Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-10-24
7 iMysTERio1s TIBET
Strange Country With Curious Gus.
toms, ~.

Recent dispatches from 5, Pekin.
tstating that China and Great Britain
lhave entered into an agreement under
(which Tibet is to be given autonomy
Under Chinese sovereignty recall the
troubles of that ancient country SO
filled with curious customs and holy
places, during the early part Of the
present century, particularly the grief
OF. the Dalai Lama, ruler Of the land
land religious head of the Buddhist faith
when a British expedition under Sir
Francis Younghusband penetrated the
country from India in 1904 and fought
It's way to the holy city Of Lhasa- The
Dalai Lama was so overcome by the
fact that the "feet, of infidels had trod-
den the streets Of the forbidden. city
that he fed the country, and for many
years was a wanderer in the provinces
OF northern China. Eventually. how
lever, he returned to Tibet Nand was
again invested by the Chinese with all
Of his ancient powers.
!, Tibet Is populated by branch Of
the Mongolian race, and although the
Dalai Lama exercises the ruling au-
thoritS the real power Is the Chinese
Vice Regent the country having been
Iunder Chinese dominion I;for many
years. Some {, time ago the Chinese
foreign office offered to grant the
|Tibetahs autonomy, and this proposal
is; now understood. to have the ap-
proval ,5of the British government,
which has always insisted that Tibet
kremain a northern buffer state In Asia
and not soomeyunder the control of any
Eof the great European powers. The
new arrangement is. understood to
Eplace the. Tibetans on the same foot
Bing with the other races and countries
Eof the Chinese Republic and will re-
Eifeye the Chinese of the task of keep-
ling the country in. order, IT will also
British desire to keep Tibet
Eas buffer state between India and
China.
From almost any point OF, view Tibet
bhss always been one of. the most
|curious countries on the globe. 1t is
Ethe most extensive elevated country
Eins the world, occupying an area OF
Esofne 10000 square miles in central
Asia, sbounded on the north by Chinese
ETurkestan and the barrier Of the
FKuen-lan, Altin-tag- and " "Nan-S Shan
mountains, on tho south by Upper
Burma, Assam cBhutan. a'Nepal, and
British Indian, on the west by Ladakh
and Bultistan, 3Little Tibet and on
the east by China proper. The eleva-
ton Of the country varies from 5000
to $4,000 feet and its climate is prin4
cipally bleak and cold, although in the
south the summers are usually mild
and pleasant. 1t has a population OF
between 2,OO0.0bO and 100000. the
principal city and capital. Lhasa, hav-
ing some 10000 souls. The religion
of the inhabitants Is Buddhism and
they are very devout, the entire coun.
try being overrun with monasteries, or
lamasaries, in some Of which dwell as
many as 1000 monks.
For many centuries Tibet was for
hidden country, and it is probable that
no white man ever entered the city OF
Lhasa until Sir yFrancis Younghusband
fought his way Into the, place in 1854.
Thereafter several travellers managed
to penetrate into the country, with
considerable difficulty and at great
danger, and weird tales were brought
out Of the curious customs Of the
inhabitants. The world is indebted
principally to the explorer Sven Hedin
for information concerning Tibet, He
made three expeditions into the coun-
try in 1906. 1907 and 1905. and his
work during those three years ranks