Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1897-10-30
ROOF OF THB WORLD.
AN UNKNOWN COUNTRY AND ITS
STRANGE INHABITANTS.
ASA. In the land Of the Lama. the I'm
penetvable Mountain Realm OF Vh'oet--'
IT'S People Are Savage and DEPRIVED.

A few years since. two Russian ex-
plorers. NM. Menkhoudjinon and Ocl-
anCff. arrived at Shanghai after
journey of two years and nine months
through Thibet. in the course OF which
they penetrated TO the capital, Lsssa,
and had actually had an interview with
the great Dalai Lama himself. The
wonderfulness OF this feat can only be
appreciated in the light of The KNOW
edge that no European has ever before
entered Lassa within the memory Of
the living world. The few explorers /
who have dared the perils of the wild /
and snowy changs. lofty plateaus. the /
robber Dokpas or jewellers in black /
tents. the Chinese guards and the /
Thibetan soldiery. have only succeed /
ed in struggling through dreary mics
of deserts and along monsoon swept
marshes. and have returned with only
half-glimpsed descriptions of the in
Vulnerable monasteries. the prayer
mills or rattles and the buttered tea
of this unique and most unknown
country.
This impregnably barred i.assa is
the dwelling place of the Dalai Lama.
the chief priest of Thibet and MOnGO-
liza This religious pretendeT j. wor-
shipped as the earthly incarnation Of
Buddha. Incense is burned to him be-
fore a gigantic idol OF the god OF jam
ba. monstrous image OF clay and
gilt with jeweled head. which sits en-
thrOned in the great white palace CT
the Potala. Lamaism is 4 hybrid
Buddhism. just as Mohammedauism is
a hybrid Christianity.
The utter exclusion OF all foreiEncrs
from this strange land has been and
is undoubtedly due TO the sea. 81 the
Thibetan hierarchy of priests that tins
absurd imposition OF their red and
yellow religion. which has completely
enslaved the Thibetans. might he
speedily Overthrown by the Christian
devils" They are afraid the wealth
OF the monasteries would be revealed.
At present the priests own Thibet rs
J absolutely as though they held fec
simple 20 every foot OF its ground.
The Chinese empire holds a nominal
temporal sway. but dares motif il
would-disturb the Dalai LAMA and
his army OF priests. NM NcnhEoUd-
! jinoff nd Oulanoff are the first travel
! ers who have gazed upon AMI entered
that city hitherto as inaccessible IS
the north pole.
The immense territory of Thioet IS
almost completely surrounded by
mountain ranges OF appalling magni-
tude. which especially along the south
ern. western and northern frontiers.
constitute formidable barriers against
ingress. From the Pamir plateau. in
the extreme west. t'the worlds bacs-
bone.'D radiate the great natural ram
7 parts. which shut out India on the one
hand and the Tartar countries OF Box
hara and Turkestan on the other. No
+ Asiatic or western conQuerOr has even
dared TO penetrate this mountain
world. and even Genghis Khan. the
scourge of Asia. whose rasaSes eN-
tended from Pekin in the east 10 Mos
cow in the west. was obliged. when in
: vading northern India. 10 take the eli
cuitous rout via Kashghar and Afghan
, istan. instead OF crossing ThIbet. Sc
cure on their lofty plateau. and prac-
tically isolated from the rest OF The
1 world. the people have renamed I'M
disturbed for ages, and have developed
characteristics for which We would
I vainly search in any other race e tn
= globe.
> The Thihetans occupy very low 20
: sition in the scale Of human advanc .
ment, especially IL judged from on
!, western standard OF civilization. Thei
! culture is inferior TO that Of mos
= semi-barbarous races. comparing un
!. favorably even with that of certail
e Indian tribes OF the American CONT
Z nent. such as the Pueblos. Zunis. etc
y In physiognomy and general appear
ance they strongly resemble the In
u babitants OF Swedish Lapland. az we
Il as the Eskimos OF Northern Siberis
!, being short sized. broad-shouldere
. and possessed OF the same angula
10 Monaghan features Indeed. the TIL
,. betans are. perhaps. the most ill-faN
u ored OF Turanian races. a close inter
q. breeding during many centuries OF /:
olation has produced a striking faci'
r. similarity. and has developed a pecu
d. iarly repulsive normal type OF coun1'
lg nance. broad, very low forehea'
No excessively prominent cheek bones, oil
lie liaue eyes, and coarse bristly blac
ig hair are characteristics which do nj
- materially enhance the beauty OF II