The sun., 1905-09-10
Tho Latest Book About Lhasa.

perished by thousands
Tho Latest Book About Lhasa.
Not long after the return Of Col. Young
husband from his mission to Tibet two
books were published. made up to large
extent Of letters in which their respective
authors. the correspondents OF London
newspapers. had recounted from day to
day the fortunes Of the expedition. 1t
must be admitted that neither OF the writer's
was qualified for gaining other than super
fetal information by previous acquaintance
with the country or by knowledge OF
the Tibetan language. Very different are
the qualifications OF Col. L. A. WADDELL.
OF the Indian medical service, who accom-
panied the expedition, and now gives what
may be termed an official record Of 1t In q
copiously illustrated volume Of 500 pages,
entitled Lhasa and Its Mysteries (E. p.
Dutton d Coz. 1t may be we'll to recall In
some detail the exceptional advantages
enjoyed by the author Of this book for gain
ing at first hand information which others
would inevitably fail to secure. 1t Is nearly
a quarter OF century since Col. Waddell
made his first visit to the little known country
beyond the Himalayas Subsequently, on
his return from the war in Burmah uSsS-e).
where he had an opportunity Of examining
the primitive Buddhism professed by King
Thebaws subjects, he was stationed for
some years at Darjeeling, on the border OF
the Forbidden Land, where there was
floating colony OF several thousand Tibetans
-Iamas and laity-fresh from the sacred
city and in daily communication with 1t.
The curiosity aroused in him by the sight
OF these strange people, with their piotur-
esque caravans and encampments. was
further stimulated. he tells US, by echoes
Of the theosophist belief that somewhere
beyond the mighty peak Of Kanchenjunga
would be found key that would unlock
the mysteries Of the old world, supposed
to have been lost by the sinking OF the
continent called Atlantis in the Western
Ocean about the time when Tibet was
being upheaved by the still rising Hima-
layas. However unfounded might be the
expectations Of the theosophists. there was
good reason to assume that In Tibet might
be solved many problems in tho ethnology.
natural history and geography Of the Roof
OF the World At Darjeeling, also. our
author made the acquaintance Of several
Of the survey spies" employed by the CAL
cutta Government to explore the least
known parts Of the trans-himalayan region,
and he heard from their lips narratives OF
their stirring adventures.
To turn such opportunities to the best
account, Gen. Waddell set about learning
the Tibetan language and collecting infor-
nation concerning Tibet wherever it was
accessible. After recovering from his first
hNU
in Europe and India concerning the re-
ligion Of the country. and how unlike 1t is
to the Buddhism Of Burmah. from which
he had freshly come he undertook COM
parison Of the Tibetan beliefs and rites with
those which pass under the Buddhist name
In other lands, devoting considerable time
to the prosecution Of the inquiry in Ceylon,
China and Japan. With view. also. Of ac-
curing data OF different kind. he tramped
many hundreds OF miles along the mountain
tracks Of the Tibetan frontier from Carnival
and Nepal in the west to Assam In the east.
where the valley Of central Tibet ends in
that OF tho Brahmaputra River. In tho
course Of these wanderings he often found
himself at great attitudes. sometimes had to
sleep In caves to evade the frontier guards.
and on several occasions penetrated far
enough into the territory Of the Lhasa
Government to learn Trustworthy and
interesting facts about the ethnology,
topography and natural history Of the
region. Although the attempt made by
Col. Waddell In 1892 to reach Lhasa In dis
guise was failure, yet during many years
Of preparation he had accumulated In his
mind such accurate pictures OF the land
that his ultimate entry into its capital
seemed but the realization Of q vivid and
long cherished dream. It IL noteworthy
that the provisional map Of Lhasa. which
our author had compiled from information
cleaned from natives. and copy Of which
had been issued to each officer by the CAL
cutta Government. proved to be very ac-
curate, indicating the various streets and
buildings with remarkable precision. It
Ia obvious that the circumstances to which
We have referred, and the preparation
which he had undergone, opened to COL
Waddell an intercourse with the Lamas,
native chiefs and people met with on the
Journey which would have been impossible
to one not similarly trained beforehand,
and put into his hands q means OF inter-
preting much symbolism. custom and
myth which would have been inoompre-
hensible to the uninitiated.
To comprehend the material differences
between the currupt form OF Buddhism
which now exists In Tibet and the purer
types Of that religion encountered in Ceylon
and Burmah, 1t Is needful 10 recall tho
circumstances under which tho former
has been evolved. This 10 a subject upon
which the author is enabled to throw much
light through the intimate relations with
native scholars and high ohiciah. into
which his command Of the Tibetan Ian
euage brought him. Before the Tibetans
knew anything Of Buddhism. or acknowl-
edged Ohina's suzerainty. they were sav-
ages, destitute OF written language. In
those d. ys. that is to say from 700 to 900
A. D., the Chinese described their Tibetan
neighbors as Aferocious barbarian shep.
herds" divided into small clans, which
wore continually at war with one another.
We are told that each year the primitive
Tibetans took a little OATH to their chief,
on which occasion they sacrificed sheep.
dogs snl monkeys. onos In three yssrs