The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-26

1901 Answers. 1861
f" BET lies between the latitude of
Rome and cairo, yet, owing to the
fact that it is nearly all one series
If lofty table lands, its climate is purely
Arctic. There is hardly any RAIN and
biting, dry winds send dust or dry snow
storms forever raging across its inhospit-
lble uplsnds.
Lassa, its capital. is the Mecca of the
Buddhist world, and pious Buddhists gain
much merit by making the pilgrimage.
The reason why this strange city has
heen SO completely cut off from the rest
IF the world is really simple enough. The
chinese, who conquered the whole coun-
Try between the years 1900 and 1720, have
nculcated among the lTibetans their own
iisllle of 1.-The foreign devil" The Chi
aese had a selfish object in view. They
wanted to keep all the Tibetan trade to
themselves. Some years ago there was
war between Tibet and Nepal. Tibet beat
Nepal, and one of the conditions of peace
was that the trade routes from India
should be closed. How we'll the closing
Of these routes has benefited the Chinese
nay be gathered from the fact that Chi
nese tea of the very worst quality-mere
5hillings a pound.
The government of Tibet Is dual. The
political side is run by Chinese Ambans,
who draw fat salaries from the wretched
ribetan taxpayers; internal and religious
affairs are managed by the Dalai Lama
and a council of five-four mobiles and one
layman.
The Amban makes yearly tours of in
spection through the country, and as he
goes collects his salary, which amounts
to the comfortable sum of about s35
day On one occasion, when calling at a
town named Shigatse, the Amban sud
denly demanded e54 a day. The infuriat-
ed villagers struck at this extortion and
stoned him. Troops were hurried up the
wretched headman was caught apd ter
ribly logged receiving 400 strokes, while
the two mayors had the flesh cut away
from their hands. Small wonder, then.
that the Chinese are not loved by the
Tibetans!
The choosing of the Dalai Lama is one
Of the oldest bits of swindling to be
Lamaist creed is transmigration. When
4 Lama dies it is believed that he win
at once reappear in human form, and it
becomes the duty of his survivors to de-
tcrmine in which child he is reincarnated.
There are certain physical signs, usual
ly peculiar deformity. which are supposed
to Indicate the reborn saint and the
names of children answering to the re-
CURED description are written on pieces
of paper. which are rolled up and placed
in golden urn. On the eight day the
urn is spun until name has come out
three times.
Then the boy is brought to Lassa
and submitted to certain tests. Pure
humbug, of course, but they serve to de-
ceive the populace. The election must
then be sanctioned by the Chinese EN-
peror, and the wretched little boy is in
stalled in his new dignities.
The country is full of converts, some or
them containing as many as 1000 monks,
nearly all of whom claim to be rein
carnated 1t is said that for every family
in Tibet there are at least three
monks SIS
The Tibetan penal code is curious.
Murder is punished with fine, varying
according to the importance of the slain;
theft by fine Of 7 to 100 times the value
of the article stolen. Here, again, the
fine depends on the social Importance of
The person from whom the theft has been
committed. The harborer of a thief is
looked upon as worse criminal than the