Evening star., 1904-03-16
BRITAIN'S WEIRD FOES
GRAND LAMA OF THIBET AND
SOMALILAND "MAD MULLAH."
Former Only Figure-Prime Minister
Executive Of Government, Nomi-
nal Head a Boy.
From London Tit-Bits.

run lit-pits.
Never before has this country been op-
posed by two such mysterious and uncanny
foes as she is graphing with at the present
time in the persons of the Grand Dalai
Lama of Thibet and the Mad Mullah."
who. with his followers. is trouble to us
and others in the regions round about Abys-
snia In both cases we have now big ex-
petitions out against these enemies. and
the curious thing is that at no time mas
any Englishman ever seen either of them.
nor is ever likely to do so unless the cam
paigns are so completely successful that
there is no escape for any of the defeated
Not only no Englishman, but no white
man at all. has ever set eyes on the person
of the grand lama, who never leaves his
palace at Lhassa. to which city no whites
are permitted admission. He is probably
the strangest monarch who ever sat upon
any of the thrones of the world. The coun-
try Is entirely under the rule of the lamas,
or priests, and he. being the chief of them,
Is the supreme ruler and KIND or Budd-
hist pope. He is thought to be omnipotent;
but, though the people are not supposed to
understand the course of procedure, In
actual practice the reins of government are
chiefly in the hands of prime minister
and a council of nine, of whom a bare ma
jority are lamas
Grand Lama Boy.
OOIHe very uobSo NS'o''S
upon this prime minister. 1t is the tradition
of the grand lamas, brought down from
time immemorial. that they never live long.
but that when they are about fifteen the
spirit carries them away. and then descends
upon another little child, who forthwith be-
comes the grand lama and is duly wor-
SHIPPED as the all-powerful monarch OF re-
ligious Thibet This part Of the business
has to be very carefully arranged by the
y,rfyo oini
that in one way or another the grand lama
at about fifteen duly and most mysteriousiy
dies. and then he announces to the people
that If they visit certain house IN Ger
tain street they will find there little
child upon whom the spirit has descended
and who will thenceforth be the grand
lama and their chief ruler.
They visit the house in question and to
their 10y find child exactly answering to
the description given by the prime minister.
who. of course, though he does not tell
them so. has been there beforehand. The
child is then carried off to the great palace.
or Potala and Notwithstanding the limits
which he soon begins to understand are as
signed to the duration of his life, he ap-
pears to have very good time.
He sits upon a fancy oriental throne.
wearing yellow hat and a yellow garment.
The last grand lama that was seen by any
body was described as being bright and fair.
with rosy cheeks and large and penetrating
eyes He was then about eight years OF age,
ciated and looking fatigued and weary.
Once year the grand lama is vindicated
before all his people. as 1T were. by most
curious proceeding. A demon is brought
out to toss dice against the grand lama's
representative. The grand lama has never
been known to lose. and 1t usually happens
that shortly afterward the demon. who
Is an ordinary Thibetan. dies or disappears.
The dice are loaded. so that the grand lama
must win if he did not everybody would
think there was something very radically
wrong with either him or their country.
Mullah Was Shepherd.
Now the Mad Mullah." who is giving 50
much trouble to us out in Somaliland. Is a
much more practical person. but only lit
tie less mysterious. He, too, is a religious
chief of the Mohammedan persuasion who
has been several times to Mecca. where he
is held In great esteem. Though the nick
name which has just been mentioned sticks
to him, he is not really mad at all. and the
better title for him is "The New Mahdi.'
His real name is Abdulla Achur. His father
was q. shepherd in the Somali country. and
the son was brought I'D among the herds
One day Mohammedan missionary came
along and offered to buy him from his par
ents and to train him I'D to a religious life.
The offer was closed with and the result is
that British expedition after expedition has
nowadays to be dispa tched to SOmalland
in a hitherto vain endeavor to catch this
late shepherd boy and break his enormous
power
He is now about thirty-three years of age.
IS tall and thin. with dark skin and
small. goat-lke beard He is very learned
man. eloquent and possessed of much con-
iuring ability, which comes in useful for
impressng his followers as to his great
powers. His influence over these followers
is irresistible. He communicates every
one of them who does not abide by every
detail of his teaching. and he has passed
many DEGREES as to marriages and the like
Hpa M yI-Di inh tO ho rta
by any one who is subject to the King of
England. and that all such marriages are
null and void.