha tavo); she who has borne no children is black -barren (rab-cha nagpo).” The corpses of such and of lepers are -considered particularly unclean, and should not be kept within the -limits of the country, but must either be thrown beyond nine hills and -dales, or packed in horse’s or ox’s skins and thrown into the river. - -The dead bodies of incarnate lamas are occasionally burnt, and their -ashes and bones deposited in chorten. The remains of saintly -personages, such as pretend to have emanated from Bodhisattvas and -Buddhas, are preserved like the Egyptian mummies, being embalmed or -salted and placed within gold, silver, or copper chorten, where they -are seated in a meditative posture, like the conventional image of -Buddha. These incarnate lamas, at the time of death, mention the time -when and the place and the family where their souls will subsequently -find re-embodiment, and also the name and race of the family, and -instruct their friends to perform rites and ceremonies for their -well-being after death. - -On the demise of the Dalai and Tashi lamas, the work in all the public -and private offices, all business, and market gatherings are suspended -for seven days. For thirty days women are forbidden to put on their -jewellery, and men or women may not wear new apparel. Lamas and monks -must, on such occasions, mourn for ten days, during which they must not -shave their heads, or wear their church head-dresses during services, -All classes of people refrain from amusements and festivities, and from -going into groves for pleasure, sports, or love-making. It is only in -honour of the death of these two great hierarchs of Tibet that the -whole country goes into mourning. The mourning for abbots of other -monasteries and heads of families is confined to the friends and monks -who are near to them. Rich and respectable men do not, within a year -after the death of their parents, take part in marriage ceremonies and -festivities; and do not undertake journeys to a distance. - -Among the Sikkim Buddhists, dead bodies are burnt. On the fourth day -after cremation, a lama performs the tusol, or washing ceremony, which -consists in removing the relics, ashes, etc., and washing the place of -burning with water. The relics are placed in an urn and deposited in a -chorten. The ashes are thrown into a mountain stream, such as the Tista -or Rungit. [435] The relics of lamas and important men, after being -pulverized, are mixed with clay and cast in moulds into miniature -chorten. These relic chorten are deposited in sacred places, such as -monasteries, temples, caverns, etc. On the seventh day the funeral -ceremony, called Ten-zung, is performed. All relations and neighbours -are invited to this funeral feast. At dusk all the evil spirits which -are believed to have been invited to the departure of the deceased, are -expelled by a Tantrik priest, assisted by the deafening yells of the -guests. [436] - -The physicians of High Asia have, I am told, discovered such remarkable -properties of vegetable drugs, and of the flesh and bile of certain -animals, and of some sorts of excrements in healing different kinds of -sores, that if the statements of my informant be true, the surgeons of -civilized countries would be struck with wonder at their marvellous -performances. For this remarkable success, the Tibetans do not appear -to be indebted to their Chinese or Indian neighbours. [437] Their -medicines are mostly indigenous, and their discoveries in surgery have -resulted from their own experience. They supply the greater number of -physicians and surgeons to the Mongols and other neighbouring peoples. - -The treatment of small-pox is very little understood by Tibetan -doctors. Inoculation is, however, resorted to, and a new method of -performing this operation has been discovered by the Northern Chinese -physicians. It consists in selecting the best lymph from the light -white pox pustules of a healthy child, which, mixed with camphor -powder, is blown with a pipe into the nostril of the person to be -inoculated. [438] Great care and experience are required in selecting -the lymph, on which alone depends the safety of the patients. -Chicken-pox occurs only in a mild form, and is generally left to take -its course. - -Hydrophobia is very prevalent in Tibet, Mongolia, and China, and its -effects are considered to manifest themselves, according to the colour -of the dog, at periods varying from seven days to eighteen months, and -also according to the time of day at which the bite was received. The -remedies are, however, sufficiently practical. As soon as possible tie -a ligature four fingers above the wound; draw out the poison by means -of the sucking apparatus, called rnyabs-ras, similar to the -cupping-glasses of the Indians, and then bleed the wounded part. If the -patient presents himself to the physician a day after having been -bitten, the latter should only cauterize the wound, and then apply an -ointment made of butter, turmeric, a poisonous bulb called bon-nya, and -musk. - -In Lower Kongbo, Pobo, Pemakyod, and other mountainous districts of -Southern Tibet, and in Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan on this side of the -Himalayas, goitre is the most prevalent disease. It owes its origin to -the calcareous nature of the water drunk by the natives. Six varieties -of goitre are recognized by Tibetan physicians, which are variously -treated by cauterization, bleeding the jugular vein behind the ear, and -also the swollen muscle of the goitre, and the administration of -nostrums composed of the dried gullet of the yak or sheep, dried fish, -different kinds of salts, Piper longum and pepper, and powdered -conch-shell, burnt in a hermetically closed vessel. - -Snake-bite is of rare occurrence in Higher Tibet, but in the lower -valley of the great Tsang-po, great numbers of snakes are found, and -also on the western frontier of China bordering Tibet. [439] -Snake-bites are treated like hydrophobia, by tying a ligature above the -part bitten and cupping. The wound is then washed with curd or milk, -camel’s milk being the most efficacious. [440] It is believed in High -Asia that if a snake bite a camel, the snake dies immediately without -injuring the camel. If there be no burning heat as a consequence of the -bite, the wound should be cauterized. Internal remedies are also taken, -consisting of cardamom, musk, pepper, and other native drugs. The -Glak-los (wild people) of Pemakyod [441] immediately cut off the bitten -portion, or the bitten limb, if possible, after which they apply musk -and bear’s bile (gall?) to the wound and bind it up. The Lalos eat -snakes, of which, however, they reject the head and tail as injurious. - -During the months of January and February, when the great mon-lam (or -prayer-meeting) fair takes place at Lhasa, the city is occasionally -visited by a highly infectious disease which causes great havoc among -the people when the crowd is great. When the disease is not properly -treated the patient generally dies before the tenth day, but those -cases which have passed the thirteenth day are considered hopeful. -Tibetan physicians, by watching this disease in its different phases, -have achieved remarkable success in treating it with their indigenous -drugs. - -In Lhasa, Shigatse, and other towns and monasteries of Tibet, the -principal disease from which people suffer and die is paralysis. [442] -Five different kinds of this disease are recognized by Tibetan -physicians, who also profess to have observed that the first symptoms -generally show themselves on the 4th, 8th, 11th, 15th, 18th, 22nd, -25th, or 29th day of the lunar month. Persons who have passed their -sixtieth year seldom survive a paralytic stroke of any kind. All other -cases in their milder forms are curable by proper and regular medical -treatment. - -Leprosy is prevalent in most of the countries of High Asia. It is -variously called glud-nad, “the nag’s (serpent’s) disease,” and -mje-nad, [443] the “corroding malady,” and is believed to originate -from various causes, fanciful and real. By digging in pestilential soil -where snakes live, turning up stones under which these reptiles lurk, -felling poisonous trees, throwing tea, water, or cooked food and other -refuse on the blazing hearth, men are said to excite the wrath of the -Nagas and mischievous spirits of the upper and nether worlds, who -delight in working the ruin of the human race. They spread this hateful -malady by the exhalation of their breath, by their poisonous touch or -malignant glance, or even by the power of their malignant wish. The -“charmed banner” [444] is a great preventive of these evils. The people -of High Asia generally fix banners with printed charms thereon near to -or on their houses, as they are believed to prevent the Nagas entering -them. Leprosy is likewise assumed to be the consequence of the sins of -former lives. [445] It also originates from disorders produced by -irregularity and intemperance in food and habits, whereby the black and -yellow fluids of the body are increased, and give rise to this -distressing malady. Eighteen different kinds of leprosy are recognized. -The chanting of charms and mantras of Vajrapani Buddha by the patient -or the physician is resorted to, that wrathful deity being a mighty -subduer of all malevolent demons and Nagas, and various native drugs -are also administered in the form of pills. - -Dropsy, though rare in High Asia, prevails in the southern and eastern -districts in Tibet, and is caused by drinking much water after -exercise, lying down in damp places, taking cold, or by light -unsubstantial food, by which the digestive powers are deranged. Twelve -varieties of this disease are recognized, which are divided into two -main groups, characterized as “the hot” and “the cold fluid” -respectively. Bone-ash is believed to be the best remedy; but other -medicines, consisting of grapes, cinnamon, oxide of iron, pomegranate -(rind?), lime, and other ingredients, are also prescribed. [446] - -Dyspepsia (pad-kau) is one of the commonest diseases in Tibet, and -forty-three different varieties of this malady have been observed by -native physicians. - -Toothache is also a very general complaint of the people of Tibet, due -to the extreme rigour of the climate and the coldness of the water. The -inhabitants of the remote province of Chang-tang usually lose their -teeth before reaching the age of thirty. - -Among the games played by the Tibetans, there are some such as -mig-mang, or “many eyes,” resembling chess; srid-pai khorlo, or “the -circle of life,” [447] and dice, which even the clergy are permitted to -amuse themselves with. Others, as, for instance, wrestling, archery, -polo, foot and pony races, are confined to the people; nor are the -lamas allowed to amuse themselves with singing and dancing except at -stated times, as, for example, during the New Year holidays. - -At midsummer the people and nobility dress tents, and for several days -amuse themselves under them, picnicking, dancing, and singing. - -In the 8th moon the jon-gyu festival takes place, lasting for seven or -fourteen or even twenty-one days. On this occasion the lamas and people -amuse themselves with sports, games, dancing, and feasting. This -festival is observed in all northern Buddhist countries. [448] - -Again, in the latter part of the 12th moon, there is a lama dance in -every monastery, after which the evil spirits are exorcised. [449] -Sometimes the 4th of the 6th and the 22nd of the 9th moons are observed -as feast days; the latter as the anniversary of the Buddha’s descent -from the Tushita heaven. [450] - -In the summer, commencing with the full moon in July and lasting for a -period of forty-five days, all lamas make a retreat in their -monasteries, during which time they are not allowed to go without the -lamasery walls, or take part in any amusement. This is known as the -yar-nas. [451] - -The birthdays of the Dalai and Tashi lamas are also kept as holidays, -and on their reaching the age of three, twenty-five, forty-nine, -sixty-one, seventy-three, or eighty-five, there are also great -festivities. - -When eclipses of the sun or moon occur, the Tibetans hold religious -ceremonies similar to those of the Hindus. - -Of all feasts, that of the New Year is probably the most popular. At -Lhasa the State makes arrangements for the celebrations, beginning them -about a month beforehand. - -The kitchen of the Grand Lama is in a large yellow building called the -Phodang serpo, or Jag-ming khang (ljags-ming khang), situated to the -east of the palace. The cooking-stoves are ornamented with gold, -silver, and precious stones, estimated to be worth Rs. 20,000, and all -the cooking utensils are of solid gold. All the butter and milk used -here is obtained from the herd of five hundred jomos (half-breed yaks) -belonging to the Dalai lama, which herd the people salute as it passes, -taking off their hats or kotowing to the animals. Twenty Tse-dung (lama -officials) herd these cattle, milk them, and churn the butter. - -Here, when New Year is approaching, five lamas prepare cakes and -dainties for the Grand Lama, their mouths covered with eight -thicknesses of silk, so that the food may not be polluted by their -breath. In the village at the foot of Potala, called the Shedo khang, -two or three hundred men make cakes and biscuits for the officials, -lamas, and people; and every one, whether rich or poor, has some -prepared for the festival. - -On the 15th of the 12th moon two hundred workmen begin white-washing -the walls of Potala, which work occupies them for three days; and then, -but only then, people are at liberty to have the walls of their houses -whitened, and there is no one so poor that he does not at this season -renovate the exterior of his dwelling. - -On the 18th all public offices are closed for fifty days. Booths are -erected to supply the crowds which assemble for the mon-lam chenpo, or -“grand prayer-meeting,” which, beginning on New Year’s day, lasts for a -month, and many of the officials visit Tse-dung linga, a beautiful park -to the south of the city, where there is a Chinese restaurant and -singing and dancing girls, called Tung-shema, or “drinking ladies.” - -On the 22nd in all lamaseries and in many houses of the people torma -offerings are made, to be offered the following day to the household -gods. Then the people bathe and get themselves ready to make visits of -congratulations, which they begin doing on the 27th. On the 29th each -householder has a general house cleaning, and the dust and dirt is -thrown in a cross-road, and thus all impending misfortunes are got rid -of with the rubbish. - -Early on the morning of the 29th large and gorgeously decorated tents -are erected in the great courtyard of Potala and other temples, in each -of which three or four hundred people can be seated. In the centre of -each tent are estrades of carved and gilt sandal-wood (?), on which the -abbots, head lamas, and guests of distinction take their seats, while -on lower seats are the other guests. A number of lamas, with little -tables of sandal-wood in front of them, on which different instruments -of music, and implements used in church ceremonies, such as dorje, -bells, damaru, etc., are placed, occupy another portion of each tent. -When the preliminary service is over the grand “black hat” dance, of -which I have previously made mention, begins. [452] - -The dancers are eighty in number, and their gowns are made of white, -red, and green satin. Each one holds in his left hand a wooden skull, -and in his right a short club, from which hang five silk scarfs of -different colours. They prance about, wildly waving their arms, for -half an hour or so, when suddenly there is heard wild shrieking, and a -second set of dancers, or masks called Kambab, come in. They are -dressed to represent the various gods, most of them extraordinarily -hideous to look at. These continue the wild dance to the music of -cymbals, drums, and flutes for a couple of hours. - -When the Kambab have stopped, four skeleton-like figures appear: they -are the Durdag, or “lords of cemeteries,” and they dance in their turn. -These are followed by sixteen figures representing Indian atsaras, who, -by their dress and contortions, excite wild mirth among the people. A -number of dancers wearing stag heads then appear, and finally the -“black hat” dancers come out once more, each with a cymbal or a drum in -his hand, and the dance comes to an end. - -At the termination of the dance the lamas who performed the religious -service earlier in the day form in a procession and proceed to throw -away the torma offering. - -Five hundred soldiers and twenty-four flag-bearers accompany the -procession. Three lamas carry on an iron tripod the tsamba torma, which -is of pyramidal shape, about ten feet high and painted red, with -projecting edges to represent flames, and frequently surmounted by a -skull moulded in tsamba. Three other lamas bear on a large iron tray -supported by a tripod a skeleton also made of tsamba. The procession -goes to about a mile from the temple to where a shed, or hom khang, of -straw or brush has been made, in which the torma and the skeleton are -placed and then set on fire. - -When the flames break forth the flag-bearers lower their flags and run -back to the lamasery with all speed, to escape the devil’s assaults, -and the soldiers fire off their guns at the burning mass to prevent the -evil spirits escaping from the fire in which they are now supposed to -be roasting. [453] - -On the thirtieth day of the moon, New Year’s eve, all house decorations -and furniture are renewed or cleaned, and offerings and oblations made -in every domestic chapel. The walls, pillars, posts, lintels, etc., are -washed with whey. A lotus, finger-marks or marks of animals’ claws are -painted on the wooden floors of the rooms, or a sheep’s head is -scorched, and its eyes, ears, and nose painted with the five colours -mixed with butter: this is said to be a certain means of insuring good -luck, and is believed to be a pre-Buddhist custom of the country. - -In the evening the whole city is illuminated, and this is kept up for -three successive nights. - -New Year’s day is called Gyalpo lo sar, or “the King’s new year,” and -the Grand Lama holds a levee on this occasion. The Donnyer chenpo, or -Grand Chamberlain, opens the ceremony by wishing the lama all happiness -(“tra-shi de leg phun-sum tsog”), and presenting him some wine and -tsamba. The Grand Lama replies, “Tan-du de-wa tobpar shog” and dipping -his finger in the wine, sprinkles a little about as an oblation, and -then tastes the tsamba. Then the great trumpets sound, and the Dalai -lama takes his seat on the throne in the great hall, and all the -ministers and church dignitaries take their places according to -precedence. Tea is then served, followed by toma, a kind of red potato -of Tibet, cooked in butter and sugared. [454] When they have finished -eating, every one presents His Holiness with khatag about eighteen feet -long, and he gives each one in return his blessing. - -In the mean time “the good luck dance” (tra-shi-gi gar) is going on -outside the hall, in which some twenty little boys, of eight years of -age, take part, the lower officials, such as the Dungkhor, forming the -audience. - -In every house of any importance the master, his wife, and children are -offered the compliments of the season by all their relatives, -dependents, and friends, who, in their turn, are treated with wine by -them. When the New Year’s wine has been drunk, the misser (serfs) sing -some hymns or glees. - -At the New Year the Tibetans watch out for omens for the forthcoming -year, the best of which, if one is to start soon on a journey, is to -see a young woman with a child in her arms. To see flags, banners, -milking of cows, persons carrying vessels filled with water or any -other liquid, or timber for house-building or firewood, is lucky, as is -also the sight of a corpse on a bier. To meet well-dressed persons, to -be greeted by friends, to hear a lucky name, are also held to be signs -of good luck; but to see beggars, ragged persons, empty vessels, a -person descending a hill, or carrying shoes in his hand, a saddled -horse without a rider, to hear impolite or rough language, are portends -of bad fortune. [455] - -On New Year’s day dancing beggars (or Dre-kar) make their appearance in -the streets and houses. They wear masks, usually representing a black -devil, with a shaggy, white beard, with cowries for eyebrows and -encircling his face, and sometimes with a cowrie on either cheek. They -dance and crack jokes to the delight of the guests assembled in each -house for the New Year’s breakfast. [456] - -In the afternoon there is further feasting in most of the houses, and -the guests, both male and female, frequently end the entertainment with -a dance (shabdo); first, the women dance alone, then the men, and -finally, both sexes together. [457] - -The New Year’s festivities terminate on the third day at noon, when the -monks of the great lamaseries all meet in the Kyil khording (or Jo -khang) to hear the Grand Lama expound the faith. On each succeeding -day, till the 24th of the moon, they hold the great prayer-meeting, or -monlam chenpo. [458] - -In the afternoon of the third, the Tsog-chen Shalnyo of Dabung assumes -the government of Lhasa for the next month and a half, previously -informing the police magistrates of the fact, and henceforth all -authority, even that of the Kalon, as far as the city is concerned, is -vested in him alone. [459] - - - - - - - - -NOTES - - -[1] Sarat Chandra has, in honour of Sir Alfred Croft, named the lake -Yamdo Croft. See Journ. Buddh. Text Soc., iv. pt. iii. p. iv. - -[2] The publication of this volume has been unavoidably delayed. - -[3] On the origin of Darjiling as a sanatorium, see Hooker, ‘Himalayan -Journals,’ (1854) i. 115. - -[4] Hooker, op. cit., ii. 37, mentions seeing a troop of large monkeys -in the Lamteng valley (alt. 9000 feet) in Sikkim. Ibid., p. 108, he -says that in the most snowy part of Sikkim (near the Tunkra la) “large -monkeys are also found on the skirts of the pine forests, and a curious -long-tailed animal, Ailurus ochraceus, peculiar to the Himalaya, -something between a diminutive bear and a squirrel.” Large monkeys are -also found in Eastern Tibet at about 9000 feet alt.—(W. R.) - -[5] Called Chung by the Lepchas. Though not divided into castes, they -belong to several tribes. All consider themselves as the earliest -inhabitants of the Tambur valley, though they have a tradition of -having originally emigrated from Tibet. See Hooker, op. cit., i. 137. - -[6] It would, perhaps, be better to transcribe this mangdong (from -Tibetan mang, “many;” and dong, “stones”). Chorten is mchod, -“offering;” rten, “receptacle.” It is usually pronounced chürten. See -infra, 37, 40.—(W. R.) - -[7] Made from half-fermented millet. Murwa is Eleusine coracana. See -Hooker, op. cit., i. 133, 175.—(W. R.) - -[8] The country between the Arun and Tambur is called Limbudu by the -Nepali natives, and the aboriginal people who have dwelt there from -time immemorial are designated by the name of Limbu, though they call -themselves by the name of Yakthanga. In the same manner the tribes -inhabiting Kiranta, or the regions between Dudkosi and the Arun, are -called Kirat, which name is as old as that of the great Hindu deity -Mahadeva. The Kirat of the north and the Limbu of the south were known -to the ancients by the name of Kirata, on account of their living by -hunting and carrying on trade with the natives of the plains in musk, -yak-tails, shellac, cardamoms, etc., from the earliest Hindu periods. -See also infra, p. 26. - -The Tibetans and the Bhutias of Nepal and Sikkim call the Limbus by the -name of Tsang, probably on account of their having emigrated from the -Tsang province of Tibet. Both tradition and written Limbu works relate -that the Limbu people partly emigrated thither (to Limbuan) from Tsang -in Thibet and Kashi in the Madhya Desh, and partly sprang from -underneath a huge rock in the village of Khedab, to the north-east of -Tsanpur. So that the Limbu people were divided into three great tribes, -according to their original homes, Tsang, Kashi, and Phedah. The first -branch from Tsang spread over Tambur-Khola, Phalung, Mirva Khola -itself, Mayiwa, and Yangrub, being designated by the Tibetans as Tsang -Monpa, or the Limbus inhabiting the defiles. Those who came from Kashi -occupied Chaibisa, Kaikhola, and Tsolkar. Those that sprang from -underneath the great rock of Phedah were also called Baiphuta. The name -of the place in the middle of which stands the huge slab of rock, -measuring a hundred fathoms on either side, was Phedah Pangi-loma, -which is evidently a corruption of the name Pheduh Pangi-lungpa, or -“the pasture land in Pheduh.” See also infra, p. 26. - -The Baiphuta Limbu were the most powerful and numerous; their chief, -Baiphuta Han Raja, ruled over Eastern Nepal. All the Limbu tribes, as -well as the Kiratas, paid him tribute and military service, in a manner -resembling the feudal system of Europe. The power of this family having -declined, the third tribe assumed the supremacy, and massacred the -adherents of the former rulers. After the fall of the Han dynasty there -was anarchy all over Eastern Nepal, until there arose in the Srisobha -tribe a mighty man called Marang, who succeeded in reconciling the -different tribes, and was elected king over all the aboriginal tribes -of Eastern Nepal, the southern portion being ruled by a Newar chief. -After the death of the most distinguished of his successors, Mohani -Raja, the Limbu tribes again fell into anarchy, and continued in this -state for more than a century. At last, probably in the ninth century, -appeared the famous Srijanga, the deified hero of the Limbus. The -cis-Himalayan Bhutias identify him with an incarnation of Padma -Sambhava, and attribute to him the introduction of the art of writing -by the invention of an alphabet. Tradition also attributes the -introduction of this art to Marang Raja, and its revival to -Srijanga.—(S. C. D.) See Gazetteer of Sikkim, pp. 36–38. - -[9] Cf. Hooker, op. cit., i. p. 107: “They puncture through thick -worsted stockings, and even trousers, and when full roll in the form of -a little soft ball into the bottom of the shoe....” Ibid., p. 167, he -makes mention of them swarming below 7000 feet, “a small black species -above 3000 feet, and a large yellow-brown solitary one below that -elevation.”—(W. R.) Leeches are found at all elevations up to 10,000 -feet at least. - -[10] La, “pass;” rtse, “point, summit;” usually a pile of stones with -brush stuck in it, on which rags are hung.—(W. R.) - -[11] Lha, “god;” gsol, “to beg.” The invocation I have always heard -used is “lha gya lo, lha gya lo,” meaning, “god (give me) an hundred -years, god (give me) an hundred years!”—(W. R.) - -[12] The giant nettle is the Urtica heterophylla. Hooker, op. cit., i. -182. The fibres of some nettles are twisted for bowstrings, others as -thread for sewing and weaving, while many are eaten raw and in soups, -especially the numerous little succulent species. The Urtica crenulata, -or great shrubby nettle, grows also in these parts. Hooker, op. cit., -ii. 188.—(W. R.) - -[13] On the Lepchas, see Dr. A. Campbell, Jour. Anth. Inst., i. 128, et -seq. Dr. Campbell has also written several valuable papers on the -Limboos in the Jour. Asiat. Soc. of Bengal for 1855 and other years, -and in the Jour. Anth. Inst., vol. i.; also papers on the Murnis and -Haius of Nepaul and Sikkim, in the same collection, I believe; but they -are not accessible to me. Dr. Hooker, op. cit., i. 127–136, says of the -Lepchas: “They, or at least some of their tribes, call themselves Rong -and Arratt, and their country Dijong. Polyandry is unknown among them, -and polygamy rare. Marriage is by purchase. The dead are burnt or -buried. Omens are sought in the entrails of fowls (p. 135). They have -no religion, though acknowledging the existence of good and bad -spirits.”—(W. R.) - -[14] Perhaps Nya-dug-shing (nya, “fish;” dug, “poison;” shing, “tree”). -Dr. Hooker (op. cit., i. 168) mentions as growing in Sikkim, aconite -and convallaria yielding the bikh poison.—(W. R.) - -[15] Dr. Hooker (op. cit., i. 138) says that in their funeral -ceremonies “the Bijooa of the Lepchas is employed; but the Limboo has -also priests of his own, called ‘Phedangbos,’ who belong to rather a -higher order than the Bijooas.” Dr. Hooker’s description of the Bijua -and of the Lepchas’ religious beliefs prove them conclusively to -profess nearly the same religion as the Bonbo of Tibet.—(W. R.) - -[16] Cf. Hooker, op. cit., i. 205.—(W. R.) - -[17] The Tibetan word lagog is usually translated garlic. I have always -heard onion called by its Chinese name tsung. Wild onions are very -common in Northern Tibet, at elevations of 15,000 feet and upwards.—(W. -R.) - -[18] Chang is made from half fermented barley, and is the national -drink of Tibet. On its preparation, see Jaeschke, ‘Tib.-Engl. -Dictionary,’ s.v. chang, and infra 34, note 1.—(W. R.) - -[19] On the salt trade viâ the Rathong valley, see Hooker, op. cit., i. -340, 350. - -[20] Hooker’s Ringbee. - -[21] Tsos (pron. tso) means “dye” in Tibetan. The dye here referred to -is probably the yellow one prepared from the symplocos. See Hooker, op. -cit., ii. 41, and J.R.A.S., 1891, 218.—(W. R.) - -[22] Parmi seems to be Tibetan bar, “middle;” mi, “man.”—(W. R.) - -[23] Cf. Hooker, op. cit., i. 137, 138. Speaking of their burial -ceremonies, he says, “They mourn, burn, and bury their dead, raising a -mound over the corpse, erecting a headstone, and surrounding the grave -with a little paling of sticks; they then scatter eggs and pebbles over -the ground.”—(W. R.) - -[24] Trees or shrubs, with aromatic wood or having sweet-smelling -flowers, are frequently called chandan in Tibet. At Kumbum, for -example, the famous tree, which is said to have sprung from the hair -cut from the head of Tsongkhapa, and which is in all probability a -Syringa, is called Tsandan (or Chandan) karpo.—(W. R.) - -[25] This work of Sakya Pandita, the Sanskrit title of which is -‘Subhashita ratna nidhi,’ is well known to Oriental scholars by the -translation, accompanied by the Tibetan text, published by Csoma de -Kőrös in vols. xxiv. and xxv. of the Journ. Bengal Asiat. Soc., and by -the French translation of a selection from it made by Ph. E. Foucaux, -Paris, 1858, 8vo., under the title of ‘Le trésor des belles paroles.’ -The original work is in 454 stanzas. Csoma only translated the 234 -first. Sakya Pandita’s Indian name was Ananda Dhwadja; he lived in the -thirteenth century. His Tibetan name is derived from that of the -lamasery of Sakya, near Tashilhunpo, where he resided.—(W. R.) - -[26] Dug, “poison;” shing, “tree or wood.”—(W. R.) - -[27] Cf. Hooker, op. cit., i. 254. - -[28] Written, I believe, gsha.—(W. R.) - -[29] Utpala, or Udpala, is the blue lotus of India, also used -medicinally. Mr. Jaeschke, ‘Tib.-Engl. Dict.,’ s.v., says, “In Lhadak -this name seems to be transferred to Polemonium caeruleum.”—(W. R.) - -[30] Hares, I take it, are meant.—(W. R.) - -[31] Dr. Hooker, op. cit., i. 255, states having found similar -pheasants near the Nango la. The male bird had two to five spurs on -each of its legs, according to its age.—(W. R.) Ithagenes Cruentus. - -[32] Cf. Hooker, op. cit., i. 275.—(W. R.) - -[33] See Hooker, op. cit., i. 263.—(W. R.) - -[34] Tibetan beer. Its preparation is thus described by Jaeschke, op. -cit., s.v., Chang: “When the boiled barley has grown cold, some phabs -(yeast or dry barm prepared in Balti of flour, mixed with some ginger -and aconite) is added, after which it is left standing for two or three -days, until fermentation commences, when it is called glum. Having -sufficiently fermented, some water is poured to it, and the beer is -considered to be ready for use.”—(W. R.) - -[35] Hooker’s Kambachen (op. cit., i. 257). He gives its altitude at -11,380 feet above sea-level.—(W. R.) - -[36] Hooker (loc. cit.) says that the only cultivation here consists of -radishes, potatoes, and barley: no wheat is grown.—(W. R.) - -[37] This custom of putting a little piece of butter on the mouth of a -bottle or neck of a jug of wine when offered to any one is observed by -all Tibetans, and by most of the Mongol tribes with which I am -acquainted.—(W. R.) - -[38] From this description of Pemazang, it may be inferred that he was -a Khamba, a Tibetan from the north-east. We know by Hooker, op. cit., -i. 137, that many Khamba came to Sikkim with the first Sikkim rajah. -They are, as a people, famous “rain-makers;” while the people from -other parts of Tibet are not much given to performing rain-making or -rain-dispelling ceremonies. Cf. ‘The Land of the Lamas,’ p. 188.—(W. -R.) - -[39] The term ani (also pronounced aneh) is used to designate a wife, -concubine, or nun. In the present case it certainly means a nun living -in a state of concubinage with a lama. It is a common practice in -Tibet, and in many places lamas (graba) and ani live in the same -convent. See ‘Report on Explorations in Sikkim, Bhutan, etc., from 1856 -to 1886,’ pp. 9 and 12, and infra, p. 42.—(W. R.) - -[40] Written, according to Jaeschke, op. cit., dkyar. The word and the -thing are unknown, I believe, in other parts of Tibet.—(W. R.) - -[41] Throughout Tibet and the greater part of Mongolia, the intestines, -stuffed with the hashed heart, liver, and lights, compose the first -meal made from a freshly killed sheep or kid. The head and pelt are -usually given to the person who has sold the sheep, this not being -included in the price paid. Cf. infra, p. 41.—(W. R.) - -[42] The Kirata are well known as a tribe of non-Brahmanical people -(Mleccha) in the Veda. See Chr. Lassen, ‘Indis. Alterthumskunde,’ vol. -i. p. 78: “The land between the San Roci and Kankaji is approximately -the same as that of the Kiratas.” A complete discussion on the Kiratas -is to be found in ‘Zeitschrift für die Kunde des Morgenlandes,’ vol. -ii. p. 35 ff. See supra, p. 3.—(W. R.) - -[43] Yarsa probably means “upper (yar) land (sa).” Yara mara, or yarka -marka, meaning “upper and lower,” are terms used throughout Tibet.—(W. -R.) - -[44] Tetraogallus Tibetanas. - -[45] Cf. Hooker, op. cit., i. 250–254. He made the altitude of this -pass to be 15,770 feet above sea-level.—(W. R.) - -[46] Hok (or og) means “lower,” kong or gong means “upper.”—(W. R.) - -[47] See infra, p. 37, note 2. - -[48] Purug is rather a poor transcription of the word phrug (pronounced -truk), but better known by the Chinese name of pulo. Pulo, though now a -Chinese word, is a borrowed term, probably the Tibetan name. Phrug is -native Tibetan cloth made in pieces usually nine or ten fathoms (damba -in Tibetan) long and about fourteen inches broad.—(W. R.) - -[49] Mi, “man;” za, “to eat.”—(W. R.) - -[50] Mthong-wa, “seen;” kun, “entire;” grol, “freedom.”—(W. R.) - -[51] Also visited by Hooker. He says that it was (in 1848) a miserable -collection of 200 to 300 stone huts. Its altitude is about 13,500 feet -above sea-level. See Hooker, op. cit., i. 238. On p. 242 of his work is -a “diagram of the glacial terraces at the fork of the Yangma -valley.”—(W. R.) - -[52] Yang-ma, meaning “broad.”—(W. R.) - -[53] Rtsa, “grass;” mtsams, “boundary-line, limit.”—(W. R.) - -[54] Tara, or tarak, is made of curdled milk slightly cooked and -stirred up in the process. It is a favourite dish throughout Tibet and -Western Mongolia, in which latter country it is also known as tarak. It -is generally eaten just before meals. In Eastern Tibet and the Kokonor -it is called djo (pr. sho). It is the same as the yaurt of the Turks -and the people of the Balkanic States.—(W. R.) - -[55] Shape is the colloquial title given to the ministers of State -(Kalon) of the Tale lama. The word is possibly gshags, “justice;” dpe, -“model,” though it is now written as in the text. See infra, p. -174.—(W. R.) - -[56] Gyagar Khamba means “Indian Khamba,” the same as probably Hooker’s -Khumba of Sikkim. See p. 107, note; and Hooker, i. 136.—(W. R.) - -[57] Nyingma, or Ngangyur, the old or red-hat sect of lamas. Their -chief stronghold is Ulterior Tibet, Sikkim, and Bhutan.—(W. R.) - -[58] The famous “six-syllable prayer.” See my ‘Land of the Lamas,’ p. -326 et sqq.—(W. R.) - -[59] A small stream emptying into the Taya Tsangpo of our maps.—(W. R.) - -[60] Ugyen-gyatso visited in 1883 another rock-cut hermitage in this -neighbourhood, at a place called Kyil-khor ta dub, some 10 miles from -the She-kar gomba, at the foot of the Lama la. It was about a quarter -mile long. Padma Sambhava is said to have lived in it. See ‘Report on -Explorations in Bhutan, etc.,’ p. 20, § 20.—(W. R.) - -[61] Written phyug-po. Med (from me), “no.”—(W. R.) - -[62] Written hbrog, and usually pronounced dru, du, or do. The name -dopa or drupa applies equally to all pastoral tribes, and they, when -speaking, use it with the acceptation of “house, dwelling, tent, -home.”—(W. R.) - -[63] Three Tibetan tankas are the equivalent of one rupee. There were -four varieties of tankas then current in Tibet, two of Nepalese -minting, two made at Lhasa, the best being that known as Gadan tanka, -and made at the Castle of Gadan.—(W. R.) - -[64] In 1879 Chandra Das crossed the Chorten nyima la, probably 20 to -30 miles south of the village of Tebong (called then by him Thekong). -He followed the Chorten nyima river from its source in the mountain of -the same name to near its mouth at Tebong, where his route joined the -one described in the present narrative.—(W. R.) - -[65] Or, more correctly, Drang-lung; for he says, in his diary for -1879, that it means “cold valley.”—(W. R.) - -[66] Nabu, or, more correctly, Nabo, means “host, landlord.”—(W. R.) - -[67] Called satu by Anglo-Indian writers. This word is also found in -Georgi, ‘Alphabetum Tibetanum’ (1762), p. 445: “Hordei farinam in -jentaculi, pultisque formam subactam Satù communi vocabulo dicunt.”—(W. -R.) - -[68] This is the ordinary style of Mongol fur cap, very generally used -in Tibet.—(W. R.) - -[69] On this organization, see chap. vii. p. 180. - -[70] In his journey of 1879, he speaks of Mende as “the pretty village -of Mende.... Facing the village is a flower-garden, in which are also -dwarf willows, stunted birch and juniper trees.” He also says that -Targe (Targye) is on the Yaru-tsang-po (the Taya tsang-po of the maps), -probably a local appellation for the upper Arun. Taya tsang-po is -probably Targye tsang-po, “the river of the Tar-gye.”—(W. R.) - -[71] Probably Khyab-dvang, “all-powerful,” a title in frequent use in -Tibet.—(W. R.) - -[72] This river is the Che chu (or Chi chu), the great Arun. Kurma, the -author tells us in his journal of 1879, is a “Dokpa town containing -about six hundred families.... All supplies are brought here from -Shigatse.”—(W. R.) - -[73] Hence the name phag, “pig;” ra, “goat.” S. C. D. says they roast -them alive. This must be a mistake. I never heard of meat being roasted -in Tibet. He evidently means that the sheep are cooked without the skin -being removed. The Mongols do the same thing, throwing the carcass -(some say the live sheep) in boiling water. These carcasses are sold in -a frozen state by the Mongols in Peking in winter, and are known as -Tang-yang, or “scalded sheep,” in Chinese. Cf. C. R. Markham’s -‘Narrative of the Mission of Geo. Bogle,’ 86.—(W. R.) - -[74] It is called Ya-go on the maps. S. C. D. says, in the account of -his first journey, that this village is on the boundary-line between -Lhasa and Ulterior Tibet, belonging to the former country.—(W. R.) - -[75] The Tagmar of our maps. The writer says elsewhere that it has -about two hundred houses.—(W. R.) - -[76] The Bra-gyin pa gomba of the maps.—(W. R.) - -[77] The Ngambu dung la of our maps, altitude 14,800 feet; but in the -account of his first journey S. C. D. says it is 13,500 feet high. The -descent on the north side, he adds, is very steep.—(W. R.) - -[78] Or Luguri jong, as he calls it elsewhere.—(W. R.) - -[79] S. C. D. reached this city for the first time on July 7, 1879. - -[80] “If the magnificence of the place was to be increased by any -external cause, none could more superbly have adorned its numerous -gilded canopies and turrets than the sun rising in full splendour -directly opposite. It presented a view wonderfully beautiful and -brilliant; the effect was little short of magic, and it made an -impression which no time will ever efface from my mind.”—Captain Samuel -Turner, ‘Embassy to the Court of the Teshu Lama,’ 230. - -[81] This word is colloquially used to designate the cook of any -dignitary or official.—(W. R.) - -[82] Or rather, “Please walk in, Mr. Pundit.”—(W. R.) - -[83] Or Nyer-pa (gnyer-pa); this word is generally used to designate -the procurator or manager of the temporal affairs of a lamasery.—(W. -R.) - -[84] Called ma-hua by the Chinese; made of thin strips of dough thrown -into boiling grease for a minute or two. They are eaten all over China, -Mongolia, and Tibet. I do not know the Tibetan name; Mongols call them -by the Chinese term of ma-hua-erh.—(W. R.) - -[85] This appears to be the Chinese ping, meaning “cake or pastry.” In -North-West China and Szechuan this word designates a thin cake of -wheat-flour the size of a plate, cooked on a hot iron or in a shallow -dish. In Tibetan it is called palé.—(W. R.) - -[86] Kusho is the Tibetan equivalent of “Mr.”; Tung-chen is Drung (yig) -chen-po, “chief secretary,” not a name, as one might suppose by the way -it is used in this narrative. The minister’s residence, S. C. D. says -elsewhere, was at the northern end of the town. It is a stone building -three stories high, the exterior painted yellow.—(W. R.) - -[87] Farther on (p. 57) our author says 125 pages. - -[88] Called in Chinese mien, and nearly the same as the Italian -spaghetti. The word is also frequently used for the Chinese -kua-mien.—(W. R.) - -[89] Or, more correctly, “the cup-bearer, or teapot-bearer.” The Solpon -chen-po is one of the great officers of State both at Tashilhunpo and -Lhasa.—(W. R.) - -[90] Rdo-tsad, an ingot of silver weighing fifty Chinese ounces -(taels), and also called yambu (from the Chinese yuan-pao), tarmima -(rta-rmig-ma, also pronounced tänpema), or simply do. A do is usually -exchanged for Rs. 160. Turner, ‘Embassy,’ p. 345, speaks of masses of -pure bullion called Tariema.—(W. R.) - -[91] The colloquial name for Chinese in Tibet is Gya. In the official -language they are called Gya-nag.—(W. R.) - -[92] Or ja-lu (ldug); also called ja lu-sa, “bowl (or place) to pour -tea in.” Usually a cup with a metal cover.—(W. R.) - -[93] The northern part of Tibet, inhabited by a few pastoral tribes -only.—(W. R.) - -[94] A torma is a small cone varying in height from a few inches to a -foot and more, made of tsamba, butter, sugar, etc. Sometimes the -surface is coloured, and some tormas are of great size. They are placed -on the front of the altars in rows, and are propitiatory offerings. On -the celebration of this feast, cf. J.R.A.S., vol. xxiii. (1891), p. -214.—(W. R.) - -[95] Tu-Kham is probably Stod Khams, or “Upper Khamdo”—in all -probability Dérgé is meant.—(W. R.) - -[96] During his first visit to Tashilhunpo, Chandra Das was received by -the Panchen rinpoche. He describes him as follows: “The Grand Lama is -twenty-six years of age, of a spare frame and middling stature. He has -a remarkably broad forehead and large eyes, slightly oblique. The -expression of his face, although highly intelligent, is not engaging, -and lacks that sympathy and dignity so conspicuous in the minister’s -countenance. The old monks of Tashilhunpo informed me that, unlike his -predecessor, the present Grand Lama was more feared than liked, on -account of his cold and self-reliant spirit. He is strict in the -observance of ceremonies and in the administration of justice, and slow -to forgive.” Kun-kyab ling is the name of the residence of the Panchen -lama, the great lama of Tashilhunpo.—(W. R.) - -[97] Bogle thus describes the ceremony of blessing by the Panchen -rinpoche: “Upon the gylongs, or laymen of very high rank, he lays his -palm; the nuns (anni) and inferior laymen have a cloth interposed -between his hand and their heads; and the lower class of people are -touched, as they pass by, with the tassel which he holds in his -hands.”—C. R. Markham, ‘Narrative of the Mission of Geo. Bogle,’ p. 85. - -[98] For further details on the subject see S. C. D.’s ‘Indian Pundits -in the Land of Snow,’ and Waddell, ‘Buddhism of Tibet,’ p. 173. - -[99] W. Moorcroft, ‘Travels in the Himalayan Provinces,’ i. 17, -describes this feast as witnessed in Kashmir. It is there called Barat, -and is celebrated to avert impending evil. Chinese authors say it is -celebrated at Lhasa a few days after the New Year. See J.R.A.S., vol. -xxiii. (1891), p. 209. - -[100] Tibetan cooks have invariably soot-covered faces; this seems as -indispensable a part of their make-up as the white cap is to the French -chef.—(W. R.) - -[101] This idea is common to Chinese, Mongols, and Tibetans, among whom -“A worm has bored a hole in my tooth” is equivalent to “I have a cavity -in my tooth.” The extraction of the dead nerve confirms them in the -idea.—(W. R.) - -[102] In the narrative of his first journey, Chandra Das says this is -the Panchen rinpoche’s summer residence. There is no image of the -Emperor, but an imperial tablet and a throne, or chair of state.—(W. -R.) - -[103] Such tablets are always carried in official processions in -China.—(W. R.) - -[104] This is known in China as la chiao, “to drag the chair.” It is -rather a mark of respect to the official being carried in the chair -than assistance to the bearers. It is a form of corvée throughout the -empire. In Tibet the Emperor’s representatives and the Tale lama and -Panchen rinpoche alone have the right to be carried in green sedan -chairs.—(W. R.) - -[105] Spogs-dpon. Spogs (pron. pog) means “salary of officials,” and -more especially, “that allowed lamas by Government or the monastic -authorities.”—(W. R.) - -[106] Chandra Das has given a translation of an extract from this work -in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, vol. lv. pp. 201–203, -and in part vii. of his ‘Narrative of a Journey round Lake Yamdo’ -(Palti), pp. 117–130. Though full of interesting details, it has been -thought advisable to omit it from the present work, most of the Tibetan -names of places being still unidentified. He says the work is by Lama -Tsanpo Nomenkhan, of Amdo.—(W. R.) - -[107] Or rather “master-tailor,” Wu-jé (Dwu-rje) tsem-po on -Tashi-gyantsa, see infra, p. 67.—(W. R.) - -[108] The second Tale lama was known by the name of Gedun-gyatso. Born -in 1476.—(W. R.) - -[109] Our author says their name is written Rogyo-pa, meaning -“corpse-vulture.” According to Jaeschke, the “vulture” is go-vo, while -ro means “corpse.” Further on (p. 163) S. C. D. calls them ragyabas, -and tells us that their houses (at Lhasa at all events) must have walls -made of horns. From the fact that “horn” in Tibetan is ra-cho, we might -suppose that the name of this class of people is Ra-cho-pa, “the horny -ones.” I have never met with the name in writing.—(W. R.) - -[110] I have never seen pottery made in Tibet, but know that no wheel -is used. Capt. R. B. Pemberton, in his ‘Report on Bootan’ (in -‘Political Missions to Bootan,’ p. 74), gives a minute description of -the mode of making pottery among the Butia. He remarks that “a lump of -the compost was placed on a flat board, supported on the top of three -sticks, and was kneaded from the centre outwards, until an opening had -been effected through the mass; the orifice thus made was gradually -enlarged by the person who preserved its circular form by walking round -the board on which the mass rested.... The mass thus prepared formed -the upper section of the vessel; and the lower half being wrought by a -similar process, the two parts were united together, and the vessel -completed.” The whole paragraph is very interesting.—(W. R.) - -[111] Kwa-tse (or kua-tzŭ) is a Chinese term for a short riding-jacket. -The Tibetans of the better class have adopted this article of Chinese -clothing, and also their name for it. I have never heard trousers -called anything but ma-yo (smad-gyogs).—(W. R.) - -[112] Cf. Sam. Turner, op. cit., p. 303. - -[113] Or drung-yig, “clerk, secretary.” Khamba Dungyig means “the clerk -from Khams” (or Eastern Tibet).—(W. R.) - -[114] They are usually called Peurbu in Tibetan, and by the Chinese -these people are known as Pe- (or Pieh-) pung-tzu. They are not to be -confounded with the Gorkhas, who are called Korhka. Abbé Huc, -‘Souvenirs d’un Voyage, etc.,’ ii. 267, calls them Péboun. Speaking of -those of Lhasa, he says, “Les Péboun sont les seuls ouvriers -métallurgistes de Lha-Ssa. C’est dans leur quartier qu’il faut aller -chercher les forgerons, les chaudronniers, les plombiers, les étameurs, -les fondeurs, les orfèvres, les bijoutiers, les mécaniciens, même les -physiciens et les chimistes.”—(W. R.) Balpo, or properly Palpa, is the -chief district in Western Nepal. - -[115] Chos dja. Probably the yellow-pointed cloth hat with flaps, and -ending in a point on either side in front, the usual head-cover of -lamas outside their monasteries. Inside the lamaseries all go -bareheaded.—(W. R.) - -[116] In the account of his first journey, he says that these “chaits” -are on top of the palace of the Tashi lama. - -[117] Elsewhere he says that Shikha means “bailiff.” - -[118] The syllable la, here and throughout this narrative, whenever it -is a suffix to a name of a person, forms no part of the name, but is -only an honorific expletive. It is even used after titles, as Ponbo la, -Pundib la, Lhacham la, Kusho la, etc. Chandra Das hardly ever gives the -names of the Tibetans he refers to in his narrative, because a person’s -name is never used when he or she is addressed, nor is it but rarely -mentioned. He probably never heard the names of most of the people of -whom he speaks.—(W. R.) - -[119] Written grog tsang, or grog-ma tsang.—(W. R.) - -[120] Or Eastern (shar) gyatso.—(W. R.) - -[121] Kye-na of the map.—(W. R.) - -[122] Probably Shornub is shar, “east;” nub, “west.”—(W. R.) - -[123] By “Grand Lama” the author means the Panchen Rinpoche or Teshu -lama of Tashilhunpo. - -[124] Called on the map Gang, Jor-gya, Patshal, Pen jang. Natog does -not appear on it. On p. 74 he calls Penagangdo, Penjang, and Pishi, -Patal.—(W. R.) - -[125] I have never heard of unam; but gonam (sgo snam?) is the name -generally given to serges and foreign (Russian) broadcloth.—(W. R.) - -[126] A mani lhakhang is usually a chorten around which are, under -covered galleries, rows of large prayer-wheels, or rather -prayer-barrels. I have never seen any temple attached to such -structures; but the chortens are hollow, with an opening at the base by -which clay tsa-tsa offerings can be put in the monument.—(W. R.) - -[127] Doi of the maps.—(W. R.) - -[128] Penam jong of the maps. Cf. Captain Turner, op. cit., 229 (he -calls it Painam), and C. R. Markham, op. cit., 78, where Bogle also -refers to it as Painam.—(W. R.) - -[129] In Tibet a married woman is called chang-ma, or “wine companion.” -One of her principal duties is to present wine to her friends and -guests. It is to avoid this duty that many women enter monastic life -(S. C. D.). I think S. C. D. was misinformed. A wife is called -chung-ma, not chang-ma. Chung means “little,” and ma “mother.”—(W. R.) - -[130] The metaphysical portion of the Tibetan Buddhist scriptures, -called in Sanskrit Abhidharma.—(W. R.) - -[131] Or gsol gchig, i.e. “first meal.”—(W. R.) - -[132] Pe li of the maps.—(W. R.) - -[133] Chog-tse of the maps.—(W. R.) - -[134] See J.R.A.S., n.s., vol. xxiii. p. 220. The Dung-khors’ offices -are mostly hereditary.—(W. R.) - -[135] Nagpa, “enchanters or experts in incantations.” See Waddell, op. -cit., 475, 483. ‘Land of the Lamas,’ p. 217.—(W. R.) - -[136] Or Norbu khyung hdjin (?), “the precious garuda-holder.” The -garuda (khyung) is the king of birds, according to Tibetans.—(W. R.) - -[137] Pong kong of the maps.—(W. R.) - -[138] Called Tho-man on the maps.—(W. R.) - -[139] Ging-gu la, Yá-go, and Tuchung-Jong of the maps.—(W. R.) - -[140] Called Shar cho ening on the maps. Shar, “east;” chyog (pyogs), -“quarter.”—(W. R.) - -[141] Dowa targya of the map.—(W. R.) - -[142] The author is slightly mistaken here. The Gyarong is on the west -border of Sze-ch’uan and identical with the Chinese Chin-chuan, while -Markham is to the west of the River of Golden Sands (Chin sha chiang), -in 29° N. lat., with its capital at Gartok (or Chiang-ka), and is one -of the easternmost provinces ruled by Lhasa.—(W. R.) - -[143] Georgi, ‘Alph. Tibet.,’ p. 450, appears to refer to Dongtse when -he says, “Antequam pervenias Kiangse Feudum est Kalonii Prouse, -Castellum Vallo minutum, et Aurifodina.”—(W. R.) - -[144] Kon-chog sum, i.e. Buddha, the Law and the Brotherhood (Sangha). -Protestant missionaries have, very wrongly, I think, used the word -Kon-chog as a translation of our word God, which is as untranslatable -into Tibetan as it appears to be into Chinese, unless the Mohammedan -expression Chen chu, “the real Lord,” be used.—(W. R.) - -[145] Or Ngi-hok, an open quadrangle on the roof of a house, enclosed -on all sides by walls, in two of which are door-like openings (S. C. -D.). Jaeschke explains the word nyi-yol by “any screen or shelter from -the sun’s rays: awning, curtain, parasol, pent-house.” - -[146] Gnas-brtan bchu-drug, the sixteen highest disciples of the Buddha -Gautama.—(W. R.) - -[147] Cf. Captain Sam. Turner, op. cit., 236, and Geo. Bogle (in C. R. -Markham’s ‘Narrative of the Mission, etc.,’ 97). Bogle there says, “The -floor is of a chalky clay, mixed with small pebbles, and formed into a -smooth and very beautiful terrace, which, by the labours of a young -gylang, who every morning gets his feet upon two woollen cloths, and -exercises himself for three or four hours in skating about the room, -will, in the course of fifteen or twenty years, acquire a polish equal -to the other floors in the palace, which are not inferior to the finest -variegated marble.”—(W. R.) - -[148] This image is called the Jo-vo. It is in the Lhasa Jokhang, in -the centre of the city. See my ‘Land of the Lamas,’ p. 105, note 2. See -also chap. vi. p. 151 of the present narrative.—(W. R.) - -[149] Called in Tibetan Chos-gyong (skyong), “protectors of the -doctrine,” or Ku na gyalbo, “five great kings.” See Emil Schlagintweit, -‘Buddhism in Tibet,’ p. 157. - -[150] Dzabs-drung-(pa), lit., “one near the feet of.” The expression -ku-drung-pa, “near the body,” is also used.—(W. R.) - -[151] Mdah-dpon, “master of the arrow,” is a military officer of about -the rank of a general; they are given light-blue buttons (4th class) by -the Chinese authorities.—(W. R.) - -[152] A Chyan-dso-pa, or Chya-djo-pa (Phyag-mdjod-pa), is a civil -officer (of 5th class of Chinese official rank) of the treasury.—(W. -R.) - -[153] The minister was not correctly informed. So far as I am aware, -the Chinese never use this kind of “white board.” It is, however, in -general use among the Western Mongols, where paper is quite as rare as -in most places in Tibet.—(W. R.) - -[154] A Tsipon is an accounting officer, and is assimilated by the -Chinese to a 4th class official among them.—(W. R.) - -[155] One of these earrings is figured in Hooker’s ‘Himalayan -Journals,’ ii. 271. Tibetan men always, I believe, wear their earring -in the left ear.—(W. R.) - -[156] I think the author means pé-tsé, the usual Tibetan pronunciation -of the Chinese pai-ts’ai, and meaning “cabbage.” “Cured in the cold -draught” is a culinary preparation unknown to me. White potatoes are -used all over Tibet; they were introduced into Bhutan in 1774 by Mr. -Bogle (see Markham’s ‘Tibet,’ p. 19). Radishes, or rather turnips -(la-pug, from the Chinese lo-po), are usually eaten raw; they are also -dried for winter use.—(W. R.) - -[157] A. K. calls it Pena Nang Chu river.—(W. R.) - -[158] The Tibetans neither kill nor will they eat hares. All wild fowl -are equally safe from their guns.—(W. R.) - -[159] A. K. says of this place (which he reached on August 21, 1878): -“Giangche, a small town on the right bank of the Pena Nang Chu river. -The town is situated about two small hills which lie east and west, and -are united by a saddle; the western hill is further connected with the -chain of mountains to the north. On the eastern hill, which is about -600 feet above the surrounding plain, is a large fort, ... and on the -western hill a Gomba inhabited by five hundred Dabas. In this Gomba -there is a Chiorten, called Pangon Chiorten, which is considered by the -Tibetans a most holy place. Besides the fort and temple, there are -about one thousand dwelling-houses on three sides of the double hill. -Woollen cloth called Nhambu is manufactured. There is a large market; -and traders from Nepal and China reside here.” See ‘Report on the -Explorations in Great Tibet,’ by A. K., p. 31. - -[160] But women throughout Tibet do most of the selling in the shops -and the markets.—(W. R.) - -[161] Ta Laoyeh is the honorific appellation claimed by all subordinate -Chinese officers in Tibet, from the rank of Pa-tsung (sergeant) to that -of Shou-pei, or major. The Chinese officer in command of the post of -Gyantse is, I believe, a Chien-tsung, or lieutenant. On the Tibetan -military organization, see chap. vii. p. 180.—(W. R.) - -[162] The ordinary kang is a measure of land in which about 400 lbs. of -seed-grain can be sown. The State tax on each kang is 50 srang (or -ounces of silver) a year.—(S. C. D.) - -[163] On the pay and allowances of the Chinese troops in Tibet, see -J.R.A.S., n.s. xxiii., p. 276–278. In many places along the route -between Lhasa and Tachienlu the Chinese soldiers are never paid in -cash, but only receive brick-tea, the value of which is arbitrarily -fixed by the paymaster, who cheats the poor devils most disgracefully. -A srang is an ounce of silver, the Chinese tael.—(W. R.) - -[164] Georgi, op. cit., p. 451, says of this town, Kiangse: “Civitas -præclara et planire ad radius montium. Ad Urbis, præsidium Arx est -inædificata rupi, musis, et fossis aquæ vivæ circumvallata. Cœnobium -vero adeo vastum, et magnificum, ut quum millia aliquot Xacaitarum -contineat, alterius cujusdam civitatis speciem præreferre videatur.” - -[165] Born in A.D. 1595 in S.E. Tibet (see Waddell, op. cit., p. -4).—(W. R.) - -[166] Probably an error for Dorje chyak, Vadjrapani.—(W. R.) - -[167] In the Lhobrak country lama Ugyen-gyatso visited the celebrated -shrine of Seh Guru Chhoi wang, built after the model of the famous -monastery of Nalendra, in Magadha. “The shrine ... contains some -important relics, among others a stuffed horse of great sanctity -(belonging to the Great Guru), which is called Jamling ninkhore, or -‘the horse that can go round the world in a day.’ Observing that the -horse was bereft of his left leg, U. G. inquired the cause, and was -told how the leg had been stolen by a Khamba pilgrim with a view of -enchanting the ponies of Kham.” See ‘Report of Explorations from -1856–86,’ p. 23. Probably the objects seen at Gyantse by our author -were originally votive offerings, and now simply curios.—(W. R.) - -[168] Probably written Ston ran-pa, “one who may teach; a doctor.” See -‘Indian Pundits in the Land of Snow.’ It is probably the same degree as -Ge-she.—(W. R.). - -[169] Both Bogle (op. cit., p. 107) and Captain Turner (op. cit., p. -284) mention the fondness of the Tibetans of Shigatse for -palmistry.—(W. R.) - -[170] All these are Chinese dishes.—(W. R.) - -[171] Gong khang means “upper house.”—(W. R.) - -[172] Most likely imported into the country by some Chinese. I have -never seen a greyhound in Tibet, and they are rare even in China and -Mongolia.—(W. R.) - -[173] Apparently we should read “husbands,” for the author has told us -that this accomplished young woman was the wife of the two sons of the -Chyag-dso-pa.—(W. R.) - -[174] Jaeschke, ‘Tib.-Engl. Dict.’ s.v. oug-pa, says this word is used -to designate a medicinal plant. It usually, however, means “hand.” Soap -is known and occasionally used in Tibet, though not manufactured there. -It is usually called langle (written “glang-glad”). It is brought there -from India or China, the former kind being the best.—(W. R.) - -[175] See chap. vii. p. 171. - -[176] Shar-li means, literally, “Eastern bell-metal;” and Nub-li, -“Western bell-metal.”—(W. R.) - -[177] On July 31, 1879, the thirteenth incarnation of the Dalai lama -was placed on the throne of Lhasa. Chandra Das speaks of this event in -the following terms: “The princely infant, into whose person the spirit -of the late Dalai had passed, had been brought up till now in a small -palace of Gyal-kup, near Lhasa. Last year the Tashi lama, at the -invitation of the Emperor of China and the high officials of Tibet, had -gone to Lhasa to examine the infant Dalai, and report if the spirit of -the last Dalai had really passed into his person. For several days -oracles were consulted, the result being to establish beyond doubt that -the infant was the incarnate Shenrazig, the patron of Tibet. On the day -when he pronounced the infant’s claim to the pontifical throne to be -good and valid, a magnificent rainbow is said to have appeared over the -palace of Potala. The Tashi lama had fixed July 31 for the Dalai’s -accession to the throne” (see ‘Narrative of a Journey to Tashilhunpo,’ -p. 25). - -[178] The Khamba are much dreaded throughout Tibet; frequent mentions -are made in the narratives of the Indian explorers of their lawless -ways. For fuller particulars regarding them and their country, I must -refer the reader to my ‘Land of the Lamas’ and to the narrative of A. -K.’s journey.—(W. R.) - -[179] See supra, p. 75. - -[180] De-le of our maps.—(W. R.) - -[181] Speaking of the dances of Tibet, our author says elsewhere that -Padma Sambhava, in the eighth century, A.D., is the reputed originator -of religious dances in Tibet. He introduced the war-dance and the -famous masqued dance, or bag chams (hbag hchams), the former being but -a modification of the latter. At present the great religious dance of -Tibet is the black-hat dance (Dza nag cham), which was introduced in -the eleventh century, A.D., to commemorate the assassination of the -iconoclast King Langdarma by Lama Lhalun Paldor, the murderer having -disguised himself in black when seeking to approach the king. The -ordinary dance of Tibet (dzabs bro) is performed by men and women on -all or any occasion of rejoicing. Sometimes they dance in pairs, -sometimes in a ring, and at others the women hand-in-hand on one side, -the men in like fashion on the other. (S. C. D.) Cf. Markham, ‘Tibet,’ -p. 92; E. F. Knight, ‘Where Three Empires Meet,’ p. 202 et sqq.; -Waddell, ‘Buddhism of Tibet,’ pp. 34, 477, 515 et sqq. - -[182] Cf. infra, p. 116. - -[183] The office here mentioned is well known in Sikkim. See the Sikhim -Gazetteer, p. 304, vi. The amged, as colloquially pronounced, is the -active ruler of the monastery, and often a very important person. - -[184] This Chinese Buddhist monk (or ho-shang) came to Tibet in the -reign of King Srong-btsan gambo (A.D. 629–698). He is usually called -Mahadeva, not Dharmatala.—(W. R.) - -[185] Geo. Bogle, op. cit., p. 106, witnessed a somewhat similar dance -at Tashilhunpo on New Year’s Day. An effigy of the devil was likewise -burnt. Tibetans use the word atsara much as the Chinese do yang -kuei-tzŭ, or “foreign devils,” though it was originally the name given -to learned Indian pilgrims. The word is Sanskrit, acharya.—(W. R.) - -[186] See Captain Samuel Turner, ‘Embassy,’ p. 314. - -[187] According to Chinese authorities, this, or a similar feast, is -celebrated at Lhasa in the second moon of the year. Another analogous -festival is held on the 30th day of the sixth moon. See J.R.A.S., -xxiii. pp. 212, 213.—(W. R.) - -[188] The Chang-tang is not an uninhabited desert, for numerous tribes -of Drupa pasture their herds there the year long, and keep up a -considerable trade with Lhasa and Shigatse, which they supply with -salt. It has been repeatedly crossed by European explorers.—(W. R.) - -[189] Cf. the legend of the miraculous tree sprung from the hair of -Tsongkhapa, and still growing in the courtyard of Kumbum gomba. ‘The -Land of the Lamas,’ pp. 67, 68. - -[190] On the new year festivities, see Waddell, op. cit., p. 513. - -[191] On lamaist monachism, see Sarat Chandra Das’s ‘Indian Pundits in -the Land of Snow,’ and Waddell, op. cit., pp. 169 et sqq. - -[192] In the narrative of his journey in 1879 (p. 26), S. C. D. thus -describes the headdress of the ladies of wealth and fashion at a -festival at Tashilhunpo: “Their headdresses struck me much. The -prevailing form consisted of two, or sometimes three, circular bands of -plaited hair placed across the head and richly studded with pearls, -cat’s-eyes, small rubies, emeralds, diamonds, coral and turquoise beads -as large as hens’ eggs, pearl drops, and various sorts of amber and -jade encircled their heads, like the halo of light round the heads of -goddesses. These circles were attached to a circular headband, from -which six or eight short strings of pearls and regularly shaped pieces -of turquoise and other precious stones hung down over the forehead.” - -[193] Farther on (p. 138), our author tells us that the incarnate -goddess Dorje phagmo also wore her hair long. - -[194] See my ‘Diary of a Journey through Mongolia and Tibet,’ p. 256, -where two such tea-churns are shown.—(W. R.) - -[195] I think our author was misinformed. Rampa (Polygonum viviparum, -L.) does not grow as described here. Rampa seed is eaten, after being -parched and ground, mixed with tsamba. Choma (Potentilla anserina), -also eaten all over Tibet wherever it occurs, is dug out of the ground; -it is not a grain, however, but a small root. I think Chandra Das must -refer to choma, though it is a small tuber not over 1½ inches long.—(W. -R.) - -[196] Lama Serap gyatsho says there are three different kinds of Lobas, -viz. Lo Karpo, Lo Nagpo, and Lo Tawa, or Lo Khabta. The Lo Karpo means -“white, and little civilized.” The Lo Nagpo means “black, and little -civilized.” The Lo Tawas, or stripped Lobas, meaning “quite barbarous -Lobas,” live on the lower part of the Tsangpo, on the east bank. They -are said to kill the mother of the bride in performing their marriage -ceremony, when they do not find any wild men, and eat her flesh. Report -on Explorations, etc., p. 7. See also ibid., pp. 16, 17; and Pundit -Nain Singh’s Journey, in Jour. Roy. Geo. Soc., vol. xlvii. p. 120. - -[197] Og khang means “lower house,” as opposed to Gong khang, “upper -house, or story.”—(W. R.) - -[198] Torma offerings are cones made of tsamba, butter, treacle, and -sugar, and not unfrequently of cardboard, and sometimes painted red, -blue, or green. They are placed in front of the images of malignant -gods as propitiatory offerings. See Waddell, op. cit., 297. On the word -nyihok, see supra, p. 77.—(W. R.) - -[199] One of these libation bowls is represented on p. 90 of ‘Land of -the Lamas.’—(W. R.) - -[200] Lha-sre is the usual title of sons of very high officials. It -means, literally, “son of a god,” but may be conveniently translated by -“prince.”—(W. R.) - -[201] See note 1, p. 115. - -[202] The “presiding deity” was probably Dorje sempa or Vajrasattva. -The Kala Chakra mysticism and its standard work in the Tibetan Tanjur, -called ‘Dus-gi khorlo,’ which I once tried to read, have remained -beyond my comprehension. Emil Schlagintweit, ‘Buddhism in Tibet,’ pp. -46–57, and p. 242 et sqq., gives many details on the subject. See also -Waddell, op. cit., 15, 144, 397.—(W. R.) - -[203] This official is referred to, p. 94.—(W. R.) - -[204] Chandra Das’s experience recalls to my mind the prophecy made me -in 1889 by an incarnate lama in the Tsaidam. ‘Land of the Lamas,’ pp. -164, 165. - -[205] Rong usually means a fertile valley where cultivation is -possible, or which is cultivated.—(W. R.) - -[206] Gab zi on the maps. It must be the same as A. K.’s Upsi village, -where, he says, there is a large Chinese stage-house.—(W. R.) - -[207] Called Shetot on the map.—(W. R.) - -[208] A. K. says that there is also at this village a large Chinese -post station. These post stations are called tang in Chinese; the -building itself is a kung kuan. On the Dugpa sect, see Waddell, op. -cit. He says it originated in the XIIth century.—(W. R.) - -[209] Also known as Ralung la, according to A. K.—(W. R.) - -[210] Jaeschke, Dict., s.v. o-ma., says that this name designates the -plain on which Lhasa stands. Georgi, op. cit., p. 451, mentions between -Gyantse and Nangartse, Lhomar and Lhamentung. The first place I do not -find on any maps at my disposal. The latter, however, corresponds with -the Langma of the maps. According to the maps, the Karo la is 16,600 -feet high.—(W. R.) - -[211] On such religious services, see Waddell, op. cit., 353, 494 et -sqq.—(W. R.) - -[212] The name is written Bsam-lding, meaning, apparently, “fancy -floating.” It was founded, according to Chandra Das’s authorities, by -Shon-nu drupa.—(W. R.) - -[213] Tibetan, Mongol, and Chinese doctors ask their patients but few, -if any, questions. They are supposed to diagnose the disease by the -general appearance of the patient and by his pulse and the condition of -his urine.—(W. R.) - -[214] Khyab-gong and Khyab-gong rinpoche are titles given all the -higher incarnate lamas. The word means “protector.”—(W. R.) - -[215] Such pills are usually called mani rilbu. On the ceremonies -performed in making them, I must refer the reader to my paper on the -subject in Proceedings of the American Oriental Society, October, 1888, -p. xxii. On the subject of “general teas,” see Huc, ‘Souvenirs,’ vol. -ii. p. 122; ‘Land of the Lamas,’ p. 104; and Waddell, ‘Buddhism of -Tibet,’ p. 191.—(W. R.) - -[216] Sa-ga is the name of the 15th lunar mansion (gyu-kar), and also -of a month of the year. Dao is Da-wa, “a month.” On the new moon -festivals, see Waddell, op. cit., 501. - -[217] This custom prevails in China, where it is called fang sheng, “to -let go living creatures.”—(W. R.) - -[218] See ‘Land of the Lamas,’ p. 164. - -[219] Gurkum is saffron. Chusum may be rhubarb.—(W. R.) - -[220] Cf., however, note, p. 131, where he says that the founder of -this lamasery was Shon-nu drupa.—(W. R.) - -[221] See ‘Land of the Lamas,’ p. 106. On Tamdrin, see Waddell, op. -cit., 62 and 364. - -[222] Georgi, ‘Alph. Tibet.,’ p. 451 says, “In Australi eorum (montium) -latere Monasterium, et Sedes est Magnæ Renatæ Lhamissæ Turcepamò. Eam -Indi quoque Nekpallenses, tanquam ipsissimam Deam Bavani venerantur et -colunt.” Mr. Geo. Bogle visited her at Tashilhunpo in 1775: “The mother -went with me into the apartment of Durjay Paumo, who was attired in a -gylong’s dress, her arms bare from the shoulders, and sitting -cross-legged upon a low cushion. She is also the daughter of the lama’s -brother, but by a different wife. She is about seven and twenty, with -small Chinese features, delicate, though not regular, fine eyes and -teeth.... She wears her hair—a privilege granted to no other vestal I -have seen; it is combed back, without any ornaments, and falls in -tresses upon her shoulders.... I never visited her but this time. Mr. -Hamilton used to be there almost every day.” Markham, ‘Tibet,’ pp. 105, -108, 109. - -[223] Hailo must be the Hang of the maps.—(W. R.) - -[224] Georgi, ‘Alph. Tibet.,’ p. 451, speaking of Lake Palti, says, -“Palti: Lacus, alias Jamdro aut Jang-so nuncupatus. Maximæ amplitudinis -est, quam homo pedibus, uti indigene tradunt, nonnisi octodecim dierum -spatio circumire queat. Sic totus ambitus 300. circiter milliariorum -esset.” A. K. calls the town Pete Jong, and on the maps it figures as -Pe de Jong, or Piahte-Jong. The Chinese call it Pai-ti, but I have been -told by Tibetans that the name is Pé-di (written Spe-di).—(W. R.) - -[225] The name is also written Sha-ma-lung and Demalung.—(W. R.) - -[226] The Khamba barchi of the native explorers. It is also called -Kampa lacha.—Khamba chyang tang means “Plain north of Khamba.”—(W. R.) - -[227] A. K. thus describes this bridge: “The bridge is formed of two -iron chains, one on each side; from the chains thick ropes are -suspended to the depth of four yards; by these ropes planks, three feet -long and one foot broad, are supported lengthwise, so as only to admit -of one person crossing at a time. The chains are stretched very tight, -and are fastened around huge blocks of wood buried beneath immense -piles of stone; the length of the bridge is about 100 paces.” ‘Report -on the Explorations,’ p. 31. This is the usual style of Chinese -suspension bridge common throughout Western China and Tibet. This one -was in all likelihood built by the Chinese in the eighteenth century. I -am not aware that the Tibetans ever build this style of bridge; theirs -are usually of wood and of the cantilever description. See my ‘Diary of -a Journey,’ p. 304.—(W. R.) - -[228] Chinese authors say that convicts used to be confined at this -place. See Jour. Roy. As. Soc., 1891, p. 78.—(W. R.) - -[229] On the maps this place is called Tsha-bu-na.—(W. R.) - -[230] Called Chiang-li by the Chinese.—(W. R.) - -[231] The name is also written Nyer-tam. The Chinese call it Yeh-tang. -Atisha came from India to Tibet in A.D. 1083. His proper Indian name -was Dipankara Srijnana.—(W. R.) - -[232] What the Chinese call chan. They are ridiculously short on the -high-road between Lhasa and China, and probably elsewhere. This is so -as to make the ula less oppressive, and I suspect it has something to -do with the allowances of the Chinese officers who have to travel over -it, and which are regulated by stages, not by miles travelled.—(W. R.) - -[233] I have always heard policemen called sa sung (srung) pa by -Tibetans. The word used by our author seems to be khor che (byed) pa, -which would correspond to “patrol-men.” Huc says that Lhasa is about -two leagues in circumference, and A. K. that it is about six miles.—(W. -R.) - -[234] Doring (or rdo ring) means “ancient stone,” or “stone from long -ago.” On the inscription here referred to, see Jour. Roy. As. Soc. (new -series), vol. xii. 486 et sqq.; and vol. xxiii. p. 264. Yu-tog zamba -means “blue roofed bridge.”—(W. R.) - -[235] Better known by its popular name of Cho or Jo khang, or Lhasa -Jo-wo khang. A. K. calls it Jhio. He also mentions Azimabad (Patna) -merchants as having shops in Lhasa.—‘Report on the Explorations,’ p. -32. See also Waddell, op. cit., 300 et sqq. - -[236] These “fringes” are cotton strips on which are printed charms -(mantras). Usually the figure of a horse occupies the middle of the -strip. They are called lung-ta, or “wind-horse.” E. Schlagintweit, -‘Buddhism in Tibet,’ p. 253, and plate xi. The “inscribed banners” -belong to the same class of objects, and have also prayers or passages -from the scriptures printed on them. Georgi, ‘Alph. Tibet.,’ p. 509, -refers to these “flag-poles” as being called Tarpo che (tar-pai -shing?), “Arbor salutaris, depulsoria mali.” See also Waddell, op. -cit., 468 et sqq. - -[237] Mutton fat is a common substitute for butter in tea among the -Tibetans, and is not always used as a pis aller, but in preference to -butter.—(W. R.) - -[238] A dzo is a tenth of an ounce (sang), or about two-thirds of a -rupee in weight. In India its equivalent is a tola.—(W. R.) - -[239] The Buddha’s death is said to have occurred on the 15th of the -4th month, which only occasionally falls on June 1.—(W. R.) - -[240] “Outside the gate (of the Jo khang) there is a stone pillar in a -poor state of preservation: it is the tablet containing the alliance of -Tang Te-tsung with his nephew. On either side of the pillar are old -willows, whose aged trunks are bent and twisted like writhing dragons. -It is said that they date from the Tang period.” Jour. Roy. As. Soc. -(new series), vol. xxiii. p. 264. This inscription bears date A.D. -783.—(W. R.) - -[241] See I. J. Schmidt, ‘Geschichte der Ost-Mongolen von Ssanang -Ssetsen,’ p. 35. According to Tibetan historians, this same princess -(or Kung chu, her name was Chin-Cheng), the wife of King Srong-btsan -gambo, introduced into Tibet, among other things, the art of pottery, -grist-mills, looms, etc. Emil Schlagintweit, ‘Die Könige von Tibet,’ p. -49. Chinese authors (see Jour. Roy. As. Soc., vol. xxiii. p. 191) -attribute to her influence the first use of winepresses, paper, ink, -the Chinese almanac, and the introduction of the silkworm. This -princess was not a daughter of the Emperor Tai-tsung, but a member of -his family. She appears to have travelled from China to Lhasa by the -Hsi-ning road, which passes by the sources of the Yellow River.—(W. R.) - -[242] On the various celebrated images of the Buddha, see ‘Land of the -Lamas,’ p. 105, note 2. Kunyer is the “keeper of images.”—(W. R.) - -[243] Maitreya (Chyamba, in Tibetan) is the Buddha to come in the last -period of this cycle, and Dipankara (Mar-me dzad) is the Buddha of the -first period. The historical Buddha, or Sachya tubpa, is the Buddha of -the present era.—(W. R.) - -[244] Our author calls it “a fossil rock ... discovered in a rock -cavern in Tibet.” I can offer no explanation of the nature of this -relic.—(W. R.) - -[245] A river of Magadha famous in early Buddhist history, and in which -the Buddha is said to have bathed after attaining omniscience.—(W. R.) - -[246] This king reigned over Tibet at the end of the ninth century, -A.D. He appears to have been a fervent follower of the Bonbo religion. -He was murdered in 900 by a lama who had disguised himself so as to be -able to approach the king, and went through clownish tricks and dances. -The murder of the king is still fêted by dances, in which the -participants wear costumes resembling those of the murderer of the -iconoclast. See supra, p. 114.