Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-04-20
ENGLAND'S UNCANNY FOES.
Warfare in Thibet and Somaliland
Putting the Nation to Great
Trouble and Loss.

Never before has this country been op-
posed by two such mysterious and uncan-
ny foes as she is graphing with at the
present time, says London Tit-Bits, 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-
sinia. In both cases we have now big
expeditions out against these enemies,
and the curious thing is that at no time
has any Englishman ever seen either of
them, nor is ever likely to do so unless
the campaigns are so completely success
full 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 per-
son 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 country is entirely under the
rule OF the lamas, or priests. and he, be-
ing the chief of them, is the supreme ruler
and kind of Buddhist pope. He is
thought to be omnipotent; but, though
the people are not supposed to under
stand the course Of procedure, in actual
practice the reins of government are
chiefly in the hands of prime minister
and council of nine, of whom a bare
majority are lamas.
Some very extraordinary duties de-
volve upon this prime minister 1t is the
tradition of the grand lamas. brought
down from time immem orial, that they
never live long. but that when they are
about Is the spirit carries them away,
and then descenGs upon another little
child, who forthwith becomes the grand
lama and is duly worshiped as the all
powerful monarch of religious Thibet
This part of the business has to be very
! carefully arranged by the reigning prime
minister, who sees to it that in one way
or another the grand lama at about Is
duly and most mysteriously dies, and
then he announces to the people that if
tn J visit a certain house in certain
street they will find there a 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 Joy find a child exactly answer
ing to the description given by the prime
minister, who, CT course, though he does
not tell them so. has been there before
hand. The child is then carried off to
the great palace or Potala. and, notwith-
standing the limits which he soon begins
to understand are assigned to the dura-
/ ton of his life, he appears to have very
good time.
He sits upon fancy oriental throne
wearing yellow hat and a yellow gar
ment. The last grand lama that was seen
by anybody was described as being bright
and fair, with rosy cheeks and large
and penetrating eyes He was then about
eight years of age, and was already de.
scribed as being emaciated and lookins
fatigued and weary.
Once year the grand lama is vindicat
ed before all his people, as it were, by {
most curious proceeding. A demon" i!
brought out to toss dice against thu
grand lama's representative The CRANE
lama has never been known t,
lose, and it usually happens that shortl,
afterWard the demon, who is an ordinar,
Thibetan, dies or disappears. The die,
are loaded, so that the grand lama mus
win; if he did not every body would thinl
there was something very RADICAL,
wrong with either him or their country.
Now the Mad Mullah,' who is givin}
so much trouble to us out in Somaliland
is much more practical person, but onl,
a little less mysterious. He, too is
religious chief, of the Mohammedan per
suasion. who has been several times t,
Mecca, where he is held in great esteem
Though the nickname which has jus
been mentioned sticks to him, he is no
really mad at all. and the better title TO
him is The New Mahdi' His real nam,
is Abdulla Achur. His father was
shepherd in the Somali country, and tn
son was brought up among the herds
One day Mohammedan missionar,
came along and offered to buy him from
his parents and to train him up to re
ligious life. The offer was closed with
and the result is that British expedition
after expedition has nowadays to be dis
patched to Somaliland in a hitherto vail
endeavor to catch this late shepherd DO,
and break his enormous power
He is now about SO years of age, is tai
and thin, with dark skin and a small
goat-like beard He is a very Learned
man, eloquent and possessed of mucl
conjuring ability, which comes in usefu
for impressing his followers as to hi
great powers. His influence over thes'
followers is irresistible He excom
municates every one of them who doe!
not abide by every detail of his teaching
and he has passed many DEGREES as t
marriages and the like, one Of which
makes it illegal to be married by anyon,
who is subject to the king of England
and that all such marriages are null ant
void.
Fish Distinguish Sounds.