With the Tibetans in tent and temple; narrative of four years' residence on the Tibetan border, and of a journey into the far interior

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TIBETAN WOMAN AND SON.

TIBETAN BUDDHIST LAYMAN, WIT [ PRAYER-WH1 EL IN HAND.

With the Tibetans in
Tent and Temple

NARRATIVE OF FOUR YEARS RESI-
DENCE ON THE TIBETAN BORDER, AND
OF A JOURNEY INTO THE FAR INTERIOR

BY

SUSIE CARSON RIJNHART, M.D.

Fleming H. Revell Company

Chicago, New York & Toronto

Publishers of Evangelical Literature

M C M I

THE LIBRARY OF

CONGRESS,
Two Copies Received

MAY. 20 1901

Copyright entry
CLASS CUXXc No

COPY 3.

COPYRIGHT

19

0 I,

BY F L E M I

N G

H.

REVELL COMPANY

^^A*^

^i^

TO THE MEMORY OF MY
HUSBAND WHOSE HEART
AND LIFE WERE GIVEN
TO THE TIBETANS THIS
VOLUME IS DEDICATED

PREFACE

In the following pages I have attempted to nar-
rate briefly the events of four years' residence and
travel among the Tibetans (1895 -1899). The work
does not aim at literary finish, for it has been writ-
ten under the stress of many public engagements.
It is sent forth in response to requests and sugges-
tions received from friends in all parts of the
United States and Canada.

If I may succeed in perpetuating and deepening
the widespread interest in the evangelization of
Tibet, already aroused by the press and platform
accounts of the missionary pioneering herein
described, I shall be glad. To this end I have
incorporated in the narrative as many data con-
cerning the customs, beliefs and social conditions of
the Tibetans as space would allow. My close con-
tact with the people during four years has enabled
me to speak with confidence on these points, even
when I have found myself differing from great
travelers who, because of their brief sojourn and
rapid progress, necessarily received some false

PREFACE

impressions. The map accompanying the book
shows the route of the last journey undertaken in
1898 by my husband, myself and our little son, and
of which I am the sole survivor. Leaving Tankar
on the northwestern frontier of Chinese or Outer
Tibet, crossing the Ts'aidam Desert, the Kuenlun
and Dang La Mountains, we entered the Lhasa dis-
trict of Inner Tibet, reaching Nagch'uk'a, a town
about one hundred and fifty miles from the capital.
In describing this journey, such portions of Mr.
Rijnhart's diary as I was able to preserve, and also
his accurate geographical notes, have been of inesti-
mable value to me.

My thanks are due to Rev. Mr. Upcraft, Baptist
missionary at Ya Cheo, China, for photographs from
which some of the illustrations were made. And I
am especially grateful to Prof. Charles T. Paul, of
Hiram College, who placed at my disposal the fruits
of his many years' study of Tibetiana, and rendered
me invaluable assistance in the preparation of the

manuscript.

Susie C. Rijnhart.
Chatham, Ontario, Canada.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. To the Tibetan Border. — Mission in a Bud-
dhist Lamasery — Preparation for the Journey
— Across China — Impressions by the Way . 9
II. Among the Lamas. — Arrival at Lusar — Strange
Lama Ceremonies — Medical Work — Our Tib-
etan Teacher — First Experience with Robber
Nomads , . 27

III. A Mohammedan Rebellion. — Moslem Sects —

Beginnings of the Struggle — Our Acquaintance
with the Abbot — Refuge in the Lamasery —
The Doctrine of Reincarnation ... 50

IV. With the Wounded. — Refugees at Sining — Our

Isolation at Kumbum — The Siege of Shen-
Ch'un— To the Battlefield— A Ride for Life-
Rout of the Mohammedans . ... 68
V. Missions and Massacres. — Bible School at
Lusar — Mohammedan Revolt at Sining — Ter-
rible Slaughter by Imperial Soldiers — The
Fall of Topa— Peace at Last .... 86
VI. The Lamasery of Kumbum. — Tibetan Lama-
series— Legend of Tsong K'aba — Origin of
Kumbum — The Gold Tiled Temple and Sacred
Tree — Nocturnal Devotions and Worship of

the Butter God 102

VII. A Buddhist Saint. — Mina Fuyeh's Abode — His
Previous Incarnations — Mahatmas — Conver-
sations on Christianity — Jambula — Behind the

Scenes 120

VIII. Our Removal to Tankar. — Tankar and Sur-
roundings— A New Opportunity — Ani and
Doma — The Lhasa Officials — Drunken Lamas
— Visit of Captain Wellby .... 133

CONTENTS

IX. Distinguished Visitors.— Mr. Rijnhart's Ab-
sence— Our House is Robbed — Visit of Dr.
Sven Hedin — Tsanga Fuyeh — Medical Work
among Nomads — Birth of our Little Son . 155

X. Among the Tanguts of the Koko-Nor, — Tan-
gut Customs — Journeys to the Koko-Nor —
Nomadic Tent- Life — A Glimpse of the Blue
Sea — Robbers — Distributing Gospels . .170

XI. Toward the Tibetan Capital.— Lhasa the Home
of the Dalai Lama — Need of Pioneer Work in
Inner Tibet— Our Preparations for the Jour-
ney 191

XII. Farewell to Tankar. — Leaving Faithful
Friends — Our Caravan Moves Off — Through
the Grass Country to the Desert — Two Mon-
gol Guides ........ 205

XIII. In the Ts'aidam. — The Ts'aidam and its People

— Polyandry and Cruelty to the Aged — The
Dzassak of Barong— Celebration of Baby's
Birthday — Missionary Prospects . . .219

XIV. Unpopulated Districts. — Crossing the Kuenlun

Mountains — " Buddha's Cauldron" — Marshes
and Sand Hills— Dead Yak Strew the Trail-
Ford of the Shuga Gol— Our Guides Desert
Us — Snow Storm on the Koko-Shilis — We
Meet a Caravan — The Beginning of Sorrows 232
XV. Darkness. — Nearing the Dang Las — Death of
our Little Son— The Lone Grave under the

Boulder 245

XVI. Beyond the Dang La. — Accosted by Official
Spies — Our Escape — The Natives Buy Copies
of the Scriptures — Our Escort to the Ponbo's

Tent 254

XVII. Nagch'uk'a. — Government of Nagch'uk'a —
Under Official Surveillance — Dealings with
the Ponbo Ch'enpo — We are Ordered to Re-
turn to China — Our Decision . . . .265

CONTENTS

XVIII. On the Caravan Road.— The Start from Nag-
ch'uk'a with New Guides— Farewell to our
Last Friend — Rahim Leaves for Ladak —
Fording the Shak Chu Torrent— Reading the
Gospels— A Day of Memories ....

XIX. Attacked by Mountain Robbers. — We Cross
the Tsa Chu— Suspicious Visitors — A Shower
of Bullets and Boulders — Loss of Our Animals
— Our Guides Disappear — The Dread Night

by the River 2

XX. Our Last Days Together. — The Robbers' Am-
bush—The Worst Ford of all — Footmarks and
a False Hope — A Deserted Camp — The Bed
under the Snow— Mr. Rijnhart Goes to Native
Tents for Aid, never to Return

XXI. Lost and Alone. — Waiting and Watching— Con-
viction of Mr. Rijnhart's Fate — Refuge among
Strange Tibetans— Their Cruel Treatment—
The Start for Jyekundo for Official Aid .
XXII. Wicked Tibetan Guides.— The Apa and the
Murder of Dutreuil de Rhins — Conference
with a Chief — New Guides, Treacherous and
Corrupt— The Night Camp in the Marsh— We
are Taken for Robbers — A Lamasery Fair .

XXIII. A Friendly Chinaman.— A Protector at Last—

I Receive a Passport from the Abbot of Rashi
Gomba — A Lama Guide — Battle with Fierce
Dogs — Arrival at Jyekundo — No Official Aid .

XXIV. More Robbers. — From Jyekundo to Kansa —

Difficulties with Ula — At the Home of the
Gimbi— Corrupt Lamas— Attacked by Drunk-
en Robbers — Deliverance ....
XXV. Safe at Last.— The Approach to Ta-Chien-Lu—
My Pony becomes Exhausted — Long Marches
with Blistered Feet — Chinese Conception of
Europeans — Among Friends Once More —
Conclusion

275

302

312

325

342

357

Glossary

377
399

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

Tibetan Woman and Son Frontispiece

Map Showing Dr. Rijnhart's Journey . . 12

Border Types 22

Tipetan Buddhist Layman 109

Mina Fuyeh 120

Tangut Robbers 188

A Tibetan Traveler . 214

Tibetan Coracle 262

Crossing a Rope Bridge 282

Petrus Rijnhart 302

The Author in Tibetan Costume . „ . . 312

A Tibetan House 326

Mani Stone with Inscribed Prayer .... 346

A Wall of Tea Bales . 362

WITH THE TIBETANS

CHAPTEK I

TO THE TIBETAN BOEDER

Mission in a Buddhist Lamasery — Preparation for the
Journey — Across China — Impressions by the Way.

On the slopes of two hills in the province of Amdo,
on the extreme northwestern Chino-Tibetan frontier,
nestles the great lamasery of Kumbum, famed among
the devotees of Buddha as one of the holiest spots on
Asiatic soil. As a center of Buddhist learning and
worship it is known in the remote parts of China, Man-
churia, Mongolia, and in all the Tibetan territories,
even to the foot of the Himalayas, and is estimated to
be second in rank only to Lhasa, the Tibetan capital.
It is the seclusive residence of some four thousand
lamas and, at festive seasons, the goal of pilgrimages
from all Buddhist countries contiguous to Tibet. Desir-
ing to carry on missionary work among the Tibetans we
left America in the autumn of 1894, having Kumbum as
our point of destination. We expected to make our home
and establish a medical station at Lusar, a village
which may be called the secular part of the lamasery,
where the lamas do their trading, and which is only
about five minutes' walk from the lamasery proper.

10 WITH THE TIBETANS

The considerations which led ns to select Lusar as a
basis of operations, besides its proximity to the lama-
sery, were as follows: My husband, Mr. Petrns Rijn-
hart, about three years previous had conceived the idea
of entering Tibet for missionary purposes, from the
Chinese side. From the experiences of Hue and Gabet,
the Lazarist fathers, who, following a route through
Tartary and China, had gained free access into the for-
bidden land, he was convinced that the antipathy to
foreign intrusion everywhere manifested in the vigi-
lantly guarded passes of the Himalayan frontier south
and west did not exist to any extent on the northeast-
ern border between Outer Tibet and China. In this he
was right. Crossing the Chinese Empire, he had
reached Lusar in 1892, had resided for ten months in
the vicinity of the lamasery, had been well received by
the priests, who called him a " white lama from the
West," and had labored diligently to make known the
Gospel. His work had consisted principally of private
conversations with the lamas, and of short journeys
among the nomads of the surrounding country, preach-
ing and teaching, and wielding what little medical
knowledge he possessed in the treatment of the sick.
Among his patients were people of high and low de-
gree, lamas from the great monastery, Tibetan and
Mongol chiefs of the Koko-nor tribes, officials, mer-
chants, shepherds, and even robbers. The interest with
which his ministrations were received gave him great
encouragement and deepened the intense longing he
had already conceived for the evangelization of the
Tibetans. Many with whom he came in contact had

TO THE TIBETAN BORDER 11

never seen a European nor heard the name of Christ.
Some of the lamas said the Christian doctrine was too
good to be true; others inquired why, if the doctrine
were true, the Christians had waited " so many moons "
before sending them the glad tidings. During one of
his itinerating journeys " a living buddha " with his
train of dignitaries came to the tent, having heard, as
he said, that a man with a white face had come, and,
sitting at the feet of the white stranger, the Buddhist
teacher listened with rapt attention to the wonderful
story of the world's Saviour. During his sojourn no
official, either Chinese or Tibetan, asked for his pass-
port, or questioned him as to his intentions of penetrat-
ing to the interior. Thus under circumstances unex-
pectedly favorable, surrounded by good will and hos-
pitality, and free from that prejudice and espionage
with which foreigners approaching the Tibetan border
are usually regarded, he had had ample opportunity of
studying the life, needs and disposition of the people,
and his knowledge gave us assurance of the reception
that awaited us at the lamasery village. Again, Lusar
was advantageous from a topographical standpoint, be-
ing situated near the juncture of several important
highways; one leading to China, another to Mongolia,
and still another, the great caravan route, leading to
Lhasa. Here we could easily receive supplies, and
would be likely to come in contact with the people on
a large scale, owing to the amount of traffic that passes
along the great roads. Also, the surrounding country
being inhabited by a cosmopolitan population compris-
ing Mongols, Chinese, Tibetans, and a few Turkestani

12 WITH THE TIBETAXS

Mohammedans, it was a good place in which to become
conversant with the languages we should require, look-
ing forward as we were to a life-long sojourn in the
regions of Central Asia. We left America for our dis-
tant field without any human guarantee of support,
for we were not sent out by amy missionary society.
Although, through Mr. Rijnhart's lectures in Holland,
the United States and Canada, considerable interest
had been aroused and many friends won to the cause of
Tibetan missions, yet our visible resources were limited
at best. We went forth, however, with a conviction
which amounted to absolute trust that God would ful-
fil His promise to those who " seek first the Kingdom,"
and continue to supply us with all things necessar}^ for
carrying on the work to which He had called us. From
the outset we felt that we were " thrust forth " spe-
cially for pioneer work, and although anticipating dif-
ficulties and sacrifices we were filled with joy at the
prospect of sowing precious seed on new ground.

Our party, consisting of Mr. Rijnhart, his fellow-
worker, Mr. William Neil Ferguson, and myself, sail-
ing from the Pacific Coast, had decided to follow sub-
stantially the same route across China which Mr. Rijn-
hart had taken on his former journey. From Shanghai
up the Yangtse to Hankow we would go by steamer;
thence by house-boat up the Han as far as Fancheng,
situated about four hundred miles up the river. The
remainder of the journey would be completed overland
by cart and mule. We had endeavored, before leaving
America, to equip ourselves as well as possible, not only
against the long journey, but also, in view of our pros-

stotes:— The red line shows Dr. Rijnhart's route.

The baby died and is buried at the spot indicated by the red circle.
Dr. Rijnhart disappeared near Tashi Gomba, marked by red cross.

TO THE TIBETAN BORDEK 13

pective residence far from civilization, with the possi-
bility of being temporarily cut off altogether, owing to
the freqnent rebellions that take place in Central
China, rendering the passage of mails and supplies un-
certain. Our stores were contained in thirteen large,
ponderous boxes, and consisted of clothing, culinary
utensils, and other portable domestic necessities, medi-
cines, dental and surgical instruments, fire-arms and
ammunition, photographic materials, books, including
copies of the Scriptures in Tibetan, and stationery, be-
sides compasses, thermometers, a sewing machine and a
bicycle. In Shanghai we added drugs, clothing, food
for the river journey, Chinese brazen oil lamps, trinkets
for bartering, and other articles. Knowing the advan-
tage of traveling in native costume, each of us donned
a Chinese suit. It was my first experience with oriental
attire, and I shall not soon forget it. After adjusting
the unwieldy garments to my own satisfaction, I at-
tended a service in the Union Church, where, to my
consternation, I discovered I had appeared in public
with one of the under garments outside and dressed in
a manner which shocked Chinese ideas of propriety.

Mr. Rijnhart, on account of his thorough knowledge
of Chinese, was able to make excellent arrangements,
for our passage into the interior. As the war with Ja-
pan was then raging and the country in an unsettled
state, there were difficulties to be anticipated; nor was
there anything inviting in the thought of doing two
thousand miles in midwinter under such exposure as
would be entailed by the primitive modes of oriental
travel. Yet, if one holds to progress with any comfort

14 WITH THE TIBETAXS

worthy the name, there are reasons for making the
journey during the hibernating period of the greater
portion of the inhabitants of China, namely, the ver-
minous !

Our first stage up the Yangtse was made in a steamer
manned by English officers and a Chinese crew. There
was a sense of security, which afterwards we sadly
lacked, in the feeling that the great river was but an
arm of the gentle Pacific that laved our native shores,
stretched far inland as if to assure us of protection.
Our first stopping-place was the city of Hankow, an
important commercial centre situated at the confluence
of the Han and Yangtse rivers, and, following the sinu-
osities of the Yangtse, distant about eight hundred
and fifty miles from the seaboard. The city was full
of stir on our arrival. The people were intensely ex-
cited over the war, and signs of military activity were
on every hand. The spacious harbor at the mouth of
the Han presented the appearance of a forest of masts
in which all the ships of Tarshish and of the world had
congregated in one dense fleet. They were chiefly
house-boats and cargo junks that usually ply up and
down the river, but conspicuous among them were the
high-pooped transports, their decks crowded with blue
and red jacketed soldiers on their way to the scene of
action.

We took passage for Fancheng in the inevitable
house-boat, a long, clumsy-looking scow divided into
three compartments; the captain's cabin at the stern,
inhabited by himself, his wife and little child; another
long cabin for the passengers, situated amidships and

TO THE TIBETAN BORDER 15

separated from the former by a movable partition ; and
a space at the bow where the crew discharged the func-
tions of eating, sleeping and working. Under each
compartment was a hold for the belongings of its occu-
pants. On the rare occasions when the winds were
favorable the sails were sufficient to propel the awkward
craft; otherwise she was pulled along by the sturdy
trackers on the shore. In deep water the captain
steered by means of a prodigious rudder; in the shal-
lows he managed with a long, stout bamboo pole. This
mode of traveling was not without its amenities. The
weather being fine, and the scenery along the river
banks charming, we frequently disembarked and went
afoot, and occasioned no little commotion as we passed
through the villages, a foreign woman being an object
of especial interest. Crowding around, the people
would handle my clothing and ply me with questions,
evincing astonishment at the size of my feet.

The villagers were mostly of the agricultural class,
and appeared to be very industrious. The door-yards
were tidy, as were also the farms, every available foot
of land being cultivated. Everything about the houses
betokened an air of freedom, even the pigs and chick-
ens being allowed to go in and out at will. Signs of
religious life were not wanting. In one village we came
across an old temple mostly in ruins, in the one re-
maining corner of which were ten idols, some incense
bowls and sticks, while near by lay the huge bell, silent
and long since fallen from its lofty place. In the even-
ing the people flocked to the old ruin to worship amid
the sound of firecrackers and the beating of a huge

16 WITH THE TIBET AXS

gong by the attendant priest, and as the weird sounds
were carried afar and re-echoed in the cold, still even-
ing air there was about the whole scene a touching
picturesqueness not unmingled with solemnity. Christ-
mas day found us still on the house-boat, and with it
came many pleasant memories of that glad, festive sea-
son in the homeland, and many reflections concerning
China's teeming millions to whom the Christ of Beth-
lehem was still a stranger.

On January 7 we reached Fancheng, none the worse
for our river journey. A hearty welcome was given us
by the resident Scandinavian missionaries, Mr. and Mrs.
Matson, Mr. and Mrs. Woolin, and Mr. Shequist, whom
we found engaged in a most valuable work. Besides
preaching, they conducted a boys' school, and at the
time of our visit were erecting a school for girls. Our
stay in Fancheng was brief, just long enough to get
through the unenviable and seemingly endless prelimi-
naries to an overland journey by cart. The hiring of
the carts was itself no little matter even with the assist-
ance of our Scandinavian friends, but finally the piao
was signed, by which we secured two carters, with two
large carts and a small one, to take us to Signan. By
the word " cart " this Chinese vehicle is but faintly de-
scribed. It consists of a clumsy, bulky frame set on a
single axle, innocent of springs, its two wheels fur-
nished with tires several inches in width and in thick-
ness. The frame is covered by an awning of matting to
shelter the traveler and his baggage from the heat and
rain. The smaller carts, constructed on the same plan,
are generally painted and have a cloth covering with

TO THE TIBETAN BORDER 17

windows in the sides. These carts are drawn in China
by mules or horses, in Mongolia by camels or oxen. In
many of the principal roads deep grooves have been
worn by the constant passing of the great wheels, and,
the length of the axle differing in the various districts,
the grooves are not equidistant on all roads, so that it
occasionally happens that at certain junctures all axles
have to be changed. At Tung Kuan, for instance, a
town situated at the meeting-place of the provinces of
Shensi, Shansi and Honan, this operation is necessary.

On January 11 we were ready to start. We had
taken the precaution to furnish our cart with a straw
mattress, some pillows and comforters, to provide
against the jolting which we knew awaited us. Our
boxes being already in position, after Scripture reading
with the missionaries our little caravan moved off.
Two of the missionaries accompanied us outside the
city gates to bid us God-speed, and it was only after we
had parted ways with them that we realized we had
actually set out on the most difficult part of our jour-
ney across the Celestial Empire. The road from the
start was very uneven, a fall of two feet being not un-
common. I received a severe bump on the head, and
experienced so many changes of position and came so
frequently and emphatically into collision with various
portions of the cart as to have remembered that springs
are not a luxury of cart travel in China.

Carters are supposed to make a certain stage each
day, and inns are found at the end of each stage for
the accommodation of travelers. In order to cover the
required distance we were frequently on the way in the

18 WITH THE TIBETANS

middle of the night, and even though traveling from
long before daylight until dusk we were not always
able to reach an inn. At such times one must either
sleep in the cart or put up in a farmhouse. Even the
regular inns are by no means inviting. We first
stopped in one of these thirty-five miles from Fan-
cheng. It was a flimsy structure, with great crevices
gaping in the walls, in which were rude lattice win-
dows with paper panes; the ceilings were composed of
bamboo poles nailed across the rafters, from which
cobwebs hung in profusion; the sleeping-room had no
floor, and the bed was as hard as boards could make it,
springless of course, and destitute of covers. But one
welcomes any variation from the tedium of a Chinese
cart journey, and after the jolting of the first day can
rest even in a Chinese inn.

One night, having failed to make the required stage,
we sought shelter in a native hut on a hillside and
slept on the Wang, an article of furniture which no
traveler in Western China soon forgets. The Fang is
a sort of elevation built across one end of the room, re-
sembling a hollow platform, the top sometimes cov-
ered with flat stones. It serves the purpose of all the
principal articles of furniture in an occidental house —
chairs, stove, bed and table. It is warmed by a fire
placed in the box, and, when the surface is moderately
heated, one may recline with comfort; but on this
night the Vang was so hot that we soon became uncom-
fortable, being almost roasted on one side and frozen
on the other. We were finally obliged to get up and

TO THE TIBETAN BORDER 19

rake out all the fire, and at last fell asleep from sheer
exhaustion and despair.

A foreigner's passport in China enables him to pass
free of charge all customs, and also the ferries that are
usually found, in lieu of bridges, plying across all the
rivers of considerable size which cut the great high-
ways. The ferry which took us across one large river
was crowded with people going to market on the other
side, paying their passage, some with vegetables, some
with cash. The ferryman collected the fee as he sat on
the ground in front of his straw wigwam. After con-
gratulating ourselves on the safe passage of the river,
one of the wheels of our heaviest cart sank fast in the
sand, and two extra mules had to be hitched on to pull
it out.

Our carters were interesting fellows, but their knowl-
edge of Chinese politics, as of things in general, was
limited. Referring to the war with Japan, one of them
informed us that Li Hung Chang had been made Em-
peror of China. Some of the people through whose
territory we passed had heard nothing of the war, and
others said that the Emperor's subjects in France had
rebelled !

China is favorable soil for the flourishing of the
older cults, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism
standing side by side and being largely intermingled.
A Chinaman may with no sense of incongruity profess
all these beliefs at once. He would not appreciate Dr.
Martin's statement that logically the three are irrecon-
cilable, Taoism being materialism, Buddhism idealism,
and Confucianism essentiallv ethical. Like the state,

20 WITH THE TIBETANS

he makes a unity of them by swallowing a portion of
each.* As we journeyed onward the monuments to
this complex religious life increased in abundance.
Here, passing through a city, we beheld the " gates of
virtue/' immense, carved stone arches spanning the
streets, and erected to the memory of some sage, or
pious person; there, on the hillsides, reared to some
Buddhist saint, " stones of merit," on the tops of
which little bells are fixed so that the wind causes them
to ring out the praises of the great man long since
passed away. Caves also, formerly the abodes of her-
mits, were pointed out to us, and colossal statues of the
Buddha hewn from the solid rock, gazing down ujDon
us with an air of sublime and majestic calm, still bear-
ing witness to the zeal of the early Buddhist bhikshus
who wandered forth from India to make known " the
Teacher of Nirvana and the Law." In Western
China nearly every farm has its contiguous graveyard
in which may be seen the tables whereon the people
place their offerings to the spirits of the dead. As we
reflected on the part that the great non-Christian reli-
gions have played in China, and on the deep-grained,
age-long impress they have made upon her people, the
magnitude of our mission to a people not less religious,
more superstitious, and enchained in a denser igno-
rance and a more blighting system, grew upon us in
unwonted realization. Yet our faith did not waver.
In much weakness we were going to undertake a stu-
pendous task — not in our own strength but in His who
when He commanded His disciples to "go and make

* A Cycle of Catbay, p. 289.

TO THE TIBETAN BOEDER 21

disciples of all the nations," also promised " Lo, I am
with you all the days, even unto the end of the world."

Crossing a stone bridge of stately and antique archi-
tecture, we reached the city of Signan, the old impe-
rial capital of China, and at present the capital of the
province of Shensi. Here our carters made arrange-
ments with other carters to take us on to Lancheo, they
themselves returning to Fancheng. Signan is the most
important trade centre of the northern interior, the
home of the Emperor of a former dynasty, a city of
heavy walls, paved streets, stately palaces and hand-
some governmental buildings. It is the site of the
famous Nestorian tablet which bears record of Chris-
tian missions in China as early as the seventh century
of our era. The surrounding country, relieved by un-
dulating hills, is particularly charming; great roads
branch off in all directions, two of the main ones lead-
ing to Kansu. The merchants of Signan carry on
trade in all the surrounding provinces, and even in
Mongolia, Tibet and Turkestan.

With our new carters we set out once more, although
unfortunately for us it was the Chinese New Year, and
consequently very difficult to buy food, as during that
festive season all the shops are closed for days together.
However, we did not wish to tarry at Signan. Bright,
sunny days and cloudless skies, with nothing more ad-
verse than an occasional wind or dust storm, such as
are common in Western China, seemed to us to be
favorable conditions for pressing on.

One of the important functions in connection with
the celebration of the New Year is the lantern festival

22 WITH THE TIBETANS

observed on the fifteenth of the first moon. Arriving
at a large city one night, intending to put up at an inn
in the suburbs, we found ourselves in the midst of the
festival. The long street was lined on either side with
lighted lanterns of exquisite and varied designs.
Crowds of people surged up and down, and all was life,
movement and jubilation — a weird scene, the moon
shining down in icy calmness upon it all. Our horses
becoming frightened at the tumult and glare of light
and at the passing of a long string of camels with ring-
ing bells, almost upset our carts in their frantic efforts
to hide somewhere. We thus attracted attention even
against our will, and it was with difficulty that we our-
selves avoided being mobbed. Eelieved indeed we felt
when we reached a miserable inn, which in our thoughts
was transformed almost into a palace, as it afforded
us a haven of rest and safety from that brilliantly
lighted festive street.

