Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-05-24
THE SIBERIAN GRAND LAMA.
He Did Not Know the Earth Is RO und an
Still Doubts IL.

He Did Not Know the Earth Is no una an
Still Doubts IL.
After dinner, says a writer in the Cen,
fury Magazine, [ had long talk with the
Grand Lama about my native country,
geography and the shape of the earth.
1t seemed very strange to find anywhere
on the globe, IN the nineteenth century,
al educated man and high ecclesiastical
dignItgry who had never 7een or heard OF
America, and who did not feel at all sure
that the world is round. The Grand Lama
was such a man.
"Yuu have been in many Countries he
said to me through the interpreter, "and
have talked with the wise men of the West;
what is your opinion as TO the shape of
the eartn?"
81 Think replied shat it is shaped
like great ball"
Il have heard 80 before said the Grand
Lama, looking thoug ghtiuily away into va
cancy, "The Russian officers whom L
have met have told me that the world Is
round. Such a belief is contrary to the
teachings of our Thibettn books, but L
have observed the Russian wise men pre-
dict eclipses accurately; and If they can
tell beforehand when the sun and the
moon darkened, they probably know
something about the shape of the earth
Why do you think that the world is
roundY"
81 have many reasons for thinking So"
L answered, but perhaps the best and
strongest reason is that L have been
around it."
This statement seemed to give the
Grand Lama a sort of mental shock.
How have you been Ground ltf" he In
quirej. "What do you mean by around 1t?
How do you know you have been around
it2"
81 turned my back upon my home," 1
replied, ''and travelling many months IN
the course taken by the eun, l crossed
wide continents and great oceans. Every
night the sun set before my face and
every morning it rose behind my back.
The earth always seemed fat, but | could
not find anywhere an end nor eGge; and
at last when had Travelled more than
10000 versts, l found myself again in my
own country, and returned to my home
from direction exactly opposite to that
which | had taken IN leaving it. If the
world was fat, do you think | could have
done tElsY
at is very strange" said the Grand
Lama, after a thoughttu pause. "Wnere
ST. Pete rsburg?'
my country is farther from St. Peters
burg than s.. Petersburg is from here"
| replied. 1t lies almost exactly under
our feet, and if we could go directly
through the earth, that would be the
shortest way to reach It,"
"Are your countrymen walking around
their heads downward under our feetf"
asked the Grand Lama, with evident in
terest and surprise, but without aDy per
ceptible change IN his habitualiy impas
sive face.
Yes" replied, and to them We seem
to be sitting heads downward here"
The Grand Lama then asked me to de-
scribe miRUtely the route that we had fol-
lowed IN coming from America TO Siberia,
and 10 name the countr es through which
We had passed. He knew that GeTmanla
adioined Russia on the west, he had heard
of British India and Euglan6, probably
through Thibet, and he had vague ides
of the extent and situation of the Pacific
tinent that lies between the two great
oceans, he knew nothing.
After a long talk, in the course of which
we discussed the sphericity of the earth
from every possible point of view, the
Grand Lama seemed TO be partly or
wholly convinced OF the truth of that
doctrine and said, with sigh, 'Is is not
in accordance with the teachings of our
books; but the Russians must be right"