Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-20
CHINA, THE SUZERAlN OF TIBET.

in 1920, when eastern Tibet was placed
under the direct rule of Chinese officials
of the rank of Kansu and Sge-Chuer. In
1774 Warren Hastings. British governor
of India, sent an envoy to negotiate
friendly commercial relations between Ii
bet and the British East India Company.
Another embassy was sent under Turner
in 17SS but the efforts of the latter were
rendered futile by the policy of the East
India Company under the administration
of Lord CORVALLIS. who was appointed
Governor General of India in 1855. and
who under treaty engagements with Ne
pal. assisted the Gurkhas when. in 1870,
they invaded Tibet and plundered Tashi-
lunpo.
Lord Corvallis who has thus a place
in Tibetan history. is the same British
general who capitulated at Yorktown In
1871, who conquered Tippo-Sahib in 1Iao,
who depressed the rebellion in Ireland in
1898 and who died and was buried at
Gharipur. in the province of Benares, in
October, 1905
The mineral resources of Tibet. of which
the Chinese are said to be well aware.
are supposed to be very rich 1t is said
that gold silver. iron and coal exist in
great abundance" Lapis-lazui and other
precious stones exist. The kneu
iun mountains have for many centuries
been the principal source of the Jade sup
plies which are sold in European markets.
Lassa. the capital. signifies in Tibetan
Gods house" 1t Is termed by the Chi
nese 'Fo-fi," or Buddha Land. 1t Is the
chief seat of the fantastic hierarchy,
and is situated on the north bank of the
kyi-chu. tributary of the Yaru Tsang-
pa. or Brahmaputra, in an elevated plain
n,oSO feet above sea level This plain is
sometimes called Wo-ma-tang, or Milk
plain. 1t slopes to the north for about
twelve miles, and is surrounded by lofty
mountains.
. The city is described as small but regu-
iarly laid out. and the principal streets
are wide and we'll fur
Tlbetan nished with Tibetan. Chi
r.r;+o1 nese and Nepalese shops.
The front streets are
clean, but the back ones are horribly
filthy. The chief trade is in precious
stones, gold. velvet. cashmere. silk. lace.
carpets, musk and Russian fabrics Near
the center of the city stands the cathe-
dral, a lofty. flat-roofed shrine resplen-
dent with green and gold, and known as
the Io-kang or Shaking. the house of
the Lord" There stands life-size image
of Buddha, the material Of which is de-
scrihed as an alloy of Ave precious metals.
In the suburbs west of the city there is
the palace of the Dalai Lama, an impos-
ing pile of lofty buildings, gorgeous in
green and cinnabar. constructed on the
brow of a rocky hill called by its founder
Mount Potala, and which rises from the
plain to q height of 315 feet. The popu-
lation of Lassa has been variously esti-
mated at from thirty to forty-five thou
sand souls.
Notwithstanding the fact that Tibet is
classed as the Ultima Thule of unknown
countries, the reader will be surprised at
the number of travellers who have visited
this much-talked-of holy land Stories
are told of travellers who reached Lassa
in the fourteenth century, but they are
not based upon authentic records. The
first Europeans to visit Lassa were
Fathers Grueber and dOrville, who
reached Tibet from China in 1911 and
remained two months in Lassa. The
Jesuits Desideri and Freyre reached
Lassa in 1713 and remained there thir-
Horace de Ia Penna, built chapel in
Lassa in 1919 and made several converts,
and were finally expelled in 174O. Van
der Platte. a Hollander. arrived in 1920
and remained several years. Bagle fol-
lowed in 1774, Turner in 1888, Manning
in 1911, Hue and Goblet in 1876, Brzhe-
valski in 1870 1871. 1879 and 1887: Rock
hill in 1880. 1891 and 1892; Bonvolot, 1899.
Bower, 1890, 1891: UittledaIe. 1894, Sven
Hedin, 1894, 1897. 1899. 1902. 1908.
DR.. Sven Hedin has published several
rare volumes on his far-eastern explora-
tions-'Through Asia in 1898: Central
Asia and Tibet Toward the Holy City of
Lassa," 1903. and Trans Himalaya." 1909
In the latter there is a note from Lord
Curzon, former viceroy Of India. to whom
the second volume is dedicated. Lord
Curzon says: