Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-09
ROOF OF THE WORLD
An Unknown Country and Its Strange
People.
LASSA In PHE LAND OF THE LAMA
The Impenetrable Mountain Realm
of Tibet.
SAVAGE AND DEPRAVED


From the Boston Transcript
4 few years since two Russian explorers.
NM Mepkhoudjinof and Oulanoff. arrived
at Shanghai after journey of two years
and nine months through Thibet. in the
course of which they penetrated to the
capital Lassa.. and actually had an inter
view with the great Dalai Lama himself.
The wonderfuness of TINS feat can only
be appreciated i'll the light of the knowl-
edge that no European has ever before
entered I.assa within the memory of the
living world. Not since 1911 had even the
slightest news of that mysterious city
been brought to the ears Of civilization,
save in TIE single vague report Of an aaony-
nous Indian pundit. The few explorers
who have dared the perils of the wild and
snowy chaHss. the lofty plateaus. the rob
Der Dokpas jewellers in black tents. the
Chinese guards and the Tnibetan soldiery.
have only succeeded in struggling through
dreary miles of deserts and along monsoon
swept marshes. and have returned with
only half-glimpSed descriptions of the in
Vulnerable nOnasterIeS, the prayer-rnil Is or
Tattles and the buttered tea of this unique
and most unknown country. AS a rule.
the authorities of LaSsa sally forth IN state
to meet the iEtru1ers a. some days march
from the capital. They are most oour-
tcous and polite, and willing TO spend
days discussing the matter. For seven
weeks they talked with Bonvalot about his
proposed visit to LaSsa. Every pro and con
was argued. and on the last day they told
him they could not conceive that his eXpe-
dition had anything III view than the ulti-
mate conquest of Thibet. They hade him
farewell with the greatest frcniliness. and
supplied him with food and yakS to help
him to go anywhere away from Lassa-
This impregnably barred LasSa g the
dwelling place of the Dalai Lama, the chief
priest of Thlbet and Mongolia. This reliS-
IDrr rtY,4fa Tor is a o
Incarnation of Buddha- Incense is burned
to him before gigantic IDOL of the god of
Jamba. monstrous image of clay and gilt
with jeweled head, which sits enthroned
in the great white palace of the Potala.
Lamaism is a hybrid Buddhism. just as
Mohammedanism is a hybrid Christianity.
Never Invaded.
The utter exclusion of all foreigners rom
this strange land has been and undoUbt-
edly due 10 the fear of the Thi5e:an hier-
arehy of priests that this absurd imposi-
ton of their rcd and yellow religion, which
has completely ensiayed the Thibetaas,
might be speedily oyerthrown by the Chris
tian devils; they are afraid the wealth
of the inconsistencies would be reveal ID At
present tiie priests OWE Thibet absolute
ly though they held the fee-simple to
every foot of its ground The Chinese en-
pire holds nominal temporal sway, but
darcs motif it woud-dis-urb the Dalai
Lama and his army of priests NM. Men
knoudjinon and Oulanoff are the first trav-
elers who have gazed upon ana entered
that city hitherto as inaccessible the
Forth pole.
The immense territory OF Thibet is al
most completely surrounded by mountain
ranges OF appalling magnitude, which,
pecially along the southern. western and
northern frontiers, constitute formidable
barriers against ingreSs. From the Pamir
plateau. IL the extreme vest C''the worlds
tsckbone') TadIate the great natural ram
parts, which shut out india on the one
hand and the Tartar countries of Bokaara
AID fdrkes;an on the oth-r- No Asiatic or
western conquerer has even dared to PEN
citrate this mountain world, and eve.l Cen
girls Khan, the scourge OF Asia. whose raw
ages extended from Pekin in the cast to
Moscow in the west. was obliged when in
yading northern India. 20 take the cir
cuitous route via kashghar and Afghan
lStan. instead of crossing rhibet. Sec Ire N
their lofty plateau, and practically isolated
from the rest OF the world. the people Of
Tibet have remained uniisturbed for ages
ard have developed characteristics for
which We would vainly search in any other
race OF the globe. The Chinese conquest
has not produced the slightest change III
their mode of life or exercised any aDpra-
clable influence upon their peculiar culture
Inc Ihbetans occupy a very low position
IN the scale OF human advancement es-
pecially II Judged from our western stand
ard OF civilization. Their culture is in
ferior 10 That of most semi-barbaroi1s
races. comparing unfavoraDly even with
t--sl1 VI SeI tam lHItdn Tribes the Amer-
etc. S'
short and Stout.
In physiognomy and general appearance
they strongly resemble the inhabitants of
Swedish I.apland. as well as the Eskimos
OF Northern Siberia, being short-sized
broad-shouldered and possessed of the
same angular Monaghan features Indeed.
the Ihihetans are, perhaps, the most i'll
favored of Turanian races. clos. inter-
breeding curing many centuries of isola-
tlon mas produced a striking facial similar
lily, and has developed a peculiarly rat,uI-
siVe normal type of coIntenance. A broad
very low forehead excessively prominent
Cheek bones. small ObIidue ewes and
coarse. bristly black hair are characteris-
tlcs which do not materially enhance the
beauty Of the human form divine" but
the most singular popularity of the Thi-
bej;tn face is the almost total absence of
the bridge of the nose. Among a dozen
Inlnetans, chosen al random. hardly one
viii BE- found whose nasal organ is not 81,
completely fiattened or sunk in the middle
as 70 he practically level with the eyes
seem in profile. such face presents a
INJURIOUS appearance; there is one contin-
uoES line OF cheek bone, with the tin of the
nTse sticking like a solitary beacon
Eut a compensatory providence has added
10 the ears what Is lacking in probosial
circumference, and it is but fair to state
N<hat the aGricular appendages of the aver
age Thiietan are OF generous size.
The Thibetans are absolutely without
gratitude. They viii demand tremendous
rewards for feeble services. steal every
thing within sight, regard poteness and
gcntieness as indications of cowa rlice and
merely refrain from stabbing their guests
because their courage fails them. Poison
iLg is popular. and the Thibetan is so sus-
Picious of his own countryman that he
VIII drink and eat nothing until his host
partakes Plentifuily before him. The char
acter of AL the Thibetans, settled and
nCm2dic, Is the same-cowardly. faithless
and immoral They servile to the
brave. insolent 10 the fearful and mere
tools in the hands of the lamas. monks.
They false TO their best friends, as is
witnessed by their desertior of the French
missionaries who have been their most
constant helpers.
Physique and Dress.
Their physique is notably good. and they
stand cold and hunger admirably. They
arc active. and at first view, light-hearted
and genuine: but In reality cunning.
foul and unlovabIe. They are very uncean
rarely or never bathing their persons. The
dress Of the common people consists of q
AZ