Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-22
Story of Traveller Who Lived
in Lhassa.
WOMEN ARE TRADERS
BOTH POLYGAMY AND POLYAN-
DRY COMMONLY PRACTICED.
Laborers Are Paid Two Cents q Day
and Lama Will Pray for You
All Day for Ten Cents.

ST. PETERSBURG, June TIN we" VI
the recent unsuccessful attempt of Sven
Hedin and Col 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 a Russian subject, G. q.
Zoubikoff. was recently residing quietly at
Lhassa or visiting the sacred monasteries
of that mysterious country.
In the summer of 1900 NJ Zoubikoff en-
tered Thibet from the north as a member
of a caravan of seventy pilgrims, includ-
ing many lamaS. He approached Central
Thibet by the Boumza mountains where
Przhevalsky was turned back in 1879. The
road led through a treeless alpen land
scape, with snow-topped mountains ex-
tending east to west in parallel chains, and
a thin, nomadic population. An agricul-
tural community was found only within
sixty or seventy miles Of Lhassa.
The climate was found to be harsh and
dry Snow. falls occasionally from Decem-
Der 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 for morning, noon and night,
respectively. The data for December are
II, "a and n degrees, and for July 60, II
and Go degrees.
The population, which has at times been
estima ted at 33 100000, is probably about
one-tenth this number. 1t is decreasing
through disease. particularly smallpox and
on account of the large number OF cell
bate priests.
The sons of Chinese soldiers and mer-
chants temporarily resident in Thibet are
counted Chinese, the daughters Thibetans
Other foreign residents are Indians from
Cashmere, Mongolians and Thibetans from
Neual. the latter being skilled artisans,
architects, sculptors and jewelers.. The
Cashmere Mohammedans are traders. They
usually convert their Thibetan wives.
Almost all the land in Central Thibet be-
longs to the Dalai Lama. Only high Of
ficials in Lhassa have hereditary homes.
The Thibetan 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. Dried dung is the principal fuel.
The common run Of folks wear white
the wealthy red officials yellow. and SOL
diers 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 vege-
tables are the main items of the diet.
Wheat spirits sell for a cent bottle. Men
smoke tobacco and the priests take snufr.
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 fig
ure In all ordinary and extraordinary af-
fairs Of life. Medicine is in small popular
favor. Morals are primitive and marriage
ties are loose. Both polygamy and poly
andry are common.
Agriculture and cattle raising are the
principal employments. Wheat, barley.
pease and beans. CATTLE sheep, yaks,
horses, asses and mules are the main prod
ucts. Yaks and asses are used as pack
animals. Labor Is cheap, men being paid
2 or cents day, while women usually
serve for their keep. Even lama receives
only 10 cents for whole days prayers.
Sheepskins, cattle, yak tails, statues books
and yellow lama caps are exported. The
yak tails serve as horse tails In the outht
Of Turkish pashas English and Indian cot
tons and woolens and copper and enamel
utensils are introduced from India, tea,
silks and cottons, horses and asses from
China.
Lhassa was built in the seventh century
1t has picturesque location on the south
ern slope of a mountain with luxurious gar
dens on the west and south. The Uitchu
river passes to the south Of the city. bikes
and canals have been constructed as pro.
lection against overfows. A fine broad
street around the city serves for religious
professions and penitential exercises.
Penitents go the length Of this street,
falling to the ground every five or six feet.
so that in day they PROSTATE themselves
about 3 900 times. The city Is small, hav-
| ing at most only 10000 regular inhabitants.
1t is. however, an important trade center.
| The temple of Buddha, in the center of
| the city, is about 40 feet square. 1t is
| three stories high, and has three gilded
| Chinese roofs. 1t shelters the gigantic
bronze statue of Buddha, which has ham
mered gold jeweled headdress A sacrificial
| fire fed with melted butter burns before the
statue. Other statues and relics are kept
in other chambers of the same temple.
among which Is the statue of the goddess
of women. to which are offered spirits and
wheat. The wheat is at once eaten by
mice. In the same temple are also rooms
for the Dalai Lama and his council.
The residence of the Dalai Lama is about
mile away from Lhassa. on Mount b.
dala. Buddha La). 1t was built in the sew
enth century. Near by is the old castle
Hodson- Bodala which is 1 400 feet long and
! nine stories high Here are located the
treasury, the mint, the schools of theology
and medicine. quarters for 200 officials
and 800 monks, and a prison. AS many as
1000 priests participate in religious process
sions to this mountain.
M. Zoubikoff also infinitely described va
rlous monaster1es and temples, including
three near Lhassa, where 1900 monks are
mainly engaged In learned pursuits. At
one of these, Brabun, nearly 5000 boys
young men, and even gray-bearded pa
triarchs are studying theology, the total
number of resident monks being 5000.
Thibetan Buddhism brought from India
In the seventh century, struggled against
the native Shamanism until the ninth CEN
fury, when a compromise was agreed upon
<ASCoiuiHS " tHe current tedCnlnR there
are many spirits which are continually
reincarnated in men.
The Dalai Lama is the living Buddha
Another defender of the faith Is the spirit
| Cheidshen whose power is manifested
through pious ascetics that spend their
| lives in contemplation
| Since the fifteenth century all power,
| civil and spiritual has been nominally in
! the hands of the Dalai Lama but China
| maintains Manchu resident and an
| army. In order to avoid strife in selecting
| a Dalai Lama, the electoral council places
| three strips of paper with the names OF
| three boys In an urn, and the Manchu res
| ident removes one with small staff The
| new Dalai Lama's education is intrusted
| to college of learned men, Until his
| twenty-second year the government is in
| the hands of a regent appointed by the
4 Emperor of China.
| The present Dalai Lama Is twenty-seyen
| years old. He is the fifth since 1906 one of
| the regents having continued in authority
| for an unusually long time, owing to three
| children selected to be lamas having died
| before attaining maturity.
| The Dalai Lama's council, in whose
| hands the actual power mainly resides en-
| braces four so-called Gallons" appointed
| by the Emperor of China The administra-
| ton is in the hands of closed aristocracy,
| and bribery and corruption are nearly uni
versal.