Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-03
TIDBITS EROM TIBET.
Odd Things From the Parkway Land
OF the Lama.


OF the Lama.
A NEW coLLrcrIoS Jrsr ARRANGED At TIE Ma
TIoStL MUsBTs--PBAYEg-wHEgLs AND sINGU-
LAR HYafS -sCoEs-LITrLE GODS THAT WEAR
vEILs-A PICTORIAL MILITARY REPORT.
One who cannot spare time TO run over to
Tibet can take an imaginary tour by looking
over case in one of the halls Of the National
Museum in which collection Just deposited in
the museum has been arranged. This collec-
ton has been deposited by Mr.. W. W. Rockhill,
secretary of the American legation at Pskin
and member Of the American Oriental So
eiety. The collection represents both Tibet
and North China, and is the result of the labors
Of both Mr.. and Mrs. Rockhill. The articles
are mainly Of sacred character, having rela-
ton to Lamaism, or the elaborated Buddhism
and Sivaism Of Tibet. Many of the articles
are finely wrought, for these people possess
great skill as jewellers and metal-workers.
There are books, sprinklers for sacred water,
prayer-wheels, rosaries, sacred tapestries,
shrines, sacred images aud scores Of interest
ing objects.
PICTORIAL MILITARY REPORT.
Arrangedaroundth three sides Of the case 30 that
one can see by looking inside and out and follow
ing the folds of the scroll, is picture or scene
OF pictures that might be wound upon q roller
and unreeled like panorama. 1t was pic
torial report made to the emperor by q Chinese
general who had been sent on a mission to
Turkestan. 1t represented the interesting
things that the officer. had observed across
the borders Of China. At one point in
mosque Mohammedans were bowling in prayer,
while outside Wgglers, acrObats, sword-swal-
lowers, trght-rope walkers and others we're Civ
ing show. Then there was a market place
with bazaars of different kinds All kinds of
Asiatacs can be seen in the groups of people
gathered in the market place. Then one comes
upon an Inn or tavern, upon troops of soldiers
and other scenes. The figures are painted in
water colors and are well drawn and lifelike.
The books are made OF separate long sheets of
parchment, some Of which are printed and some
inscribed with pen. Stiff covers are placed
at the top and bottom, and then the whole is
swathed Ia silk. One Of these books Is very
rare and was written by king in the seventh
century.
TIBETAN HYMN-BooK.
A Tibetan hymn-book is an odd affair. The
musical notes, the rise and fall Of the voice, are
represented by curving lines. The ethnologist
who was explaining matters to STAR reporter
oent over the book and began singing or
humming. to show how the music went. When
a line curved upwards his voice curved up
wards, and when the line curved downward he
sang low. When he came to several little semi
circles or scallOps, he put his voice through
little splrals, not connected with the vocal
notes. These were directions for the instru-
mental music. The priest" said the ethnolo-
gist, has his hymn-bOok across his knee his
bell in one hand and his drum in the other
He chants or sings his hymn, and when he
comes to one OF these signs he gives three taps
on his drum or rings his bell
The hymn-b0ok is composed, like the other
DOCKS, OF many separate sheets. not stitched
together, but loose like pack of cards.
There are collections of cards each decorated
on one side with the picture of god, and on
the other with prayer suitable to that partic-
nlar god. When mans religi0 has 100 diff
ferent gods, and each god has special rules as
to how he is to be addressed there is necessa-
rily considerable red tape about his devotions.
Among the sacred objects is horn or flute
made from human femur or thigh bone. At
tached to it is thong, like whipIash, made
OF human skin. This flute is used, The STAR
reporter was told, in exercising evil spirits.
When one plays the flute the sound made has
a depressing effect on the evil spirits, and they
premises Their movements can be expedited
by using the lash Of human hide.
PRAYER-wHEELs.
The collection includes a prayer-wheel of
copper OF elegant workmanship and orna-
mented with silver. 1t is a hollow cylinder
three or four inches in diameter and about four
inches long, that revolves a handle. Attached
to the periphery Of this cylinder by means of
a small charm is a silver plummet or weight.
The cylind:r is set in motion by swinging it,
and Is kept turning by the impetus of this
plummet swinging around. The Tibetan who
owns prayer-wheel writes his prayer on slip
OF paper and puts it in the cylinder. Then he
sets it whirling, and every time it goes around
the prayer is supposed to be recorded
once in Heaven. To render it effica-
cious, however, the prayerful Tibet man
has to hold in his other hand little wand
or stave known as a prayer scepter. This
is ornamented with NEUROLOGICAL devices. A
poor man who does not own q prayer-wheel
stands slim chance. prayer-wheel may be
made to revolve hundred or more times a
minute and register for its owner hundreds of
prayers while poor man without such an ap-
paratus Is mumbling his way through one
Where there are so many gods to address
some device of the kind is almost necessary. if
man expects. to do anything else in his life
put attend to his devotions; The prayer-wheel
In this collection is run by hand power and the
application of centrifugal force. Some prayer
wheels. however, are made to 60 by wind
power. There is one huge one, Is feet in diam
eter, in front of Tibetan temple. that is
turned by two men. This is loaded up not only
with prayers but copies Of the sacred writings
and then fired off. 1t costs something to have
the priests turn this for man, but turn or
two Will balance the account of man who has
neglected his religious duties for long while
There Is in the collection a small prayer-wheel,
on an upright post or pinion made to stand on
table and to be revolyed by FLIP of the
finger. A man not acquainted with the rules
however, might do uncaicuiabIe damage with
prayer-wheel. 1t must be revolved from
right to left. To turn it from left to right is a
sacriligious act and it is said brings only harm
upon the ignorant or daring man who does it.
MADE OF HUMAN SKULLS.
There is q divinntion bowl, an uncanny OBJ
ject, made of the inverted Uranium Of a Budd-
hist priest. 1t is elegantly mounted and em-
bossed with silver and jewels The lid or cover.
OF silver, is OF fine workmanship. In this bowl
q liquor is poured, and by the sediment that
settles in the sinus or cOrrugations of the in
terror OF the Uranium the priest learns of future
events, just as folks tell fortunes by looking at
the dregs in tea-cup. A sacred drum near by
Is made OF two crania inverted one upon the
other, like the two parts of an hours glass, a
parchment drum-head being stretched over
each end Of the instrument thus formed. There
Is also a rosary of over hundred beads, each
bead being made Of little round piece of bone
taken from the skull of one of the faithful No
two pieces, it is said. are from the same skull
30 1t takes a hundred or more men to supply
one OF these rosaries. The fragments of the
skull are obtained generally after the men are
dead, when they are not Inconvenience by the
tax. There is Chinese rosary of a smaller
number Of beads made Of neatiy-carved wood,
each bead being dedicated to one Of the gods
M Incl