—(S. C. D.) - -[247] Presumably Chyi (phyi), “outside;” and ra-wa, “an enclosure.” - -[248] I suppose this name means “innumerable beings; legions of beings -(gro-vo); a host in himself.” The title To-wo or, “Angry,” applies to a -whole class of deities of the Protector (or Chos-gyong) class.—(W. R.) - -[249] A wandering lama and saint who lived in Southern Tibet in the -eleventh century, and who taught by parables and songs, some of which -have considerable literary merit. The two principal works ascribed to -him are an autobiography, or ‘Nam-tar,’ and a collection of tracts -called ‘Lu bum,’ or “the myriad songs.” They are still among the most -popular books in Tibet. See Nineteenth Century, Oct., 1899, pp. -613–632.—(W. R.) - -[250] Though I have not a copy of Milarapa’s ‘Lu bum’ with me, I feel -sure that this anecdote is taken from it.—(W. R.) - -[251] Ramoche means “a large enclosure”; it was probably the name of -the locality on which the famous temple was built, and not the original -name of that structure.—(W. R.) - -[252] A. K. (op. cit., p. 33) mentions this chorten which he calls -Giang Bimmoche, “erected in honour of a Tibetan hero who is said to -have killed 100,000 of his enemies (Chinese) on the spot.”—(W. R.) - -[253] The princess is said to have been buried in this temple.—(W. R.) - -[254] Georgi, ‘Alph. Tibet.,’ p. 242, says, “Magiæ Doctores Nga Rambà -dicti, diabolicæ hujus sapientiæ mysteriis initiantur, Magica Laurea -solemniter ornantur in duobus Lhassæ Cœnobiis Ramoie Chintopà & Morù -Chinpà nuncupatis.... Oracula sunt tum publica tum domestica, quæ -Populi, quæ Cives, quæ sacri ac profani Magistratus adeant responsa -capturi.” - -[255] Or Ta-chien-lu, on the border of Sze-chuen.—(W. R.) - -[256] Pomda appears to be Pungde, a little post-station two days’ ride -from Chamdo, and south-east of that town. It is called by the Chinese -Pao-tun. See my ‘Diary of a Journey,’ p. 316.—(W. R.) - -[257] Amdo is that portion of the western border-land of the Chinese -province of Kansu and Sze-chuen which is occupied by Tibetan tribes. -This anecdote is also found in Ugyen-gyatso’s relation of his -exploration, ‘Report on Explorations from 1856 to 1886,’ p. 31. - -[258] Cf. Huc, ‘Souvenirs d’un voyage dans la Tartarie et le Thibet,’ -vol. ii. p. 258; and ‘Land of the Lamas,’ p. 214. - -[259] Georgi, op. cit., p. 406 et sqq., describes very fully and -accurately this famous temple, of which he also gives a ground plan. He -calls it the Lahpranga Lhassensi. This description agrees very closely -with that of our author, and is highly interesting, as the analogies -between its style of architecture and that of Christian churches are -discussed.—(W. R.). - -[260] Phagpa was given the government of Tibet by the Emperor Kublai in -A.D. 1260. The first of the Phagmodu kings was Nyakri btsan-po, who is -said to have ascended the throne of Tibet (then a little principality -south of the Tsangpo, in the Yarlung valley) B.C. 313. See I. J. -Schmidt, op. sup. cit., p. 23; and Emil Schlagintweit, ‘Die Könige von -Tibet,’ pp. 39–41. From B.C. 313 to A.D. 1260 is such a long period of -time, that we are hardly able to say that the date of the introduction -of tea into Tibet has been fixed. It is probable that the Tibetans did -not use tea before the eighth century, at the earliest, and its use -only became common in recent times. No mention, I believe, is made of -tea in the works of Milarapa (eleventh century), nor in any of the -older books known to us in the Tibetan language.—(W. R.) - -[261] According to Chinese authors, the selection of incarnate lamas by -the drawing of lots from a golden vase dates from 1793. See Jour. Roy. -As. Soc., vol. xxiii.; ‘Land of the Lamas,’ p. 290; Waddell, op. cit., -245 et sqq. and 279, note 2; also Huc, op. cit., vol. ii. p. 348. -François Bernier, in his ‘Voyages’ (1723), vol. ii. p. 310, gives some -interesting details about the reincarnation of the Grand Lama, as told -him by an attaché to a mission from the King of Little Tibet to -Aureng-Zeb.—(W. R.) - -[262] Among the strange events which occur on the birth of a -reincarnation of the Tale lama may be mentioned “the blossoming, in the -immediate vicinity of the birthplace, of fruit-trees some months before -their usual season; the casting of two or more young by animals which -as a rule do not cast so many at a birth; and the sudden recovery from -fatal illnesses of persons coming in contact with the newborn child.” -See ‘Report on Explorations,’ made by A. K., p. 32.—(W. R.) - -[263] See Waddell, op. cit., p. 478. He calls him “the -Necromancer-in-Ordinary to the Government.” He was first brought to -Tibet by Padma-sambhava, the founder of Lamaism in the middle of the -eighth century.—(W. R.) - -[264] A small and fertile district a little to the east of Lhasa. The -chief town in this district is usually called Kong-po gyamda. Explorer -K. P. visited it in 1883 (?). He says that “there are about twenty -Nepalese shops and fifteen shops of Tibetans at this place.” See -‘Report of Explorations in Butan and Tibet,’ p. 15.—(W. R.) - -[265] Cf. Ugyen-gyatso’s account of this discovery in ‘Report on the -Explorations,’ p. 31. The place of his birth was “Paruchude, near Nam -Jong, in Takpo,” according to the explorer K. P., op. sup. cit., p. -8.—(W. R.) - -[266] I.e. “foreigners;” literally, “outside-country.” The word has no -connection, as was once supposed, with Feranghi or Franks.—(W. R.) - -[267] Our author tells us further on (p. 216) of a woman married to two -men not related. Elsewhere he makes mention of a lamasery in which -monks and nuns cohabit, and bring up their children in their -profession. Polygamy also obtains among the wealthier Tibetans, who -have probably adopted it from the Chinese, and monogamy has a few -votaries. See ‘Land of the Lamas,’ p. 211 et sqq. - -[268] Meaning, literally, “pillars of southern wood.” The “southern -wood” is probably the same as the nan mu or teak of the Chinese.—(W. -R.) - -[269] The term yang-yig usually means “musical score,” the lamas using -sometimes a descriptive score to teach chanting.—(W. R.) Lu kang means -“Snakehouse.” - -[270] A medicinal plant.—(S. C. D.) - -[271] See Jour. Roy. Asiat. Soc., xxiii. p. 70, and Huc, op. cit., ii. -p. 194.—(W. R.) - -[272] “In the faubourgs there is a quarter where the houses are built -entirely with horns of oxen and sheep. These curious buildings are -extremely solid, and present a rather pleasing aspect. The ox-horns -being smooth and whitish, and the sheep-horns, on the contrary, black -and rough, these strange building materials lend themselves -marvellously well to endless combinations, and form on the walls -designs of infinite variety; the spaces between the horns are filled -with mortar. These houses are the only ones which are not whitewashed.” -Huc, ‘Souvenirs d’un voyage,’ vol. ii. p. 254. - -[273] The Kung-chu came to Tibet A.D. 639 (see I. J. Schmidt, op. cit., -p. 341). He there says (translating from the Bodhimur) that when the -princess reached the spot where the Ramoche temple now stands, the cart -on which was the image of the Buddha (Jo-vo) stopped of itself, and -could not be made to move forward.—(W. R.) - -[274] Dolma, or Drolma (Sanskrit Tara). The two wives of King -Srong-btsan gambo are worshipped under this name. The Chinese princess -is called Dol-kar, or “the white Dolma,” and the Nepalese princess -Dol-jang, or “the green Dolma.” The latter is prayed to by women for -fecundity. On the worship of Dolma, see Waddell, op. cit., p. 435 et -sqq. - -[275] The god of eternal life; in Sanskrit, Amitāyus. - -[276] The Ka-dro (mkah-hgro) are nymphs or fairies, all friendly to -man. In Sanskrit they are called Dakini. See Waddell, op. cit., p. 366. - -[277] Mumen, “a precious stone of dark blue, but inferior to the azure -stone, occasionally used for rosaries.” Mention is also made of mumen -dmar-po (“red mumen”). Jaeschke, ‘Tib.-Engl. Dict.,’ s.v. mu-men. - -[278] From what the author says a little later, it would appear that, -on the contrary, the Tale lama is very accessible. Manning called -repeatedly on him in 1811, and Huc tells us there was no difficulty -about being admitted to his presence.—(W. R.) - -[279] Cf. Jour. Roy. Asiat. Soc., xxiii. p. 285. - -[280] The earliest name of Mount Potala was Marpo ri, “the red hill.” -King Srong-btsan gambo is said to have built a palace on its summit, -and it was occupied by the kings of Tibet down to the time of the fifth -Tale lama, who built about the middle of the seventeenth century the -present palace. See Emil Schlagintweit, ‘Die Könige von Tibet,’ p. 49. -Our author says the palace was built “by the fifth Dalai lama and his -illustrious Regent Desi Sangye-gyatso.” In connection with our author’s -audience of the Grand Lama, it is interesting to read Manning’s -account, which agrees with it very closely.—(W. R.) - -[281] Manning says of the then Tale lama (Lozang lung-tog-gyatso by -name), “The lama’s beautiful and interesting face and manner engrossed -almost all my attention. He was at that time about seven years old; had -the simple and unaffected manners of a well-educated princely child. -His face was, I thought, poetically and affectingly beautiful.... I was -extremely affected by this interview with the lama. I could have wept -through strangeness of sensation.” See Markham, op, cit., pp. 265, 266. -I am sorry I have not now access to Nain Singh’s report of his -interview with the Tale lama in 1866; but, if I remember rightly, it -contains some interesting details on his audience with the Dalai lama -Trin-las-gyatso.—(W. R.) - -[282] Water used for oblations in Tibet is usually coloured (or -perfumed?) with saffron. See Waddell, op. cit., p. 298.—(W. R.) - -[283] Manning says (op. cit., p. 265), “The ceremony of presentation -being over, Munshi and I sat down on two cushions not far from the -lama’s throne, and had suchi brought us. It was most excellent, and I -meant to have mended my draught and emptied the cup, but it was whipped -away suddenly, before I was aware of it.” Suchi is sol (gsol) ja, the -polite term for “tea.” “Perfumed tea” is the Chinese hsiang pien -ch’a.—(W. R.) - -[284] Tonmi Sambhota introduced the alphabet of India into Tibet, and -negotiated the king’s marriages with his two famous consorts. Gar -(Mgar) was an equally famous general of the same epoch, and Prince -Gungri gung-tsan is, I think, Srong-btsan gambo’s grandson. See Emil -Schlagintweit, ‘Die Könige von Tibet,’ p. 47 et sqq.—(W. R.) - -[285] There are seventy-five gods bearing this name. The gon-po -(mgon-po) are the fiercest of the terrifying type of divinities.—(W. -R.) - -[286] On this famous Tibetan statesman (“Tisri vir ingenii -sagacissimi,” as Georgi, op. cit., p. 329, calls him), see Georgi’s -notice, loc. cit., and Jour. Roy. Asiat. Soc., xxiii. p. 186. - -[287] Meaning “the ornament of the world.” - -[288] Pronounced Tale lama. This Mongol name is in common use in Tibet. -He is also known as Gyal-wa-gyatso, or Kyab-gong Rinpoche; but this -latter title is applied likewise to all very high incarnate lamas. A. -K.’s Kiamkun Ringboche is but an inaccurate transcription of Kyab-gong -Rinpoche, which means “the Precious Protector.”—(W. R.) - -[289] Or rather De-wa-chan, “the happy (place)” in Sanskrit Sukavati; -also called Nub-chyog Dewachan, or “the western abode of bliss.”—(W. -R.) - -[290] On the Tale lamas, see Jour. Roy. Asiat. Soc., xxiii. p. 285 et -sqq., and Waddell, op. cit., p. 227; the dates given in the former work -are derived from Chinese sources, and differ by a year or two from -those usually accepted by Tibetans.—(W. R.) - -[291] I believe that the Lhasa mint is in this Gadan phodang. Tibetan -silver coins (tanka) are inscribed Nam-gyal Gadan phodang chyog-las, -“From the Gadan phodang of the Victorious (Tale lama).” See Lacouperie, -‘The silver coinage of Tibet.’—(W. R.) - -[292] Manning calls the King “Ti-mu-fu, or Hu-lu-tu.” See Markham, -‘Tibet,’ p. 264. I am unable to explain satisfactorily these names, -though the first has a rather Chinese tournure. The second may be the -Mongol Hutuketu, “incarnate saint of the first rank.” The Chinese call -the Regent Tsang Wang, or “King of Tibet.” See also, on the selection -of this functionary, ‘Land of the Lamas,’ p. 289, and ‘Report on -Explorations, 1856–1886,’ p. 31. - -[293] In this connection the following is interesting: “Some few years -ago the Grand Council of Lhasa (Caphyn) was composed of three men, -named Semeling, Tengeling, and Kunduling. A man of influence named Sape -Satya complained to the Emperor of China of the oppressive and -inefficient rule of these men. The Chinese commissioner, ‘Kissen,’ came -from China, apprehended Semeling, and took him off as a prisoner to -China.”—Ashley Eden, ‘Report on the State of Bootan,’ p. 131; cf. Huc., -op. cit., ii. 287 et sqq. - -[294] He is also called Chyi-lon Hutuketu. He is Chancellor of the -Exchequer; the Chinese Amban is his colleague, and his approval of any -expenditure is necessary.—(W. R.) - -[295] See Huc., op. cit., ii. 286. - -[296] Our author’s informant must have written ja tsag, meaning -“tea-strainer”; but Chasag is spelt rgyal tsab, and means “viceroy.” -The Lhasa Amban is in like manner called Gong-ma tsab, “the Emperor’s -deputy.”—(W. R.) - -[297] Cf. Jour. Roy. Asiat. Soc., xxiii. pp. 11, 220, 239, 242. The -nominees to these positions are confirmed by the Emperor of China.—(W. -R.) - -[298] This button is given them by the Emperor (or rather the Amban). -The lama minister does not wear one. According to Chinese authorities, -the Kalon have only 3rd class, or blue, buttons. The coral button -belongs to the 1st class.—(W. R.) - -[299] On the Dungkhor, see Jour. Roy. Asiat. Soc., xxiii. pp. 220, 243. - -[300] Our author forgets the “squeezes,” which swell all salaries to -very respectable sizes.—(W. R.) - -[301] A lama (Tse-dung) and a layman.—(S. C. D.) - -[302] On the military inspections made by the Amban, see Peking -Gazette, January 24, 1886, and Jour. Roy. Asiat. Soc., xxiii, p. 216. - -[303] Of course most of the Djongpon only attend to a very few of these -duties. They squeeze the people under them, exact as much service as -possible, and, together with the lamas, get everything they can out of -them, and only stop when their exactions appear likely to cause serious -trouble.—(W. R.) - -[304] In Chinese, called Liang-tai. On the Chinese military -establishment in Tibet, see Jour. Roy. Asiat. Soc., xxiii, p. 275 et -sqq.; and on the Amban’s duties, ibid., p. 7 et sqq. - -[305] In the Anglo-Tibetan war there were four Magpons or Mafeas, and -eight Dahpons. - -[306] Thos. Manning (Markham, ‘Tibet.,’ p. 274) says, “It is very bad -policy thus perpetually to send men of bad character to govern Tibet. -It no doubt displeases the Grand Lama and Tibetans in general, and -tends to prevent their affections from settling in favour of the -Chinese Government. I cannot help thinking, from what I have seen and -heard, that they would view the Chinese influence in Tibet overthrown -without many emotions of regret.”—(W. R.) - -[307] This is not correct. Traders only have a permit issued either at -Ta-chien-lu by the Chun-liang-fu or at Lhasa by the Amban allowing them -to enter or leave Tibet. All officials, even common soldiers—the latter -only when going to Tibet or when on duty—have ula supplied them.—(W. -R.) - -[308] A kang is a piece of land to sow which 10 yak-loads of barley are -used, or one which pays 50 to 55 ounces of silver a year as taxes.