It was a happy day for us when we reached Lancheo,
the capital of Kansu, for we had looked forward to a
few days' respite in that city. Shortly after we had
taken up quarters in an inn, Mr. Mason, of the China
Inland Mission, came with a message from Mr. and Mrs.
Eedfern, extending to us a pressing invitation to stop
at their home. He had brought the mission cart to
transport us, and we soon found ourselves enjoying the
hospitality of the missionaries. At Lancheo we formed
the acquaintance of Mr. Wu, a Chinaman who had
studied eight years in America, making a specialty of
telegraphy. He had been up in the new province super-
intending the laying of telegraph lines, and in com-

BORDER TYPES.

TO THE TIBETAN" BORDER 23

pany with his companions in Lancheo, was now return-
ing to Peking. The day before we had arrived he had
entertained Messrs. Redfern and Mason at a feast in a
restaurant, where, of course, according to Chinese eti-
quette, ladies could not be present. Wishing to enter-
tain us all, he prepared a second feast, which was served
in the sitting-room of the mission house, so that the
ladies might with propriety attend. Everything, in-
cluding dishes, was brought from the restaurant. While
on the road we had had considerable practice in using
chopsticks, and we thoroughly enjoyed the food, which
was dainty to the palate and artistic in appearance.
Knowing our views regarding the use of wine as a bev-
erage, Mr. Wu had provided delicious tea in elegantly
decorated covered china cups, and sweatmeats by way
of compensation. Chinese politeness ruled the feast,
each one helping with his own chopsticks another to
whom he wished to show courtesy. Among the many
delicacies there was a sucking pig cut into little pieces
and cooked in a perfect manner, also bamboo sprouts,
lily tubers and other dishes of which at the time we
did not even know the names. Western people are mis-
taken who imagine that the only items in the Chinese
menu are rice and rats. As cooks the Chinese vie even
with the French, and some of the most delicious meals
we partook of while abroad were prepared by the Chi-
nese. In acknowledgment of Mr. Wu's hospitality,
Mrs. Redfern in turn prepared a feast for him; it was
a proper English dinner, with several kinds of dessert ;
yet we must confess, in point of delicacy the Chinese
feast was superior.

2± WITH THE TIBETAXS

After a few days, Mr. Eijnhart and Mr. Ferguson
went up the big cart road to Sirring with the luggage,
while I remained behind with Mr. and Mrs. Eedfern,
until Mr. Eijnhart, who would go on from Sining to
Lusar to rent a house, should return for me. I shall ever
gratefully remember the intervening pleasant days spent
at Lancheo and the kindness received from the mission-
aries. Within a few days Mr. Eijnhart came back and
announced that he had been successful in leasing a
house, but that considerable repairs would be necessary.
We left the next day for Sining, Mr. Eijnhart riding on
a horse and I on a donkey, both of which had been gen-
erously loaned us by Mr. Ridley, of the China Inland
Mission of Sining. The two animals had been com-
panions for so long that wherever the horse led the
donkey followed, a fact which I appreciated on this, my
first donkey ride, as it solved for me the anticipated
difficulty of guiding one of these proverbially stubborn
animals along steep and difficult paths. Not far from
Lancheo we arrived at the branch of the Great Wall
which crosses the Yellow Eiver, and found the ancient
structure in a very dilapidated condition, broken by
great gaps and much worn by the rains of centuries.
It was not more than five feet in height, and however
effective a defence it once may have been against the
incursions of Turks, Mongols and Manchus, it would
not be a serious obstacle before a modern army. There
are two roads from Lancheo to Sining; one for cart,
the other for mule travel. The carts make the journey
by the " big road " in ten days ; by the " short road "

TO THE TIBETAN BORDER 25

over the mountains, the one we had chosen, mules ar-
rive in half the time.

The Kansu country presents an elevation varying, ac-
cording to Rockhill's itinerary, from four thousand to
nine thousand feet. Hilly ridges run in several direc-
tions, sheltering from the cold winds the fruitful valleys,
remarkable for their luxuriant production of grapes,
melons, peaches, apricots and all kinds of grain.
Around the city of Lancheo tobacco is grown in large
quantities and forms the basis of the city's industry.
Part of our route lay beside the Yellow River, and for
a time, also, we followed the rushing waters of the
Hsi-ho, one of its tributaries. We saw Mohammedan
merchants coming down the river with their cargoes of
vegetable oil, destined for the Lancheo market, on
rude floats made of inflated cowhides lashed together.
How exciting it was to see the skillful boatmen guide
one of these heavily laden floats around a sharp bend
in the river, where the water boiled and foamed over
the shallows. Just when it seemed certain that de-
struction against some sharp ledge awaited the craft,
by a dexterous thrust it would be sent out into the cur-
rent and carried past the point of danger amid the
shouts of all the spectators.

Passing over the ruins of many villages which had
been devastated in the Mohammedan rebellion of 1861-
74, we came eventually to a narrow gorge of consider-
able historical importance. Ascending the road that
skirts the precipice, we saw the river boiling below,
beating itself into foaming rage in protest against its
sudden limitation. It was in this pass that the Mo-

26 WITH THE TIBETANS

hammedans held the Chinese army at bay during that
bloody period forever memorable to the inhabitants of
Kansu, and where again, in 1895, they placed them-
selves thousands strong, and sought to repeat the tac-
tic. Little did we think, as we passed along the river
edge on a beautiful sunny da}^, beneath an over-arching
sky of cloudless blue, and amid the peaceful solitude
of the mountains, broken only by the patter of the ani-
mals' hoofs and the low monotonous thud of plunging
torrents, that this very place was within a few weeks to
be again the scene of military tumult, filled with le-
gions of infuriated, bloodthirsty rebels; and we
dreamed even less that the massing of the Mohamme-
dans here to check the advance of the Chinese army,
was to be the providential dispensation which would
prevent them from sweeping down on Lusar and Kum-
bum, where they would have found us an easy prey.

The people of Kansu we found to be gentle and
obliging. They quite sustained their reputation of
being less disagreeable than the natives of other prov-
inces, for they treated us with the utmost kindness and
did all in their power to expedite our journey. On the
fifth day after our departure from Lancheo the walls
of Sining loomed in the distance, and we were within
the gates in time for afternoon tea at the China Inland
Mission Home, where we were cordially welcomed by
Mr. and Mrs. Eidley and Mr. Hall. Fifty li westward
lay Lusar, where our house had already been secured,
and the glittering turrets of the great Buddhist lama-
sery of Kumbum.

CHAPTER II

AMONG THE LAMAS

Arrival at Lusar — Strange Lama Ceremonies — Medical
Work — Our Tibetan Teacher — First Experience With
Eobber Nomads.

The western portion of the province of Kansu, vari-
ously denominated by geographers as part of Chinese
or Outer Tibet, is known to the Tibetans as Amdo, and
the inhabitants are called Amdo-wa. According to
Chinese ethnographers the foreign population of Amdo
may be divided into two great classes, the T'u-fan, or
" agricultural barbarians/' who have a large admix-
ture of Chinese blood, and the Si-fan, or " western bar-
barians," who are of pure Tibetan stock. The Si-fan
live, for the most part, a nomadic life and are organ-
ized into a number of bands under hereditary chiefs
responsible to the Chinese Amban at Sining, to whom
they pay tribute. Chinese authors further say that the
present mixed population of Amdo is the progeny of
many distinct aboriginal tribes, but there are some ele-
ments of it that must be accounted for by later immi-
grations. Westward from Sining the road leads
through a highly cultivated plateau; the farms are
watered by a perfect system of artificial irrigation,

27

28 WITH THE TIBETAXS

bearing evidence of the industry and skill of the peas-
ants. The houses in the villages are all bnilt of mud
and have flat roofs. On the road one meets groups of
merchants, partly Chinese, but bearing a strong resem-
blance to the Turk and distinguished by a headdress
which seems to be a cross between a Chinese cap and a
Moslem turban. These are Mohammedans going
down to trade in Sining. Next comes creeping along
a small caravan of camel-mounted Mongolians or Tib-
etans, clad in their ugly sheepskin gowns and big fur
caps, on their way to see the Amban of Sining, or per-
haps going to Eastern Mongolia or Pekin; or one may
meet a procession of swarthy faced Tibetan pilgrims
returning single file, with slow and stately tread, from
some act of worship at Kumbum, to their homes in the
valleys north of Sining. The entire western portion
of Kansu, so far as its inhabitants are concerned, marks
the transition between a purely Chinese population and
a foreign people, the Chinese predominating in the
larger centers but the villages and encampments being
made up largely of foreign or mongrel inhabitants.

Mr. Eijnhart had left me at Sining and had gone on
to Lusar to complete the preparation of our house;
but I had become impatient, not having too much con-
fidence in masculine ability to set a house in order in
a way altogether pleasing to a woman, so I rode up to
Lusar with Mr. Hall. Half a day's journey brought us
within sight of the hills that surround Kumbum, and
as we approached we could see some of the lamas at-
tending to their horses or gathering fuel. But the
strangest sight of all was that of Mr. Rijnhart and Mr.

AMONG THE LAMAS 29

Ferguson in European clothing; so accustomed had our
eyes become to oriental attire that they appeared more
grotesque even than any of the fantastically arrayed
travelers we had met on the road. Assisted by some
native carpenters, they had been very busy at the house,
but when I arrived I found everything in confusion,
just as I had anticipated. Yet I was thankful that our
long journey had been completed, not a single accident
worthy the name having happened to us since we left
the Pacific Coast of America six months before.

Lusar boasts of a single main street with mud-brick
flat-roofed buildings on either side, and, at the time of
our arrival, contained about one thousand inhabitants,
evenly divided between Mohammedans and Chinese,
with a sprinkling of Tibetans and Mongols. These dif-
ferent peoples could be distinguished by their general
appearance as well as by their speech. The Mongol,
with his broad, flat, good-natured countenance and
short-cut hair, clad in his long sheepskin robe, with
his matchlock thrown over his shoulder, could not be
mistaken as he waddled through the street followed by
his wife a few paces behind him; the pure Tibetan,
likewise robed in sheepskin, heralded his nationality
by the sword he carried in his belt. To mistake a
Chinaman was, of course, beyond question, while the
Mohammedan of Turkestani origin could be recognized
by his aquiline nose, slender face and straggling beard
or moustache. Being the trading station of the Kum-
bum lamasery Lusar is visited by merchants from
China, Mongolia and various parts of Tibet. Especially
during the great religious festivals Tield from time to

30 WITH THE TIBETAXS

time at the lainasery a brisk trade is done in altar-
lamps, charm-boxes, idols, prayer-wheels and the other
paraphernalia of Buddhist worship. Near the village
is a remnant of an old wall which evidently at some
time had been used as a rampart of defence. In Hue
and Gabet's narrative no mention is made of Lusar for
the reason that it probably did not exist when these
travelers passed that way, the business of the Kumbum
lamasery being done formerly at Shen-clr'un, a few
miles distant from Kumbum.

The Chinese carpenters made characteristically slow
progress with our house. The noise that accompanied
the work was at times almost deafening, the workmen
all shouting at once when anything urgent was to be
done. The house, situated at the foot of a hill, the fa-
cade pointing toward the main street, was a substantial
mud-brick structure with flat roof, built entirely ac-
cording to Chinese ideas of architecture, and after we
had the premises put in order the disposition of the
apartments was about as follows: The main gate led
into an outer courtyard, walled but not roofed; from
the outer court a dark, narrow passage led to the cen-
tral or inner courtyard, around which the rooms were
arranged on all sides. In one corner was the kitchen,
and diagonally opposite to it a storeroom, and in an-
other corner the stable, while along the sides nearest
the entrance were the two guest-rooms, one for men
and the other for women, the latter containing a cup-
board for drugs. The guest-rooms we destined for the
reception of visitors coming for medical treatment or
to inquire about spiritual matters. The walls were

AMONG THE LAMAS 31

hung with colored Bible pictures which did us good
service in suggesting topics for religious conversation.
Many of the pictures represented scenes in the life of
Christ and aroused the natives to the asking of ques-
tions which opened for us golden opportunities to read
the New Testament and to tell them more fully the
Gospel story. The furniture was plain and scant, a
large table four feet square, a few high, straight-backed
and very uncomfortable chairs, and the indispensable
Wang. Opposite the guest-rooms were our dining-
room, study and bedroom. On the two remaining sides
were Mr. Ferguson's apartments, our Chinese servant's
bedroom and a sitting-room where we all met for
prayer, Bible study and conversation. Access to the
flat roof of the house could be had by means of a ladder,
and oftentimes when the weather was fine we repaired
thither to take our constitutional, or to sit basking in
the sun. Behind the house on the hill we afterwards
prepared quite a large piece of garden, in which we
raised several kinds of vegetables from seeds sent to us
by a friend in Canada. Our housekeeping was reduced
to simplicity. Han-kia, our Chinese " boy," aged about
twenty-two years, soon learned under my tuition to pre-
pare many kinds of food in English or American style,
and twice a week he regaled us with mien. Having
no oven in our stove, we extemporized one out of a
paraffin tin, in which we could roast meat and bake
cookies. Altogether we did not fare badly at Lusar;
in the market we could buy mutton, eggs, milk, vege-
tables, flour and rice. Custom soon introduced us to
our new surroundings, and when the carpenters had

32 WITH THE TIBETANS

finished, we were, taking it all in all, as happy in our
far-away, isolated home as we possibly could have been
in America.

Not long after our arrival we were visited by Mr.
and Mrs. Eidley and their little baby Dora. They had
come up for the purpose of recuperating their health
among the hills, and during their sojourn we witnessed
the interesting ceremony of burnt offerings celebrated
near the Kumbum lamasery. Crowds of Chinese and
Tibetans, men, women and children, had congregated
to see the procession of lamas issue from their temple,
and, discovering that some foreigners were among the
throng, they turned their attention to us, almost over-
whelming us with their friendly curiosity. It seemed
at times that we would be crushed to death. Being sur-
rounded we could not return home, and we were
obliged to devise at once some means of protection.
Inviting the native women to sit down beside us we
were soon in the midst of a large group squatting
tailor-fashion about us, serving as an effective bulwark,
preventing the crowd from surging in upon us. Mrs.
Eidley drew the women into an interesting conversa-
tion, taxed to the utmost all the while to keep them
from laying violent hands on her baby.

The Tibetan women were to us an especial object of
interest, conspicuous in their long, bright colored
dresses fastened around the waist by green or red
sashes, their clumsy top-boots and their elaborate head
dress. The hair was done up in a number of small
plaits which hung down the back and were fastened
together with wide strips of gay colored cloth, or by

AMONG THE LAMAS 33

a heavy band of pasteboard or felt covered with silver
ornaments, shells and beads, and on top of it all was
a hat with white fur brim and red tassels hanging
from the pointed crown. From the ears were pendant
great rings, to which were attached strings of beads
hanging in long loops across the breast. The Chinese
women with no hats, their black hair shining with
linseed water, their common blue dresses and deformed
feet, were not nearly so attractive as their neighbors,
the Tibetans.

Presently the sound of horns, cymbals and gongs
announced the approach of the procession, and all in
confusion rushed off to see the sight. Hundreds of
lamas, clad in their flowing robes, issued with solemn
tread from the lamasery, some of them carrying large,
irregular wooden frames painted red, blue and yellow,
and huge bundles of straw. The frames were set up in
an open place, the straw arranged around them, and
the ceremony of burnt offerings was ready to begin.
The lamas fired off guns, chanted some unintelligible
incantations, blew deafening blasts on their gigantic
horns, and then set fire to the straw. The frames
were soon reduced to ashes, and the purpose of the cere-
mony, we learned, was to ward off the demons of
famine, disease and war.

As soon as the people found out that we were pre-
pared to treat their ailments and dispense medicines
they came to us quite freely. The Chinese were the
first to approach us, but soon the Tibetans came, even
the lamas, and it was not long before we had as much
medical and resultant guest-room work as we could

34 WITH THE TIBETAXS

attend to. As it is impossible to get a crowd of
Tibetans to listen to a discourse,, our evangelistic work
consisted chiefly in conversing upon Christianity with
the people who came to see us, and from the very be-
ginning we were able to interest them in the teachings
of the New Testament. The Tibetans themselves hav-
ing no medical science worthy the name, the treat-
ment given by the native doctors generally means an
increase of agony to the sufferer. For headache large
sticking plasters are applied to the patient's head and
forehead: for rheumatics often a needle is buried in
the arm or shoulder; a tooth is extracted by tying a
rope to it and jerking it out, sometimes bringing out a
part of the jaw at the same time: a sufferer with
stomachache may be subjected to a good pounding,
or to the application of a piece of wick soaked in burn-
ing butter grease: or if medicine is to be taken in-
ternally it will consist probably of a piece of paper on
which a prayer is written, rolled up into the form of
a pellet, and if this fails to produce the desired effect
another pellet is administered, composed of the bones
of some pious priest.

Although the natives appear to have great faith in
the native doctors, yet they were quick to bestow their
patronage upon us. Among the common ailments we
were called upon to treat were diphtheria, rheumatism,
dyspepsia, besides many forms of skin and eye disease.
One morning a woman brought to us her husband, who
was suffering from diphtheria, and asked us to give him
medicine. After explaining that the disease was very
fatal, and that her husband was so ill that he would

AMONG THE LAMAS 35

probably die, adding that we would not be responsible
if he did, we gave him what treatment we could, includ-
ing some medicine to be taken at home. The next
morning his wife came to announce that he could not
take the medicine. I then offered tc go to the house,
purposing to clear away some of the membrane and
relieve the sufferer, but on our arrival we found that
a lama had pasted a notice on the door forbidding any-
one to enter because, he said, a devil had taken posses-
sion of the house. We were obliged to turn away and
our hearts were saddened to hear two days later that
the man and also one of his little children had died.
Since it was our intention to work principally among
the Tibetans, we at once faced the problem of acquir-
ing the language, although we might have got along
with Chinese alone since all the Tibetans on the frontier
speak that language as well as their own; but knowing
that the Tibetan language would be to us a means of
closer communication with the natives, we set about
to find a teacher. As the lamas are the sole possessors
of Tibetan letters, the great masses of the lay
population being unable either to read or write, they
were not over pleased with the thought of communicat-
ing their sacred language to " foreign devils," and we
had great difficulty in persuading any one to teach us.
Finally a young, rather good looking lama, named
Ishinima,* consented to give us instruction for a
nominal sum, on condition that we would not let it
be known, for he seemed very much afraid lest some-
one might accuse him before the sung Jcuan, or dis-

* Pronounce E-shee-nee-ima,

36 WITH THE TIBETANS

ciplinarian of the lamasery, of being on too friendly
terms with the foreigners; for of course as yet we were
looked upon with more or less reserve and perhaps with
a little suspicion. Ishinima was of medium height,
well built, and favored the Mongolian type rather than
the Tibetan, although he always said that he was of the
latter parentage. His face was pockmarked, but not
devoid of expression, and when he smiled his whole
countenance glowed with good humor. He did not be-
long to the highest class of lamas, yet, not having
to do menial work, he was well dressed, wearing the
lama's ordinary habit — a sleeveless red jacket, a full
skirt girded around the waist, and a long, wide scarf
carelessly, yet always in the same manner, thrown
about the shoulders. His garments were dirty, but not
ragged. The first money he received in payment for
his lessons he invested in cloth at Sining, and I made
him garments of it on my sewing machine. He told
us that the lamas were not allowed to wear sleeves,
trousers or socks except upon special occasions, and
added that on this point the lamasery had a code of
very strict laws, violation of which entailed severe pun-
ishment, sometimes even expulsion. Though Ishinima
could read the Tibetan character well, we found to
our disappointment that he could not explain it at all,
so our lessons took a more practical turn, we giving him
Chinese words and phrases which he translated for us
into Tibetan. He came to teach us every day except
Sunday, on which day he always attended the religious
service held in the guest-room.

Tibetan belongs, philologically, to the Turanian

AMONG THE LAMAS 37

family of languages. It is essentially monosyllabic,
resembling in this respect many of the languages of our
North American Indians. The verb system is built
up on roots with prefixes and affixes, the syntax is com-
paratively uninvolved and the idioms clear and ex-
pressive. The alphabet, adapted from the Sanskrit by
Tou-mi-sam-bho-ta, a noted Tibetan scholar and states-
man, about 623 A. D., affords a character simple and*
easily formed, contrasting strongly with the cumbrous
giyphics of the Chinese. There are two principal
dialects of the language — Lhasa Tibetan, supposed to
be the standard of excellence, and Eastern Tibetan,
which varies from it to a considerable degree. The
Koko-nor Tibetans, in fact, have great difficulty in
understanding the speech of Lhasa traders and lamas.
For colloquial purposes we were particularly interested
in the Eastern Tibetan, though of course if one desires
to read, the Lhasa dialect must be learned, as that is
the literary language of the country.

Our professor yielded to none in the matter of un-
cleanliness, hence we made it our endeavor to instill
into his mind some idea of hygiene. After some in-
struction he learned to use the towel and soap, and
though the lamas have a rule not to allow scissors to
touch their heads when having their hair cut, he al-
lowed his head to be shaved by the clippers, which
were an endless source of wonder and interest to the
natives. By degrees he took on an appearance of de-
cency, and began to show some signs of interest in new
ideas. Being somewhat of an epicure he went freely
into the kitchen, supervising the preparation of the

38 WITH THE TIBETANS

dainties for which he had a preference. He taught
our Chinese servant to make oma-ja, a decoction which
the Tibetans drink with great relish. The ingredients
are implied in the name — a piece of brick-tea is put
into a pot of water and allowed to boil a few minutes,
then about half as much milk as water is added, and
the whole brought to boiling point again. When later
we were without a servant, our boy having gone to
enlist as a soldier, Ishinima would make the m'ien.
Instead of cutting it into strips he would cut it into
squares, and add it to water, meat and vegetables,
making a palatable and substantial dish. Though we
studied hard at our Tibetan and endeavored to under-
stand the people and to communicate with them, we
did not make the progress we should have made, the
cause of this being that he taught us a mixture of
Tibetan and Mongolian, which was to a large extent
unintelligible to either people. In this and other
things we found him unreliable, and some of his actions
bordered on dishonesty.

Soon after we had made his acquaintance, Ishinima
invited us to his home in the Kumbum lamasery, and,
having set his house in order for our visit, he came to
escort us thither. Crossing the ravine which divides
Kumbum into two sections, and threading our way
along narrow alleys and past rows of whitewashed
dwellings, we finally stood before one of the outermost
and best houses of the lamasery. The courtyard presented
a tidy appearance, and was graced by a flower garden
in the center, in which some yellow poppies were in
bloom. Several red-robed lamas with bare heads and

AMONG THE LAMAS 39

smiling faces gave us a Mongol welcome, holding out
toward us both hands with the palms turned upward,
and immediately ushered us through a small room into
a still smaller one, of which the h'ang covered the en-
tire floor. Upon the door hung a curtain, laden with
the dust and grease of ages. The furniture was that
usually found in a lama's home. There was the
Icang table, about ten inches in height, on which were
placed some china basins, a brightly-painted isamba
dish, and a wooden plate containing bread fried in
oil, none too inviting either by its taste or smell. The
walls of the room were adorned with the pictures which
we ourselves had given to our host, and which with
their western flavor seemed quite out of keeping with
the rude interior. During a very pleasant conversation
about the great monastery with its revered lamas and
sacred traditions, about Lhasa, the home of Buddhist
learning, and of the great Dalai Lama, about the doc-
trines of Christianity, and about the great western
world, of which Ishinima knew next to nothing, we
drank tea and partook of other refreshments which the
latter had prepared with his own hands. According to
custom he offered us a large lump of rancid butter,
which, had we been as polite as our host, we should have
dropped into our cup of tea in lieu of sugar ; but know-
ing Ishinima so well, we refused the dainty morsel, al-
though to have done so under any other circumstances
would have been considered little less than insult. He
was, moreover, so thoroughly charmed with Mr. Rijn-
hart's telescope and camera that we might have ignored
all Tibetan politeness with impunity.

40 WITH THE TIBET AXS

After tea we were conducted across the courtyard
to Ishinima's private chapel, or room containing his
household altar and instruments of worship. Upon
the' altar sat several diminutive but none the less
hideous brass and clay idols, representing various
Buddhist divinities, before which were burning small
butter lamps, also of brass, filled with melted butter,
each furnished with a wick and darting up its little
flame. Other flat brazen vessels of water, some Jchatas
or " scarfs of ceremony " — narrow strips of veil-like
cloth, corresponding in use to the western carte-de-
visite — , a few musty-looking tomes of Buddhist litera-
ture, completed the equipment of this domestic sanctu-
ary. We found Ishinima withal a most genial host,
exercising every art within his grasp to make our visit
pleasant; yet we were glad when the time came to
return to our own clean and airy dwelling at Lusar,
and we left conscious that we had done Ishinima good
service in ridding him of a generous share of the vermin
in his sacerdotal abode. Our battle with this unwel-
come company was to begin when we reached home.

Through our friendship with Ishinima we gained a
knowledge of Kumbum and all that pertained to it,
which otherwise we might long have sought in vain.
Shortly after our visit to his home he accompanied us
again to the lamasery to witness an elaborate cere-
mony on the occasion of the ordination of the priest
who was to serve as lamasery doctor. Ishinima having
some scruples about appearing publicly as our guide,
walked about fifty yards ahead of us, never, however,
turning a corner until he assured himself that we were

among the lamas 41

following. Having arrived in the courtyard of the
temple where the ceremony was to be held, we took
our places, Ishinima standing at some distance opposite
us and scarcely taking his eye off us from first to last.
The walls of the temple court were hung with all man-
ner of fantastic pictures executed in flaming colors by
Chinese artists. In the middle of the enclosure was
a long narrow table, similar to those often found on
American picnic grounds, on which were placed rows
of decorated plates and brazen vessels of various
shapes and sizes, containing tsamba, rice, barley, flour,
bread, oil and other eatables. These, we learned, were
offerings which had been brought to be sacrificed in
honor of the new candidate for the position of medical
superintendent. A large crowd of spectators had con-
gregated and were gazing with reverent and longing
looks upon the feast prepared for the gods, when sud-
denly a procession of about fifty lamas broke into the
courtyard, arrayed in red and yellow robes, each one
carrying in his hand a bell. As soon as they had seated
themselves on the stone pavement, the mamba fuyeh,
or medical buddha, came in and took his place on an
elevated wooden throne covered with crimson and yel-
low cloth. He wore a tall, handsomely embroidered
hat and brilliant ceremonial robes, befitting the oc-
casion. The ceremony began by a deafening clatter
of discordant bells, each lama vying with the others to
produce the most noise from his instrument. The
music was followed by the muttering of some cabalistic
incantations and the weird chanting of prayers. Im-
mediately in front of the mamba fuyeh was a large

42 WITH THE TIBETAXS

urn in the bottom of which a fire was smoldering, send-
ing up its vapory clouds of smoke and incense. At a
given signal some of the lamas rose and, each one tak-
ing up in a ladle a portion of the delicious viands that
stood on the table, walked gravely to the urn and
dropped it into the fire as an offering in honor of the
new mamba fuyeh, and finally a stream of liquid which
we took to be some kind of holy oil was poured in from
a little brass pot. Then there were repetitions of the
prayers, incantations and bell-ringing, and it was a
long time ere the mamba fuyeh was declared duly in-
stalled. The position of medical lama is considered one
of great importance. The office in the Kumbum
lamasery is held for varying periods of time, depend-
ing partly on the incumbent's efficiency, but more per-
haps on the number of his influential friends.

