The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-18

ed OF to 4 husband b. sosne inhuman
parea. FOR small quantity OF food or
othe. Nlft.
The religion. when they have any. Is q
sort OF hybrid Buddhism. but far more
faith Is placed In the muntnery OF
wltch-craft and strange incantatlons OF
the itlnerant lamas, or native priests.
who wander through the couatry from
place 10 place. and make a good living
out Of the credulity Of their :cllow-lnen.
We had numerous examples CO the
practices OF these rascally frauds. sew
eral OF which may be. here cited.
At one time we had had two weaks OF
excessively stormy weather, which had
seriously lnterfered with our plans for
exploring the country 10 the southwest
OF Gharlkau. The Tangut CHEZ in whosa
village we were staying suggested that
VIC secure the services of one OF Tho
lamas. and more for the novelty o; the
exhibition than belief In his powers We
called his services into reQuistion. He
ives a thin. sly-lcoking individual. with
long. cadaverous face. which upon ar
living In our presence he covered with
hideous mask. 80 ludcrous in Its ap-
reacance thatit was only by the great
est exercising OF tact that We were pre-
vented from laughing outright, an un-
brooked familiarity in the light OF such
holiness that could NOT have been light
y condoned. After mutteing innum-
cradle prayers and incantatlons he
manufactured out OF dough lotof little
snakes, frogs and other animal forms,
which he was pleased 10 call "meleke"
(sea monsters), and having reared
prayers over each in a wearisome mon
otole tossed them into the air and ad-
vanced the welcome information that
the gods had been appeased and that
fine weather would henceforth be our
portion. We waited long and anxlously
for the change. and at last, at the end
OF the fifth day. 1t did come. but not
outstanding the long Interval between
the incarnation and the desired result
he was fully convinced. in his own
mind at least, that 1t was result OF his
valorous prayers In our behalf.
On yet another occasion we were
waited upon by lama, who. producing
from beneath the folds OF his dress
hard biscuit, which from constant
handling had the appearance Of ball
| OF polished ebony. announced that this
potent relic had been sent to him by
the deities few weeks before, and that
whoever had It in is his possession could
never suffer hunger or thirst. NotwIth-
standing Its remarkable qualities he Of
fered 10 sell 1t 10 US at fabulously low
price. and really seemed surprised that
we could see through his artiflce. Amonu
the unsuspecting natives, however.
| these rascals have almost unlimited
power and impose upon them In man
ne: that would be marvellous were It
not for the fact that brief sojourn in
Tibet soon acquaints the traveller with
the fact that among this unenlightened
people nothing in the gu!se OF religion
Is impossible.
Like most savage peoples. the Sifan
Thibe.anS have numerous strange GUS
toms and ceremonial rites, which vary
widely among tribes 6nd individuals.
Among the most curious are those OBJ
served on occasions of birth. marriage
and death. When q child is born 1t Is
| at once washed with some potent liquid
manufactured by the lamas In order 10
secure robustness and fearlessness in
warfare and the chase. 1t Is then
smcared with fresh yak dung at fire.
quent intervals during several days fol-
lowing, mixture to which the native
belief ascribes numerous powerful quail
itiss 20 drive away the evil demons who
are striving to snatch ii. After one has
been brought into more or less intimate
acquaintance with one Of these truly
odor!ferous infants one cannot help
wondering, as to how even the most ma
lignant supernatural visitors can sum-
mon sufficient courage to undertake
this truly AEGEAN task. This Initial
baptism Is practiced among both sexes.
! but male children, when they have
reached the age OF ten years. are
obliged to so through 4 more crucial
function. the barbarous initiation into
manhood.
The youth undergoing this ordeal Is
placed in a small cave dwelling for sew
eral weeks and provided with barely
enough food to keep alive the thin
spark OF existence From time to time
he is visited by the lanas. who provide
him with strips OF prayer paper and
scourge him with knives and thorn
sticks, SO that only those possessed Of
the hardest constitutions are able to
survive this diabollcal torture. At the
end of this period OF fasting, he is pro-
vIded with weapons, and although
scarcely strong enough 10 totter along
must engage on hunting expedition
and return within Z week with proofs
OF his proves. else he is branded as an
outcast and one accursed Of the gods,
and is allowed to die In the desert. The
effect OF this inhumanity is to cause an
enormous death rate among the males:
OF the total number OF that sex born 4
large per cent die from harlshIp or
disease before reaching maturity.
Death. as Is but natural to suppose
where Il Is OF such frequency. Is no.
looked UPON or awaited with fear.
and suicides are OF common occurrence
The funeral ceremony. as In all uncivi-
llzed countries Is q function attended
with great eclat. Whatever may have
been the fralltlcs OF the deceased, or
however undeserving he may be OF the
honor. 20 soon as he Is dead his rela-
tlves, Ear and near. are summoned to
attend the obseQuies.l The corpse. ar
rayed In the most gorgeous haoilment
that can be procured, and surrounded
with the possessions OF the deceased.
is seated in chair and placed In the
open air II front OF his former dwell
ing. For three days, or even week,
the body Is allowed to remain in this
position. and decomposition having Sc,
In shortly after death the stencil airs
Ing from one OF these landscape ndorn-
men;s Is something that the civilized
sense OF smell is incapable of with
standing During this time the relatives
and friends gather around and indulge
In wild dancing. coTnplimentlng the
corpse on his newly acquired state OF
blessedness and utter!ng the charitable
wish tina they might be In his shoes.
In the meantime the lnmas have been
| paid to discover the proper place for In
| termcnt. which they perform In the fol-
lowing manner: The deitics are first in
voked. and then n small basket OF eggs
| Is carried round by the head priest. who