New-York tribune., 1898-11-27


nj the Rambang n kind OF general clubhouse,
which serves as the marriage market. He vis-
ited ono of these houses. Men and women sat
I'm couples round big fire in the centre or the
room spinning and talking with great cheerful
ness and dccorum. Toward the end Of long
evenings session they become sentimental. and
sing love songs with voices that Mr. Iandor DO
scribes as soft and musical. The Shoka girl Is
bound To meet all the eligible young men Of her
village and even Of the next one at these
gatherings and she selects her husband with
some care. The marriage ceremony consists OK
the eating Of cake called "doang." Tho
friends Of the two families partake or this; III
either the bridegroom or bride refuses to eat
share of the cake the marriage is broken on;
il they both eat some OF the cake. and later X
any dissension arises between them. all those
| who assisted the function are called as wit
| nesses that the marriage took place.
| The Shokas have so many excellent traits THAI
Il is surprising to find them the supine vassals
| Of the Thbetans The latter have no right to cob
ect taxes from the Shokas, who are British sub
jects and besides, the Thibetan is despicao.e
creature easy to resist: but he plundered Mr
Landors village friends with a high hand ana
1t is only recently that the British have cor
| rected his manners. This is. in fact the one
good result Of Mr.. Landors travels, his letters
| In THE Daily Mail" having inspired the Indian
Government to inform the Thibetans that their
collection Of land revenue from the Shokas
must cease The story Of these outrages on the
| threshold Of Mr.. Landor's long journey toward
| I.hassa gives kind Of prcmoniton OF what Is
to come The Thbetans as they are painted In
these volumes are. without exception. the most
pusilla nmOus, cruel and filthy people conceiv-
able At the same time. while approach
| VIII 1aar O
| ing and cowardy behavior. illustrated In its
most malignant aspect during the authors
Icaptivity among them. must do them the JUS
| tice OF saying that they fully warned him not to
intrude.
| The Thbetan plateau. the country Of God as
the Lamas call 1t, is absolutely forbidden to the
European. AS soon as Mr. Landor's project
leaked ohtIand this occurred Very early on his
painful march through burning days and freez-
| ing nghts-the Thbetan spies established com
munications with Lhassa, and there were not
wanting numerous officials and military parties
at frequent stages In the journey to beg the eI-
plorer to retrace his steps. They approached
him always with warlike cries and blood urd-
| ling threats; but at the faintest show OF
sentiment on the travellers part the Thibetans
| either fed in confusion or threw themselves
the ground weaponless and with tongues pro-
truded. the latter detail signfying abject sub
mission. Beginning with imperative request
| for Mr. Landors head they ended by Offering
him gifts IL only he would turn back Their
conduct, while expressive Of the profoundest
cowardice. suggests thought which we wonder
has not occurred to Mr. Landor himself In
view Of the fact that the tortures finally applied
to him were curtailed just this side OF the point
| at which they would have been fatal and that
Mr.. LandOr ultimately returned in safety
to India. Is it not possible that the policy Of the
Lamas was to intimidate their victim from be-
easy for the authorities at Lhassa to send warm
ings all along the line from the sacred city to
Garbyang. was it not possible for them also to
have instructed their soldiers to give the for
eign devil every chance to escape il he would
but to lure him unharmed. IL he refused. to q
more terrible reckoning near his journeys end7
Be this as it may. Mr.. Lanior with his party
slowly diminishing by descrtions or discharges
until only two servants, and one of them a leper,
continued at his side pressed toward the goal
He skirted precpices. swan through icy
streams dealt he could with nature and hos
tile Thibetans until, within a few days march Of
Lhassa, he betrayed by some men who
came ostensibly 10 sell him provisions and
ponies, and in an unsuspecting moment over
powered and bound him Here. midway in the
second volume the most exciting part of the
narrative begins Something like five hundred
men dragged the Engshman and his two half
dying servants off to the presence Of the Pombo
or provincial governor, young man OF high
rapk alc Ua