New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-27

| bic The government Of the WESTERN provinces
| Of Chinese Tibet was found ny Captain Bower
to be wholly native in its character. the resident
| Chinese officer called an Amban. having no ap-
parent authority. In connection with this should
be remembered, however. the astuteness OF Chi
nese diplomacy. which takes all the benefits 1t
can get and shirks all responsibility II possible
| The Tibetan Lamas who had no diplomatic
latlons with England. and could not be punished
| by China. ran less risk In talking roughly to an
Englshman than an imperial official did who
might lose his place, his income and even his
head by stroke OF awkwardness Wherever
| Captain Bower went he found the Ambans in
| the towns agreeable but confessedly helpless,
while the Lamas took themselves the vain
task OF bullying him. The country was thus
ruled ostensibly. II not really, by what was called
the Deva chung or official council at Lhasa.
| Captain Bower early came In contract with the
emissaries of this theocratic organism. First
came begging monk who seemed to be a sort
of spy. then somebody little higher in rank and
so on. the force OF officials and their attendants
gradually increasing in size until 1t became
small army. 1t came out at last that If the
Englishmen would not go back the way they had
come they must be stopped at all hazards. There
was apparently threat In this, as the men
said that IL they did not oppose the advance Of
the strangers toward Lhasa they would lose
their heads, and they might we'll die where
they were as to be killed by their own govern
ment. BY succession Of agreements, Captain
Bower first halted for fifteen days. provisions be-
ing furnished by the natives then for another
fortnight In order 10 complete his arrangements
and finally after a backward march Of some days
to crafty the Tibetan diplomats with an APP
parent victory allowed to continue his way
eastward, skUtng on the north the provinces
which he was forbidden to enter. When his
guides became refractory threat to turn
toward Lhasa was sufficient to bring them to
terms. The negotiations were much delayed by
the dilatorness Of the native officials, but finally
the last Of them came to the camp.
The Kushok Of Naksung the expected COL
league. turned up and sent man to call me
over TO his tent l replied that II he wanted
to see me he had better come to my tent;
least he could do. He came over. as knew he
would. the message having been simply an at
tempt TO see If could be buled. Like all high
olgnitaries' he rode mule, and held a bright
red umbrella over his head; the latter much
puzzled my orderly who could not make out
whether 1t was 10 keep off the sun or the rain,
there being no signs of either at the
time The other Lhasa swell and our
two old friends also came with
hlnl MY tent was prepared for their re-
ception with neatly arrayed yakdans covered
with scarlet blankets to serve as seats AS soon
as all were seated, business was promptly opened
by the question. who are you and where do
you come FROM" I replied that we were Eng
fish travellers; We had intended to pass more
TO the north. but having run short OF provisions
owing to the friendship existing between the
British and the Lhasa Governments we should
receive every assistance. I told them that
If not allowed to go on I should go straight 10
Lhasa and discuss the question there. . . Be-
fore leaving they invited us to dinner the follow
Ing day, an invitation which We accepted with
NIL -hn
their camp. we were ushered in, and being seated
on raised carpets. tea produced; they drank
u In Tlbetan fashion, mixed with salt and butter
but having found out the European fashion from
our servants, they gave us some plain. After a
considerable consumption OF tea bowls OF NUT
ton boiled with rice and onions. brought
In; 1t was really excellent. but eating rice with
chopsticks is an art that requires practice The
lower end Of The tent was full Of the denizens
OF the neighooring ones. who walked in and out
as II they were members Of the great mans
family. The whole scene had very patriarchal
air about It,
Such were the social troubles Of Journey
through Tibet More tangible were the difficult
ties Of life tabe-land higher everywhere
than the summit Of Mont Blanc and rising often
several thousand feet higher still, broken by
numerous mountain ranges and varied at inter-
walls with lakes, some Of them very large and
nearly all Of them as salt as the sea itself Yet
fresh water In streams and springs was so
It. The cold even IN spring and fall was intense
Hardly a tree was TO be found and the low
heritage appeared to be scant. Yet the plains
were covered with wild creatures and the shoot
ing was too easy to be called sport. The cara
van lived on game during the larger part of the
journey. In fact the observations Of Captain |
Bower seemed to show that small force of men |
we'll armed could maintain itself throughout
protracted campaign on the Tibetan plateau, the |
highest land in the world. far above the Pamrs.
the so-caed roof Of the world. But the people are
few and scattered. The author estimates the
population Of the whole country at 5000 900 |
With the exception Of the monks, who number at |
least half million. the people wretchedly |
poor The monasteries are treasure-houses In |
which is stored wealth wrung from the super |
etltious peasants. Government commerce. re- |
ligion aud everything else OF Importance are in
the hands Of the priesthood composed OF in |
telllgent polished but selfish men. It is these
men and not the ordinary people. thinks Captain |
Bower who keep up the tradition Of Tbetan ex-
cusiveness. and they have no other object in his |
opinion than TO preserve their riches. Every |
effort to enter one of their religious houses was |
fooled. II was on July g. 1891. that Captain |
Bower crossed the frontier at Lanak La and ne |
did not reach Ia Chen Lu In Chinese territory |
until February 10 OF the following year Thus |
he saw the country in both summer and winter. !
and II is really remarkable how little hardship |
he and his party had to suffer at such altitude |
above the sea, sometimes nearly 5000 feet. The |
lowest temperature recorded only 10 degrees
below zero. Fahrenheit. AS the thermometers
were broken by the middle Of December and the
record had to be given Up. there is room to
imagine weather before the journey was
completed. The trip through China was made
by raft. sailboat and steam down the Yang-tse-
Kiang. The volume is illustrated with pictures
from photographs. an elaborate map Of the route
and profile chart showing the Irregularities OF
the vast plain over which the road lay. Cap
tain Bower has made merit Of avoiding liter
LIZ LII tIr.. IL