—(S. -C. D.) - -[309] The 4th Panchen rinpoche was called Pal-dan Tan-pai nyi-ma. He -was born in 1782. He died in the early fifties. Turner, ‘Embassy,’ p. -230.—(W. R.) - -[310] Chamdo, in Eastern Tibet. It is an ecclesiastical fief under the -rule of a high dignitary of the Gelugpa sect who bears the title of -Phapa lha.—(W. R.) - -[311] In other words, he should take all he can possibly get without -forcing the misser to open revolt.—(W. R.) - -[312] This seems impossible, in view of the large flocks owned by most -of the people. One in a thousand would already be a heavy tax.—(W. R.) - -[313] A pretty good allowance, one would think. Cf., on this courier -service, Huc, op. cit., vol. ii. p. 450.—(W. R.) - -[314] In China most of the couriers are opium-smokers.—(W. R.) - -[315] A lebor is, says our author, equal to 720 yards. It is the -Chinese li, but I have heard the word always pronounced leu. A li, -however, is about 600 yards.—(W. R.) - -[316] I fancy our author means rearrange or remove his dress. A -travelling Tibetan never changes his dress.—(W. R.) - -[317] There are cases on record in which a despatch from Lhasa has been -delivered in Peking within a month.—(W. R.) - -[318] Cf., however, Jour. Roy. Asiat. Soc. xxiii. pp. 216–218. See also -‘Report on Explorations made by A. K.,’ p. 33. The Chinese punishment -of the cangue is now adopted throughout Tibet, the criminals wearing it -being also heavily chained. The cangue is called in Tibetan, -tse-go.—(W. R.) - -[319] This, I fancy, is hearsay testimony, and, I think, should be -taken with several grains of salt. The Tibetans are not cruel, though, -like all Asiatics, they believe in deterring from crime by the terror -of the punishment.—(W. R.) - -[320] All this does not add materially to our knowledge of Tibetan -business methods. It would seem that the Tibetans follow the rules -concerning loans which obtain in China and India, but the text is not -very clear.—(W. R.) - -[321] See Hooker’s ‘Himalayan Journals,’ vol. i. p. 117, and vol. ii. -p. 202 et sqq. He says, in speaking of the Dewan, “Considering, -however, his energy, a rare quality in these countries, I should not be -surprised at his cutting a figure in Bhutan, if not in Sikkim itself” -(op. cit., vol. ii. p. 241).—(W. R.) - -[322] I fancy our author refers to the hsiang pien cha usually drunk by -Chinese in Peking and elsewhere in the north. Jasmine flowers are dried -with the tea, and impart to it a strong and agreeable perfume.—(W. R.) - -[323] It is strange that our author tells us nothing of this famous -lamasery of Chagpori. We know, however, that it is one of the oldest in -Tibet, that the medical school is attended by some 300 students, and -that it supplies with medicines, most of which are simples collected by -the lamas themselves, not only Lhasa, but remote parts of Tibet and -Mongolia. I have seen remedies bought at Chagpori used in the Tsaidam, -the Koko Nor, and all over Eastern Tibet.—(W. R.) - -[324] Amdo being used here in its broadest sense as including all -North-east Tibet. These Golok (or Golog) trade with Kumbum, Sungpan (in -North-west Sze-chuen), and with the Lhasa country. “At Pherchode (near -Namdjong in Takpo) many traders called ‘Golokpas’ come with large herds -of yaks to trade, and annually visit this place in the months of -October and November with merchandise, chiefly consisting of salt and -wool.” ‘Report on the Exploration, from 1856 to 1886,’ p. 8. - -[325] This is at all events a good story, but I doubt whether the -Golok, any more than the Chinese, Mongols, or other Tibetan tribes, -kiss in public.—(W. R.) - -[326] I have never heard of any district of this name. This mode of -saluting is a Mohammedan one.—(W. R.) - -[327] Tsongkhapa, the great lama reformer in the 14th century, -instituted these annual prayer meetings. The most important one is the -“great prayer meeting” (mon-lam chen-po) in the early part of the -year.—(W. R.) - -[328] Chinese authors make mention of a similar festival, held at Lhasa -yearly, beginning on the latter part of the second moon (middle March), -and lasting for a month. Another of like description is held in the -sixth moon. See Jour. Roy. Asiat. Soc., xxiii. pp. 212, 213. - -[329] See supra, p. 70. - -[330] This game is one of the very few national games of Tibet, but is -probably of foreign origin. I have never seen it played in Northern or -Eastern Tibet. In Bhutan the people appear to be specially skilful at -it.—(W. R.) - -[331] Seng chen is a Chinese title, meaning “the Monk Minister.”—(W. -R.) - -[332] Huc, op. cit., vol. ii. p. 338, tells us of the pleasure the -Regent of Lhasa found in learning from him the Roman alphabet. I myself -have found it the one subject which never failed to interest Tibetans, -lamas, and laymen.—(W. R.) - -[333] On this ceremony of burnt-offering, chin (sbyin), “alms;” sreg, -“to burn up,” see Emil Schlagintweit, ‘Buddhism in Tibet,’ p. 249 et -sqq.; and Waddell, op. cit., p. 498. - -[334] See supra, p. 66. - -[335] Ding means something like “village.” It is a very common -termination to names of places throughout Tibet.—(W. R.) - -[336] Daba, or Draba, is the name applied to all lamas irrespective of -rank. The word lama is only used when speaking of some high dignitary -in the church, or of a gelong, or “priest.”—(W. R.) - -[337] The Gyade country, which extends from the high-road from -Nagchukha to Hsi-ning in Kansu and to Chamdo, is not under the rule of -Lhasa, it is a purely Bonbo country. I traversed this region from west -to east in 1892. Khams Gyarong refers to the Chin chuan, a small region -on the Upper Ta-tung river, in North-west Sze-chuen, where this -religion has many adherents.—(W. R.) - -[338] The present Bonbo religion is hardly distinguishable from Tibetan -Buddhism, except in a few peculiar reversals of lamaist customs, and in -the names of the gods. See ‘Land of the Lamas,’ p. 217. Schiefner, -Sarat Chandra, and Laufer have published translations and texts of some -Bonbo works.—(W. R.) - -[339] Not a very intelligible or satisfactory explanation. See Waddell, -op. cit., p. 287. - -[340] The little water-bottle carried by gelongs, and with which they -moisten their mouths in the forenoon when they are not allowed to eat -or drink. Waddell, op. cit., 201.—(W. R.) - -[341] The Sham-tab is a plaited petticoat of red pulo; it is worn by -all lamas. The tongu is the upper shawl. - -[342] By which he means, I suppose, the Chang tang Bonbos of Gyade.—(W. -R.) - -[343] This is also done among Buddhists, as in the Palti lake country. -See supra, p. 139. - -[344] Moorcroft, ‘Travels,’ ii. 68, refers to Bonbo lamas when he -describes the lamas of Pin (in Ladak), who allow their hair to grow and -become matted, and who wear black. Nain Singh makes mention of the -Bonbo country of North Tibet, which he calls “the Ombo, or Pembo -country,” Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, xlvii. p. 107.—(W. -R.) - -[345] I have heard of Chinese claims to the discovery of the telephone, -but never before of Tibetan. I fancy the lama had heard of the Morse -transmitter, which may have been taken for a little hammer struck on a -board.—(W. R.) - -[346] Visited by Ugyen-gyatso in 1883. - -[347] Our author farther on (p. 241) says that these volumes are about -six feet long by eighteen inches broad. This appears more likely. The -age of the Chinese books is certainly greatly exaggerated.—(W. R.) - -[348] Dob-tha jong of the map. Our author passed through it when -returning to Darjiling, see infra, p. 244. - -[349] About five miles from Khamba djong.—(W. R.) - -[350] The same road followed by him and Chandra Das when going to -Shigatse.—(W. R.) - -[351] It is a shrub (Symplocos) common in Sikkim. See Hooker, -‘Himalayan Journals,’ ii. 41. Tso (or Tsos) is not, I believe, the -Tibetan name of the plant, but only means “dye.”—(W. R.) - -[352] See infra, p. 256; the details there given do not quite agree -with what he says on this occasion.—(W. R.) - -[353] Our author gives several pages of text on the ethics, etc., of -the Bonbo, but they are so technical that I have been obliged to omit -them. The Bonbo terminology used by him is practically the same as that -of the lamas. He tells us that the Bonbo are divided into six sects, -the most popular of which is the Tu lug, to which the people of the -Chang tang and Gyade belong. The Shen-tsang lug is the second in -importance. See also supra, 208.—(W. R.) - -[354] Ta, “horse;” lung, “valley.” On the name Yamdok tso, see Journ. -Buddh. Text. Soc. of India, IV. Pt. III. p.t.—(W. R.) - -[355] The Choi-khor-tse of the map.—(W. R.) - -[356] Certain dancers represent the celestial musicians or kinnara, -called in Tibetan mi ham-chi. These are probably what S. C. D. refers -to. Ri-o-tag Jong of the map.—(W. R.) - -[357] Probably Nyema lung of the map.—(W. R.) - -[358] Called Loh-bu Jong on the maps.—(W. R.) - -[359] Tang-da of the maps.—(W. R.) - -[360] Ton namgyalling Jong of the maps. Altitude 12,430 feet.—(W. R.) - -[361] Tibetans from North-east Tibet. These were more probably Changpa -from the Chang tang, for the Horba do not bring salt to Central -Tibet.—(W. R.) - -[362] Kedesho Jong of the maps. A. K., who passed through it the same -year, only a fortnight before our author, calls it Chitishio Jong. He -says there are about a thousand houses in it.—‘Report on the Explor. -made by A. K.,’ p. 84.—(W. R.) - -[363] Shanpa means “boatman,” not boat.—(W. R.) - -[364] Ta-chien-lu, on the border of Sze-chuen. The Dorje-tag (Rdo-rje -brag) lamasery has given its name to a sect. See Waddell, op. cit., 73. - -[365] This seems to be the same custom as obtains in Eastern Tibet, -where all corpses are kept until the crops have been reaped, and then -either fed to vultures, burnt or otherwise disposed of. See ‘Land of -the Lamas,’ p. 286. The text is not quite clear, for it does not state -whether or not the corpses are kept permanently in the houses of the -parents.—(W. R.) - -[366] Called Tsong-ka on the maps. All this route was again gone over -by Ugyen-gyatso in 1883. See ‘Report on Explorations from 1856 to -1886,’ p. 28 et sqq. He says (p. 29) that the river at Tsong-ka is over -a mile broad. King Me agtsoms was the father of Tisrong detsan, of whom -our author has so often occasion to speak. He reigned over Tibet in the -latter half of the seventh century, A.D.—(W. R.) - -[367] The Gokhar la crossed by Nain Singh in 1873. Dechen djong is on -the Kyi chu, a day’s journey east of Lhasa.—(W. R.) - -[368] Chyema (bye-ma) means “sand,” nagshu probably means “black.”—(W. -R.) - -[369] I cannot conceive how a chorten can resemble a dorje (vajra). The -comparison is not a happy one.—(W. R.) - -[370] Perhaps she came from Litang. The women there wear a large silver -plaque on either side of the head, which meet over the crown in a -point, so that, from a distance, the head-dress looks not unlike a -pointed cap.—(W. R.) - -[371] These are the subjects usually seen in such frescoes throughout -Tibet and Mongolia.—(W. R.) - -[372] Behor must be Bihar gyalpo, one of the five great patron saints -or Chu-gyong, of Tibet. Noijinhamara may be the god of wealth.—(W. R.) - -[373] Wu-khang would appear to mean “central room or house.” I have -never heard of bottling up the breath or spirit of the dead among any -Buddhist people. This must be a survival of some pre-Buddhist -superstition.—(W. R.) - -[374] Tibetan historians inform us that Padma Sambhava (Peme -chyung-nas) was called to Tibet from Kafiristan (O-rgyan) by Santa -Rakshita (Dji-wa tso), who could not withstand the onslaught of the -Bonbos. See Emil Schlagintweit, ‘Die Könige von Tibet,’ p. 52 et sqq. - -[375] Written Bsam-yas. I do not believe that this interpretation of -the word Samye is correct. San yang, it is true, means “three styles” -in Chinese, but Chinese yang would never be pronounced ye in Tibetan. -Waddell, op. cit., 266, translates the name, “the academy for obtaining -the heap of unchanging meditation.” Nain Singh visited Samye (he calls -it Sama-ye Gomba) in 1873. “It is surrounded by a very high circular -wall, 1½ mile in circumference, with gates facing the four points of -the compass. On the top of this wall the Pundit counted 1030 chhartans -(chorten) made of burnt bricks.... The interiors of the (stone) walls -of these temples are covered with very beautiful writing in enormous -Hindi (Sanscrit) characters....” Jour. Roy. Geog. Soc., xlvii. p. 114. -Sarat Chandra says that a work, entitled ‘Pama Kahthang’ (‘Peme -Katang’?), contains a full description of this famous lamasery. See -also Waddell, op. cit., 266–268. - -[376] This iconoclast, who appears to have been born in A.D. 861, -interdicted the Buddhist religion in Tibet in 899, and was murdered in -900. See Csoma, ‘Tib. Grammar,’ p. 183. Cf. Emil Schlagintweit, op. -cit., p. 59, and I. J. Schmidt, ‘Geschichte der Ost Mongolen,’ pp. 49, -362, et sqq. In the last work is the history of the murder of the king -by the hermit, Lha-lung palgyi dorje. It agrees with what our author -has told us supra, p. 153, when describing the origin of the “black -hat” dance.—(W. R.) - -[377] Our author says, only “in the year fire-tiger of the thirteenth -cycle,” and “again, after a period of ten years, in the month of May -(fire-tiger of the fourteenth cycle).” This is impossible, as -fire-tiger is the third year in the cycle of sixty years. Assuming the -first date to be correct, the second must be A.D. 1808. Waddell, op. -cit., 267, says the library was destroyed about 1816.—(W. R.) - -[378] Nain Singh speaks of a town called Sawe, where the Tibetan -treasury is kept. See Markham’s ‘Tibet,’ p. cxiii. This is Samye. -Explorer A. K. passed here in October, 1882, but his notes contain -nothing about this celebrated place. Ugyen-gyatso visited it in -October, 1883, but his report also contains little of interest. See -‘Report on Exploration from 1856 to 1886,’ pp. 28, 29. Csoma, ‘Tib. -Grammar,’ p. 183, says it was founded A.D. 749. Cf. Emil Schlagintweit, -‘Die Könige von Tibet,’ p. 53. Ssanang Ssetsen (I. J. Schmidt, -‘Geschichte der Ost Mongolen’), p. 41, says the building of the temple -was begun in A.D. 811, and finished in 823. The date given by Csoma is -probably correct, as King Tisrong detsan’s father was a contemporary of -the Tang Emperor Chang-tsung, who reigned in 684. Tisrong reigned from -740 to 786. He was born, according to Csoma, A.D. 728.—(W. R.) - -[379] Ugyen-gyatso also speaks of the woods and gardens, and especially -the walnut trees of this section of country. He refers also to the -excellent roads. See ‘Report on the Explor. from 1856 to 1886,’ p. 28. -A. K. speaks of the village of Do as Dushio. Tso (shio) means village, -and is an abbreviation from grong-tso (pr. drong-tso).—(W. R.) - -[380] There is a Reting gomba on the big broad between Lhasa and -Hsi-ning, not far from Nagchukha. The party referred to may have come -from this neighbourhood, though the Dokpa of that region are not -Horba.—(W. R.) - -[381] Phamu bub of the maps.—(W. R.) - -[382] Jang on the maps.—(W. R.) - -[383] Quoting from the Dsamling yeshe, our author says elsewhere that -there are here eighteen silver tombs of the successive Phagmodu lama -rinpoche. - -[384] Trees sprung from the hair of saints or deities are frequently -found in Tibet and in other Buddhist countries. The most famous is the -“white sandalwood tree” of Kumbum, described by Huc and other -travellers. Chandra Das tells us (supra, p. 117) of a juniper within -the walls of Tashilhunpo, which had sprung from the hair of Gedun-dub, -the first Panchen rinpoche. Explorer Ugyen-gyatso (‘Report on Explor. -from 1856 to 1886,’ p. 28) refers also to the Densatil forest. Csoma, -‘Tib. Gram.,’ p. 185, says the Dän-sa tel (gdan-sa tel) monastery was -founded in A.D. 1156.