New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-06
nAReS (Favorits American House)
l Hotel Chatham.

ara that Is the one in that bundle. His head has
peeR a tfe TFounded With salt the bag has been
carefully up well in cloth 10 prevent gnpiSas
the stable to await the harvest and the selection
OF propitouS day Tnat one VIII 9g ra eS,n5 10
those footmarks and bits OF buttered sticks saw
about TO happen. though. as We have not got far
as the site OF the funeral pyre. j did not know
taken that plateau up there IS the site. and ne
pointed to one about half a mile on higher Up the
can't we make a detour and get above them
with every precaution Karma led the way; TAX
ing advantage OF every rock. oowider and ledge.
ing commanding view OF the plateau below u.s. on
which the crowd was aSse Ra U 1rs al de-
cline to a valley below. and the crowd formed an
facing the gentle slope. quite open and free from
people. a funeral pyre OF wood ssttqrated Wl ~
centre OF the crescent formed By the crowd The
snpaiiinS small fires were lighted at intervals
within the crescent The body in the sack was
In the snow between the points OF the horns o. the
crescent formed by the people put aPPst b one a
then stripped Of coverings anu q scene was Ie re-
horror and weird effect. as viewed oy me on tlaS
Tibetan mountain IN the dead OF night the moon
'The so-caIled lama priests assisting at the esre-
monies were formed into two r-eren5
rites rituals-those OF the deceased about 70 oe
begin by describing the first OF these. About a
hundred OF the nteratI class or. as Europeans
enormously called them. 1amas' (for there are
very few iamas properly so called. each with
revolving prayer wheel In hand. tramped rouhu
the blazing pyrs IN a circle In ful view or the
crowd The spectators occupied themselves beat
ing gongs. and every now and then Joined IN q
wild chant led by the choirmasters and Hterau
encirclng the pyre- ,,, -
described the other contingent had been at WORK
upon their hideOusly revolving task. The reason
for beating the gongs and lighting the smaller
fires Karma explained to me, was not part or any
religious ordinance but in order 20 attract the WIG
dogs and vultures These knew full well what
those signals indicated and. 90 confirm this. within
a quarter Of an hour packs OF Wild dogs kept ar
irving at the open end OF the crescent. having
easily mounted BY the gradual slope already re-
ferred 20. The crescent formation adopted oy the
crowd was evidently with view TO permit the
dogs to approach. -,
'5The highest functOnary advanced toward the
corpse with slow and stately stride and with great
assumption Of sOlemnity. Arriving at a mat placed
ALONGSIDE OF the body he slowly and gradually al
lowed his knees bend under him till he kneit
upon the mat. STOPPING, he proceeded 20 dissect
the body into pieces no larger than nlberts. The
dogs in the mean time were kept on BY the at
PENDANTS When he had Concluded the dissection
the dogs permitted to approach nearer. and
then bit by bit. he threw morsels to them repeat
ing with each mOrsel the Ineffable Prayer When
nothing but the big bones remained these were
powdered up I'm mortar and mixed with meal
brose CTsang Pal. and then the officiating priest
threw the mixture as he had thrown the rest-abso-
lutely nothing must be left unconsumed