The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-22
NJ. ZOubikov PcnetratCs the Very
Heart of Mysterious Land
Under Guise of a Lama.
PEOPLE ARE VERY RELIGIOUS.
Passionatelv Attached to Holy
Forms, Yet Morals Are Very
Lax-Population Rap
idly Disappearing.
of the Associated Press.

| Correspondence Of the Associated Press
| st. Petersburg. Monday. June In view
of the recent unsuccessful attempt of Sven
Redn and Colonel Kozloff to penetrate into
| the heart of Thibet, interest in which has
| been added to by the recent departure from
| New York of oscar T. Crosby an Ameri-
! can, on the same mission, it has just be-
come known that u Russian subject, G.. Il.
Ioubikov, was recently residing quietly at
| Lhassa. or visiting the sacred monasteres
of that mysterious country.
NJ. Zoubikov is n Bouriat and a graduate
of the Oriental Faculty of the University
of St Petersburg. AS a born Buddhist and
familiar from childhood with Thibetan the
holy language of his people, he found 10
difficulty in passing for a lama. He brought
back immense number of photographs
and other Illustrations of the life of the
country and when his book is published
as it soon will he. the mystery of Thibet
will be thing of the past.
VI. Zoubkov made an extended report on
his journey at n meeting of the Geograph-
ical Society a few days ago He was imme-
diately awarded the Przhevalsky, prize.
which is conferred in honor of the first
russian Thibet explorer.
FRONTIERS CLOSED.
The frontiers of Thibet. which were
closed to European travellers. after The
French explorers Hue and CADET were ex
PEELED from Lhassa in 1876. have not been
Theoretically sealed against a certain por-
ton of Russian subjects. namely the Budd-
histic Bouriats of the Baikal region. The
Bourats, are a talented people, and the
same value attaches to NJ. Zoubikov's OBJ
servations as would be the case were he q
European. His stay lasted more than a
year.
In the summer of 1900 NJ. Zoubikov entered
Thibct from the north as a member of a
caravan of seventy pilgrims. including many
the Boumza Mountain, where Przhevalsky
was turned back in 1870. The road led
through n treeess alpen landscape with
snow-topped mountains, extended east to
west in parallel chains. and a thin. nomadic
population An agricultural community was
found only within sixty or seventy miles Of
LhaSSa.
The climate was found to be harsh and
dry. Snow falls occasionally from Deem
Der to March: rain from May. to August:
are dry eP The MEDIUM annual ad
was found to be ~. 81 and 80 degrees Fab
renheit for morning, noon and night, respec-
lively.
RAvAGES OF DISEASE.
The population. which has at times been
estimated at 100000, is probably about one
tenth this number. 1t is decreasing through
disease, particularly smallpox, and on ac-
priests.
The sons of Chinese soldiers and mer-
counted Chinese, the daughters .Thibetans.
Other foreign residents are Indians from
Cashmere, Mongolians and Thibetans from
Nepal the latter being skilled artisans.
architects. sculptors and jewelers.. The
Cashmere. Mohammedans are traders. They
usually convert their Thibetan wives.
longs to the Dalai Lama; Only high Off
Gals in Lhassa have hereditary homes. The |
rhibetan houses are of brick and stone, but |
have chimneys only in the kitchen. The !
other rooms have holes to let the smoke |
escape and are cheerlessly cold
The common run of folks wear white. the |
blue clothing of homespun Jewels are worn |
in great abundance by the women. Barley |
meal. soup. the raw flesh of the yak and of |
sheep butter. sour milk and vegetables are |
main items of the diet. Wheat spirits sell |
for cent bottle. Men smoke tobacco and !
the priests take snuf.
MORALS ARE LAX.
The people of Central Thibet are passion
ately attached to their religious observ-
ances. which are purely formal. Prayers
are regarded as of magic potency and figure |
in all ordinary and extraordinary affairs of |
Morals are primitive and marriage ties are |
Agriculture and cattle-raising are the |
principal empIoyments Wheat, barley, |
peas and beans. cattle, sheep, yaks. horses, |
asses and mules are the main products. |
y axis and asses are used as pack animals.
Labor is cheap, men being paid or cents
day, while wcmen usually serve for their
keep Even a Lama receives only 10 cents !
Tor whole days prayers. Sheepskins. cat
tie. yak tails statues. books and yellow |
Lama caps are exported The yak tails |
serve as horse tails in the outfit of Turkish |
pashas. English and Indian cottons and
woolens and copper and enamel utensils are
introduced from India; tea, silks and cot
tons horses and asses from China.
Lhassa one of the chief cities. was built
in the Seventh Century. 1t has a pic
turcsQuc location On the southern slope of
2 mountain with luxurious gardens on the
west and south. The Uitchu River passes
to the. south of the city. Bikes and canals
lave been constructed as protection |
against overfiows. A fine. broad street
around the city serves for religious process
stems and penitential exercises. Penitents
go the length of this street, falling to the |
ground every five or six feet SO that in a |
lay they PROSTATE themselves about 5000
LIN es. The city is small, having at most
only 10000 regular inhabitants. 1t is. how
ever, an important trade center. The ma !
I'VE traders are all women.
TEMPLE OF BUDDHA.
The temple of Buddha, in the center of
he city. is about 14O feet square. 1t is three
stories high and has three gilded Chinese