—(W. R.) - -[385] The Dsamling yeshe calls it Zangri khang mar.—(S. C. D.) - -[386] Elsewhere called Labkyi Donma.—(S. C. D.) - -[387] From Sangri khamar the traveller turned westward along the -river-bank till he came in front of Logang (or Lu-kang-tu), where there -is a ferry-boat.—(W. R.) - -[388] Nyen on the maps. I find no mention of this bridge in the reports -of other explorers.—(W. R.) - -[389] Called Chethang by all the other explorers. A. K. calls it “a -large town containing 1000 houses, a bazar, a gomba, and a fort,” -‘Report of Explor. made by A. K.,’ p. 83. Explorer Ugyen-gyatso, who -visited in October, 1883, says, “Mahomedan shops were found in the -market in which wheat and meat soup were sold. It is curious that the -lama notes that pork is specially cheap at this place, three annas -being the price paid for a pig’s head, and eight annas for a quarter. -Radishes, carrots, and yak’s flesh are also sold in the public market,” -‘Report of Explor. from 1856 to 1886,’ p. 27. Nain Singh, who visited -Chetang in 1873, says there are 700 lamas in the two monasteries, see -Jour. Roy. Geog. Soc., xlvii. 117.—(W. R.) - -[390] This legend is told in the thirty-fourth chapter of the ‘Mani -kambum,’ and our author gives an abstract of it. I have translated the -full original text in my ‘Land of the Lamas,’ p. 355 et sqq.—(W. R.) - -[391] Called on the maps Zomba Lha khang (“Ancient Palace”). The name -is variously written U-bu la-gang, Ombo lang-gang. See Emil -Schlagintweit, ‘Die Könige von Tibet,’ p. 42. It is said to have been -built by King Nya-kri tsanpo (IVth century, B.C.?), or by King Totori -nyan-tsan (IIIrd century, A.D.). I. J. Schmidt, op. cit., p. 317 -(quoting the Bodhimur), says it was called Ombre lang-ti.—(W. R.) - -[392] Tag chhen Pomda on the maps.—(W. R.) - -[393] The young monk was certainly misinformed. Potatoes were -introduced into Bhutan by Warren Hastings, and spread from there into -Tibet within the last hundred years. On the eastern border of Tibet -potatoes have been introduced by the Chinese and the French -missionaries.—(W. R.) - -[394] Ras-chung Dorje gragspa, or “Dorje drapa of Rachung,” was born in -1083. This lamasery, which he founded, is also called Ras-chung phug -gomba, “the lamasery of the cave of Ras-chung.”—(W. R.) - -[395] Probably porphyry.—(W. R.) - -[396] This is a common practice in the Nyingma sect. Explorer K. P. -found at Thum Tsung (Lower Tsangpo valley) a monastery in which “both -men and women are allowed to preach and live together.” He found the -same practice in the adjacent village of Bhal gonpa and Marpung. -‘Report on Explor. from 1856 to 1886,’ pp. 9 and 12.—(W. R.) - -[397] These blue tiles are certainly of Chinese manufacture.—(W. R.) - -[398] For this legend see I. J. Schmidt, op. cit., pp. 21 and 316. Also -Emil Schlagintweit, ‘Die Könige von Tibet,’ p. 39 et sqq. Ugyen-gyatso -visited this spot in 1883, and refers to this legend, op. cit., p. -27.—(W. R.) - -[399] Called Bya (pronounced Chya). It is called Cha Sa on the maps. A. -K. speaks of it as “the temple of Chyasa (Cheuse) Lhakhang.”—(W. R.) - -[400] Tong-shoi on the maps. A. K. mentions, 1½ miles west of this -point, the Gerpa Duga ferry.—(W. R.) - -[401] Or Tsong du ta-tsang, according to Ugyen-gyatso.—(W. R.) - -[402] This lamasery shares with Dorje-tag, previously referred to, the -honour of being the supreme one of this sect. Waddell, op. cit., -277.—(W. R.) - -[403] Ugyen-gyatso says that should the married member of the Tertaling -family die without issue, “the throne” Lama, in spite of his vows, is -expected to marry the widow, and raise up his own heirs to govern. A -total failure of heirs is attended by widespread calamities—war, -famine, and general disaster. ‘Report of Explor. from 1856 to 1886,’ p. -29. - -[404] A. K. says there are 600 houses in Gong-kha Jong and 200 around -the Gongkha Chorten (i.e. Gong-kar chosde).—(W. R.) - -[405] Chiakri on the maps.—(W. R.) - -[406] Called Lingbo chen on the maps. Our author’s narrative is not at -all clear in this part. If, as he states, the Re chu (Shab chu) flows -by Samdong, the maps are wrong, for they make this river to flow seven -miles east of that village (San chong on the map). It is probable that -the brook (?) which flows by Samdong is an affluent of the Shab chu, -but the maps do not show any watercourse at this point.—(W. R.) - -[407] Usually Tibetans drink their chang cold. Heating it is the -Chinese fashion.—(W. R.) - -[408] Chong la on the maps.—(W. R.) - -[409] I am unable to follow on the maps our author’s route from the -Chong la to Sakya. He appears to have taken a very roundabout way.—(W. -R.) - -[410] This, our author has told us elsewhere, is a distinguishing sign -of all Nyingma religious and lay buildings.—(W. R.) - -[411] Labrang means literally “dwelling of a lama dignitary.” Phodrang -is a palace or residence of a secular officer.—(W. R.) - -[412] Phagpa (or Dro-gon Phagpa) is said to have been born A.D. 1233, -and became ruler of Tibet in 1251. Csoma, ‘Tib. grammar,’ p. 186. The -latter date is, however, inconsistent with facts, as Kublai only -mounted the throne in 1260, and became actually seated on the throne of -China in 1280, and it was he who made him Kuo shih, or “Preceptor of -the realm.” H. H. Howorth, ‘History of the Mongols,’ i. p. 506 et sqq., -makes no mention of Kublai raising Phagpa to be ruler of Tibet. - -[413] Abbreviation of Ponbo chenpo, or “great officer.” The Sakya -monastery was founded in A.D. 1071, according to Csoma, op. cit., p. -197. Phagpa was a nephew of the famous Sakya Pandita, the author of -many standard works of Tibetan literature. - -[414] Buyantu reigned from 1312 to 1320. Ssanang Ssetsen says that the -lama Sakya Sribadra was head of the church under him. I. J. Schmidt, -op. cit., p. 121. The Saskya-pa sect was, prior to the rising of the -present Gelugpa sect, the most powerful of the reformed schools of -Tibetan Buddhism.—(W. R.) - -[415] A spike of iron or bronze with a triangular section. The top of -it terminates in a dorje. It is used in exorcisms. Emil Schlagintweit, -‘Buddhism in Tibet,’ p. 257 et sqq., and Waddell, op. cit., pp. 341, -483, and 488.—(W. R.) - -[416] On this lamasery, see supra, p. 66. - -[417] Apparently the earrings are attached to the ear-covers of gold, -not to the ear itself.—(W. R.) - -[418] Called in Tibetan, Ya chyil dung-kar; and in Chinese, Yu hsuan -pai-lei. Both nations consider such shells as treasures of inestimable -value. There is one in China, kept at Fu chu by the Ti-tuh. See Peking -Gazette, February 23, 1867, and one at Lhasa. ‘The Land of the Lamas,’ -p. 110.—(W. R.) - -[419] “In 1794 the Tale lama, under orders from the Emperor, erected -special hospitals for small-pox patients, in which they were supplied -with food and every necessary, and which were in care of a special -officer.... The same plan has been adopted by the authorities of -Tashilhunpo and Chamdo” (Jour. Roy. Asiat. Soc., n.s. xxiii. p. 235). I -am not aware that these hospitals are kept up at the present day.—(W. -R.) - -[420] The marmot is called Chyi (phyi)-wa. Mong I am unable to explain; -perhaps it is the same animal which our author calls elsewhere the -sremong (sri), and which is smaller than a cat, with tawny hair. The -skin, he adds, is much used in witchcraft. The skin is blown up after -putting inside it a slip with the name of the person it is desired to -injure on it. The victim dies of an inflated body within seven -days.—(W. R.) - -[421] The Chiblung tsangpo, the Upper Arun, flows through this -valley.—(W. R.) - -[422] On this lake, see supra, p. 211. - -[423] At this point our author’s route joined that which he had taken -when coming into Tibet.—(W. R.) The Che chu is the Arun, see supra, p. -42. - -[424] Certainly not of their own invention or manufacture.—(W. R.) - -[425] I think these “classes” are more theoretical than real, and that -these remarks are probably borrowed from some work, based on Indian -notions. The idea of caste is un-Tibetan as it is un-Chinese. Rab -(rabs) means “family, race, social class.” Rab-kyi rabs means “upper -superior class;” Rab-kyi ding, “middle superior class;” Rab-kyi tama, -“lowest superior;” Ding-kyi rab, “superior middle class,” etc., -etc.—(W. R.) - -[426] By “subjects” I fancy our author must mean serfs or tenants -(misser). - -[427] Cf. Jour. Roy. Asiat. Soc., n.s. xxiii. pp. 228–230. See also -Waddell, op. cit., 553. - -[428] The information contained in this section has been compiled, our -author says, from “a legal work.” I doubt if its rules are in practice. -Borche appears to be hbor-wa chye (hyed), “to cast away, to abandon.” -Den yo is bden, “truth;” and perhaps gyogs (for yo), “covering of.”—(W. -R.) - -[429] This would appear to refer to temporary marriages.—(W. R.) - -[430] So far as the Khamba are concerned, I think our author is not -correct in his statement. That it may have once been as he says is -highly probable, but at present it is certainly not so; intercourse -with the Chinese has, I believe, caused not only the people of Eastern -Tibet, but of all Tibet to adopt to a great extent their ideas -concerning marriages between near relations.—(W. R.) - -[431] Neither is it in Khamdo. See my ‘Land of the Lamas,’ p. 211 et -sqq.—(W. R.) - -[432] I hardly imagine that our author intends to convey the idea that -this is a custom of the Tibetans.—(W. R.) - -[433] See Waddell, op. cit., p. 88. He says the “soul-extracting lama” -is called hpobo. - -[434] Cf. ‘Land of the Lamas,’ p. 287.—(W. R.) - -[435] The tuisol, or “cleansing ceremony” (bkrus, washed; gsol, to -pray), is performed on numerous occasions and for various purposes. I -suppose that by “relics,” remains after cremation are here meant.—(W. -R.) - -[436] Waddell, op. cit., 491, calls this sacrifice to the manes of the -deceased ting-shag. - -[437] Our author is not quite right here, as the Tibetans have borrowed -the major part of their pharmacopœia from China and India. Most of -their medical works are purely Chinese or Indian, and I do not believe -they have much more, if even so much, knowledge of surgery as the -Chinese, who are terribly ignorant themselves in this art. Tibetan -medicines are in high favour among the Chinese and Mongols.—(W. R.) - -[438] This is the usual Chinese method of inoculation.—(W. R.) - -[439] Our author was misinformed. Snakes are very rare along the -western border of China, venomous ones especially.—(W. R.) - -[440] Camel’s milk must be as great a rarity in most parts of Tibet as -is elephant’s milk, another remedy much prized in that country.—(W. R.) - -[441] Probably the same as the Lo Tawa, or “stripped Lhopas,” mentioned -by lama Serap-gyatso, ‘Report on Explor. from 1856 to 1888,’ p. 7. This -explorer distinguishes three classes of Lhopas—Lho karpo, or “white -Lhopas,” who are somewhat civilized; Lho nagpo, or “black Lhopas,” who -are a little less civilized; and the Lho tawa (kra-pa), or uncivilized, -literally “mottled” Lhopas. Cf. also, op. cit., pp. 16, 17, and Nain -Singh’s remarks in Jour. Roy. Geog. Soc., vol. xlvii. p. 120. - -[442] Our author gives the name of this disease as gzah-nad. Jaeschke, -‘Tib. engl. dict.,’ translates this word by “apoplexy,” adding that, in -Western Tibet it seems to be used only for “epilepsy.”—(W. R.) - -[443] Klu nad, or Klin gnod-nad, meaning that the Nagas brings about -the disease. Mje nad is mdje nad.—(W. R.) - -[444] These charmed banners are the lung-ta, or “airy horses,” of which -mention is frequently made in this work. - -[445] This remark applies equally well to all diseases in Buddhist -estimation. - -[446] Jaeschke, ‘Tib. engl. dict.,’ calls this disease pags chu, “skin -water;” snying chu, “heart water;” dmu chu, “dropsy, especially in the -chest and belly.” On the medical knowledge of the Tibetans, see Journ. -Bengal Asiat. Soc., iv. pp. 1 et sqq.—(W. R.) - -[447] In this game, which is an invention of one of the Panchen -rinpoches, dice are thrown, by which the players get different -positions in the various heavens or hells—(S. C. D.) Our author also -mentions a game called te-pi, or rocket, but, unfortunately, does not -give any idea of the game itself. See also ‘Report U.S. National -Museum,’ 1893, p. 723.—(W. R.) - -[448] Chinese authors say that, “during the 7th and 8th moons they -(the Tibetans) put up tents along the river banks, and men and women -bathe together in the river, it being symbolical of the purification -ceremonies of the 13th of the 3rd month (in China),” Jour. Roy. Asiat. -Soc., No. xxiii., p. 213.—(W. R.) - -[449] On the 29th day of the moon.—(W. R.) - -[450] Our author mentions also the following festivals:— - - 15th of 1st moon: Buddha’s birthday. - 15th of 3rd ,, First preaching of the Kalachakra tantra. - 8th of 4th ,, Buddha became a mendicant. - 15th of 4th ,, Buddha’s nirvana. - 5th of 5th ,, Feast of god of medicine. - 4th of 6th ,, Buddha’s first sermon. - 10th of 7th ,, Birth of Padma chyung-nas (Padma Sambhava). - 15th of 7th ,, The snowy mountains are worshipped. - 25th of 10th ,, Birth of Tsongkhapa. - -Cf. Waddell, op. cit., 502 et sqq. - -[451] Known in southern Buddhist countries as varsha or Barsat. Yar is -dbyar (usually pronounced chyar), “summer;” and nas (gnas), “abode.” I -do not believe the practice is generally observed. Cf. Waddell, op. -cit., 224, and supra.—(W. R.) - -[452] See p. 114. On the New Year festivities, see Waddell, op. cit., -518. - -[453] I have witnessed a number of these kurim, or guilt-offering -ceremonies, but none of such magnitude as the one held at Lhasa. See, -for a picture of this procession at Lhasa, Georgi, ‘Alph. Tibet,’ p. -212.—(W. R.) - -[454] Toma is droma (or doma), the root of the potentilla anserina, and -called chuoma in Eastern and North-eastern Tibet. It is mealy, and -tastes like a bean rather than a potato. It is about 1½ inches -long.—(W. R.) - -[455] All these omens of good and bad luck are of equal importance at -any time of the year.—(W. R.) - -[456] I have seen these mummers in North-eastern Tibet. See ‘Land of -the Lamas,’ p. 246.—(W. R.) - -[457] On the second day of the new year, all the inhabitants gather -together to witness a feat performed by two men, each of whom in turn -mounts on a wooden saddle and slides down a strong rope fastened from -the fort walls to a post buried about nine feet in the ground. ‘Report -on the Explorations of A. K.,’ p. 33. Cf. Jour. Roy. Asiat. Soc., n.s., -xxiii. p. 209, and ‘Report on lama U. G.’s Exploration,’ p. 32, where -we learn that on the second day of the New Year the Nachung chos-gyong -prophesies the events of the year beginning. See also Huc, ‘Souvenirs -d’un voyage,’ ii. 375 et sqq. - -[458] The monlam chenpo was instituted by Tsongkhapa in 1407. Csoma, -‘Tib. gram.,’ 187. - -[459] Cf. lama Ugyen-gyatso’s account of the Shalnyo’s rule in ‘Report -on explor. from 1856 to 1888,’ p. 32. Also A. K., op. cit., p. 33; and -Huc, op. cit., ii. 380. He calls this rule of the Shalnyo, the “Lha-ssa -Morou,” but he says it only lasts six days; but all other authorities -agree in saying that the rule of the city is turned over to the Dabung -lama for a month.—(W. R.) - - - - - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOURNEY TO LHASA AND CENTRAL -TIBET *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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