Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-09-27
THE ROOF OF THE WORLD.

The triumph of Stanley in
piercing to the heart of Darkest
Africa has been almost equalled
by the remarkable achievement
of two Russian explorers. M NJ.
Menkhoudjinoff and Oulanoff,
who have just arrived at Shang-
Raj after a journey of two years
and nine months through hibet,
in the course of which they pene-
trated to the capital, Lassa, and
actually had an interview with
great Dalai Lama himself. The
wonderfulness of this feat
can only be appreciated in the
light of the knowledge that no
European has ever before en-
tered LasSa within the memory
of the living world. Not since
1911 has even the slightest news
of that mysterious city been
brought to the ears of civilization,
save in the single vague report
of an anonymous Indian pundit.
The few explorers who have
dared the perils of the wild and
snowy changs, the lofty p~lateaus,
the robber Dokpas or jewellers in
black tents, the Chinese guards
and the Thibetan so1diery, have
only succeeded in struggling
through dreary miles of deserts
and along monsoon-swept mar
shes, and have returned with
only half-glimpsed description of
the innumerable monasteries, the
prayer-mills or rattles and the
buttered tea of this unique and
most unknown country of the
world. None have ever gazed up
on the walls of the LaSsa.
This barred Lassa
is the dwelling-place of the Dalai
Lama, the chief priest of Thibet
and Mongolia. This religious pre-
tender is worshipped as the
earthly incarnation of Buddha.
He is supposed never to die, but
to appear Immediately upon his
apparent death in the body of an
elect infant. Incense is burned to
him before gigantic idol of the
godof Jamba, amonstrous image
of clay and gilt with jewelled
head, which sits enthroned in the
great white palace of the Potala.
Lamaism is a hybrid Buddhism,
just as Mohammedanism is a
hybrid Christianity. The utter ex-
clusion of all foreigners from
this strange land has been and is
undoubtedly due to the fear of
the Thibetan hierarchy of priests
that this absurd imposition of
their red and yellow religion,
which has completely enslaved
the Thibetans, might be speedily
overthrown by the Christian
devils; they are afraid the
wealth of the monasteries would
be revealed. At present the
priests own Thibit as absolutely
as though they hold the fee
simply to every foot of its
ground. The Chinese Empire
holds a nominal temporal sway,
but dares Motif it would-dis-
turb the Dalai Lama and his army
of priests.
The Pekin Government hates
Russia so heartily that it has re-
inforced the Thibetan soldiers
with Chinese guards in order to
keep the Russians out. The ia.
nous Russian explorer, Colonel
Projevalsky, who has spent more
years in Thibet than any other
adventurous discoverer, has
found himself beset with Difficult
ties and dangers at every hand
China would not allow him ever
to descend the Hoang-Ho or the
Yanggtse-Kiang. Once having
with his Cossocks safely ira
versed the heated, moistureless
plains to a spot only It's miles
from Lassa, he was led by {
false guide away from the city
to the Blue River and lost for
ever his golden opportunity. AT
ter this close shave from Russia
China felt willing in 1886 tx
usher England into the Thibetal
capital. She greatly preferred
India to Russia as a tradesman
Letters to the Amban at Lass;
were given to a British politica
and commercial expedition, bu
just as the elaborate caravan
with costly gifts for the Dala
Lama was about to set out from
Larjeeling, Lassa rose in an up
roar, the Thibetan soldier,
seized the British road and Chin
was obliged to recall it's pledge
Captain Gill, the Polish Coun
Szechenyi, and only lately Cap
tain Hamilton Bower and DIR
Thorogood, have lived for week
on the $4,000 and 20,0O0 foot
high plateaus north of Lassa
But those two brave Russian
are the first ever to have gazet
upon and entered that cit.
hitherto as inaccessible as tn
North Pole itself. AS Lam
pilgrims they have knelt befor
the Dalai Lama himself. TIL