The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-09-18

last the veil has been lifted
" from the magic city Of Lassa.
~ the Seat of the Gods" in the
heart Of Tibet, and Tommy
Atkins, $50 strong, camps beside the
palace Of the Dalai Lama, while General
Macdonald tramps through the streets
OF the mystery so well preserved for
centuries and rails because there are no
trolley cars.
Above the heads OF the British sol
diers rear the massive. gold-cOvered
roofs Of the palace OF the Lama, the
famous Red Palace" as it is called. and
OF the Jovo Khang, OF Temple OF the
Lord Buddha." Of the Kunduling or
residence of the Regent or king" OF
Tibet. and the massive buildings Of the
upper and lower Schools of Mysticism.
Gold-Roofed Palaces.
There is gold enough in Lassa to pay
the national debt Of Great Britain and
the United States II the rumOr con-
stantly repeated be true, and something
of the truth OF this statement is infer
red from the massive plates of gold
which cover the roofs Of these build
ings.
As General Macdonald led his little
force Of British soldiers into Lassa as
escort TO Colonel Younghusband. the
setting sun beamed upon those great
acres of massive golden plates In way
that struck the weary marchers with
wonder and awe. and as one man they
burst into the chorus Of Kipling's song,
Loot, Loot, Loot
For the first time since time began
for Lassa the great white roads were
trodden by the feet of Western men In
armed force. singing rude Tilt Of the
british camp.
Town Pictured and Mapped.
Already scores Of photographs of
Iassa have been taken. and the heart
OF the mystery OF the secret city has
been plucked out ruthlessly.
For the first time since Western men
began to hear OF the secret city Of the
L.amas, perchad high upon the roof Of
the world" II has been photographed
and accurately described
/ The first thing the military men OF
Britain did when they entered Lassa,
after taking photographs OF all avail
able positions. was 70 chart and map
the town as though il had been an enc
/ my's fertilization.
| The British foreign office not only pos
1 SeSSeS CoiupltNt anu accurate AtptL -
Iconcerning the character of the city,
1.-The practices Of the Buddhist priests,
land the habits Of the citizens. but also
charts drawn to scale OF every foot OF
the space within the circular road which
bounds the city.
Form of Great Oval.
Seven miles in circumference is Lassa
/ in the form Of a great oval. but the
denscIy populated part of the town is
comparatively small and It's golden
roofs and mluarets cluster thickly to-
gether
The British were met when they en-
tered Lassa, not by the Dalai Lama,
but by the Amban, the Chinese resi-
dent in Tibet. who is head of the Tibet
an army and the medium of all COM
munications between Tibet and the SUI
zerain power. China. Almost as cor
daily hated as the English, the Ambar
greeted the newcomers pleasantly and
with hearty welcome The cOwled hid
| cous-looking priests Of the faith, the
monks of Buddha, refused to venture
/ forth from their houses and Contented
themselves with peering forth from
within at the British invaders
Dalai lama in Hiding.
The Dalai Lama. who is but child
but whose body is supposed to contain
the soul Of the great Lama, fied from