The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-05-16
CUSTOMS IN THE
LAND OF MYSTERY
Sven Hedin'S Explorations In
Region of 1ibet
STRANGE ADVENTURES
Spent twenty-five Months In Hitherto
= Unexplored Country-strange
Ceremony on New Years
Day. LINZ.
STRANGE
ADVENTURE


From the Providence Journal
Stories of adventure in strange lands
are of interest alike to the traveller and
to the stay-at home. and DIR. Sven Hedn,
the famous Swedish explorer. who recent
ly arrived in this country from Asia, has
many to recount.
Since he left Stockholm for the Far
East over three years ago, ne has spent
no less than % months in the hitherto
unexplored regions of Tibet. and his ex-
perienees have, naturally enough, been of
a singular character.
During his stay with the Grand Lama
DR.. Hedin visited an ancient Tibetan
temple. in which New Year festival was
being held
The principal feature of the festival
was the banishing of every evil thing
from the country for the succeeding year.
"A list of all the nasty things they
wanted to get rid Of" says DR.. Hedin.
was made upon slips of paper and
big fire was lighted in tile center of the
courtyard
Then, amid the prayers of the multi
tude, the papers were consigned to the
flames by the priests; and as the ashes
l.
firmly believed the evil things which had
been written down were carried off with
them
Near the source of the river Indus DR..
Hedin came upon Number of stones,
set at regular intervals upon the noun
tainside, and every one of these stones
was inscribed, says London Answers
with the holy formula of the Tibetan
religion.
Many of the lamas. br priests, DR..
Hedin says, voluntarily shut themselves
off from the world.
They go into separate grottos the en-
frances to which are closed against them
for the rest of their lives and there, in
solitude and absolute darkness, they
spend their days.
The reason for this awful martyrdom
is the lamas belief that 1t ensures his
being reborn after death, into very
happy existence.
He has no communication whatever
with the outside world, and the other
priests of the temple send in his food by
means of a long pole with a bowl at
tached to one end
When the food and drink contained in
the bowl are withdrawn in an untouched
condition the inmate of the grotto Is
known to be dead.
But Tibet is a land of superstitious
and strange beliefs.
In one part there Is a sacred mountain
called Kailas, 10 pigrimages around
which are believed to purge one of every
sin.
Many pilgrims to the mountain prefer.
however, to go down upon all tours and
crawl around 1t in zig-zag fashion,
| breathing a prayer every time they reach
one side or the other of the track, be-
/ cause one journey performed In this
manner Is believed to have as much
! virtue as the 10 wanderings on foot.
/ Dr cd fa5
! from entering the unexplored region from
| the south, he determined to ge in from
the north, and, to put the authorities off
the scent. set out in the direction of
Pekin with 40 ponies and u men.
After he had started, however, he found
that the caravan leader had obtained
provisions for only q days, instead of
for three months, as directed
But" said the man, our journey will
take only q days. so what's the use of
carrying food we shan't want?'
DR.. Hedin did not explain; but when,
subsequently, the caravan was turned
west. the men were much astonished.
soon after this said the doctor, st
had my worst experience.
Travelling to the east of the Kara
korum Pass, we came upon river, which
followed so erratic a course that we
were compelled to cross 1t q times. The
cold was intense, and the roads were
strewn with the carcasses OF ponies and
sheep In two hours ride we counted 81
dead ponies"
Travelling down through the great,
white loneliness of Northern Tibet, no
traces of mankind were seen for several
weeks; but at length, many miles to the
south, they came upon an antelope which
had been caught in a trap, and knew
that hunters must be near.
To be seen In European dress would
have been to be recognized; SO DIR. Sven
Hedin promptly disguised himself in ma
tive costume, and BACKED his face every
morning with Indian ink.
At last the end came. One morning
eight or ten natives came up and en-
tered the tent of the caravan leader.
They had been sent by the authorities
to examine the caravan, and were to
escort all its occupants to the governor
Of the province, unless a written state
ment was given to the effect that they
had nothing to do with the European
who was known to have entered the
country.
DIR. Hedin thought 1t would be too
serious a cheat to give any such state
ment So OFF he went alone to the coun-
Gil of chiefs, and electrified the assembly
by calmly announcing:
I'm the man you are looking for"
He says 1t was perfectly delicious
feeling to be caught. He was tired to
death of being prisoner in his own tent
as he had been for the past two and a
half month, and was particularly glad
to be able to wash once more.
But he resolutely declined to return the
way he had come, and explained that
there was law in his own country that
no one should walk in his own foot
prints.
1.-The Tibetans," says DR.. Hedin, found
this quite a reasonable law, and I was
finally permitted to take one of the
courses l wanted to take. provided I was
escorted by 10 soldiers on horseback"
One Wav Out