The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-09-25
LETSsLIGHT ON THIBET.
N ecoMPLETE EXPLORATION OF
What NOTORIOUS COUNTRY.

taohed to Religious obssrvanees,
But Morals Arc Phmltive-Won.
derful Temple Of Buddha-Faith in
Prayers.
In view Of the recent unsuccessful
lltempt Of Sven Helm and Colonel
kozloR 10 penetrate into the heart Of
lhioet interest IN which has been
ADDED to by the receat departure
from New York Of Oscar T. Crosby,
an American, Oh the same mission. It
mas Just become known that q Russian
subject, G. u. Zoubikov, was recently
residing quietly at Lhassa or visiting
re sacred mona8teries OF that mysterl-
~ y country. N. Zoublkoy is a Bouriat
and a graduate of the oriental faculty
aot the University Of ST. Petersburg.
AS born Buddhist and familiar from
childhood with Thibetan, the holy Ian
guage Of his people, he found no diff
Guilty in passing for a lama. He
brought back an immense number Of
photographs and other illustrations OF
the life Of the country and when his
DOCK is published as It soon Will be,
|the mystery of Thibet will be a thing
OF past. NJ. ZoUbikoy made an eX-
report on his journey at meet
Ing OF the geographical society a few
days ago. He was Immediately award
ed the Przhevalsky prize, which is con-
ferred in honor of the first Russian
Thibet explorer.
The frontiers Of Tibet, which we're
closed to European travellers after the
French explorers Hue and CADET were
expelled from Lhassa in 1916, have not
Il been Theoretically sealed against a GER
tain portion of Russian subjects, name
ly the Buddhistic Bouriats Of the
Baikal region. The Bouriats are q
talented people, and the same value
attaches to NJ Zoubikov's observations
as would be the case were he Euro
pean. His stay lasted over a year.
In the summer of 1900 NJ. Zoubikoy
entered Thibet as a member Of cara
van. An agricultural community was
found only within 60 or 70 miles of
: JPassa. The climate was found to be
o1rsh and dry Snow falls occasiona-
ally from December to March; rain
from May TO August; April, September,
October and November are dry. The
medium annual temperature was found
to be AZ, 81 and so degrees Fahrenheit
TO. morning, noon and night, respec.
lively. The data fer December is 1874
and q degrees and for July 90, II and
Sc degrees.
The population, which has at times
) been estimated at 100000, is prob
A~ably about one-tenth this number. 1t
is decreasing through disease, parucu-
1arly smallpox, and on account Of the
large number of ceibate priests. Al
most all the land in central Thibet
belongs to the Dalai Lama. The
Thibetan houses are of brick and
stone, but have chimneys only in the
l-en. The. other rooms have holes
"a the smoke escape and are cheer
ID ,85 cold. Dried dung is the principal
fuel.
The common run of folks wear
white, the wealthy red, officials vel
low, and soldiers blue clothing of
homespun Jewels are worn in great
abundance by the women. Barley
:, meal soup, the raw flesh OF the yak
nd Of sheep, butter, sour milk and
Vegetables are main items of the diet.
FMen smoke tobacco and the priests
take snuff.
The people of central Thibet are
passionately attached to their relig-
ious observances, which are purely
formal. Prayers are regarded as of
magic potency. Morals are primitive,
al marriage ties are Loose. Both
poygamy and polyandry are common
Agriculture and cattle raising are the
principal emplcyments. Labor is
cheap. men being paid two cents OF
three cents a day, while women usual
ly serve for their keep
Lhasaa was built in the seventh cen.
fury. II has a picturesque location on
the southern slope Of a mountain with
!. luxurious gardens on the west AMI
ACuth. The Uitchu river passes to the
nth of the city. bikes and canals
1--WE been constructed as a protection
against overfows A fine, broad street
- around the city serves for religious
professions and penitential exercises
Penltents go the length Of this street
falHng to the ground every five or si1
feAt, SO that in a day they PROSTATE
themselves about 5000 times The city
has 10000 regular inhabitants. 1t is
however, an important trade center
-,, zAf-ro +voJo~5 oro q II vvyCypop