Like most lamas, Ishinima had many strange tales
to tell of the Koko-nor, the blue inland sea, that lies
away to the west of Lusar and Kumbum, far up into
the grass country. Many an evening he entertained us
detailing in reverent tones something of the wealth of
legend which tradition and the popular fancy have
woven around that body of water. It is known by
Tibetans, Mongols and Chinese, each calling it by a
different name, but the Mongol name " Koko-nor,"
meaning " Blue Lake,"' seems to have gained ascend-
ency. Its religious importance is recognized through-
out a large portion of Central Asia. Even the Ainban,
the Chinese Ambassador or Governor of North-eastern
Tibet, who lives at Sining, makes a pilgrimage to
it once a year and pays it homage. The immediate

AMOXG THE LAMAS 43

effect of Ishinima's representations was to arouse in
us an intense desire to visit the lake, to make the
acquaintance of the Koko-nor tribes and to ascertain
the prospects for missionary work among them. As
Ishinima had never seen the lake himself, he seemed
overjoyed when we asked him to accompany us.
The date for the departure was set in the month of
June when the hills had taken on their luxuriant car-
peting of green, and all nature seemed to conspire in
producing ideal conditions for such an excursion. As
W. W. Eockhill, the American traveler, had written
about the opposition of the Amban and other Chinese
officials to Europeans going into the grass country, all
our preparations were very quietly made. We em-
ployed a muleteer with four animals, collected stores
for the entire journey which, going and returning, we
calculated would last about twelve days, and in the
highest spirits started off, leaving our home in the care
of a servant. Ishinima, perched high on a load con-
sisting of the tent and bale of food, wore a large straw
hat with the wide brim of which he carefully con-
cealed his face until we got out of the locality where he
was known. Eeaching Tankar late in the evening, we
pitched our camp outside the gate. Anxious to avoid
officials, we arose at daybreak and passed through the
town to the west gate, being frequently accosted by
men who wanted to drag us before the lao-yeh at the
yamen; but we escaped into the grass country, and
passed the monastery of Gomba Soma, although every
one we met was looked upon as some official who might
possibly forbid us to go any further. Ten miles from

U WITH THE TIBETAXS

Goinba Soma, and still a long way from the lake, we
camped for breakfast near a bend of the Hsi-ho, or
Western River, in a beautiful grass}' spot studded with
pink flowers. On the other side of the river was spread
a charming panorama of rolling hills which in the
early morning looked like the grey, slumbering tents of
some giant army. Xever shall I forget the calm of
that beautiful day on the oriental plateau far away
from the turmoil of civilization, nor within sight or
sound of the rudest encampment or settlement of any
kind.

But out of this tranquil environment there was to
grow a great unrest. While Ishinima was gather-
ing argols (the Mongolian word for the dried excreta
of animals which the nomads use for fuel, and which
must be used in fact by all travelers, as these wild
regions are bare of wood) our mules broke away from
their tether and had soon scampered out of sight. Mr.
Ferguson and the muleteer set out in search of the
missing animals. All day Mr. Rijnhart and I waited,
wondering how both the mules and pursuers fared.
We knew nothing definite until Mr. Ferguson's return
at eleven o'clock at night, and he could only an-
nounce that no trace of the runaway mules had been
found, and added, to our horror, that he had become
separated from the muleteer and did not know what
fate might have befallen him. He might have lost his
way somewhere on the dreary plain or among the wind-
ing hills, and there was the graver possibility of his
having been eaten by wolves or having fallen into the
hands of the redoubtable Tan°Tit robbers who lurk

AMONG THE LAMAS 45

in the ravines ready to pounce upon any prey, great
or small. Clouds of anxiety hung on Ishinima's dusky
face. He could not sleep. Time and time again he
went outside the tent, casting his eyes far and wide over
the starlit waste, eager to catch any sign of the lost
muleteer, but in vain. His anxiety was not without
cause, for if anything should have happened to the
muleteer he would have been held responsible. A feel-
ing of insecurity pervaded the whole camp, Ishinima
having succeeded in persuading us that the Tanguts
might swoop down upon us at any moment. The agony
and stillness of that awful night, broken only by the
subdued sounds of our own voices, the distant howl of
a wolf, and the monotonous babble of the Hsi-ho rapids,
were not soon forgotten. At daybreak next morning,
just as Ishinima was preparing breakfast, two of the
missing mules, quite mule-like, returned of their own
accord, and soon after, to our great joy, our muleteer
came running into camp. The faithful fellow had con-
tinued his fruitless search away into the night, and,
having lost his way, had crouched down behind a rock
to rest till daybreak; he seemed quite compensated for
his trouble on finding that two of the mules had come
back. One black animal being still astray, Mr. Fer-
guson went out again on the search. As he did not
return after an unaccountably long time, Mr. Rijn-
hart took the sweep of the horizon with the telescope
to see if there were any trace of him, and, after a short
absence, came running to the tent shouting, " Get the
guns ready ! There are six wild Tibetans after Will V
Excitement reigned supreme and every preparation

46 WITH THE TIBETANS

was made to show the enemy our ability and readiness
to defend ourselves and our goods if need be. Mr.
Ferguson rode well, outstripping his pursuers all but
one, a big Tibetan armed with a spear, who followed
closely on his track. We knew that Mr. Ferguson was
quite capable of looking after himself, as he carried a
revolver, and usually the sight of foreign arms of any
kind has a salutary effect on these wild nomads. Soon
not only Mr. Ferguson but the six Tibetans had reached
our tent, and the latter were preparing to help them-
selves to our possessions when Ishinima remonstrated,
informing them that we had foreign guns, whereupon
they threw their rude matchlocks and clumsy spears to
the ground, sat down beside them, filled their pipes
and smoked and chatted in a very friendly manner.
Presently another group of Tibetans came galloping
toward our tent. They were ten in number, and as
they drew near we espied our lost black mule among
their animals. These Tibetans were well dressed in
garments of various and gorgeous colors. We did not
know their intentions, but they kept assuring us in
the name of Buddha that they were good men, and if
any proof were wanting they triumphantly added that
one of their company was a lama. At the same time
the predatory instinct began to manifest itself; the
newcomers insisted on having first one thing and then
another of our belongings, and were only restrained
from looting the entire camp when Mr. Kijnhart
threatened to shoot if they laid hands on a thing.
After some further altercation we gave them some
cash for catching our mule — Ishinima gave them a

AMONG THE LAMAS 47

mani, or rosary, of great value, and the entire band
rode off. The question now was: should we continue
our journey to the Koko-nor or return home? I was
ever so grateful when Ishinima declared that the
Tibetans who had just left us were Tangut robbers,
and that they would most assuredly return presently
with reinforcements to attack us, for that announce-
ment led to an immediate decision to turn back. Al-
though later we made the Koko-nor journey with no
fear, but with greater experience and knowledge of
the grass country and its inhabitants, for the mo-
ment the vision of the Blue Lake grew dim, and load-
ing our mules we leaped into our saddles, and were
soon galloping toward Tankar, with sweet dreams of
the safety and shelter that awaited us in our little home
at Lusar.

Deviating a little from the road by which we had
come, we arrived at Chang-fang-tai, a Tibetan village
nestling on the edge of a small stream. The country
hereabout was quite fertile, although in an unculti-
vated state. Roaming along the bank of the stream, we
gathered specimens of ferns, grasses and wild flowers.
The inhabitants seemed to be peaceably disposed, com-
ing into our tent and taking tea with us. Here, by the
way, I tried my first dish of tsamba, the staple article
of diet throughout Tibet, taking the place of bread in
other countries, and which I had always imagined must
be very delicious from the zest with which Ishinima
invariably devoured it. Tsamba is a kind of meal
made from parched barley, which, after being thor-
oughly kneaded with the fingers in a mixture of tea

48 WITH THE TIBETAXS

and butter, is taken out in lumps and eaten from the
hand. Though Mr. Bijnhart added sugar to make it
more palatable. I could not eat it.

In the midst of our enjoyment at this village we
heard the first alarming tidings of the terrible rebellion
which shortly broke out in full fury among the Mo-
hammedans of Western Kansu. Faint rumblings of
the storm had already been heard, but we had not con-
sidered the outlook serious. During the day we had
noticed clouds of smoke rising in the distance, and
these, a Tibetan courier informed us, marked the scene
of the beginning of Mohammedan depredations. A
column of the rebel fanatics had swept across the North
country and fallen upon a Chinese village, killing all
the inhabitants, setting fire to the buildings, and leav-
ing nothing but ashes, smoke and charred corpses.
Hastily we pulled up our tent, and, though the night
was dark, we rode off toward Kumbum, with great
difficulty following the trail which wound in and out
among the hills, while every dark object became to our
excited imagination a crouching Mohammedan ready
to dart his merciless spear. A sigh of relief escaped
us as we arrived at the gate of Lusar, yet we knew
more serious news awaited us as, contrary to custom,
the gate was closed and carefully guarded. The old
gate-keeper, whom we knew well, opened to let us in,
and informed us of the danger that like a dark cloud
had fallen on the village since we left. At any moment
the Mohammedans were expected to rush in from some
neighboring ambush. But amid the gloomy forebodings
that for the moment filled our minds, there was a

AMONG THE LAMAS 49

tremor of joy at the thought of our good fortune in
returning to Lusar when we did. The Divine Prov-
idence had indeed overshadowed us and directed our
movements. Had we gone on to the Koko-nor and at-
tempted to return later, we should have found our way
intercepted by the Mohammedan stronghold which a
few days afterwards commanded the roads from Tankar
to Kumbum.

CHAPTER III

A MOHAMMEDAN REBELLION

Moslem Sects — Beginnings of the Struggle — Our Ac-
quaintance with the Abbot — Refuge in the Lamasery
— The Doctrine of Reincarnation.

Among China's four hundred millions the Mo-
hammedan element, though comparatively small, must
be counted as a significant factor. Like a fomenting
leaven, a hotbed of domestic turmoil within themselves,
and ever and anon working to the surface of the na-
tional life, the followers of the Prophet have proved a
constant source of trouble to the Chinese authorities,
especially in the provinces of Shensi, Yunnan and
Kansu, where they have planted their most extensive
colonies. According to Dr. Martin, there are about ten
millions of them throughout the empire, although
other authorities place the number much higher. They
are known by the general appellation of Siao-cliiao,
that is, adherents of the " small religion/'7 as opposed
to the Chinese, who, with their complex cult of ancestor
worship, idolatry and incense burning, are of the
Ta-chiao, or "great religion,*' the comparative magni-
tude of the two religions being estimated of course by
the relative number of their adherents. The Moham-

50

A MOHAMMEDAN REBELLION 51

medans are further distinguished from the Chinese by
their abstaining from opium, wine, tobacco, pork and
other meats except when killed by a Mohammedan
slaughterer who has been specially authorized by the
alion. Travelers, for this reason, may always be cer-
tain of getting good, clean meat from Mohammedan
butchers, whereas the Chinese do not scruple to cut
up and offer for sale an animal that has died of dis-
ease. Besides being generally clean, the Mohammedans
are industrious, making a success of whatever calling
they embrace, be it that of a merchant, muleteer, carter,
cook, innkeeper, or worker in copper, silver or iron.
Their restaurants along the great highways enjoy the
liberal patronage of all classes, while on the other
hand no Mohammedan will partake of the " cere-
monially unclean " dishes of the ordinary innkeeper
of the Ta-chiao persuasion.

The Mohammedans of the province of Kansu, num-
bering about one million and a half, constitute one-
fourth of its population. In the principal cities, such
as Lancheo, the capital, and Sining, they monopolize
the suburbs, and whole villages and towns of them are
to be found in various parts of the province, even as
far west as the Tibetan border. Besides being known
under the usual designation of Siao-chiao, to distin-
guish them religiously from the Chinese, they are also
called by the latter Huei-huei, while the Tibetans and
Mongolians speak of them as ICa-che. Though now
having lost to a considerable extent their racial char-
acteristics through intermarriage with the Chinese,
they are still recognized as the descendants of the great

52 WITH THE TIBETAXS

migrations which came from Turkestan, Kashmir, and
Samarkand nearly five centuries ago. They are di-
vided into two sects, called the " white-capped " and
" black-capped/' the latter being identical with the
Salars, who are much more fanatical and exclusive
than the other sect. In the Sining district the two di-
visions are known as the Lao-cliiao, or " old religion/'
and the Sin-chiao, or " new religion/' the latter being,
as far as we could ascertain, the same sect as the Salars,
or " black-capped " Mohammedans. They have not
merged nearly so agreeably with the Chinese as the
former, for, while they are usually ready to rebel, the
Lao-cliiao, as a rule, remain neutral, or even co-
operate with the Chinese.

The Salars who boast of their Samarkandi origin
are settled around Hocheo, Hsuen-hua-ting, Mincheo
and Taocheo, the first mentioned town of thirty thou-
sand inhabitants being their stronghold, where the
Chinese have to keep a large body of soldiers, as nearly
every year for the most trivial reasons there is trouble.
The Salars speak their own language, which is under-
stood by travelers from Kashgar, and when we visited
their country in 1897, Eahim, our Tibetan boy, a
native of Ladak, was delighted that he could converse
in their own tongue, which he had learned on his
journeys into Turkestan. The men have a purely for-
eign look, good figures, oval faces, aquiline noses, and
wear the Chinese queue, while the women do not bind
their feet, though the Mohammedans around us were
as much in love with small feet as were the pure
Chinese. They are all supposed to be qonversant with

A MOHAMMEDAN REBELLION 53

Arabic, but, as a fact, have not usually much knowledge
of it, except the ahons, some of the latter being Tur-
kestani. Occasionally some great mufti from Mecca
or other important Moslem center visits the faith-
ful in Kansu, exhorting them to greater zeal;
while the many mosques that tower above the Chinese
dwellings, the dogged fidelity with which the devotees
perform their religious services, and the death-em-
bracing fanaticism with which in times past they have
fought for their faith, all attest the vigorous hold which
Mohammedanism has gained in the land of Confucius.

The religious dissimilarities between the two sects
are trivial, the lines of cleavage being quite as insig-
nificant as some that divide Christendom. The chief
bone of contention is a difference of opinion as to
the hour at which the fast may be broken during the
Ramadan, and as to the propriety of incense burning.
The cause of the dispute which culminated in one of
the most sanguinary and disastrous wars that ever took
place in Western China was the question as to whether
or not a Mohammedan might wear a beard before the
age of forty!

It need not be wondered at that terror filled the
minds of the people of Lusar and Kumbum, and of all
the surrounding villages, when the news spread that the
Mohammedan sword was again unsheathed; for fresh
in their memories were the terrible atrocities perpe-
trated during the former uprising, which was one long
intermittent period of bloodshed and pillage lasting
from 1861 to 1874, both parties, however, assenting
to a cessation of hostilities each year during seedtime

54 WITH THE TIBETANS

and harvest. The government troops sent to subdue
the rebels had been, on account of their inadequate
numbers, hewn down, harrassed and beaten year after
year, and only succeeded finally in quelling the out-
break because of a dissension among the Mohammedans
themselves as to whether the Koran sanctioned the use
of tobacco. Our own little Lusar had in those troublous
times been twice destroyed, while before the rebellion
Kumbum, the great monastery, had been the residence
of 7,000 lamas, hundreds of whom dyed their temple
thresholds with their blood, falling in defense of their
treasures and their homes, repulsing the rebels barely
in time .to save their treasure-house, and to keep unholy
hands from ravishing their gold-tiled temples. When-
ever the lamas look at the bullet-pierced silver bowl
which is still in service on one of the altars, they re-
member that Kumbunrs palmiest days ended in that
great struggle, for never since has it contained more
than four thousand lamas.

Although the Chinese had finally subdued the rebel-
lion, they had not quelled the fanaticism that gave it
rise. They forbade the Mohammedans to reside within
the towns and cities, but this only led to their gathering
in thousands outside the walls or in separate settle-
ments, where they brooded over their lack of freedom,
and cherished a hatred towards the Chinese, fanned by
the memory of the treachery by which during the war
the latter had beguiled them into many a bloody snare ;
and throughout all the intervening years, up to the time
of the fresh outbreak in 1895, the ahons had done their
part in keeping the fire of hatred and dissatisfaction

A MOHAMMEDAN REBELLION 55

burning in their hearts. The vague rumors of trouble
at a distance that had reached us before our departure
for the Koko-nor had caused little alarm in our dis-
trict^ but on our return the reports were distinct and
dire enough. The little fire so recently kindled was
already assuming uncontrollable proportions. A dis-
sension had occurred in the Sin-chiao on account of the
beard question already referred to, and swords were
drawn; the Chinese, who, while inert enough in most
emergencies, seem to be ready to interfere in Moham-
medan disputes, stepped in to settle this one, and the
progress of the campaign until it reached the immedi-
ate vicinity of Kumbum had been, we learned, as fol-
lows.

The quarrel between the two sects having broken
out eighty English miles from Sining, and the district
inhabited by the Salars being governed from that city,
a Major Uang had been sent with two hundred sol-
diers to make peace, which apparently he had suc-
ceeded in doing; but suspicions of his failure were
aroused when, on the 13th of March, the Tao-tai
of Sining was summoned by the Governor-general
of Kansu to Lancheo and despatched with more
troops to Hsuen-hua-ting, the seat of the trouble. The
latter official did a most imprudent thing in seizing and
putting to death a prominent chief and three or four
others, for to avenge this outrage the Salars, largely
forgetting their own differences, rose en masse against
the Chinese, imprisoning the general and several
other officers who had been sent from Hocheo to
aid him. Reports that the Salars were advancing

56 WITH THE TIBETANS

and that other Mohammedans were joining them,
threw the Chinese of the Sining district into the
wildest exicitement, and soldiers were sent into the
villages not as yet affected by the rebellion, to in-
quire into rumors and exhort the Chinese and Mo-
hammedans to live together in peace. By the end of
March the truth about Major Hang's defeat was
learned. A " white-capped " Mohammedan, a sup-
posed ally of the Chinese, but really in league with
the Salars, offered to guide the Major to a position
from which he might crush the rebels at a single blow.
The Major and his men followed the guide over the
treacherous river and along its southern bank, until,
arriving at the juncture of two valleys, they camped
for the night, the Yellow Biver on the north of them,
and a ridge of high rocky hills on the south. Here,
when wholly unprepared, they were surprised by the
Salars into whose hands they had been secretly be-
trayed by the would-be guide, seventy-four of their
number being killed, while the others, having given up
their rifles on the promise of mercy and freedom, were
immediately afterwards shot by their enemies.

The news of this disaster having reached the Gov-
ernor-General, he issued a proclamation ordering the
extermination of the Salar sect, root and branch. Two
days later a fresh proclamation was affixed to the city
gates, couched in milder terms, saying that a distinc-
tion was to be made between good and bad Salars, that
only the latter were to be killed. But no reverse tide
of second thought could dam back the mighty cataclysm
of bloodthirsty revenge which had broken out over

A MOHAMMEDAN" REBELLION" 57

the land. This first proclamation had done the
work; already the blacksmiths were busy night and
day sharpening old swords and making new ones, and
people from the villages were flocking into the cities
with their families, furniture and grain. Farming
was suspended, and a general panic prevailed as it
became known that the Salars had risen up in the ful-
ness of their strength, all joining swords from various
motives — fear, zeal, revenge, and the hope of gain
through success and plunder being the chief ones. De-
tachments of imperial soldiers came up from Lancheo
and Liangcheo, but the Mohammedans had congre-
gated in such overwhelming hordes that the Chinese
could not begin to cope with them.

About the end of April the imperial troops had suc-
ceeded in taking three Salar villages, but at the same
time the operations of the rebels became more exten-
sive. The Chinese government, now realizing the mag-
nitude of their undertaking, appointed to the com-
mand of the imperial troops Brigadier-General Teng
of Sining, a man of rare decision and military reputa-
tion, who, departing for the seat of trouble, defeated
the rebels near the city of Hsuen-hua-ting, a victory
with which further uprisings in the vicinity of Hocheo
were simultaneous; nor was his victory accomplished
without extreme difficulty and much bloodshed. The
enemy having been apprised of the Brigadier-General's
start from Sining, had come to meet him, and but for
the timely help of the Tibetans, his army would have
been annihilated. It became evident that the rebellion
was no longer confined to the " black-capped " sect,

58 WITH THE TIBETANS

and when the news spread that Hocheo, the Mecca of
Kansu Moslemism, the site of Moslem colleges and
mosques, had become a center of rebel activity, it was
felt that the worst had only begun. General Teng
with the resources at his command adopted the most
vigorous measures. In the beginning of July he in-
flicted a severe defeat on the enemy, killing 700 of
them, but its glory was dimmed by the ominous rumor
that 10,000 Mohammedans in the suburbs of Siring
were about to join the rebels.

As the reports that reached Lusar and Kumbum be-
came more and more alarming, the people were thor-
oughly aroused, lamas and laymen joining heart and
hand in offensive and defensive measures to be em-
ployed against the rebels, whom they now no longer
spoke of as Huei-liuei, or Siao-chiao, but by the more
appropriate title, as they thought, tseh. .

Activity in the collection of old iron increased, the
furnaces glowed day and night with an intenser heat,
and louder rang the anvils under the blows of an
army of smiths in response to the general clamor for
swords, spear-points and guns. On all the main roads
leading to the village tiao-lo were built, two-storied
mud-brick towers, a gateway underneath, and a room
above through the wall of which were loop-holes for
guns, while a small rampart branched off on either side.
The Sin-cliiao Mohammedans living in Lusar gradu-
ally and quietly sold their property, or taking it
along with their families, left for Topa, the rebel
stronghold on the Hsi-ho, where there were soon 40,-
000 fighting men. We little suspected that even Mo-

A MOHAMMEDAN REBELLION 59

hammedans who had become our friends, particularly
one old man who lived almost next door to us, were
so soon to take up arms against their fellow-citizens,
ourselves included.

The lamas provided themselves with arms of every
kind, were organized into an army under the leader-
ship of Shertoch Fuyeh, one of the " living buddhas "
of Kumbum, and met on the hills for drill, besides
being as busy as bees at the construction of strong
brick towers for the protection of their homes and
temples. Ishinima, though an arrant coward, pre-
pared a spear for himself, and our lessons in Tibetan
became very irregular and almost useless, for our pro-
fessor had utterly lost his equilibrium. The inhab-
itants of Lusar carried all their valuables over to
Kumbum and placed them in the hands of the lamas,
intending to flee to the lamasery should the rebels in
strength attack the village, knowing that the lamas
would die lighting for their treasures, and so the lives
of the sojourners there would be comparatively safe.
Refugees from isolated villages swarmed to Kumbum
for safety, and soon, as a result of the overcrowding,
diphtheria and smallpox were raging, while food,
fodder, and everything had risen to such exhorbitant
}3rices that beggars were added in immense crowds to
the already existing number, occupying every cave and
stable, in fact, every available corner they could find.
Many of our friends in Lusar advised us to leave for
home, or at least go to Sining, which had a good wall
and an army to defend it ; but we felt that we had not
unprovidentially arrived in Kumbum at that especial

60 WITH THE TIBETANS

time, and in order that we might not thwart the plans
of Him whose work we were doing, we remained among
the people, and made preparations to save our goods in
the event of an attack, by putting them in a cave off
our storeroom.

Barely had we decided to share the fears and fortunes
of our Chinese and Tibetan friends, by facing with
them the dreadful possibilities of a long and bloody
siege, when an event of no small importance occurred,
one, in fact, which to a great extent changed the cur-
rent of our lives and affected the whole course of our
future relations with the people. To our amazement
we received from the hanpo an invitation to take up
our abode in the lamasery during the rebellion, an
offer which, needless to say, we eagerly accepted, not
only because of the safety it offered us, but also because
of the prestige it would give us in the eyes of those
whom we were seeking to help. This apparently sud-
den kindness on the part of the abbot was dependent
upon an amusing incident during Mr. Eijnhart's visit
to Kumbum in 1892. One day he was sent for by
one of the " living buddhas " of Kumbum, and, ex-
pecting to have a pleasant and profitable conversation
about spiritual matters, he went immediately to the
buddha's apartment, where he learned with some dis-
appointment that he had been summoned not from any
religious motive, but to be consulted about a music-box
which the budclha had bought as a curiosity when on
a visit to Pekin. The music-box was, to express liter-
ally what the lama had said, " sick," and had ceased
to give forth music; and the lama had concluded that

A MOHAMMEDAN REBELLION 61

since it had been made by foreigners it could surely
be cured by a foreigner. Mr. Rijnhart carefully ex-
amined the instrument, and finding it only needed
lubricating, gave it a liberal treatment of castor-oil,
the only kind available, whereupon its powers re-
turned, and the wonderful box was, as the lama ex-
pressed it, " cured." He had therefore conceived great
confidence in the skill of the foreigner, for if he could
cure a sick music-box with one dose of medicine, how
much more could he do for a sick man ! The result of
an apparently insignificant act of kindness cannot be
estimated. The music-box incident, though forgotten
by Mr. Rijnhart, had evidently left an impression on
the lama, who had in the meantime risen to the dignity
of the abbotship, for he it was who now again sum-
moned the foreign doctor with his magic oil to come
and treat the treasurer of the lamasery, who had fallen
ill, although he did not know at the time that Mr.
Rijnhart was the same foreigner who had " cured his
sick instrument."'

Following a guide, we climbed up steep, stony
paths until we reached the most imposing of the
buildings, the kanpo's residence, in a part of which
the treasurer resided. Ishinima had often spoken
of the kanpo, or fa-tai, the great man who pre-
sided over the spiritual welfare of the four thousand
Kumbum lamas, assuring us that he could only be
seen when, clad in his saffron robes, crowned with his
glittering mitre, and followed by a long retinue of
attendants, he descended from his lofty and sacred
abode to preside over some important religious func-

62 WITH THE TIBETANS

tion. Ishinima's surprise may well be imagined when
we told him we were going to the kanpo's residence to
visit such an illustrious patient as Hsani-tso, the treas-
urer. Indignantly he repudiated the possibility of such
a thing, for the entrance of foreigners into the sacred
residence of the great incarnation of Buddha was un-
heard of. Yet to the equally great surprise of Ishinima
and ourselves, we not only visited the treasurer, care-
fully diagnosed his case, and gave him treatment, but
by special invitation were ushered into the audience
chamber of the kanpo himself. Climbing a steep stair-
case, we arrived in the courtyard immediately con-
fronting his apartments, where we saw a youthful
lama with flying red garments, bare feet, and counte-
nance wreathed in smiles, rush across the courtyard
and enter a room as if to apprise his master of our
approach, and when we reached the door he was there
with characteristic oriental obsequiousness to usher us
in. Another moment and we were standing in the
presence of the greatest Buddhist dignitary of all
northeastern Tibet, the man who was looked up to as
spiritual guide and teacher not only by the lamas who
sat under his immediate tutelage, but by thousands of
laymen outside, to whom his personality was known.
Sublime in the consciousness of his own greatness, he
did not descend from his throne on perceiving us; in
fact, his stolid countenance betrayed no sign of pleas-
ure or surprise, for why, indeed, should the calm and
monotonous flow of his feelings be disconcerted by the
arrival of a couple of foreign teachers more than by
the worshippers of high rank whom, from far and

A MOHAMMEDAN REBELLION 63

near, he was accustomed to receive daily ? He asked us
to be seated on some beautiful rugs, while his lama
servant brought us tea in china basins, which were
placed before us on little tables ten inches high, painted
in bright colors. During the conversation the Tcanpo
explained that a past experience with a foreigner had
given him the desire to meet another, and great was his
pleasure when he found out that Mr. Rijnhart was the
identical foreigner who had " doctored " his music-
box three years previous.

This brief visit was preliminary to many others that
followed in quick succession, resulting in an intimate
acquaintance, mutually agreeable, which soon ripened
into a firm friendship. The hanpo was particularly
interested in the fact that Mr. Rijnhart had a wife,
and as more ominous reports of the progress of the
rebellion reached the lamasery, he evinced a sincere
anxiety about our welfare. He had indeed a greater
surprise in store for us than the privilege of paying
him a visit, for he told us very cordially that his own
home in the lamasery was at our disposal, and bade
us move our goods at once to his apartments and take
up our abode there until the rebellion was over. " If
the Mohammedans attack Lusar," he said gravely,
" the people will take shelter in the lamasery and leave
you to be killed." We could but feel that the Jcanpo's
offer was providential, so, accepting it as heartily as
it was given, we removed those of our valuables which
were not hidden in the cave, over to his house, where
we found he had prepared for our occupancy two large
rooms and a kitchen.

64 WITH THE TIBETAXS

Our life in the lamasery was a busy one. Hundreds
of diphtheria cases were dealt with, and many wounded
people were brought to us from the surrounding dis-
tricts. In connection with medical work in the
lamasery, a very interesting and pathetic incident oc-
curred, that served to give us a clear idea of one of
the fundamental beliefs of Buddhism, viz : re-incarna-
tion. A young lama came requesting us to visit a lad
who was very ill — a little fuyeh, or buddha, about ten
years old. Following a guide into the capacious court-
yard of one of Kumbum's best residences, past many
rooms decorated in gay colors, with windows of lattice-
work covered with bright paper and colored glass, we
came to the door of a suite of apartments, where stood
an old lama with white beard and hair, down whose
cheeks flowed copious tears, as wringing his hands he
besought us to do our best for the boy and not let him
die; as if he died, he, the lama, would have seen his
elder brother die a second time. Though the little
fuyeh was that old lama's nephew by birth, he was
looked upon as his elder brother; the latter had died
ten years previously, and the soul, it was believed, had
returned into the body of the little boy, to spend an-
other period on its progress toward Nirvana, the state
of blessedness. Hence it was that the man who now
confronted us was in such great sorrow fearing that he
should a second time witness his elder brother's death.
We promised all the help we could give, and were
ushered into a small, beautifully adorned room, where
we saw reclining on the Vang a sick child, a glance
at whom told us that we were in the presence of a

A MOHAMMEDAN REBELLION 65

victim of a virulent type of diphtheria. Upon care-
ful examination we felt that there was scant hope of
his recovery, and informed the old man that the only
chance for the patient lay in our staying with him,
Whereupon the old lama told us to do what we thought
best, adding that he would procure for us anything Ave
desired, no matter what the cost would be, for, he
added, " that boy has great wealth — thousands of
horses, cattle and sheep and valuable property are his."
We prepared the necessaries for the treatment of our
little patient and settled down beside the h'ang to
watch him.

Daylight faded into twilight, and the secular work
of the lamasery was done. As the tumultuous hubbub
of voices died away and even the sound of the water-
carriers' footsteps had ceased, the lamasery was per-
vaded by a strange and melancholy quiet, indescribably
peculiar, but somewhat akin to that atmosphere of
silent awe that fills the galleries and crypts of some
old mediaeval cathedral, subduing the voice and even
the thoughts of the traveler, as he stands with uncov-
ered head before the tombs of the illustrious and saintly
dead. And as that silence is sometimes broken by the
strains of the choristers' song sounding soft and low
from their practice-room, or by snatches of muffled
harmony floating down from the organ-loft, so on that
night was the stillness broken by the musical voices
of the lamas chanting their prayers in the temples,
or on the housetops where they lighted fires of juniper
leaves, the smoke of which curled up and spent its
fragrance far and wide until the very air seemed re-

66 WITH THE TJBETAXS

dolent with the sense of worship. In some respects
the aesthetic side of Tibetan Buddhism is irresistible,
and it is not surprising that it has thrown a strong-
fascination over the credulous Tibetans. It is, how-
ever, like the Pharisaism of old, only a whited se-
pulchre, having a beautiful exterior, but full of rot-
tenness and dead men's bones within. How forcibly
the wail of the white-haired old lama, with his ra}Tless
belief in the doctrine of reincarnation brought home to
our hearts that night the unsatisfying emptiness, the
bitter darkness of a system which offers the human
spirit no brighter prospect than to be broken again and
again on the a Wheel of Existence," struggling in its
own strength for countless ages, with the forces of
evil, with no better promise than annihilation at the
end. Those who get their conceptions of existing
Buddhism from Sir Edwin Arnold's " Light of Asia "
would be sadly disillusioned could they see it as it is
really believed and practiced by the people of Tibet.

Night-time had settled down upon us in our places
beside the boy, all the lamas, even the old man, having
retired. We sat reading or conversing in low whispers,
our hearts awed by the strangeness of our surround-
ings, the dim light of the primitive lamp casting weird
shadows on some objects about the room, now in this
corner upon a spear and two guns ready for use, sug-
gestive of anything but peace, then upon a yellow
satin hat with wide brim and peaked crown, and a
yellow jacket belonging to the boy. He was not to use
them again, for from the bed came stertorous breath-
ing, which continually reminded us that death was

A MOHAMMEDAN REBELLION 67

claiming its victim. Suddenly through the impressive
stillness rang a shout, then another, some barking of
dogs, then a few shots, and almost in a flash from the
housetops near and far rang cries of " Sha sa! Sha sal"
(Eat meat! Eat meat!), the war-cry of the lamas. A
lama rushed through the room where we sat, calling
out, " Where's my spear? Give me my spear! The
rebels have come !" — and, having obtained it, joined
his comrades on the roof. Mr. Rijnhart said he would
go for a moment to the house-top to see if there were
really danger, and being alone with the child, I prayed
that God would preserve us from falling alive into the
hands of the Mohammedans. The noise soon ceased,
and, to our joy, we found that it had been a false alarm
caught up by the sentries around Kumbum, from those
about Lusar, who had seen a large body of rebels pass-
ing in the distance to pillage another village, and had
given the note of alarm, thinking that we were to be
attacked. This was only one of the many times that
alarms were sounded during both night and day for
the following months.

Early the next morning the young fuyeh died, and
his old uncle, to whom the little life was so precious,
shortly afterwards committed suicide by taking a large
dose of opium ; for he said he could not bear to live in
prospect of the known possibility of seeing his elder
brother die a third time !

Om mani padme hum, the Sunrise comes!

The Dewdrop slips into the shining" Sea!
So sings the poet, but for that old lama there was
neither sunrise nor shining sea, but, according to his
own confession, grief, despair and darkness.

CHAPTER IV

WITH TPIE WOUXDED

Refugees at Sining — Our Isolation at Kumbum — The
Siege of Shen-Chun— To the Battlefield— A Ride
for Life — Rout of the Mohammedans.

Preparations for meeting the rebels went on apace.
Sentries were placed on the lamasery towers and on
the almost contiguous hills, ready to give the alarm
when danger threatened. Crowds of lamas with drawn
swords surged through the streets, or assembled on the
house-tops to discuss the latest reports from the field.
Our co-worker, Mr. Ferguson, having important busi-
ness at Shanghai, decided to leave for the coast. It
was a hazardous undertaking, yet it seemed inevitable.
As the road was still open we accompanied him to
Sining. Anticipating perilous times during the months
to come, we thought we might not live to see him
again. Moreover we desired, while still possible, to
visit Mr. and Mrs. Ridley before being cut off alto-
gether from all intercourse with European friends or
from the sight of a white face, and again more par-
ticularly, our presence in Sining was necessary in order
to make final arrangements for Mr. Ferguson's jour-
ney. As we went along there were no signs of

68

WITH THE WOUNDED 69

trouble; in many of the villages the people did
not seem to appreciate the gravity of the situation,
for they were engaged in their ordinary avoca-
tions; and, except a body of red- jacketed Chinese
troops who crossed our path on their way to attack a
rebel encampment in a town two days' journey to the
north, we saw nothing to suggest the terror which had
spread in other parts. Upon reaching Sining, however,
we found the rebellion had been raging in earnest in
the northern valley. Hundreds of homeless and
wounded people seeking shelter were nocking into the
already overcrowded city, where the temples were
turned into temporary hospitals, to which the Chinese
missionaries, Mr. and Mrs. Eidley and Mr. Hall, daily
repaired, ministering with soothing ointments to the
poor creatures who had been burned in the flames that
had turned their homes to ashes, and bandaging the
ghastly wounds made by Mohammedan bullets and
swords. Some of the wounded had crawled On their
hands and knees for distances as great as seventeen
miles, and arrived more dead than alive. As the
refugees increased in number diphtheria and small-
pox were rife, and Mrs. Eidley moved among the pa-
tients stricken with these dread diseases hoping against
the danger of infection to which herself and her
precious little Dora, only a few months old, were sub-
jected, yet not able to do otherwise than help to allevi-
ate the awful suffering about her. Travel to Lancheo
being still possible, though not very safe, Mr. Ferguson
adhered to his purpose to press on to the coast, so we
said good-bye to him and reluctantly turned back to

70 WITH THE TIBETANS

Kumbum, where we were soon completely isolated.
Ten miles to the northwest of us the Mohammedans
had massed in thousands at Topa, from which strong-
hold marauding bands of them scoured the country
between their own position and Kumbum, rendering
it unsafe for anyone to venture more than two miles
north of the lamasery; while five miles on the opposite
side, the village of Shen-ch/un, the Mohammedan por-
tion of whose inhabitants joined the rebels, became a
veritable seat of war. The combined rebel forces of
Shen-ch'un and langmaoko, another village over the
hills, blocked all the roads in their district and
massacred the Chinese by hundreds. Thus impris-
oned for nearly six months, we received no reliable in-
formation as to what was happening at Sining and in
other districts, but events around Kumbum were stir-
ring enough and quite sufficient to absorb our atten-
tion, until the road to Sining should be again open
and we could learn the intervening history of the
rebels' movements.

Mina Fuyeh, for that was the kanpo's name, gave
us every day new evidences of his friendship. Side by
side with the problems of defending the lamasery and
superintending the great priesthood, he seemed to have
placed that of our personal safety. He had devised a
plan whereby we might escape should the Moham-
medans in superior force attack the lamasery, and
should it become evident that the lamas could not re-
pulse them. Under cover of darkness he proposed that
we should flee with him to Kuei-teh, where he had a
house and where he would give us shelter, food and
clothing until we could hear from the homeland. While

WITH THE WOUNDED 71

the road to Kiiei-teli was yet passable, and the reports
kept coming in that the rebels were burning one village
after another, the kanpo sent trusty men thither with
boxes containing his precious treasures. Keturning to
Kumbum the men were fallen upon by robbers, who
made off with the kanpo's valuable mules, eleven in
number, and severely wounded two of the men. So
unsafe had the road become that even the kanpo's
sacred possessions were not free from brigandage.

The discussion of plans for our safety was appar-
ently not premature, for every day came news of fresh
victories for the Mohammedans, whose arms seemed
to prevail on every hand. Every day refugees arrived
at the lamasery; sick and wounded were brought in
from all directions to receive our treatment, the news
having spread that the foreign doctors, under the very
roof and patronage of the abbot, were performing
miracles of healing and were prepared to treat all who
came to them.

Among the most interesting of our patients was an
old man, Chinese by birth, but possessing the courage
and daring of a Tibetan, who had been appointed a
leader over fifty of the local troops, and had set out
one morning to aid some Chinese in an adjoining
village to repulse an attack by rebels. Treacherously
one of his men, a carpenter, had stabbed him in the
elbow, some said because the former was in the pay
of the Mohammedans, who were anxious to be rid of
such an able opponent as Cheo Lao-yeh, the old man,
was proving himself to be. They remembered his
efficient service in the former rebellion, in which,

72 WITH THE TIBETAXS

though wounded seven times, he had dealt them many a
crushing defeat. The treacherous thrust had made an
ugly wound in his arm, but the family being rich, and
consequently able to give him every attention, while
I spared no pains to aid in his recovery, each day
marked improvement. His wife was a Mongol. His
only child was an attractive young married woman of
twenty wearing the Mongol costume, which was very
becoming to her, while her pretty little baby com-
pleted the family group and added much gladness to
the lonely hours the old man spent on the Vang. Many
were the presents and incalculable kindnesses bestowed
upon us by this man, and when later he died while we
were away from home, he asked his daughter to give
each of us a rosary he had worn, gifts which we prized
very much for we knew they were tokens of sincere
gratitude and love.

Shen-elrun was the scene of much strife, at first
only between the Mohammedans and Chinese in-
trenched in their respective forts, and consisting of bat-
tles between small parties who would sally out to glean
in the fields, or gather fuel, the successes and failures
being about evenly divided between the opposing forces.
By degrees the strength of the Chinese portion of the
village had been reduced, the last detachment of young
men having been completely cut to pieces during a
sortie, so that the beleagured and helpless inhabitants,
consisting now only of old men, women and children,
appealed for succor to the lamas' army, and the local
Chinese troops. Contrary to the abbot's wishes, the
lama soldiers, having taken all their arms to a temple
to be blessed, sallied out one morning to attack the

WITH THE WOUKDED 73

rebels. Their priestly robes thrown aside for the mo-
ment, they wore the ordinary layman's red and yellow
garments with multifold red turbans of raw silk wound
around their heads. Armed with guns, swords, and
spears, equally divided between infantry and cavalry,
the latter being mounted on splendid ponies, the dark
eyes of all flashing with rage and the thirst for re-
venge, they presented such a warlike appearance as
facilitated our realization of the gallant defense our
lama army would offer in case the rebels attacked the
lamasery fortress. Presently the Chinese soldiers
from Lusar having formed in battle array, some wear-
ing bright scarlet military jackets, but the majority
clad in the blue of everyday life, marched out to join
the lamas. A few were mounted and carried bright
colored flags, while the remainder on foot were fur-
nished with swords, and a few guns. The departure of
the two detachments was among the most affecting
and picturesque sights I have ever witnessed. The en-
tire population of Kumbum and Lusar was massed
on the flat roofs of the lamasery buildings to see them
off, while above the din that rose from the multitude
could be heard the click of prayer-wheels, ardent mut-
terings of the mystic phrase, om mani padme hum, and
low incantations of the remaining lamas, all of which
augured success to their brothers-in-arms. The more
daring mounted their horses and accompanied them to
the summit of a hill which overlooked the scene of the
impending battle, ourselves being among the number.
The morning sun, now high in the heavens, gilded the
crests of the distant hills and likewise threw his brill-

74 WITH THE TIBETANS

iant sheen upon the turbans, red, blue and yellow robes
of the dusky lamas and bronzed-faced Chinamen, the
many-colored banners of the mounted ensigns, the
broad-bladed spears and swords, and the glittering
caparisons of the fiery steeds, while every remaining
dew drop amid the green sward over which they trod
added its ray of splendor to the scene. Having accom-
panied the troops to the brow of the hill, we watched
their winding course through the valley and across the
little river until they came into proximity to the Mo-
hammedan fort. On the trail at a little distance be-
hind the army stood the sung I'lian, with sword in hand,
ready to kill the first Chinaman who should run away
from the fight. It appears that the Chinese had in
former crises left the lamas in the lurch, hence the
effective measure to prevent a repetition of such
cowardice.

The storming of the fort was soon in full swing, the
lamas doing the greater share of the fighting. In an
attempt to set fire to the gate they were met by such
showers of stones hurled down upon them from the
wall that they were obliged to retreat, not without loss.
But such fighting ability did they betray that the rebels,
fearing another onslaught, summoned the aid of five
hundred expert Salar marksmen, and reinforced by the
latter made a fresh attack on the Chinese fort opposite
them. While they had been engaged with the Kumbum
troops, the Chinese women and what few old men were
left, had placed great piles of stones on the walls, with
which they expected to beat back the Mohammedans,
or at least keep them from entering the gate: but the

WITH THE WOUNDED 75

latter, during the night, had quietly dug through the
mud wall, several feet in thickness, and early next
morning effected an entrance. The Chinese women
fought like tigresses, and though many of them died
like heroines in defense of their homes, they were of
course overpowered. Almost the whole remaining
population was put to the sword, except only a few,
who made their escape to Kumbum. On the day of
their arrival there was almost as much excitement as
on the day of the departure of the troops. Again the
roofs of the lamasery were crowded, as well as the
streets, to see, as they passed through the gates, the
sole survivors of the long siege, a few old men, some
women and children, each carrying some sad memento
of the sanguinary struggle, a bag of food, a basin or
a brass pot, all that now remained to them in the world.
What tales of woe and suffering were written in their
sad faces ! Fathers and brothers slain and homes de-
stroyed ! Only a sense of fear seemed to be left in
their nature after so many long nights of dreadful
vigil in the fort, their hearts filled with horror by the
wanton cruelty and flagrant inhumanity with which
the Mohammedans had treated even defenseless women
and children. There were few dry eyes in Kumbum
that morning. The sentiment of revenge was high, and
what wonder? as tales kept pouring into the lamasery
of women and children burned alive, of little shepherd
boys pierced through and through while beside some
stream they watched their fathers' flocks, of little in-
fants carried about on the points of spears, while ever
and anon some wound-covered victim, perhaps a

76 WITH THE TIBETAXS

Chinese woman with her small crippled feet, would
crawl into the lamasery weak from the loss of blood,
and death staring from the eyes. The Buddhist
lamasery of Kumbum, like the Chinese temple of the
God of Literature in Sining, had become a hospital,
and our hands were full. Among the patients whose
sufferings most touched our hearts was a child brought
to us with sixteen spear thrusts in his little body. Ten-
derly we cared for him, and to our great joy he got well.
Soon after the stirring episode of Shen-ch'un a body
of Chinese and Tibetan soldiers, armed with foreign
guns, under Commander Li, an old opium smoker,
came to Kiai-ya, a well fortified Chinese village one
mile from the cluster of forts that had in part been
wrenched from those brave Chinese women, and we all
felt that probably the clay of retribution for the Mo-
hammedans was at hand. In the morning in good
order the former attacked one side of the rebel posi-
tion, while the lama army simultaneously assaulted the
other; bodies of Mohammedan horsemen were seen to
be parrying the attacks and endeavoring to mislead the
soldiers, but with great force the two opposing bodies
met and the Tibetans had at dark almost won the day,
when, for some mysterious reason, a retreat was or-
dered by Commander Li, and the whole army returned.
In the morning it was expected, of course, that another
attack would be made, but it was learned that so far
as Li Lao-yeh was concerned, the Mohammedans might
remain in peace; and it was so loudly whispered that
he had " eaten Mohammedan silver," or in other words,
been bribed, that he lost his prestige, and if he did not

WITH THE WOUNDED 77

lose his head, it was only because the peh-sing, or com-
mon people, could not get their hands on him to carry
out the sentence which all had passed on him in their
minds.

Though numbers of the rebels had fallen during the
day's fighting, the casualties among the Chinese and
Tibetans were also serious. Early in the day a band
of twenty soldiers came to the lamasery requesting Mr.
Eijnhart and myself to go to the battlefield and look
after their wounded companions, offering themselves
as our escort to the scene of carnage. The prospect of
riding to within a mile of the rebel position was not in-
viting, but when we thought of the sufferings of our
lama soldiers, and our ability to help those who had
risked their lives in defense of helpless women and
children, and who might ere long be called upon to de-
fend us at the lamasery, and remembering that we
were servants of Him who "went about healing all
that were oppressed," we hesitated not. Having pre-
pared our surgical and medical supplies we rode off
with our escort, each one of whom was armed to the
teeth. As we traveled on among the hills, some acted
as scouts to see that the road was clear, while the
others surrounding us sought to make us feel safe in
their keeping, at the same time expressing their grati-
tude to us for having come.

On our arrival at the village we found it teeming
with soldiers, some of whom ushered us at once into
the quarters of the wounded. We worked hard all
day bandaging cuts and extracting bullets, attending
to the most serious cases first, but at sunset we had not

78 WITH THE TIBETANS

come to the end of the list. Feeling it was unwise
to pass the night so near the Mohammedan position,
especially as every available corner in the village was
already occupied by soldiers, we decided to return to
Kumbum, intending to finish treating the wounded
men on the following day. Silently, accompanied by
our escort, we traveled homeward under the light of the
harvest moon, our scouts peering through every valley
and defile, lest haply we might be fallen upon by lurk-
ing Mohammedan horsemen. On our arrival at Kum-
bum we found the lamasery gates closed, and as the
eye of the sentry caught sight of such a large body of
soldiers, he became suspicious and refused to admit
us, fearing some kind of treachery or strategem. The
lamas gathered on the roof, Mr. Eijnhart stepped out
where he could be heard and shouted to them that he was
the foreign doctor returning from a visit to the wound-
ed, and that the soldiers were his escort. I also spoke
up corroborating Mr. Rijnhart's words, whereupon the
gate-keeper cautiously opened the ponderous gate and
let us in.

Shortly after sunrise next day we started again for
Kiai-ya. The morning air was crisp and exhilarating,
and we rode with a feeling of greater repose than on the
evening previous. As yet very few people were astir,
here a lama carrying a water-bucket on his broad back,
there an early traveler setting out for the Lusar market,
or a farmer with a donkey-load of straw, or fen-kuai-
tsi, argols pressed into brick form, to be sold to the
lamas. When we reached Kiai-ya we found our wounded
men doing well, and by noon we had attended to the

WITH THE WOUNDED 79

cases left over from the preceding day. Our reputation
having spread through the village we were called upon
to visit a young girl of sixteen who had been accidentally
shot below the left knee two months before. The wound
was a ghastly sight, the leg being shattered for sev-
eral inches. Native doctors could do nothing ; the limb
had not even been bandaged. Only after such a sight
does one appreciate the blessings which the sciences of
medicine and surgery lay at the feet of the sick and
suffering in Christian lands. We informed the girl's
friends that only the amputation of the diseased mem-
ber could effect a cure, a proposal which they resolutely
refused to entertain, in accordance with the Confucian
teaching that a person should quit this life with an
entire body. And so we had to leave her, though the
whole house reeked with the stench of the wound, nor
were we surprised to hear shortly afterwards that she
was dead.

Our medical work being done, we were sitting in the
yamen being entertained at luncheon by the Chinese
commander, when suddenly the call to arms was beaten
and the alarm given that the Mohammedans in large
forces were issuing from their stronghold. While the
soldiers seized their weapons and rushed into battle
array, we demanded our escort and set out for home.
The first part of the way led along a hollow road worn
deep with the travel of ages, with sides so steep and
high, that everything was concealed from view, and
when we had emerged from it, on an incline overlook-
ing the valley, we saw galloping toward us a body of
rebel horsemen, who had seen us leave Kiai-ya and

80 WITH THE TIBETANS

were endeavoring to head us off. The Tibetans spurr-
ing on our horses we rode for our lives, gaining in
speed as we galloped down the hillside, at times the
feet of our animals scarcely seeming to touch the
ground. There was not only the danger of our being
overtaken by our pursuers. Who knew but at any turn
we might be met by another band ? Perhaps already
they were hurrying to meet us along another road that
joined the one we were traveling on, not far from the
lamasery.

We were not the only ones who had taken to flight.
The feeling of alarm at the rebels' sally having spread
among all the villages, and even among travelers who
had heard the news as they journeyed along, many
were fleeing for their lives on the same road as our-
selves. Not far off, galloping over the hills and
valleys we saw a Koko-nor Tibetan, preferring, accord-
ing to habit, the rough ground to the smooth road, pre-
senting a doubly awkward appearance in his bulky
sheepskin gown inflated by the wind, and his unwieldy
matchlock shifting about with every plunge of his pony,
which with shouts and various gesticulations, he urged
on toward the lamasery. Safely passing the junction
of the roads where we had feared to meet a second band
of rebels, and having far outrun our pursuers whom the
hills now hid from view, we dismissed our escort,
thinking the moment opportune for them to turn about
unobserved and go back to the village by another route.
Then scarcely slackening our speed we rode on alone,
overtaking many men and women who had been out
in the fields gathering argols and grain, now dazed with

WITH THE WOUNDED 81

fear and running helter-skelter toward the haven for
which we also were aiming. On reaching the lama-
sery, we found the roofs crowded with our lama friends,
who had been apprised by the sentries of the rebels'
manoeuvre, and had been anxious as to our fate. How
welcome the sense of safety as we passed behind the
huge gate that shut our enemies outside. Had our
ponies stumbled or any other accident impeded our
progress; had there been any difficulty at the gate as
on the preceding night, any delay of five minutes
would have made it forever impossible for us to tell
the tale. Jambula, an old Mongol lama living in the
room near ours, who had become very much attached
to us, almost wept when taking my husband by the
hands, he told us how concerned he had been for our
safety and how glad he was to see us back alive.

There was great rejoicing when it was reported that
General Ho in command of ten thousand soldiers well
armed with foreign guns had pressed his way past the
rebels who had been massed in great numbers in the
Siao-hsia or " Narrow Gorge ", where they had hoped
to cut off the advance of the imperial troops. General
Ho's army was so formidable that the rebels, on being
advised to disband rather than be cut to pieces, had
acted the part of discretion and left for home, thus
leaving free passage to General Ho, who soon arrived at
Sining and joined hands with Brigadier-General Teng,
the chen-tai, or chief military official of the city. The
chen-tai deserves the credit of keeping the rebels in
check until the arrival of the reinforcements; and the
excellent service rendered by the latter with their heavy

82 WITH THE TIBETANS

cannon, well-manned, and firing balls strong enough
to shatter the Mohammedan defence-tower, temporarily
freed the city from danger and made it possible for the
united imperial troops to hasten to the relief of Shen-
clr'un. The announcement that the imperial army was
coming to storm Shen-ch?un caused thrilling excitement
and deep-felt joy throughout the villages near Kumbum
and on the road to Sining. The day that the army
was expected, nearly all the Lusar people went either to
a hill commanding a good view of the scene of battle,
or towards the forts in order to plunder as soon as an
entry into Mohammedan quarters had been made by
the conquering hero, Brigadier-General Teng, who was
to those Chinese what Lord Eoberts is to the British
army and Admiral Dewey to the American, the idol of
the people. A squadron of cavalry came into sight
along the Nan Chuan or Southern Valley. We could
see their numerous bright pennons waving in the
breeze, the great cannon drawn by mules, and the chen-
tai conspicuous by his brilliant uniform and white
steed, leading the procession. Then followed the infan-
try, all in much better marching order than any Chinese
soldiers we had previously seen. On they came amid
the cheers of the people on the hills and the quaking
hearts of the Mohammedans, who were no doubt watch-
ing from their loop-holes. Soon they had halted near
the rebel forts where they were welcomed by the Chinese
and lama leaders of the local troops that had gone
forth to meet them. The cannon was brought into
good position for aiming at the weakest fort, the sol-
diers were placed in battle order, while the Iangmaoko

WITH THE WOUNDED 83

Mohammedans clashed courageously down the hills to
help their comrades even against such odds. A puff
of smoke from the cannon, a crash, and down went
part of the tower, attended by a dense cloud of dust
and deafening cheers from our neighbors on the hills,
while a look through our telescope told us that one
end of the far from impregnable tower was gone. A
few more well-aimed shots reduced the wall, and Gen-
eral Ho, commanding a regiment, rushed upon one of
the forts, the general himself being shot in the thigh
as a result. Mohammedans fled in groups up the hill,
hoping to escape across to another valley, but they
only fell into the hands of soldiers who had concealed
themselves in a hollow road to cut off any retreat. Many
a mounted fugitive we saw fall from his horse, as sud-
denly a crouching Chinaman leaped up and transfixed
him with his spear. Those who got out of the reach of
sword and spear were picked off by the unerring bullet.
The entire hillside had become a battle-field, the
autumnal grass being literally stained with blood. It
was a terrible sight for us; but to the Chinese and
Tibetans there was in it the sweetness of revenge. Un-
speakable, indeed, was the retribution that now fell
upon those who, when they had the upper hand, hesi-
tated at no cruelty and stooped to every atrocity known
to the darkened mind of man. Several forts were taken
before dusk and as the Chinese object to fighting in
the dark, they withdrew, but General Teng placed his
forces so that the besieged might not escape during the
night. As we saw several wounded being carried in from
the field, we betook ourselves to their quarters to render

84 WITH THE TIBETANS

them whatever service we could. We were shown into
a little room, a few feet long, with only a window a
foot square, from which a soldier, by vigorously using
a whip, kept the heads of the curious ones from shut-
ting out the light, while a number of orderlies amid
general shouting, kept us supplied with warm and cold
water, wood for splints and other necessities. When
we succeeded in extracting a bullet from a soldier's limb
he would ask to see it, and when it was given to him
he would take it between his teeth and gnash and grind
it in revenge for the pain and suffering it had caused
him. Always we found that in the minds of the
wounded, the main hope of recovery as well as of the
cessation of pain, lay in the extraction of the bullet.
Darkness overtook us before we had treated all our
wounded that night, and as we wended our way through
the narrow streets of the small village of twenty homes
that quartered two thousand troops, we saw soldiers
sleeping spear in hand, lying in corners of courtyards
and along the streets all worn out with the day's fight-
ing, yet ready on the slightest alarm to follow their
trusted leader to new dangers and new victories.

Just as we were ready to retire a loud knocking at
our front gate announced the arrival of visitors, who
proved to be some soldiers coming to invite Mr. Rijn-
hart to go with them to see a corporal who had been shot
in the mouth. Though conscious of the risk, he accom-
panied them to the village where the chen-tai was quar-
tered and was ushered into the presence of his patient,
who was swearing in a loud voice and abusing everyone
that came within his hearing. The bullet was imbedded

WITH THE WOUNDED 85

between the gum and the cheek and had to be probed
for. During the operation the corporal swore and is-
sued rough commands to his men whenever the instru-
ment allowed him an opportunity to use his tongue.
Mr. Eijnhart maintained that there was a mingling of
the pathetic and ridiculous in the rage which his pa-
tient manifested over being obliged to carry in his
mouth even for a short time a rebel's bullet.

The chen-tai, though such an efficient general, had
not made his investment of the besieged forts complete,
for during the night stealthily the Mohammedans with-
drew with their families and valuables. Making their
way through the ranks of the enemy, they effected
their escape to Topa, and the following morning the
soldiers and a swarm of peh sing who intended to loot
and plunder, entered the deserted houses, finding bread
half-baked in the fire, and other tokens of a hasty flight.
The Lusar people returned after they had secured their
booty, presenting an amusing scene with their prizes,
which were for the most part worthless baggage, old
tables, cupboards, broken pots, worn out bags with per-
haps a little grain. We realized how bitter was the feel-
ing against the rebels when we heard many express
such delight at the great massacre of Mohammedans of
the day before, for eight hundred had been killed.

CHAPTER V

MISSIONS AXD MASSACRES

Bible School at Lusar — Mohammedan Revolt at Sin-
ing — Terrible Slaughter by Imperial Soldiers — The
Fall of Topa — Peace at Last.

In the midst of these stirring times when thoughts
of murder and revenge were uppermost in the people's
minds, we endeavored to carry on the work of preach-
ing and teaching as well as of healing. The abbot's in-
vitation to reside in the lamasery we could but inter-
pret as a divine call to a larger field of usefulness, and
the influence which his patronage gave us in the eyes
of the people was but another name for opportunity —
a sacred trust for which we felt we should be held re-
sponsible. Priests and laymen, women and children,
rallied round us, consulting us in their difficulties and
giving us every evidence of their trust in us. One of
the most encouraging features of our missionary work
was the Bible School, which was begun soon after our
removal to the lamasery, and held every Wednesday and
Sunday afternoon in our house at Lusar. The children,
who had become attached to us, even following us in
the street, were easily gathered in and became" at once
interested in the colored Bible pictures that hung on

86

MISSIONS AND MASSACRES 87

our walls. The lessons embraced the salient points in
Bible history and doctrine, beginning with the story of
Creation and the Garden of Eden in the Old Testament
and ending with the death and resurrection of Jesus
in the New. We also gave them talks on the Life and
Journeys of St. Paul. How delighted they were at the
story of Jacob's ladder, telling us, as they gazed on the
picture, that they, too, would like to climb that ladder
to be among the angels. Soon not only the children
but also the mothers came to the lessons. All were
touched by the story of the Good Samaritan. " The
priest and the Levite are just like our priests," said
one woman. " They, too, pass by on the other side when
anyone is in trouble." The women were particularly
interested in the miracle at the gate of Nain. Our pic-
ture showed a city gate just like a Chinese one, and
that made it so vivid; and then the women could enter
into the mother's grief at the death of a son and share
her joy when the Great Physician restored the vital
spark. Other pictures and the lessons suggested by
them made deep impressions, viz: The Healing of
Blind Bartimeus, The Prodigal Son, The Death, Resur-
rection and Ascension of Jesus, Paul chained to a
Roman Soldier, and Peter in Prison.

Special mention must be made of one little Tibetan
boy who never forgot anything we told him ; the amount
of Bible knowledge he acquired was truly astonishing,
and I fondly believe that his heart was good ground,
and that some day the good seed sown in it will bring
forth fruit. I shall never forget how heartily the child-
ren sang the hymns which with great difficulty we

88 WITH THE TIBETANS

taught them. The Tibetans, we found, possess much
better ideas of melody than the Chinese. The discords
at first were shocking, but by the help of Mr. Kijnhart's
concertina and my violin the tunes were carried through.
On Christmas of 1895 we gave the children a feast of
waffles and milk tea. Some of the women present said
that if their people followed our doctrine they would
be better, and added that we taught the children only
what was good. Mr. Rijnhart spoke much with the
lamas about religious matters, losing no opportunity of
pressing the Gospel message. Ishinima declared that if
the Mohammedans did not come to attack Lusar and
Kumbum it would be because we were there and had
prayed to the " Heavenly Euler " to guard us, and to
our certain knowledge Ishinima himself laid aside a
Buddha idol which he had always taken to bed for pro-
tection, and put his trust in the " Heavenly Ruler."

The Chinese said we were carrying on our mission for
the purpose of accumulating merit for ourselves, al-
though they did not dispute that our work was good.
They seemed incapable of conceiving the possibility of
a single disinterested action, much less a life of altru-
ism, and still less a mission of sacrifice and service out
of love to God and man.

The fall of Shen-clr'un, described in the preceding
chapter, led to the temporary opening of the road to
Sining, though as yet only large bodies of men would
attempt the journey, for thousands of Mohammedans
roamed about the valleys on either side of the Nan
Chuan sweeping everything before them. Strange as
it may seem, though Sining was not twenty miles from

MISSIONS AND MASSACRES 89

us, we knew very little about the progress of the rebel-
lion in its vicinity, so close had been the investment of
Kumbum and the surrounding villages. At length we
learned that for months after the rebellion broke out
the Mohammedans in the large eastern suburb of the
city had remained neutral, and had emphatically ex-
pressed their intention to take no part whatever in the
struggle of their co-religionists. But the Chinese did
not trust their word implicitly, and kept thousands of
soldiers on the city walls, being especially vigilant on
the side overlooking the Mohammedan quarter. The
double gates had been barricaded and all the houses
near the walls had been destroyed, lest they might be
used for protection in case of an attack. On September
1, owing, no doubt, to reported successes of the rebel
arms elsewhere, that which was long feared took place.
The Mohammedans in the suburb began to attack the
city, and their cannon played with great precision on
the troops stationed on the wall. The chen-tais gun-
ners also made good practice on the rebels who swarmed
on the walls of the suburb, and so courageous and
determined were the latter that when the man who
served the cannon was struck he was dragged away
by another, who took his place, and this was re-
peated six times. When shortly afterwards the gov-
ernment troops occupied the suburb a man was
found pinned to his cannon, having been killed while
standing bravely at his post. For days the long
Kuan, or " Eastern Suburb," provided a safe re-
treat for rebels from surrounding districts who were
daring enough to brave the cavalry of the chen-tai,

90 WITH THE TIBETANS

and approach the very wall of the city, while the thou-
sands of courageous inhabitants of the suburb seemed
to be filled with recklessness; for, devoid of all fear,
they swarmed over the hills adjacent to the city,
apparently unaffected by the rifles and cannon of
the Chinese troops, who were straining every effort
to hold the city until reinforcements arrived. Noth-
ing incensed the Chinese more than the willful
destruction of the beautiful Nan Hsi Si temples on a
hill just beside the city walls, to which the Sining peo-
ple resorted sometimes for worship, and sometimes to
witness theatrical performances. These temples were
the pride of the district and so strong was the popular
feeling regarding their destruction, that as soon as the
war was over, the clien-tai and his troops undertook
the work of rebuilding them, sparing no pains to restore
their former beauty and magnificence.

After ineffectual attempts to storm the city, the
Tong Kuan Mohammedans assumed an inoffensive atti-
tude, and finally tendered submission to the city gov-
ernment, an act that was never looked upon with favor
on account of their great treachery in rebelling at all.
When General Li with his troops arrived from Lan-
cheo at the city gates, he was not allowed to enter
because his coming had not been officially announced,
but being regarded as a sympathizer with the rebels,
was compelled to take up quarters in the suburb with
the Mohammedans. He it was who had advised the
latter to give up further resistance at the Siao Hsia,
and acted as arbitrator or mediator between the bellig-
erents, even calling a meeting of all the rebel chiefs

MISSIONS AND MASSACRES 91

from the Northern Valley and Topa to discuss terms
of peace. Communication with Lancheo was now
opened, bodies of soldiers were stationed along the roads,
and reinforcements began to arrive in large numbers
at Sining. We took advantage of the situation to pay
a visit to the latter city. With what delight we anti-
cipated, and how much we enjoyed, a reunion with
the missionaries there, may be imagined, for six long-
weary months had passed away since we had seen a
white face.

Soon after our return to Kumbum some of the Tong
Kuan Mohammedans, fearing treachery on the part
of the Chinese, quietly left Sining for other places, and
one of them, disguised as an ordinary Chinaman, ar-
rived at Lusar, but was recognized by some one and
put to death. As his captors were cutting his throat
with a very blunt knife, he told them to use a sharper
one and to be quick about it. About noon that day a
young farmer came to our door bringing on the end
of a stick a human heart, saying that he had been told
we foreigners used parts of the human body to make
medicine of, and he had brought us the heart of a
Mohammedan for sale, expecting a large price for it.
Pie was disappointed and even incredulous when we
said we never used any part of the human body for
such a purpose. The belief of the Chinese that foreign-
ers in this way manufacture medicines is made much
of by the " Boxers " and other fanatics, and is the
cause that leads up to many anti-foreign riots, in
which mission houses are looted and the missionaries
themselves sometimes killed.

92 WITH THE TIBETAXS

There was considerable traffic on the Sining road and
by means of messages that came up, and our repeated
visits, we were thenceforth able to follow the course
of events in and around the city. Toward the end
of February General Wei arrived at Sining with his
army of soldiers from Central China, determined to
settle the Mohammedans of the Tong Kuan once for
all. For this purpose thousands of the Emperor's
soldiers were quartered in the suburb. Eighty-five of
the young leaders were captured, led into the city amid
the cheers of the excited and delighted populace, and
beheaded in the front of the chen-tai yamen, the heads
and bodies being thrown outside of the western gate
where the dogs that had been half starved for months
snapped and snarled, while they feasted on human flesh.
The work of carnage then began in the suburb and thou-
sands of men, women and children were ruthlessly mas-
sacred by the imperial soldiers, some said by Hunan
men, others by Sining men, for all recognized that
the slaughter of those defenseless people was a breach
of honor, a disgrace to the army, and so endeavored
to shift the responsibility of the deed. Many a meal
of human hearts and livers was partaken of by soldiers,
who were anxious to possess the courage their enemies
had displayed; and believing that the qualities would
be transferred from the eaten heart to the one who de-
voured it, they lost no opportunity of in this way pos-
sessing themselves of the admired reckless daring of
the rebels.

As Topa had been the refuge of the Mohammedans
from captured villages, it was also the center from

MISSIONS AM) MASSACEES 93

which the armed rebels had sallied forth on their war-
like manoeuvres, and at the time General Wei had
arrived at Sining, was the stronghold where it wTas
estimated that forty thousand were prepared to make a
final stand against the government troops. The clien-
tai and his soldiers occupied Chen hai pu, a well forti-
fied impregnable Chinese fort a mile from Topa, which
latter was situated across the Hsi-ho river that pro-
tected it on one side as there was no bridge, while
hills surrounded it on the other sides, providing on
the whole, a strong position for defense. At the invi-
tation of one of the commanders of the Chinese army,
we went to the above mentioned fort, where we treated
all the wounded and sick soldiers during the remaining
time that hostilities were in operation. On our arrival,
we found the place full of troops, and were it not for
the influence of some leaders we would have had no
room to stay in; and even then, we shared one corner
of the Vang where slept nearly a dozen men, women
and children who had vacated every other room in
the house for the Sining troops, while the Hunan army
was stationed outside the fort in tents. We were not
long there before we had many wounded to treat, and
in the evening we mounted steps up to the wall and
had a good view of the great fort of Topa and sur-
rounding country. The suburbs of Chen hai pu had
been destroyed by the Chinese themselves, temples,
shops and houses having been almost razed to the
ground, while every available tree had been used for
fuel. The wall had heaps of stones that were intended
for use in times of attack, and little mud-brick houses

9-1 WITH THE TIBETANS

had been built only a few feet apart along the whole
length of the wall, to be used as protection during the
cold nights of the winter, while the appointed guard pa-
trolled the walls, the citizens taking this task in turns.
As we walked on the wall we met Brigadier-General
Teng, the chen-tai of Sining, an unassuming man
dressed plainly and with such a pleasant smile as he
greeted us in passing, for no one appreciated more than
he the sendees rendered the sufferers in the rebellion
by the missionaries in Sining and Kumbum. He re-
turned to the former place with all his soldiers the
following day and the task of reducing Topa fell to
General Wei, half of whose troops were quartered out-
side Chen hai pu and half at Heh tsui tsi on the river
five miles beyond, so that they held the Mohammedan
stronghold between two bodies of men, who unfortun-
ately, did not and would not work in unison during an
attack; yet they both did good service, as a result of
which thousands of Mohammedans were killed and
wounded, and the others became demoralized. With
other spectators we watched from the wall the bom-
bardment of Topa, on more than one occasion, and no-
ticed with what precision and order the foot soldiers,
who had received foreign drill, marched onward in a
black mass to the attack, while the cavalry — who were,
as a rule, unaccustomed to ride over such uneven
ground as the harvest fields about the forts — rode on in
full tilt against the Mohammedans who endeavored to
meet the attacking party and turn it outside the fort.
Once the cavalry put one party of five hundred rebels to
flight back toward the gates which had been closed by

MISSIONS AND MASSACRES 95

the frenzied people within, and only a half dozen of that
party escaped, the remainder having been killed just
beside their own gates. The casualties among the
Chinese cavalry that day were large, but their victory
was a telling one, and had its effect in bringing home
to the Mohammedans the hopelessness of their struggle.
Another bombardment was planned in which the in-
fantry and cannon attacked one side while the cavalry
engaged the other. We repaired to the camps of the
soldiers as the wounded had begun to arrive, carried in
by their companions sometimes in a basket made from
a garment hung on a spear, sometimes on a man's back,
but always with tenderness. They lay in rows in the
open beside the tents, while, as swiftly as we could, we
gave each one in his turn the attention he needed, the
patient's companions running after water and whatever
was necessary ; and so for hours and hours, as the battle
raged outside, the men were brought in and laid down
to await their treatment. The hundreds of wounded
that received attention those days necessitated the use
of so many bandages and dressings that the demand for
suitable cloth was supplied by using our sheets and
pillow cases that had been provided for use in a hospital
which we had hoped to found at Lusar. The commander
had put at our disposal a puhtsi or shop, to which the
wounded who could walk came for dressings, and those
who could not come were treated in their tents in the
different camps. Our food was brought to us already
prepared from the commander's kitchen, a great help
indeed, for the immense number of soldiers made food
very scarce, and, besides, we had no kitchen in our

96 WITH THE TIBETAXS

" shop." The men from Central China who had been
accustomed to rice food fared very poorly in Chen hai
pu, for only flour could be bought, and they did not know
how to prepare m'ien, but put it in large lumps instead
of thin strips into the water, and as a result ate indiges-
tible pieces of tough half-cooked dough. This lack of
proper food, the cold to which they were unaccustomed
and for which they were inadequately clad, the
deep cellars they dug under their tents to provide more
room for the thirteen men quartered in each tent, where
their cooking also had to be done, caused an outbreak
of disease among the troops, so that we had in all a thou-
sand or more patients. Many of the wounded men re-
ceived rice, vermicelli and eggs from us, or they would
certainly have succumbed to their wounds. Also, we
used our influence with the commanders, inducing them
to provide from their personal stores some suitable
food for their men.

The practice made by the gunners of these troops was
bad; hence the cannon were of very little use, and the
land torpedoes that had been placed were of no avail,
for the Mohammedans did not pass over the spot where
they had been buried. One had in the night been put
just outside one of the gates of the rebel fort, where it
was discovered very early the following morning by a
little group of Mohammedans who cut the wire attached
to it, carried it into the fort and instead of knocking
it open, as a Chinaman would have done, buried it
where it could do no harm; but the torpedoes filled
them with fear and superstition, for soon afterwards
they proffered submission, which was accepted on con-

MISSIONS AND MASSACRES 97

dition that their leaders and all their arms should be
brought to Chen hai pu. This was done and bodies of
rebels guarded by troops marched past our door, with
large bundles of guns and spears over their shoulders,
and when they had deposited them at the yamen were
allowed to return to their homes, the leaders alone hav-
ing been retained. These latter, stripped to the waist,
were marched past our door two by two to the outside
of the city gate, and beheaded, each by one stroke of
a soldier's knife. The bodies were buried and the heads
carried in baskets back to the yamen, one occasionally
rolling out into the dust in the road. Such scenes
have a demoralizing effect on a community, and in
this generation the evil effects of that rebellion with its
cruelty and bloodshed, will have worn away neither
from the Mohammedans nor Chinese.

Not long afterwards we were provided with a " shop "
in Topa where were quartered certain detachments of
imperial troops which had all left Chen hai pu, and
after a little hesitation I went with my husband and a
large escort of picked men well mounted into the rebel
town. We found that the suburbs had been almost de-
stroyed in the bombardment by cannon, also that the
Chinese temples having been used by the Mohammedans
as dwellings, were scarcely injured. There were two
walls around Topa, an exterior and an interior one, the
latter surrounding a closely built fort, separated from
the other by many buildings. Within the outer
wall had been dug deep trenches for further defence,
and it was plain that had the troops succeeded in forc-
ing an entrance into the outer fort, thousands would

98 WITH THE TIBETAXS

have fallen, for the Mohammedans were well armed
with guns, swords and spears, even foreign guns be-
ing possessed in large numbers. The Mohammedan

woman who owned the shop we were in, told me that
even before the final bombardment, many of the young
Mohammedan men had been killed, and she said that
most of them were pressed into the fray by circum-
stances and the commands of their leaders. She and
her husband, a shoe-maker by trade, had lived in the
suburbs of Chen hai pu, and having been warned by the
Chinese one day, had gone to Topa to sleep, not taking
anything with them except the clothing they wore and
a little money. That very night the Chinese had at-
tacked the suburb, stolen what they could and destroyed
every house and temple. They were then forced to re-
main in Topa, but her husband kept out of sight as
much as possible, refusing to take any part in the fight-
ing, until one morning he found a small piece of paper
at his door with an order from the leader or alion for
him to join a sortie in the valley toward Sining. Hav-
ing no horse, but not daring to disobey, for that would
mean death, her husband took a spear and joined the
party of two hundred, only eighteen of whom returned
alive, he not being of the number.

The war was now practically over. A large propor-
tion of the fighting men of Topa had been killed, some
had submitted, while fully 20,000 fled toward Turkes-
tan, spreading consternation among the nomads of the
Koko-nor, as they passed through their country, plun-
dering and devastating without mercy. Many of them
perished of cold and starvation on the desolate plains.

MISSIONS AND MASSACRES 99

General Wei and his troops returned to Sining, while
General Teng, a military officer of still higher rank,
took his place, and, saying that his predecessor had no
authority to accept submission on the conditions he had
made, he demanded one thousand more heads of lead-
ers. These were reluctantly and yet speedily caught by
their companions, taken down to Sining and beheaded.
The remaining population of Topa were robbed by the
soldiers of almost everything of value they possessed,
and were then sent to the small northern valley where
they were permitted to reside, their lands having been
confiscated. Thus the Government of China had dis-
played, through the commanders of its army, such
treachery and lack of honor as might easily lead to
fresh trouble, and yet the Mohammedans around Sining
have received such a crushing defeat as to render them
unable to rebel, unless as a revenge for the atrocities
in the Tong Kuan, those of Hocheo should sweep all
before them, capture Sining, which would make an ad-
mirable stronghold, and gain possession of the whole
western portion of Kansu. Tankar has no more Mo-
hammedans, the people having at the command of the
official, fallen upon the few hundred residing there,
slaughtering them all. The walls of Topa have been
almost leveled, the beautiful mosque has been destroyed,
and the green tiles and bricks composing it have been
taken to Sining at the order of the fu-tai to be used
probably for building temples for the Chinese. The
only Mohammedans to be seen for some time afterwards
in the Tong Kuan were beggars, and those who had
come to sell small wares, and I understand that the

L.ofC.

100 WITH THE TIBETANS

Sining authorities are not again to permit them to re-
side even in a suburb, though if they adhere to their pur-
pose, trade will not be by any means so brisk.

All the troops from Central China were disbanded in
Western Kansu and as many of them had no means of
livelihood, they became highwaymen, being as much
a terror to the timid Chinese as had been the Moham-
medans, for they attacked and killed without mercy.

As a total of 100,000 were estimated to have been
slain during the war, there were in many districts no
farmers left to cultivate the land, and in some places
the people had great difficulty in getting enough seed
to sow and implements to work with, though the offi-
cials had granted considerable relief for this purpose.
When the harvest had been sown, it was in large part
destroyed by rats, which, attracted probably by so many
bodies that had been given improper burial, spread like
another army over the fields, leaving waste and sorrow-
ing hearts behind it. For these various reasons, there
was, when even two summers had intervened after the
war, great want among the laboring classes, and years
will elapse before even in a slight degree the effects
of the rebellion will wear away.

When peace had been declared Mr. Kijnhart, to the
consternation of both Tibetans and Chinese, went to
the Mohammedan quarters at Topa to treat the Moham-
medan wounded. It had been understood that because
we had helped the Chinese and Tibetan soldiers, there-
fore we shared their hatred of their enemies and could
not possibly have a kind thought for them. When they
saw that the missionary was just as kind and tender to

MISSIONS AND MASSACRES 101

the Mohammedans as to themselves, they were utterly
amazed. The law of Christian kindness impelling love
and mercy even for one's enemies was vividly brought
to their attention, and some, as they pondered the les-
son, thought again of the colored Bible picture on the
wall of our house in Lusar — the picture of the Good
Samaritan. There they had learned the lesson in story
— the missionary had translated it into action.

CHAPTER VI

THE LAMASERY OF KUMBUM

Tibetan Lamaseries — Legend of Tsong K'aba — Origin
of Kumbum — The Gold Tiled Temple and Sacred
Tree — Nocturnal Devotions and Worship of the But-
ter God.

The lamaseries in Central Asia are, like the cathe-
drals in Europe, the most imposing monuments of re-
ligious life ; but while the spires and domes of the latter
tower above the teeming city and look down upon all
the refinements and activities of civilization, these rude
sanctuaries of Buddhism are frequently situated in
the most secluded and sometimes even in the most in-
accessible spots on the rugged Tibetan plateau. Some
of them are miles away from any village or encamp-
ment, and though they cannot boast the exquisite ar-
tistic finish and massive splendor of Cologne, Strass-
burg or San Marco, yet they possess a sturdy pictur-
esqueness all their own. They are built sometimes in
a sheltered ravine, but more usually on the mountain
side, often perched high upon some jutting mass of
rock, and reached after laborious climbing by means
of zig-zag stairways hewn out of the stone. The archi-
tecture is fantastic and irregular, consisting of a num-

102

THE LAMASERY OF KUMBUM 103

ber of square and oblong buildings rising tier above tier
against the hillside or thrown together without any
apparent plan, and ornamented by rude battlements,
bridges and exterior stairways, the whole crowned by
an abrupt flat-roofed tower, or by several small turrets
varying in shape.

These lamaseries, or gombas, are the abodes of the
Tibetan priesthood which constitutes, it is estimated,
about one-seventh of the entire population of Tibet. In
the gombas at Lhasa there are said to be no less than
15,000 lamas, while in the province of Amdo alone,
according to information gathered by W. W. Eockhill,
the number of lamas is somewhere between 25,000 and
30,000, residing in twenty-four lamaseries, each accom-
modating from 200 to 5,000. Two-thirds of these lamas
are Koko-nor Tibetans, the remaining third Koko-nor
and Ts'aidam Mongols, Eastern Mongols and Tibetans.

The lamasery of Kumbum, in which we resided du-
ring the rebellion, and with which, on account of our
friendship with the abbot, we had such rare opportuni-
ties to become acquainted, is, as already intimated,
one of the greatest and most famous in all Central Asia.
More than a half century ago, M. Hue visited it and
described its site as " one of enchanting beauty." It
reposes in a fertile valley, through which a stream
flows, dividing it into two parts. On either side of the
stream and up the opposite hillsides repose the white
dwellings of the lamas, rising terrace above terrace in
amphitheatrical order. The more pretentious residence
of the Jeanpo situated upon the highest row up the
hillside, is conspicuous by its bright red colored walls.

104 WITH THE TIBETAN'S

The ordinary lamas' dwellings are kept spotlessly white,
a coat of lime-wash being periodically applied in a very
novel but not the less effective manner, for instead of
putting it on with a brush, the lamas stand high up on
a ladder or on the roof and empty large pitcherfuls of
the liquid on to the walls, letting it run down to the
ground, doing its work as it goes. On the western side
of the stream are the temples, well-built structures
of burnt brick with gaudily painted walls surrounded
by colonnades, having roofs of slanting tiles, the ends
of which, projecting over the walls, are tinged with
bright blue or green. There is one temple which stands
out in bold and dazzling relief against all others. It
is the gold-roofed temple of Tsong K'aba, which the
lamas call Jo K'ang, or " Home of the Buddha/' This
temple is the center of interest in Kumbum and is the
crowning pride of all the people of Amdo, who hold it
to be particularly sacred. It is about fifty feet square ;
its walls are of sculptured wood and present a mosaic
of many tints which led Hue to speak of them as
" sparkling with a thousand brilliant colors ; " it has
two roofs, a lower one and an upper one, the latter rest-
ing on a row of short red lacquered pillars; the lower
roof is much wider than the top one, projecting consid-
erably beyond the main wall after the usual Chinese
style. The tiles of both roofs are covered with heavy
gold plate, concerning the precise thickness of which
there seems to be a difference of opinion. Some of the
lamas told us it was an eighth of an inch in thickness,
others said half an inch.

Tsong K'aba, whose name the gold-tiled temple com-

THE LAMASERY OF KUMBIIM 105

memorates, was the Luther of Tibetan Buddhism and
flourished in the fourteenth century. The lamasery
chronicles are rich in records, half mythical and half
historical, of the career of this wonderful man, the
lamasery itself deriving its name from an incident in
connection with his birth. The word " Kumbum " is
a combination of two Tibetan words meaning "ten
thousand images " and was first applied to a marvel-
ous tree, a descendant of which still exists at the lama-
sery. The lamas gravely relate the story of the won-
derful child, how he was born with a white beard, long
flowing locks, wise countenance, fully developed mental
powers and ready speech. At the age of three years he
resolved to renounce the world and to devote himself
to the contemplation of the Buddha's doctrine. His
mother, sympathizing with the holy ambition of her
son, cut off his beautiful hair and threw it into the
courtyard, when lo, immediately there sprang up from
it a tree, on every leaf of which was visible an image
of the " Lord Buddha." The young student sat at the
feet of the most illustrious lamas of his day, resided
some time at Lhasa, and eventually led a reform move-
ment which resulted in the founding of a new sect, that
of the Gelu, or " Yellow Caps " as distinguished from
the " Red Caps " or those of the conservative school.
Tsong K'aba introduced radical changes in the Budd-
hist liturgy, and on the basis of the new worship, found-
ed the great lamasery of Kaldan which still flourishes
about nine miles from Lhasa, and is said to contain
8,000 lamas. Not only by the immense number of
adherents that were won to his views during his life-

106 WITH THE TIBETAXS

time, but also by the literary productions he left behind
him, Tsong K'aba's influence has been great during the
last five centuries of Tibetan history. The most import-
ant of his works are an edition of the sayings of Gau-
tama Buddha and a religio-philosophical treatise on
" The Progressive Path to Perfection/' The early fol-
lowers of Tsong Ivaba were very zealous in propagating
the Gelupa doctrines and as a result of their missionary
labors, fraternities of the yeliew sect were established
in all parts of Tibet and in Mongolia. Even the Tibetan
king was among the converts. Tsong K7aba died in
1419 and his body, the lamas assert, is still preserved
in the monastery of Kalclan where it may be seen in all
its freshness, by a perpetual miracle poised in the air
a few feet above the ground, and to those who are far
advanced on the way to buddhahood, the great man
still speaks words of wisdom and encouragement, al-
though none of the common herd can hear his voice or
see his lips move !

ISTo more interesting question offers itself to Christ-
ian scholarship than that concerning the remarkable
resemblances between the ritual of the Gelupa sect and
that still in vogue in the Roman Catholic and Anglican
branches of Christendom. M. Hue, himself a Roman
Catholic, who visited several Gelupa lamaseries, says:

" Upon the most superficial examination of the re-
forms and innovations introduced by Tsong K'aba into
the lamanesque worship, one must be struck with their
affinity to Catholicism. The cross, the miter, the del-
matica, the cope, which the grand lamas wear on their
journeys or when they are performing some ceremony

THE LAMASERY OF KUMBITM 107

out of the temple, the service with double choirs, the
psalmody, the exorcisms, the censer, suspended from
five chains, and which you can open or close at pleasure,
the benedictions given by the lamas by extending the
right hand over the heads of the faithful, the chaplet,
ecclesiastical celibacy, spiritual retirement, the worship
of the saints, the fasts, the processions, the litanies, the
holy water, all these are analogies between the Budd-
hists and ourselves."*

What is the origin of these striking analogies? The
Tibetan lamas themselves have never been great travel-
ers, and the supposition that Tsong K'aba visited a
Christian country at that early date is highly improb-
able. Hue conjectures that Tsong K'aba met some of
the Roman Catholic missionaries who were operating
in China under Jean de Monteorvin, Archbishop of
Pekin, as early as the fourteenth century, and who
had even trained a choir of Mongols to chant psalms,
and taught them Roman Catholic ceremonies. Anent
this question the Tibetan legends speak of a strange
lama who came to the land of Amdo from the far
western regions and resided in Tsong K' aba's tent, a
man of wondrous learning and piety, having a big nose
and bright flashing eyes. Tsong K'aba, it is said, sat
at the feet of the great stranger and received instruc-
tion in all the doctrines of the west, until the teacher
fell into a deep sleep from which he never wakened.
Whence this legend of the stranger from the west?
It is both possible and probable that Amdo was visited
by some of the early missionaries to Asia, perhaps by

♦Travels in Tartary, Thibet and China, by M. Hue, Vol. II, pp. 45-46.

108 WITH THE TIBETAXS

the Nestorians who had missions in Western China as
early as the seventh century. Again, it is known that
in 1325 a Eoman Catholic missionary named Friar
Odoric made a journey from Northwestern China
through. Tibet to India, and resided some time in
Lhasa; that Fathers Griiber and Dorville in 1661, and
Desideri and Freyre in 1716 made missionary tours, the
latter residing in Lhasa for thirteen years; that in
1719 the Capuchin friar, Francisco della Penna, with
twelve co-workers of the same order, began a mission in
Lhasa which nourished until 1760. Who can tell to
what extent the residence and teaching of these mis-
sionaries in Tibet is responsible for the resemblances
in ritual between Eomanism and Tibetan Buddhism?
Legend has in all probability attributed to Tsong K'aba
more than his due with respect to the introduction of
Christian forms. That they have been gradually in-
corporated into the Tibetan worship as a net result of
all the early contact with westerners is a reasonable
view. We found the legend of " the white lama from
the west " quite fresh in the people's minds. Mina
Fuyeh told us that Tsong K'aba had a large nose and
looked like a European.

The importance and sacredness of Kumbum, in the
eyes of Buddhists, can then be easily understood when
it is remembered that the lamasery is so intimately
connected with such a commanding personage as the
great Buddhist reformer, for although he did not
actually found the lamasery, yet to him alone it owes
its origin. Pilgrims nocked to worship at the foot of
the mountain where he was born ; soon Buddhist priests

THE LAMASERY OF KTJMBUM 109

from Inner Tibet, China, Mongolia, and Manchuria,
came to build their cells there; the emperors of China
extended to it their protection, and thus it has grown
to its present status.

Through Mina Fuyelr s influence we had many oppor-
tunities to visit the " Golden Tiled Temple." Around
its outer court are small shrines with a row of prayer-
wheels, about three feet apart. These are small
cylinders containing rolls of printed prayers. To turn
these prayer-wheels is, according to the Buddhist idea,
to accumulate merit, and they are hardly ever still, for
every one who passes by gives them a spin. In the
wooden planks which form the threshold of the shrine
are visible abrasions about three or four inches deep,
made by the hands and foreheads of pilgrims prostrat-
ing themselves before the great altar and image inside.
Even when approaching the temple afar-off worshippers
may be seen kotoiving to the very dust at every third
step, gathering zeal and momentum, as it were, for the
final prostration on the hard planks. By the thou-
sands of Buddhist devotees who resort thither every
year and place their hands and foreheads in the same
spots as the thousands who have preceded them, these
planks are looked upon as quite as sacred as are the
marble steps leading to St. Peter's, by the multitudes
of Roman Catholic pilgrims who flock annually to the
Eternal City.

It is only once a year, on the first day of the third
moon, that women are permitted to enter the temple,
and when that auspicious day came I was privileged,
through the influence of Mina Fuyeh, to go in with the

110 WITH THE TIBETANS

Mongol and Tibetan women, although it was known
that I would not take part in their idolatrous worship.
The first thing that greeted us on entering was a huge
image of Tsong K'aba in sitting posture upon a deco-
rated throne. The throne is about ten feet high, and the
image wrought, the lamas told us, in solid gold, is
perhaps six feet high. If the image is of gold it must
be of fabulous worth, for it is altogether of massive
proportions, and indeed, if it is only plated, as we
sometimes supposed, it would still be one of the most-
valuable possessions of the lamasery, from a material
standpoint as well as from a religious one. Immedi-
ately in front of the image was an immense oblong
altar literally covered with holy water vases, and but-
ter lamps large and small. Of the butter lamps there
must have been several hundred all lighted for this
special occasion. Standing before the altar and amid
the blazing light of the lamps, I looked up into the
face of one of the greatest idols of Tibetan Buddhism,
while all around me were bowed the worshippers, mut-
tering prayers and pouring out before it the homage of
their hearts. The idol truly had never been more
radiant than on that day, when the sheen of many
sacred flames beat upon it and caused the golden rays
to flash out like the beams of the sun. But as I looked
I found no spark of intelligence darting from the
pupilless eyes; there was no change of expression on
the placid countenance to indicate that the ears had
been touched by the heart-cries of the prostrate wor-
shippers; no word of blessing fell from those silent
lips, immobile and set as on the day when they received

THE LAMASERY OF KUMBUM 111

the last touch of the artist's hand. How appropriate
the words of the poet of Israel:

" The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men's hands.
They have mouths, but they speak not;
Eyes have they, but they see not;
They have ears, but they hear not,
Neither is there any breath in their mouths.
They that make them shall be like unto them;
Yea, every one that trusteth in them." (1)

Yet there is something pathetic in this spectacle of
heathen worship, and it is not, in my opinion, the part
of the Christian missionary to assume an air of ridicule
and contempt for the religious ideas and practices of
peoples less enlightened than his own; for in every
religious service, however absurd or degraded from the
Christian view-point, there is some feeble acknowledg-
ment and groping after the one great God to whom all
men and nations are alike dear; even in the worship
of idols there are to him who has the willing ear and
the understanding heart " painful cries of the soul,
torn from its center and separated from its object." (2)
The work of Christian missions is hindered by antagon-
izing the non-Christian peoples through dogmatic as-
sertion of doctrines and the failure of the Christian
missionary to recognize and rejoice in the great underly-
ing truths of all religions. Only as he appreciates the
light, however dim, that gleams amid the darkness
and superstition of the heathen systems, can he hope to
turn men's eyes to Him who is the Sun of Righteous-
ness and the Light of the World.

I Psalm cxx?v. z Vinet,

112 WITH THE TIBETANS

Besides the image and altar, the gold-tiled temple
contains many interesting relics, chief among them be-
ing the stone on which Tsong K'aba was born. The
walls are covered with Buddhist books, and Jchatas,
some of them fifty feet long, hang from the ceiling.
Closely connected with the sanctuary are the " reading
halls/5 one of them large enough to accommodate
2,500 priests at one time. Before entering the reading-
room each priest is obliged to remove his shoes. Some-
times there is a pile of shoes at the entrance compris-
ing 2,000 pairs or more, thrown promiscuously to-
gether, and yet the owners seem to have no difficulty in
finding each his own pair. Above the reading-rooms
is the museum, containing a collection of sacred relics,
musical instruments (principally big horns and conch
shells), gold and silver vases, lamps and works of art.
The most prized among the relics is a picture of Tsong
K'aba which the saint himself is said to have sketched
in his own blood. This was done in the city of
Lhasa when the saint was there pursuing his studies.
His mother in Amdo, desiring to know how he was
faring, he drew the sketch of himself and sent it to her,
instead of writing a letter, and as soon as she re-
ceived it the picture spoke, assuring her that her son
was in the best of health! Another remarkable thing
in the museum is a mud image of a buddha named
Mete Fuyeh, upon whose muddy head it is declared
hair began to grow soon after he was completed. He
is carefully preserved in a glass case.

Of the sacred tree from which the lamasery takes its
name, and which grew up from the hairs of Tsong

THE LAMASERY OF KUMBUM 113

K'aba, a word must be said. There are three of these
trees in a yard near the Golden Tiled Temple. All pil-
grims visiting the lamasery take special pains to pay
reverence to the central tree, and to receive some of its
leaves, on each one of which is clearly discernible to
the eye of the faithful the image of Tsong K'aba. No
one around Kumbum seemed to question this marvel
but the two foreigners. We frequently visited the tree
and had the leaves in our hands, but our eyes were
holden from seeing the image or anything approaching
it, a disability which the lamas coolly informed us
arose from the fact that we were, not true followers of
the Buddha. This explanation is rather damaging to
the reputation of MM. Hue and Gabet, who declare
they saw on the leaves of the tree, not images of Tsong
K'aba, but well-formed Tibetan characters. There is
nothing in Hue's narrative so perplexing as this,
and without questioning his veracity one cannot re-
frain from wondering to what extent he fell under
the magic spell of the Tsong K'aba legends; nor is it
any the less clear why the leaves which in Hue's day
bore Tibetan characters, should have passed on from
literature to art, producing now only images of the
saint ! The tree has been variously classified. Rockhill,
following Kreitner, first thought it was a lilac (Phila-
delphus coronarius), but later he concluded it was a
species of syringa (syringa villosa, Vahl). We saw the
tree once when it was in bloom — the flowers are very
much like lilacs, but the leaves seem to be stirrer.

Besides the worship of Tsong K'aba' s image, we wit-
nessed many other weird and interesting ceremonies

114 WITH THE TIBETANS

during our residence in Kumbum. One of the most
impressive was that of "nocturnal devotions/' cele-
brated periodically by the lamas. At nightfall the peo-
ple are called to the housetops by loud blasts on a horn
made of a large shell from the Koko-nor. The women
and children from Lusar carry bundles of fragrant
wood, which is burned in little fire-places arranged for
the purpose on the roof. As the incense of the burning
wood rises as a sweet offering to the Buddha, all voices
unite in the chanting of some unintelligible song or
hymn. On the roof of each house some one does duty
at the prayer-wheel, sitting down cross-legged and re-
volving it at the utmost speed, for it is believed the
faster the cylinder turns the greater the merit accru-
ing to the worshipper. Some of the lamas and women
are busy passing their rosary through their fingers,
while other lamas stand with bowed heads uttering
the famous six-syllabled invocation, " Om mani padme
lium." From the first sound of the signal horn at
nine o'clock, the night becomes hideous and sleep is
out of the question. The beating of gongs and cymbals
and the ringing of bells accompany the worship, while
with these discordant sounds blend the voices of a
thousand lamas until the noise seems like an echo from
pandemonium. The whole scene is illuminated by
thousands of red paper lanterns suspended on poles,
and by incense fires that are kept fresh by constant
adding of the fragrant fuel. The night slowly creeps
away, but the noise does not subside. The untiring
muscular energy of the devotees who beat huge gongs
hour after hour, and the lung power of others who

THE LAMASERY OF KUMBTTM 115

blow incessantly on the gigantic horns, is truly mar-
velous. The lamas hold the ceremony of " nocturnal
devotions " to be one of great merit, and it is there-
fore participated in with the greatest of solemnity and
fervor.

Another imposing ceremony, celebrated once a year
on the fifteenth of the first moon, is " The Butter God
Festival/' For some days previous to it the roads lead-
ing to the lamasery are literally covered with travelers
arriving from China, Mongolia, and all Tibetan terri-
tories. Some are mounted on horses, driving before
them their heavily-burdened yaks; others, of higher
rank, are borne on stately camels, with long retinues of
pedestrian pilgrims following behind. There are priests
with closely shaven heads and wooden knapsacks thrown
over their shoulders, and laymen with long, tattered
sheepskin gowns and short wild-looking hair. As the
pilgrims arrive, the rooms of the lamasery are first
occupied, then the black tents of the Tibetans begin to
rise until the entire valley and hillside become as one
vast encampment resounding with the shouts and
laughter of men, women and children, the whining of
camels, the neighing of horses and mules, the barking
of dogs, the clattering of gongs and cymbals, the blow-
ing of horns and the ringing of bells. On the main
road to the temple are scores of white tents of Mongol
and Chinese merchants who have come not only to pay
their respects to the Buddha, but to dispose of their
wares, consisting chiefly of cutlery, needles, cloth boots,
tea, charm-boxes, idols and other articles. The people
in motley processions surge toward the center of attrac-

116 WITH THE TIBETANS

tion in the courtyard of the Golden Tiled Temple,
where in a pavillion erected as a temporary shrine
stands the great butter image they have come to wor-
ship. The shrine is about forty feet high, twenty feet
long and twenty feet wide, made of four wooden pillars
connected at the top by large, painted beams from which
are suspended strips of satin that serve as walls.
The satin is beautifully worked in devices represent-
ing the different forms in which Shayka Muni ap-
peared on the earth before his last incarnation, in
which he became the Buddha. At the rear is a large
table on which burn hundreds of butter-lamps, and
above it rise, layer upon layer, a series of butter bas-
reliefs of most exquisite workmanship. The first
layer represents a famous temple in Lhasa across the
doorways of which, by some clever machanism, paper
guards are made to move to and fro, and a huge dragon
with wide open jaws seems to crawl from side to side.
On the second layer stands the giant butter image of
Buddha, about twenty feet high. His features, his cap
and robes are admirably rendered. He is represented
as blessing his people ; his hands are stretched out over
them and his head slightly bowed down. By his side
stand still other pieces of butter art, such as small
reptiles, flowers, vegetables and different kinds of ani-
mals. Above the great image is a smaller image of
Buddha, which represents him sitting in a temple re-
ceiving the homage of the people. His head moves
mechanically in recognition of the homage given.
Everything is beautifully executed, not only the mould-

THE LAMASERY OF KUMBUM 117

ing of the images, but also the painting, being artistic
in the true sense of the word.

Confronting the table on which are the butter-lamps
is a long, low bench covered with red cloth, prepared
for the lama dignitaries who are to come to worship
the image. These dignitaries are accompanied by some
half dozen attendants carrying big red lanterns. On
arriving in front of the butter god the attendants bow
down to the ground, put their hands to their foreheads
three times and utter the prayer " Om mani padme
'hum'' while their master kneels on the red covered
bench, offering some sticks of incense to the greasy
deity. The ordinary rank and file are not allowed to
kneel on the bench in offering their devotions; they
must be content with the bare ground. At a certain
stage in the proceedings there is a great commotion, as
the heli-ho-sliang, or black lamas, who are the police-
men of Kumbum, push through the crowd, cracking
their big whips in order to clear the way for the great-
est dignitary of all, who is coming to inspect the
images. It is the great "god-man," the incarnation
of Tsong K'aba. The heh-ho-shang head the proces-
sion; after them follows a lama of high rank carrying
a bundle of burning incense sticks, and another with
a pyramid of tsamba decorated with paper of many
colors, inscribed with mystic characters. Another lama
follows, holding in his hand a sceptre adorned with a
cross and on either side of him is a lama bearing a
lighted torch. Next comes the great incarnation in
yellow satin robes, holding in one hand a sceptre and
in the other a beautifully finished rosary of polished

118 WITH THE TIBETANS

ivory. On his head is a high yellow miter and his feet
are shod with velvet-topped Chinese boots. With stately
step he moves toward the butter images, but he is too
holy to offer homage to the Buddha idol. He alone
remains standing while all the other dignitaries pros-
trate themselves. After inspecting the images the
great incarnation returns slowly to his palace on the
hillside overlooking the Golden Tiled Temple. His de-
parture is the signal for loud jubilation. The multi-
tude suddenly leap out of their religious mood and
give themselves over to boisterous songs and laughter.
They seem to lose all control of themselves, dancing
and yelling like madmen. It is plain that the ceremony
is at an end. If the people have changed so have the
gods. The heat of the hundreds of lamps has had its
effect on the surface of the images even though cov-
ered with paint; streams of grease are dripping from
the noses and fingers of the deities, and soon nothing
is left but shapeless masses. In the early morning
priests appointed to the task remove the remains from
the boards and throw them into the ravine where the
dogs, wolves and birds devour them for breakfast.

Of the origin of this festival little can be said. The
answers received from the natives, whom we asked for
an explanation, gave us plainly to understand that it
was not generally known. Some said that it was a
feast in honor of the great Tsong E7aba; others said
that it was a ceremony illustrative of the unreality
and worthlessness of earthly honor in a material body.
In the beginning of the eighth moon the preparations
for the feast are begun. The council of the lamasery

ME LAMASERY OF KUMBUM 119

comes together and selects molders and places them
under the supervision of a lama of great fame in this
art. The butter is then collected, and from that time
on, until late in the last moon, it is scarce and dear.
The butter is brought into cool places, where it is
subjected' to a thorough kneading process, whereby it
becomes more solid. During this time of the }^ear it
is very cold, which adds to making the butter better
for the purpose for which it is to be used, but also
increases the suffering of the artists because they have
to put their hands constantly in cold water to lower
their temperature, lest they should spoil the features,
newly formed, by touching them with their warm hands.
After the forming and molding are finished, the coun-
cil meets again and appoints the painters. The mold-
ers then leave their work entirely in the hands of the
latter. Both are bent upon one thing, that of harvest-
ing the praise of their superiors and fellow-lamas, and
thus obtain the prize, a sum of money given for the
best designs. Much has been written of the heathen
in other countries who worship the heavenly bodies,
animals, images of clay, wood, stone and metal, but
the Tibetans with their monstrous butter buddha
occupy a unique place in the world's idolatry.

CHAPTER VII

A BUDDHIST SAINT

Mina Fuyeh's Abode — His Previous Incarnations —
Mahatmas — Conversations on Christianity — Jambula
— Behind the Scenes.

The name of the lamasery-dwelling in which we lived
was "Mina Karwa," that is, the palace belonging to
Mina Fuyeh. Each of the Kumbiim lamas of high
rank has a Tcarwa in which he entertains his pesing, or
people from his district who come to visit the lamasery.
During his abbotship Mina Fuyeh dwelt principally
in a house bearing the name of Tsong K'aba, the re-
former, and called also la-rong, or official residence.
Mina Karwa was surrounded by a high wall painted
red and white, through which there were two entrances.
One of them, large and very imposing, was for the ex-
clusive use of the master of the house, or some great
visiting fuyeh; the other was for ordinary use and led
through a smaller courtyard. There were two large
stone-paved courtyards — the outer one was surrounded
by two-storied compartments, and had communication
with the inner one by means of massive doors. In the
inner courtyard were the household temple, the private
apartments of the buddha when at home, and the three

120

M1NA FUYEH.
SOMETIME ABBOT OF THE LAMOSERY OF KUMBUM,

A BUDDHIST SAINT 121

living-rooms which he had placed at our disposal. All
the apartments were well built, the woodwork was
painted, the lattice windows, contrary to custom, had
glass panes, while a liberal supply of the very best
Chinese furniture gave the whole interior a compara-
tively luxurious appearance. On one side of the build-
ing, and at the rear, flourished a grassy lawn relieved
by flower beds in full bloom, Mina Fuyeh being very
fond of flowers and quite successful in cultivating them.
Two or three large trees supplied shelter from the
sun's rays, which, at an altitude of nine thousand feet
above the sea level, are very strong, especially in sum-
mer time. Before the Mohammedan rebellion of 1861-
74 the house had been much larger and more magnifi-
cent. There still remain massive stone steps lead-
ing to an elevation which Mina Fuyeh pointed out as
the site of the splendid apartments he had occupied in
his previous lifetime, but which had been destroyed by
Mohammedan fire and not rebuilt.

Mina Fuyeh was only twenty-seven years old, yet he
confidently asserted that he had lived in this palatial
abode previous to the year 1861. He professed even
to have vivid recollections of all that pertained to his
previous incarnation, and, more than that, he could
tell some things that were going to happen in the
next ! He took great pleasure in prophesying that Mr.
Rijnhart would in his next lifetime reappear on the
earth as a buddha, as a reward for the good work he
was doing in the present existence. One project was
dear to Mina Fuyeh' s heart — it was that of restoring
the former residence to its original grandeur; but as

122 WITH THE TIBETAXS

yet he had never been quite rich enough to undertake
it, and during the troublous times of the second re-
bellion he more than once congratulated himself that
he had not spent any money in rearing an edifice that
might again succumb to the flames.

During our stay in the Karwa, Mina Fuyeh came
with his secretary and treasurer to perform religious
devotions in his household temple during a period of
three days. Their worship consisted mainly in the
chanting of prayers to the accompaniment of the jin-
gling of bells, and the beating of little drums made of
skins stretched over human skulls. When they had
chanted themselves hoarse they swallowed copious
quantities of tea, and then came into our apartments,
seeming to enjoy the respite from the dull routine as
keenly as school children enjoy recess. During such
intermittent visits much time was spent in conversation
on Christianity and Buddhism, subjects of which Mina
Fuyeh never seemed to tire. Soon after we had made
his acquaintance Mr. Eijnhart had given him copies of
the Christian Gospels in the Tibetan character, among
them a copy of St. John, which he prized very highly.
He had a marvelous memory, and was soon almost as
familiar with the text of the Gospels as we ourselves,
and was able quite intelligently to discuss the various
incidents of the life of Jesus, quoting passages with
astonishing accuracy and appositeness. He told us
that he believed thoroughly in Jesus, but that he did
not see any reason why he should renounce Buddhism
and become a Christian. He could not see any insur-
mountable difficulties in accepting both systems, for

A BUDDHIST SAINT 123

even on the great doctrine of reincarnation with respect
to which Christianity and Buddhism are supposed to
stand at the opposite poles, be claimed that whereas
the Gospels did not explicitly teach the doctrine, yet
they did not expressly deny it. He indeed went fur-
ther and declared his belief that Jesus was no other
than a reincarnation of Buddha, and that Tsong K'aba,
the great Tibetan reformer, was a later incarnation of
Jesus. At the same time Mina Fuyeh confessed him-
self charmed with the gospel story. He told us there
were many parallels between Jesus and Tsong K'aba;
that the latter had gone about healing the sick and
teaching the people just like Jesus. When we spoke
of the crucifixion he said that Tsong K'aba had been
persecuted, too, and added that even to-day in Tibet
it was not wise for a lama to be " too good." I be-
lieve that, all unconsciously perhaps, Mina Fuyeh has
been the means of spreading gospel teaching among
his people to an extent that has as yet been possible
for no Christian missionary. With all the famous
lamas and pilgrims from the far interior, even from
Lhasa, as also from Mongolia, he conversed on the
subject, telling them what he knew about Christian
doctrines, and teaching them to pronounce for the first
time the name " Yesu Ma'sliika" Jesus Christ.

The hanpo was far superior to the average lama
in intelligence. He had been educated, so he told us,
in his former lifetime, in Lhasa, and had enjoyed the
instruction of a very wise snowy-bearded old lama at
Kumbum; yet his knowledge was exceedingly limited,
a fact which he cheerfully admitted. He knew prac-

124 WITH THE TIBET AXS

tically nothing of the outside world, had traveled but
little, and had an idea that Pekin, which he once
visited, lay at the other end of the world. He ques-
tioned Mr. Eijnhart by the hour, carefully noting the
answers, and marveling at the white teacher's wonderful
range of knowledge. When Mr. Eijnhart demonstrated
to him in a series of object lessons with globe and
candle the rotundity of the earth, his interest and
pleasure knew no bounds, for he had always believed it
to be flat. He studied geography with all the aptness
of a school-boy, learning from an old atlas given him
by Mr. Eijnhart the names of many western countries
and seas. Frequently he expressed an ardent longing
to accompany us to America or to Europe if we should
ever go home, in order that he might see for himself
and learn something of the world beyond, so full of
mystery. Of the occult knowledge of the hidden things
of nature, attributed by Theosophists to the Tibetan
priests Mina Fuyeh, although abbot of one of the
greatest lamaseries in all Tibet and occupying a posi-
tion of spiritual and intellectual eminence surpassed
only by the " Dalai Lama " at Lhasa, knew nothing.
He had never seen a mahatma, and was much sur-
prised when we told him that western people believed
such to exist in Tibet. On the question of mahatma s
we made very careful and minute inquiries of many
lamas, all of whom confessed their ignorance of any
such beings. There was no record or even legend of
any having ever visited Kumbum, and one of the oldest
priests in the lamasery, who had spent years in Lhasa,
told us he never heard of a mahatma, even in that

A BUDDHIST SAINT 125

" City of Spirits." There are, it is true, some lamas who
profess to have magical powers by which they are able
to control the rains and turn paper horses into real
ones, to be carried by the winds to the help of travelers
overtaken by the mountain storms; in fact, Ishinima,
our Tibetan teacher, once brought to Mr. Eijnhart the
wood-cut from which these long-ta, or "wind horses,"
are printed, and allowed him to make as many copies as
he wished to send home to friends. But nothing could be
further from the truth than the belief entertained by
many occidentals that the lamas are superior beings
endowed with transcendent physical and intellectual
gifts. On the contrary, they are mere children in
knowledge, swayed by the emotions that play on the
very surface of being. During all our four years'
sojourn among Tibetans of various tribes and districts,
we did not meet a single lama who was conversant
with even the simple facts of nature. Mina Fuyeh was
far above the average, for the great mass of them we
found to be ignorant, superstitious and intellectually
atrophied like all other priesthoods that have never
come into contact with the enlightening and uplifting
influence of Christian education. They are living in the
dark ages, and are themselves so blind that they are
not aware of the darkness. Ten centuries of Buddhism
have brought them to their present state of moral and
mental stagnation, and it is difficult to believe that any
force less than the Gospel of Christ can give them life
and progress in the true sense.

Tibetan lamas would as soon doubt their present ex-
istence as question the truth of the doctrine of reincar-

126 WITH THE TIBETAXS

nation. With them it is more than a speculation — it
is a fact, the basic postulate of their entire philosophy
of life. Mina Fuyeh spoke with the utmost assurance
not only of his lifetime immediately preceding the
present one, but of a score of incarnations through
which he had passed since he attained sainthood, and
concerning each of which his memory stood him good
service. He was not so far advanced, however, as
Sakya Muni, the founder of Buddhism, who, he assured
us, was incarnated 551 times and could remember the
510 incarnations that preceded his attainment of saint-
hood as well as the forty that followed! The way
in which the Tibetans keep track of the line of
successive incarnations is interesting, and is well
illustrated by an incident from Mina Fuyeh's own
experience. When a mere child, before he was sent to
the lamasery to be trained as a priest, it had been
ascertained of course what ego or individuality had
reappeared in his body. A number of articles belong-
ing to various deceased lamas were placed before him,
and he was required to select those he had used in a
former lifetime. Among the articles from which the
selection was to be made were a number of rosaries,
and as the young child chose the rosary and other things
that had belonged to a former lama named Mina Fuyeh,
his identity was ungainsayably established, and he not
only inherited the name but also the property and
rank which had been his in the previous incarnation.
Speaking of his choice of rosary he said, " Why should
I not recognize it among all others, the one I had
used for years?" When Mr. Eijnhart laughed good-

A BUDDHIST SAINT 12T

naturedly at the kanpo's credulity, he adduced what in
the minds of all who had witnessed the proceedings,
had been the most convincing proof of his former
individuality, as well as of his marvelous insight.
When a number of horses, some of them young, dashing
and well-nourished animals, and others lean and
decrepit, were brought before him, he chose as the one
belonging to his former life the most dilapidated of
them all. An ordinary child, it was held, would cer-
tainly have selected the most attractive looking pony.
In conversation with many lamas we were given repeated
descriptions of this ceremony of identification, and
although MM. Hue and Gabet were inclined to believe
it is often carried on in good faith, and that the myste-
rious results accompanying it are to be accounted for
only on the supposition of the agency of Satan, we had
reason to believe it is a piece of purely human decep-
tion in which the deceivers, it is true, are largely self-
deceived. There are not a few of the more intelligent
laymen who are sufficiently unorthodox to suspect, and
with reason, that the young child before choosing the
article has been prompted by his parents or by influ-
ential lamas who, for a consideration, become specially
interested in his career !

Although Mina Fuyeh was woefully ignorant of
natural science, we found him an accomplished
linguist, conversant with Tibetan both classical and
colloquial, Chinese and Mongolian. So proficient was
he in the latter tongue that he once made a tour
among the Eastern Mongols somewhat after the fashion
of a mendicant friar, reading the Buddhist sacred

128 WITH THE TIBETANS

books from village to village, and from tent to tent,
and receiving therefor whatever the people were pleased
to bestow. Chinese he had spoken at Pekin, where
he had also for the first time seen " foreigners."
Among the curios he had brought back from the
Chinese capital was a collection of photographs which
he had taken to be representations of Buddha, but
which turned out to be mostly photos of French and
American actresses arrayed in costume. When we told
Mina Fuyeh this he was quite ashamed, and handed the
same over to us to be disposed of, begging us not to
say anything about it, as no lama is supposed to have
pictures of women in his possession. Mina Fuyeh was
quite conscientious in this matter, and willingly sacri-
ficed the entire collection with the sole exception of
a photo of Alexander of Russia.

So intimate did the friendship between the Jcanpo
and Mr. Eijnhart become that the former freely dis-
cussed in our presence not only his personal affairs, but
also all matters pertaining to the lamasery. Very
few days passed, especially during the rebellion, with-
out an interview, the Jcanpo sometimes coming to see
us, and just as often Mr. Eijnhart being summoned to
the official residence. On such visits I, as a rule, ac-
companied my husband. One day we were sent for in
a great hurry by Hsam-tso, the Jcanpo' s treasurer, and
on our arrival we found that official's countenance
badly disfigured by blows from the hand of his master,
who had fallen into a fit of distemper and lost control
of himself. The news of the Jcanpo' s illness spread
through the lamasery and everyone seemed to fear lest

A BUDDHIST SAINT 129

something serious should happen him. In our diag-
nosis of the case we found him in a peculiar condition,
like one demented, though docile as a child. His ill-
ness had been caused, we discovered, by the inordinate
quantity of fruits sent from Kuei-teh, which he had
eaten that morning. Some powerful sedatives and a
large dose of calomel, a drug we found particularly
useful among orientals, relieved him completely, so
that he was quite himself the next day, and very grate-
ful for his recovery.

Shortly after this incident I was stricken with an
attack of diphtheria which well nigh proved fatal, and
when I was barely convalescent K'ai-i-tan, our young
servant, contracted the same disease. We entreated
him to remain with us, offering him every attention,
but of no avail. Sick as he was, he insisted on going
home because his father had summoned him to perform
certain religious duties on hearing that the boy had
recently slaughtered a sheep. To a really devout
Buddhist the taking of life is a sin which is not easily
atoned for. K?ai-i-tan left for home, and within four
days the carpenters were manufacturing a coffin under
the roof of his father's house. Death had deprived the
father of a dutiful son and us of a faithful servant, to
fill whose place we secured no one for a long time.

Jambula, a Mongol priest, of whom mention has
already been made, had first come to our notice by
being one of five or six strong lamas, who were beat-
ing a little acolyte for letting fall a water bucket
which lay smashed in pieces at their feet. Mr. Rijn-
hart interfered, standing ready to defend the little

130 WITH THE TIBETANS

child from their cruelty by more than words if need be ;
and, on account of this act, even though directed
against himself, Jambula had conceived a great liking
for my husband. When we were without a servant he
undertook to help us in every way he could, making
our tea in the morning, sweeping our rooms and finally
helping us to move when we returned to Lusar. Some-
times he would drink tea with us, and when he had
finished with his basin, he would lick it out with his
tongue in order to save further washing. Needless to
say, we kept our eye on Jambula's basin, and saw
that it got a thorough scouring, but at the same time
we would not, on account of aesthetic sentiment, be-
tray any word of disgust to wound his large and loyal
heart.

The little boy whom Mr. Rijnhart had rescued was a
Mongol lama who lived with his teacher in the house
that we occupied, and we often had occasion to pity
him, for the teacher treated him with great cruelty,
sometimes beating him severely and never giving him
even a pleasant glance. In common with other acolytes
of the same age, he was only too eager to combine play
and mischief with his various tasks. Sometimes, in-
deed, these boys were transformed into veritable little
scamps, the terror of all whenever their particular
teachers were out of sight. The spirit of mischief is
not confined to the very young lamas, but takes on a
more serious aspect when the older ones lay aside their
religious duties and turn their attention to other things,
for even fighting is not eschewed by some. One day a
young lama came to invite us to accompany him to his

A BUDDHIST SAINT 131

home, where a companion lay ill, and as he seemed
anxious to have no delay, and Mr. Eijnhart could not
at the time go with him, I went, on his promising to
bring me home again. On my arrival I found that my
patient was a Mongol lama, who had been fighting in
the night with some of his companions, and had several
large gashes on his head. After binding up his wounds
I left for home, mounted on my mule, which was led
by my Tibetan boy, while the lama walked near us.
Suddenly we heard excited cries, but not understanding
the language well enough I did not know what was
meant, so paid no heed, when unexpectedly a stone
thrown by a priest from across the ravine flew past me,
just missing my head. My boy, frightened beyond con-
trol, rushed into the temple to say his prayers; my
guide was nowhere to be seen, but the mule took me
safely home, for there he was accustomed to be fed.
The abbot explained afterwards, when Mr. Eijnhart
indignantly protested against such treatment, that no
one is allowed to ride through the monastery, and I
had broken that important rule; but the lama, the
abbot admitted, had displayed poor manners to thus
try to injure me when I was innocent, and especially
when I had been trying to relieve suffering.

The matter of discipline in the lamasery is a serious
one. Mina Fuyeh, not having learned the virtue of
self-control, found it no easy task to rule the four
thousand lamas under his charge. On festive occasions
a large company of specially appointed lamas arrive
with huge black whips and try to keep order. Peevish-
ness and turbulency leading to acts of insubordination

132 WITH THE TIBETANS

are distinguishing characteristics of the priests. The
atmosphere of holy meditation and blissful calm with
which some from afar would fill the Tibetan lamasery,
with its sublime mahatmas, too exalted and pure to
live among ordinary men, is only the atmosphere of
an uninformed and rose-colored imagination. Distance
lends enchantment, but at the first contact the mirage
disappears.

CHAPTER VIII

OUR REMOVAL TO TANKAR

Tankar and Surroundings — A New Opportunity — Ani
and Doma — The Lhasa Officials — Drunken Lamas
—Visit of Capt. Wellby.

Situated on the Hsi-ho River, about twenty-four
miles northwest of Kumbum and twenty miles east
of Topa, the Mohammedan stronghold, is Tankar (or
Donkyr), a town of considerable commercial import-
ance, being a sort of distributing depot for Chinese
merchandise going into the interior. Hither come the
caravans of the Dalai Lama from Lhasa, that dignitary
driving no small trade with the Chinese; and, there
being a direct route from Tankar to Lhasa, a large
caravan leaves for the " sacred city " annually in the
fourth moon. The town is one also of political and
strategical importance. Here the Sining Amban halts
on his way to worship the Koko-nor, or " Blue Lake ; "
here he also receives the Mongol princes once a year
and distributes presents in the name of the Emperor.
Ten miles to the east passes a part of the great wall in
which is a gate called Kuan men, now in ruins, but at
which a guard of soldiers was previously stationed.
The town was once within Tibetan territory, but gradu-

133

134 WITH THE TIBETANS

ally the Chinese have encroached for agricultural pur-
poses upon the district in which it stands.

Along the Hsi-ho are narrow gorges which make the
entrance to the Tankar valley very difficult, and of
which during the rebellion, the Chinese took advantage
to keep the Mohammedans in check. The approach
from the east is made charming by a mill and some
trees outside the east gate, with beautiful temples on the
hills in the rear. There is one principal long street
lined on either side by stores in which are to be found
Chinese wares, goods for bartering with the Si-fan from
the Lake district, grain, bread and foodstuffs of the
Chinese. The yamens opening out into this street, a
small lamasery, several wool depots, houses of citizens
and of Tibetans from Lhasa, and more Chinese temples,
fill up the remainder of the space within the wall of
the town. Through the latter are two gates, the eastern
and western, outside of which are suburbs, that without
the eastern gate being for the most part ruins, with
the exception of some inns and shops. Previous to the
Mohammedan rebellion of 1861-7-i ten thousand, mostly
Mohammedans, was the estimated population of this
suburb. Without the western gate, every day are
to be found Chinese merchants squatted for some
distance along both sides of the road, with their small
stock of goods spread underneath an awning — thread,
beads, bracelets, bread and other things. These petty
merchants are patronized by the poorer classes of people
whom they fleece in every way possible. In this re-
spect they are especially severe on the Tibetans. In the

OUR REMOVAL TO TANKAR 135

space between the outer and inner gates carpenters and
toolmakers are at work.

During the recent rebellion, as already stated, a
large proportion of the Mohammedan population left
their homes and joined the rebel forces, while the re-
maining part, estimated at four hundred, were peace-
ably following their callings, having presented them-
selves before the Chinese official saying they were loyal
to China. Their professions of loyalty were accepted
and peace might have prevailed were it not for a quar-
rel that arose between a Chinaman and his Moham-
medan wife. The woman stated that some night the
Topa Mohammedans would come to attack Tankar,
and would give the signal by setting fire to the beauti-
ful temples on the hills just outside the town, upon
which their co-religionists inside were to rise up and
open the gates. The husband carried his information to
the official, and early the next morning the streets
were running with blood, the Chinese having fallen
upon and murdered every Mohammedan man, woman
and child, except a few girls who were wanted as wives
for Chinese sons.

The Hsi-ho itself is too broad and tumultuous to
work the quaint mills, but small streams deflected on
either bank serve that purpose. The banks are
lined by willows and poplars in profusion, and alto-
gether the river is a great boon to the people. Many
of the rich merchants from the city resort to it in the
spring and summer, camping in sheltered spots, enjoy-
ing the freedom of the country with its shady copses,
rolling hills, and its verdant fields far-stretching and

136 WITH THE TIBETANS

spangled with flowers. The region literally teems with
game of all kinds, and in the river fish abound. The
Chinese being clever sportsmen, and impeded by no
religious scruples, avail themselves to the full of the
opportunity of stocking their larders with pheasants,
hare, trout and other delicacies; but the Tibetan
Buddhists, believing that in every living animal is a
soul on its way to sainthood and Nirvana, hesitate to
kill the game, nor can they be induced to taste any of it
until after they have mingled for some time with the
Chinese on the border. It may be observed, in passing,
that the Tibetans are grossly inconsistent in the mat-
ter of taking life, for while they, as a rule, refrain from
killing game, and have the most indulgent compassion
on a louse, yet they slaughter sheep, expose their chil-
dren and helpless aged, and even commit murder.
Winter at Tankar is not so enjoyable as summer, the
thermometer registering occasionally 12 degrees below
zero, and continuing at that temperature a consider-
able time, except in the middle of the day, when,
owing to the latitude and altitude, the sun's rays are
strong. After a fall of snow the natives swarm upon
the roofs to clear it off to avoid leakage, throwing it
over into the street below, where it remains until it
melts away. But even with the mercury below zero
when the sun is bright, sitting out of doors in the sun-
shine upon warm rugs is preferable to being indoors.

The inhabitants are a motley crowd, ten thousand
in number, consisting of Chinese, Mongols with their
characteristic face, genial and good-natured, the women
with their headdress of velvet embroidered with col-

OUR REMOVAL TO TANKAR i37

ored silks and set with silver and beads worn in front
instead of at the back, the dress being otherwise the
same as that of the Tibetans ; then there are gorgeously-
arrayed Tibetans from Lhasa and the Si-fan Tibetans
from the Lake district, smart and neat looking in
comparison with many other tribes, their women hav-
ing the heavy, cumbersome headdress at the back with
shells, bright beads and pieces of cloth.

For various reasons it occurred to us that it would
be advantageous to open a mission station at Tankar.
Lusar, it is true, had served us well as a starting point,
and at Kumbum we had so thoroughly won the con-
fidence of the people that we felt perfectly at home in
our work. Indeed, the temptation was to settle down
in Kumbum and Lusar for a life mission. Had we not
under the providence of God overcome all the prelim-
inary difficulties of establishing a foothold? Were we
not preaching the gospel to those who had never heard
it, and might we not reasonably expect that, continuing
in our present field, we should in due time see results ?
Besides, other ties bound us: we had really come to
love the people; our tears had flowed together, and we
had now many interests in common. Throughout the
months of terror, disease and slaughter we had known
the fellowship of their sufferings, we had gone down
into the valley with them, passed under the cloud with
them — yes, we had literally been baptized with their
baptism of blood, and it was only when the thought of
our leaving them began to stir in our hearts that we
realized how close and tender were the ties that bound
us to them. Then there was the yearning to see them

138 WITH THE TIBETANS

all won to the Saviour and rejoicing, as we were, in
the freedom of the gospel of God's love, and, had we
acted merely upon our own feelings in the matter, we
would have remained at the great lamasery, instruct-
ing the dear children of the Bible School, conversing
with the lamas concerning the Christ, and amid onr
medical ministrations preaching the gospel to the poor.
But how often there comes to the Christian the
" stirring of the eagle's nest !" Abraham, going forth
to the Promised Land, yet " not knowing whither he
went," cannot remain at Haran; Elijah is summoned
to stern duty from the quiet home at Zarapeth; the
Apostle Paul, preaching the gospel in Asia Minor and
leaving behind him thousands who heeded not the
message, sees visions of larger regions beyond ; and even
the Master must leave the brooks and sunlit slopes of
Judean hills setting his face toward Gethsemane with
all its dark, unspeakable agony, and the awful immola-
tion on the cross. As I have already said, we had from
the beginning felt called especially for itinerating work,
the work of looking out new fields and preparing the
way for other laborers, the work of preparing the soil
in uncultivated regions, that by twos and threes, and in
greater numbers when God's time arrived, the sowers
of the Word might come to dark Tibet to scatter the
seed unto a glorious harvest. The door was standing
wide open at Tankar, and as we were now alone, Mr.
Ferguson having taken up other work in China, we
felt we must go in. After the rebellion we received
invitations from many of its influential inhabitants to
come up and open a medical dispensary, and we knew

OUR REMOVAL TO TANKAR 139

that meant an opportunity to preach the gospel to
many who had never heard the name of Christ. The
people of Tankar would not be so completely under the
influence of the lamas as were those of Lusar, and thus
we should perhaps more quickly have visible results.
Again, the town lay on the great caravan route, travel-
ers were continually leaving for and arriving from
Lhasa, and who knew whether by moving up there and
making new friends we might not be permitted to
accompany some expedition to the interior and thus
learn more about the people to whose uplifting we had
devoted ourselves, and find out how far beyond the
border and at what points missionaries might reside?
Having fully decided, we bade good-bye, very reluct-
antly, to Mina Fuyeh, the abbot, Ishinima, our teacher,
and the many friends who had become so dear to us
at Kumbum, and set out for Tankar.

The matter of securing suitable quarters was ex-
pedited by the aid extended to us by the officials and
wealthy merchants of the place, who knew us well by
the reputation we had acquired during the rebellion.
The house which we rented for the modest sum of
$13 per year, exclusive of many repairs, was less pre-
tentious than the one we had had at Lusar, but it
suited us admirably, especially as it was situated near
the western gate of the town. At first we found it
impossible to secure any domestic help, for owing to the
late war having taken for service so many of the good
young men, and the wool depots at Tankar giving em-
ployment and high wages to many others, our call for
a boy was answered only by thieves and opium smok-

140 WITH THE TIBETANS

ers for many months, though we succeeded in securing
the help of two women who were of inestimable value to
us. One of these was the young wife of a gambler
and opium smoker who had seen better days; conse-
quently her feet were very small, and I had an oppor-
tunity of carefully examining them. The four smaller
toes were bent and bound under the foot, the heel was
pressed forward and turned partly underneath, making
the instep protrude unnaturally, yards and yards of
bandages about two inches in width being used to bind
them with. When her feet, which had open sores at the
heels, would become painful from use, she would re-
move the bandages and try the soothing effects of warm
water, replacing the cloth wet, wearing shoes and all
both night and day. During the time of binding the
feet in, when the girls are three or four years of age,
the pain is excruciating, and for two years the little
things suffer extremely, but after the feet have been,
bound and compressed the removal of the bandages
causes great pain, and has to be gradually done, allow-
ing the feet to expand slowly. There is a movement in
China to do away with this barbarous custom, but
though some influential natives give it their support,
many a year will elapse before natural feet are the
fashion in the Celestial Empire.

The other woman, by far the more valued of the
two, was an old Mongolian widow, called Ani, whose
husband had been a Lhasa Tibetan, and whose only
child was a girl of fourteen years of age, by name
Doma, These two became my faithful friends, doing
their utmost to serve me in every way. For nearly two

OUR REMOVAL TO TAXKAR 141

years Ani bronght us water on her donkey, a wooden
bucketful on each side of the saddle, while Donia for
over a year acted as " housemaid." Their home was in
a respectable-looking courtyard just a few doors from
ours, and consisted of a kitchen and two rooms, in the
inner one of which was a Wang with cupboards and a
little altar with its idols, butter lamps, small shallow
brass basins and innumerable Jchatas. On the Wang
was a liopen, in which there was invariably fire, while
a pot of tea well seasoned with milk and salt always
stood ready on the iron tripod standing in the fire.
There was also a little square brightly painted box
with a sliding lid that held tsamba. Whenever I vis-
ited Ani's home bread and butter were ready waiting
for me (she had learned of my aversion to tsamba),
clean rugs were spread on the Wang, and the tea had
no salt in it. Ani always made profuse apologies for
not having anything to offer me, but the hospitality
was genuine, and received as heartily as it was given.

Tibetan and Mongolian women are great wine-drink-
ers, whenever they have company, or are visiting, and
Ani was no exception to the rule. When under the
influence of liquor she was very loquacious, beating
and abusing Doma in barbarous fashion. The latter
rather liked wine, too, for when she had the chance she
would imbibe freely, but after a while they both ab-
stained because I objected to it. Repeatedly, and with
final success, I coaxed Ani to keep Doma away from
drinking companies and allow her to follow the natural
girlish instinct of purity I felt she possessed. To my
exhortations Ani would reply in great sincerity,

142 WITH THE TIBETAXS

" What a pity it is that poor women in our land are
not respected as in yours; here they are not expected
by parents or any one else to lead what you call moral
lives." Alas, poor Ani's words tell only too truly the
sad story of Tibetan women's lives. So far as we
were able to observe, morality among them was an
accident rather than a rule, this statement applying to
all classes, married or single. Though at times there is
affection between husband and wife, fidelity is not at all
deemed an essential quality of womanhood, and when
a man goes away from home he is just as liable to bring
another wife home with him as not. This occurred in
a house not far from us, where a man and his wife had
lived comfortably and agreeably together for years.
Suddenly, on his return from Sining, he brought an-
other very young wife with him. The first wife was
angry, and treated the poor young woman with such
cruelty that the latter committed suicide by taking a
large dose of opium. Her parents then demanded in-
demnity from the husband for the loss of their child,
and the home became one of misery. The entire social
system, and especially the domestic relationship of
the Tibetans, needs purifying.

Doma was a very bright girl, speaking fluently Mon-
golian, Chinese and Lhasa Tibetan, and as she gave us
lessons in Mongolian, we found that she possessed
great latent ability, having a good memory and
sharp insight. Every small particle of cloth and
any of our cast-off clothes were greatly appreciated
by her, and afterwards when we had our Tibetan ser-
vant Rahim, who came in for a share, she was quite

OUR REMOVAL TO TANKAR 143

jealous, proving how easily spoiled the natives are. Had
we stayed long in Tankar and Rahim remained with us,
he and Doma would probably have been married, for it
had been discussed by him and Ani, and I often think
that he may yet some day from his far-away home in
Ladak find his way again north of the Kuenluns and
settle down at Tankar as the old woman's son-in-law,
for Doma possessed great charms for him. But these
are dreams, idle dreams.

A visit with Ani to the home of a Mongol woman
married to a wealthy Lhasa Tibetan was quite an event
to me, for she was the most respected native woman in
Tankar with the exception of the wife of the highest
Chinese official. Her little daughter, thirteen years
old, was engaged to be married to a young boy aged
eleven, son of the Mongol Prince of the Koko-nor, and
this boy was living in his betrothed's home where he
and the little girl studied the Chinese character, played,
ate and slept together, the girl always obeyed and re-
spected by the boy, conspicuous wherever he went in
his yellow silk clothing. The rooms in this home were
luxuriously furnished with carved and highly polished
cupboards, tables and chairs of Chinese make, beauti-
ful rugs, many brightly shining brass fixtures, fresh
white and colored paper on the lattice windows, all
indicating wealth and a certain degree of cleanliness
and aesthetic taste. Her husband, politely called
Tsun bo, was a large, well-built and well-dressed man,
who looked as if he partook too freely of chang, an
alcoholic beverage which he made in his home and sold
in large quantities to the Tibetans. As the appoint-

144 WITH THE TIBETAXS

ments in this house were of the highest order, the re-
freshments that were offered to guests were of good
quality, notably the tea, which was the real churned
tea, the kind most favored by all Tibetans from the
interior. It is made from brick tea, boiled for five
minutes or longer in salted water; the liquid is then
strained into a churn in which butter and tsamba have
been put, and the whole churned up together by some
peculiar twists of the churndash. It looks like choco-
late, but it does not taste in the slightest degree the
same, especially when the butter is tainted, as it very
frequently is.

Among the most interesting personages we met at
Tankar were the four kushok, or representatives of the
Dalai Lama. These are lamas specially sent from
Lhasa to look after the commercial interests of the
great potentate, and at the same time they are em-
powered to act in a semi-official capacity in all mat-
ters pertaining to the commerce of the kopas, or Lhasa
Tibetans, many of whom trade at Tankar. Every year
the large trade caravans sent by the Dalai Lama to
Pekin pass through Tankar and are superintended by
the hushok. Dr. Sven Hedin has fallen into the error
of confounding these trade caravans with the tribute-
mission which the Dalai Lama sends the Chinese Em-
peror once every three years. The tribute-mission
formerly traveled over the Ts'aidam-Tankar road, but
ever since the Mohammedan rebellion of 1861-74, by
order of the Emperor, it has gone by way of Ta-chien-
lu, although the Tibetans have frequently petitioned
to be allowed to send it by the former route because it

CUE REMOVAL TO TANKAR 145

is much easier to travel on, though now not so safe,
owing to the unsettled state of the country. By way
of Ta-chien-lu come also the trade caravans of the
great TrashiPunpo Lama, who dwells in the monastery
at Shigatsze near Lhasa, and who is reverenced "by
many Tibetan tribes and some Mongols to a greater
degree even than the Dalai Lama. Though both the
spiritual lords of Tibet engage in mundane traffic, they
do it with mutual respect, and with no thought of com-
petition, the one not infringing on the territory of the
other.

The four kushok have large establishments in
Tankar, houses gorgeously painted and beautifully fur-
nished, where they sometimes spend many months on
their way from Lhasa to Pekin. Having experienced
the difficulties of travel between Lhasa and Tankar,
they are not anxious to repeat that portion of the jour-
ney, and so, frequently, on returning from the Chinese
capital, they send the proceeds of their enterprise on to
Lhasa in the care of trusty stewards and await the
return of the latter with a fresh caravan of trade sup-
plies. Thus every year one caravan departs for, and
another arrives from, both Pekin and Lhasa. The
principal one of these four agents was Shar-je-ja-ba,
while the fourth in rank was Karpon Losang Kindum,
karpon being a title given to responsible agents who
have complete control of all their master's merchan-
dise. We knew both of them well. The former was
a large, corpulent lama with a round, fat face, a
small tumor on his forehead, while across his head was
a scar several inches in length, the result of a wound

146 WITH THE TIBETAXS

dealt him by robbers some years previous. He was
dressed in yellow and red brocaded silk garments, with
a small circular hat that looked like a cap of gold, so
bright it was. Two of his front teeth were missing,
and so much anxiety did he display to have them re-
placed that at his earnest solicitation Mr. Rijnhart,
by means of a steel file, made him two from the ivory
handle of a tooth brash, and fastened them in place
by a silver wire attached to them through holes, and
then bound around the other teeth. Xo one in this
land of scientific dentistry could be better pleased with
the most perfect crown tooth than was that Tibetan
leushok with his two crudely- wrought ones, which were,
it must be confessed, more ornamental than useful.

Losang Kinclum, dressed mostly in red silks and
satins, was of slight build, tall and straight, with a
good-natured, though cynical expression on his face.
He, too, had had experience with robbers, for the year
we arrived in Kumbum he had lost a whole caravan,
and, knowing the people who had attacked him, he
was endeavoring to obtain restitution through the
Amban.

Both Shar-je-ja-ba and Losang Kinduni were exceed-
ingly friendly, inviting us frequently to their sumptu-
ous quarters and visiting us just as often in our own
home. Once when our old friend Mina Fuyeh, now
no longer abbot of Kumbum, had come up to spend a
few days with us, Shar-je-ja-ba invited the latter and
Mr. Rijnhart, together with a number of noted
officials, to a feast. The occasion was so great as to
receive the official recognition of the Amban, who sent

OUR REMOVAL TO TANKAR 147

tablets of honorary inscriptions in gold letters to be
placed over the door of the courtyard. When all the
ordinary lamas and Jcopas were seated on rugs under
awnings in the courtyard, and the guests of honor
were on the Wangs in the rooms, wine and tea were
served in profusion, with viands that would be most
relished according as the guests were Chinese or Tibe-
tan in their appetites. Mina Fuyeh, another living
buddha, Mr. Rijnhart, a wealthy Chinaman, and
Losang Kindum sat on one Wang and had a very en-
joyable time together which almost became unpleasant
through a joke, which only the latter enjoyed. Though
he was a lama, he was an inordinate wine-drinker, while
his three guest-companions on the Wang limited them-
selves to tea, and probably from a sense of impropriety
of his so freely imbibing, or a wish to be jovial and
hospitable, he asked Mr. Rijnhart to have some. Not re-
ceiving the expected acquiescence, when the little basin
covered with a silver lid, from which my husband drank
his tea, was sent to be refilled, Losang Kindum whis-
pered something to the servant. When the cup was
returned Mr. Rijnhart found that it contained wine,
whereupon Mina Fuyeh was greatly incensed and in-
formed Shar-je-ja-ba of the trick. The only com-
pensation the genial host could offer was to give the
poor servant a beating for lack of civility, when really
Losang Kindum was to blame. When asked for a rea-
son for the indignity he had heaped upon Mr. Rijn-
hart, Losang Kindum replied that he had simply sup-
posed Mr. Rijnhart to be like the ordinary Tibetan
lama, who refuses to drink only until the first drop

148 WITH THE TIBETANS

has passed his lips as a result of persuasion, and is
then ready to do his share. The drunken habits of
some lamas are shocking. No fair or festival takes
place without fights and disorderly conduct caused by
alcoholic beverages. I do not say that all lamas drink,
but to say that the majority of them are not only ad-
dicted to drink but also to gluttony is not at all wide
of the truth, and this despite the teachings of Buddha
on temperance and self-control. The ethereal, abstemi-
ous, vegetarian Buddhist lama is a pure figment. I
have seen a lama devour several pounds of meat at
one sitting.

Entertainment is carried on in a sumptuous manner
by these wealthy Tibetans, and at times no expense is
spared for their own pleasure or that of their friends.
They have at various seasons of the year what may be
called theatricals for the want of a better name, and
invitations are issued to special friends, while any
others who wish to see may take up positions on the
roof from which they can look into the courtyard below.
We had the privilege of attending one of these per-
formances, which we found interesting for the time
that we remained. The performers were all men, some
of whom, however, personated women, and were dressed
in cloth gowns with richly embroidered jackets, having
their hair ornamented by corals and green stones, and
square cloth veils over their faces. The play consisted
of the representation of a reception by a great poten-
tate of embassies from different nations. The po-
tentate was some holy man, a great lama seated on a
throne. The first to be presented is the Chinese

OUR REMOVAL TO TANKAR 149

embassy, headed by a gorgeously arrayed mandarin
with feather and button, and followed by a retinue of
minor officials. He presents his hhata to the po-
tentate with elaborate ceremony, but to the apparently
great chagrin of the Chinamen and to the amusement
of the spectators, the Tcliata is returned and the great
mandarin fails to win favor. Then appear K'a-ches,
men with long white beards, dressed in white plaited
skirts and turbans, one of them with bent form per-
sonating an elephant with a white sheet thrown over
him. Next follow Hindustani Mohammedans in their
dark red gowns and turbans, calling aloud as they en-
ter in an attitude of worship " Allah ! Allah !" The
Mohammedan embassies share the same fate as the
Chinese one, all their kliatas being rejected; but the
climax is complete when a well-dressed young prince
of a royal Tibetan house presents his khata and is
graciously received by the big man amid much rejoic-
ing. The entire representation was accompanied by
much singing and dancing, the latter consisting now
of a slow, dignified step, now of a vigorous swinging of
the body until the rope ends attached to the girdle
stood out perpendicular to the waist and had the ap-
pearance of a rapidly revolving wheel. A drum beaten
at intervals controlled the players, who at times danced
forward to drink wine from a basin on the rim of which
were three little pyramids of butter. With the other
guests we were served refreshments, such as tea, de-
licious bread, and Tibetan soup, made of finely chopped
meat, onions and rice reduced to pulp, a very appetiz-
ing and digestible food. Though the entertainment

150 WITH THE TIBETANS

was not by any means ended, we did not feel that after
the first little while our time would be well spent, so
left the natives to the full enjoyment of their play.

The visit of Mina Fuyeh to our home in Tankar
was full of interest. How many hours we spent talk-
ing over the harrowing experience through which we all
had passed during the rebellion. We also reviewed
the happy days we had passed together in Kumbum and
renewed our discussions about Christianity and
Buddhism. There was no mistaking the fact that,
though Mina Fuyeh had been much touched by the
gospel story, and though he had long ago come to the
point of expressing his admiration for Christ and
Christian teaching, he showed no signs of willingness
to openly renounce his ancestral faith; he was still a
Buddhist by profession. We had done our best to en-
lighten him. We had taught him with the most dili-
gent and conscientious care ; we had prayed over him,
and sought by the example of our daily walk to open his
eyes to the beauty and joyousness of the Christian life,
and therefore strange thoughts passed through our
minds as, during that visit, we saw the people come
to him with Tchatas and gifts, prostrate themselves be-
fore him, worship him as a god and wait to receive his
blessing. To the missionary who works only for visi-
ble results there are certainly many disappointments
on the foreign field, and during the long pioneer days,
the days of waiting and of sowing seed, only the con-
sciousness that one is doing his duty and obeying the
great Lord of the Harvest can keep the heart full of
peace and full of faith as to the ultimate results.

OUR REMOVAL TO TANRAR 151

How difficult it was to realize that our visitor with
whom we sat and conversed was a man of such influ-
ence, purity and power in the eyes of the people as to be
adored like a god, for, according to our standard, he
was ignorant and materialistic to a degree.

Mina Fuyeh was accompanied by his little disciple,
a boy of about ten years of age, whom we had known at
Kumbum. He was lively as a cricket, and many a
prank did he play upon us and his exalted master.
Thinking his appearance might be improved by a good
wash, I provided him with the essentials and gave him
full instructions; whereupon he very carefully gave his
hands, arms, face and neck a scrubbing with plenty of
hot water and soap, and there was such a transforma-
tion that he was really good-looking. Having gone
across the courtyard to another room for a time, I
was amazed on my return to see him at the kitchen
door, his face shining with something more oily than
smiles, and, upon questioning him, found that, feeling
uncomfortable, he had smeared the washed parts with
butter, a cosmetic that every Tibetan uses freely.

In connection with our regular medical and preach-
ing work at Tankar, we sometimes went on short jour-
neys into the surrounding districts — the beginnings of
more extensive pioneer work to which we were looking
forward. In October of 1896, on our return from a
trip to the grass county", we were met at the gate by
a messenger who informed us that a foreigner had
arrived in the suburbs and was staying at an inn. Mr.
Rijnhart at once rode off to inquire who the unexpected
stranger might be, and, as a visit from European or

152 WITH THE TIBETANS

American travelers is so rare in this distant frontier
town, he had decided beforehand to invite him to our
home. I therefore made all haste to get the house in
order, and had not finished when Mr. Kijnhart returned,
followed into the courtyard by an English gentleman
dressed in a tweed suit with sheepskin epaulettes, bear-
ing the marks of exposure. What a thrill of delight
when we exchanged greetings in good old Anglo-
Saxon ! The stranger proved to be Capt. M. S. Wellby,
of the 18th Hussars, who had made a journey from
India, through Ladak and Northern Tibet.

He had been traveling for nearly seven months, and
had encountered many difficulties. It had been his in-
tention to penetrate into Inner Tibet from Ladak
through Rudok, but arriving at the latter place was
prevented from proceeding further by a large body of
Tibetan soldiers stationed there to guard the Lhasa
road. He was then obliged to turn northeastward in a
sort of zig-zag course and spend many weeks in barren,
uninhabited country. His provisions had given out,
many of his animals died, and his men mutinied and
deserted him, so that all that remained of the caravan
when it reached Tankar was Captain Wellby himself,
Lieutenant Malcolm and DufTadar Shahzad Mir, his
compagnons de voyage, his muleteer and two body-
servants with one load of effects. The journey across
Northern Tibet, though disastrous in many respects,
had not been fruitless. Valuable observations had been
made on the way, and geographical science enriched by
the discovery of the source of the Chumar river. We
shall let Captain Wellby in his own words describe Mr.

OUR REMOVAL TO TANKAR 153

Rijnhart's arrival in the inn and what followed : " I
could hardly make up my mind whether he was a
European or a Chinaman, and when he addressed me
in a mixture of French and Chinese I was still more
mystified, so to simplify matters I replied, i Fm an
Englishman/ and held my hand out to him. He
eagerly seized it, and gave me the heartiest shake I
had received for many a long day, and I felt thankful
that we had found a European and a friend anxious
to help us in this out of the way place. Mr. Rijn-
hart, for that was his name, was a Dutch missionary,
and had only taken up his abode in Tankar within the
last three months. * * * In another moment we
were trotting through the street in single file, chatting
all the while, when, suddenly turning to the left, we
very shortly afterwards drew up at Rijnhart's little
house. One step up out of the narrow lane landed us
in an open courtyard, where his kind-hearted wife,
Dr. Rijnhart, was waiting to welcome us, as well as
Mr. Hall, of the China Inland Mission, who had come
over to Tankar from Sining and had only just returned
with the Rijnharts from making a trip to the Koko-nor.
Great honor was shown to me in the eyes of the Chinese
bv allotting to my use the room that faced the en-
trance. The Rijnharts, when by themselves, lived in
Chinese fashion, and were on the most friendly terms
with all the Chinese and Tibetan officials in the town,
and we ourselves were treated with courtesy and
civility."*

Captain Wellby's visit was of short duration, lasting

* Through Unknown Tibet, by Capt. M. S. Wellby, pp. 261-2.

154 WITH THE TIBETANS

only one day. In the afternoon we had a call from the
princess of the Koko-nor, which served to add interest
to the occasion. Next day, accompanied by Mr. Kijn-
hart, the party set out for a visit to the Kumbum
lamasery,t and thence to Sining and Lancheo.
Meanwhile, at the earnest solicitation of the travelers,
and further because some arrangements about our
mails and other business at the coast required adjust-
ing previous to the great journey we were contemplat-
ing to the interior, Mr. Eijnhart agreed to accompany
them to Pekin, acting as interpreter, a service of which
Captain Wellby has made the most courteous and
copious acknowledgment.?

t " Very lucky we are to be able to pay this visit under the guidance of
Mr. Rijnhart, for not only has he a more intimate knowledge of the mon-
astery than any other living man, but having made his home for two years
in Lusar, ten months of which were spent in the monastery itself, he has
made friends with a very large number of its inmates, more especially
with Mina Fuyeh, one of the greatest incarnate saints in the place." Op.
Cit. p. 270.

t Op. Cit. pp. 267-411.

N. B. — I have since learned with great regret of the death of Capt.
Wellby from wounds received in the late South African war.

CHAPTER IX

DISTINGUISHED VISITORS.

Mr. Rijnhart's Absence — Our House is Robbed — Visit
of Dr. Sven Heclin — Tsanga Fuyeh — Medical Work
Among Nomads — Birth of Our Little Son.

Mr. Rijnhart conducted Captain Wellby's party to
Pekin, from there went overland to Hankow with a
German traveler, made new arrangements for our
mails and supplies, and returned to Tankar with all
possible speed. During his absence the natives be-
stowed on me the greatest kindnesses, and I felt per-
fectly safe with them. The women especially did all
in their power to entertain me, inviting me to their
houses and bringing me gifts, thus enabling me to
get acquainted with them in the most intimate way.
They seemed to feel they had me under their protection,
and vied with each other in bestowing upon me the
most considerate attention of which they were capable.
Here, too, was a golden chance to speak to them of
Christ and of all that His religion had done for women
in other lands, and of what it could do for them. Du-
ring these memorable weeks I learned to understand and
sympathize with the heathen women as never before.
Besides, I was kept busy with my medical work, and

155

156 WITH THE TIBETANS

the constant arrival of visitors from far and near who
had heard of the foreign teachers and came to see for
themselves, compensated largely for any feelings of
loneliness I may have had, and made monotony and
ennui impossible.

Christmastime I spent with Mrs. Eidley at Siniug,
and while I was away poor Ani, whom I had left in
charge of the house, had a trying experience. A thief,
knowing probably that we were away, broke into our
house and made off with our stock of money and many
others of our valuable possessions, besides destroying
photographic plates by exposing them to the light, and
emptying many vials of precious chemicals upon the
ground. By the aid of the dog Ani located the culprit
crouching in a room off the stable, and upon demanding
an explanation of his presence, found herself suddenly
engaged in a hand-to-hand struggle, at the end of
which she was left lying in a pit near the stable, while
her adversary made his escape. Undaunted, the faith-
ful Ani gathered herself up as soon as possible and ran
through the streets crying " stop thief !" But no one
would stop him, or tell her who he was, although it
transpired that nearly everyone knew him: but Tibetan
politeness forbids anyone to give information that
would convict another of theft. As soon as I returned
from Sining I immediately notified the yamen of the
outrage. Some underlings came around to tell Ani
that if they did not catch the thief she would be held
responsible and be dragged before the yamen, as it was
her fault that the iang-ta-rcn, " foreign gentleman's."
house had been robbed. Many a weary week was spent

DISTINGUISHED VISITORS 157

before Ani's character was cleared by the catching of
the real thief. I shall not forget the kindness of the
official and his wife at this time when I had to visit
the y 'amen , for they admitted me to their own room,
where, contrary to the general custom in China, they
dined alone together. Mina Fuyeh, hearing that we
had been robbed, sent his treasurer over from Kumbum
with a hhata to offer me any amount of money I might
need, and to invite me to return to the lamasery to
live, where I would be among " friends." Losang
Kindum (one of the Dalai Lama's JcushoJc) also sent
me several strings of cash, and offered me as many
more as I wanted, saying that Chinese officials were
not always to be depended upon, but that the Tibetans
were big-hearted and meant what they said. Having
full confidence, however, in my friends at Tankar,
I did not yield to Mina Fuyeh's persuasion.

After the visit of Captain Wellby we had concluded
it would be a long time ere we would again be visited
by a European traveler, but this rare treat was in store
for us sooner than we expected. One calm, bright No-
vember Monday the sun shone warmly upon Ani and
myself as we sat on our rugs in the courtyard enjoying
some pien-shi, for I had invited her to come and have
dinner with me. A knock at the entrance was answered
by the old woman, who at once called me, and I found
upon my arrival that the doorway was full of men,
some of whom were Mongols and some, yamen people.
One of the latter, acting as spokesman, told me that a
foreigner was just outside the west gate, and was com-
ing to our home to be entertained. Upon questioning

158 WITH THE TIBETANS

him closely I elicited the information that the for-
eigner was on his way out of Tibet; that he had sent
word to the yamen to find lodging, fodder and firewood
for him and his caravan, and that knowing we had
entertained Captain Wellby and Lieutenant Malcolm,
the official had directed the foreign men to pro-
ceed to our home, all of which was said with
the mannerisms peculiar to messengers from the
yamen. It did not seem possible that another
explorer could have so quickly come after Captain
Wellby, and I feared it was the men whom the
latter had left in Tibet; and feeling thus, I replied
that the official must provide entertainment for them
himself, that Mr. Eijnhart was away from home. The
Mongols had in the meantime been telling Ani what a
great man the approaching foreigner was, an amhan
they said, and had so enlisted her sympathies that she
prevailed upon me to reconsider my decision, so I said,
" Surely, if this is an amhan who is coming he must
have passports and other papers," whereupon the Mon-
gols said he had sent them with one of his men, who
was forthwith called. He had been standing aside in
the street and now came forward, a large man with a
long black beard and a very foreign look, who, I at
once concluded, was a Mohammedan from India or
Kashgar; had he presented the papers at the be-
ginning, such a long consultation would have been
avoided. I looked at the papers he handed me and read
in French the fact that Sven Hedin, Ph.D., was on a
tour of scientific exploration in Central Asia, or some-
thing to that effect, and at once told the men that he

DISTINGUISHED VISITORS 159

was to be guided to our home, and added we would
look after his entertainment.

In a very short time the caravan of the great Swedish
traveler arrived at the door, and in the absence of Mr.
Rijnhart I went at once to welcome and extend to him
the hospitality of our little home. Knowing that he
was a Swede I felt I must learn at once in what lan-
guage we were to converse, so I asked him if he spoke
English, and upon his reply in the affirmative, we were
not at a loss to find topics that interested us both. Ani
was delighted that he could speak Mongolian, and
called him amban and personally welcomed him to
Tankar. He had a large number of men in his caravan,
some of whom took up quarters in our drug room, while
the remainder with the horses went to an inn. Dr,
Hedin had heard of us before his arrival. At Bayin-
hoshum, not far beyond the Khara Kottel, or Black
Pass, a Tangut chief had told him there was a solitary
Oruss or " Russian " lady at Tankar. " Russian " is
the only name by which all Europeans are known in
Northern Tibet. In his great work " Through Asia "
Dr. Hedin has given the following account of his recep-
tion and visit at our humble home.

" Earlier in the day I had sent Parpi Bai on in ad-
vance to take my pass to the governor of the town.
That dignitary now met us at the gate, bringing us a
letter from the i Russian lady ' with a hearty invita-
tion to share her hospitality. I felt it was rather pre-
sumptuous to quarter myself altogether upon a solitary
lady. Nevertheless I decided, perhaps it was curiosity
drove me, at any rate to go and pay her a visit. When

160 WITH THE TIBETAXS

I reached the house indicated, a good Chinese house
with an oblong courtyard, I was met by a bareheaded
young lady wearing spectacles and dressed after the
Chinese manner. She asked me in a friendly tone,
' Do you speak English ? ' I told her yes, I thought
so, and very soon our tongues were going at express
speed. She introduced herself as Mrs. Eheinhard
(Eijnhart) an American doctor of medicine. Her hus-
band was the Dutch missionary, Mr. Eheinhard, who
fully a month earlier had started for Peking with Capt.
Wellby, who was on his way home from his journey
across Tibet. Mrs. Eheinhard was the personification
of hospitality and amiability. It was quite a pleasure
to talk to somebody whose interests ranged beyond
grass and pastures, dangerous passes, wild yaks, cattle
and sheep. Her husband's courage in venturing to
leave her behind alone among the rabble of Tankar
truly astonished me. But there was not so much dan-
ger, perhaps, after all; for through her medical knowl-
edge and skill Mrs. Eheinhard had won several friends
among the native population."*

The Chinese officials in Eastern Turkestan had
shown him marked courtesy, and he had expected the
same from those in the towns of Western China, but
found it altogether lacking, I believe, because the Mon-
gols who announced his arrival had called him amban,
while his passport was almost the same as a mission-
ary's; the official was quick to appreciate the fact
that Capt. Wellby had a much better passport than

* " Through Asia," by Sven Hedin, 2 Vols., Harper & Bros., Vol. II., pp,
1 156-7.

DISTINGUISHED VISITORS 161

Dr. Hedin, though the latter was entitled to one of
higher rank, seeing that King Oscar was personally in-
terested in the expedition. Instead of coming to call
on the traveler, the official ignored his presence in
Tankar and Dr. Hedin went himself to call on the
ting, but there were no big guns fired in his honor as
there had been in Turkestan.

The Kopas were anxious to learn how near he had
been to Lhasa, so Losang Kindum came around with
his prayer- wheel in one hand, to ask particulars, and
as a result Dr. Hedin visited him in the evening, to buy
some curios, cloth, boots, etc., of which the leuslioks
have such large quantities, selling them as they do for
the Dalai Lama. In Dr. Hedin's book " Through Asia "
he speaks of this transaction as his buying some of the
goods intended for tribute, and that the Emperor would
that time receive less than had been intended for him.
The goods did belong perhaps to the Dalai Lama, but
were for trade, not for presentation to the Emperor as
tribute, and it is possible that those particular articles
belonged to Losang Kindum himself, for even a servant
coming from Lhasa does on his own account a little
trade, and the profits of that deal were boasted of by
the kusliolc for a long time afterwards.

Having a desire to see Kumbum, Dr. Hedin stayed
only a short time in Tankar and upon his departure I
sent my servant with him, with instructions to visit
Mina Fuyeh, present him a Tchata and say that Dr.
Hedin wished to visit the temples, and that any kind-
ness he showed him would be appreciated. Just before
his departure two runners from the yamen came and

162 WITH THE TIBETAXS

offered their services, but Dr. Heclin was indignant and
sent word through them to their official that he had a
good revolver which he had intended to give him, but he
would not do so, and he would moreover report to Pekin
his lack of courtesy to him, a stranger in Tankar. The
men kotowed, went away, but soon returned. As the
caravan was leaving our gate, Dr. Hedin told his treas-
urer to give Ani four hundred cash. The old woman
was delighted; it is certain she will never forget the
great white amban, and if her wishes for prosperity and
peace were of an}' avail surely he must have had a
charmed life ever since. If on his return to the
Ts'aidam last year he passed through Tankar, as he
most probably would, Ani, if she heard of his coming,
did not fail, I am sure, to give him a hearty welcome.

My next visitor, quite as distinguished in his way,
was a lama, 73 years of age, a " living buddha " named
Tsanga Fuyeh. Having read the Gospels of Mark and
John which we had given a young friend of his, he de-
sired, he said, to see the people from whom the books
had come. He was, as far as we could afterwards learn,
a pure living man, and he looked it. Inviting him with
great ceremony to take his place upon the Vang in
the guest-room, I gave him tea, bread, t samba and
butter. He had evidently made up his mind that we
foreign teachers were different from ordinary beings,
for he was as much surprised as delighted when he
found we would eat Tibetan meat and butter, and made
us a present of a leg of mutton and some pears, accom-
panied by a Jcliata, promising to supplement these gifts
by some sheep's butter when he returned to his people,

DISTINGUISHED VISITOKS 163

and he kept his promise. The old bnddha was much
interested in our medical skill, asked for some eye medi-
cine for himself, and inquired about our ability to help
a relative who had a tumor. A month or so later when
Mr. Eijnhart had returned, the " relative," a rather
young woman, came in, accompanied by her husband.
Instead of a tumor, we found the patient suffering
from abdominal dropsy, and were able to relieve her im-
mediately by tapping. She and her husband rented a
room, the only one they could procure, about eight feet
square, with no window; and the woman lay on the
Vang, with a pack saddle for a pillow, as contented as
possible. Her husband was one of those cheery, good
natured men one does not often see the like of. He
brought us presents, imitated our English, made friends
with Topsy, the door-keeper, to such an extent that
she would let him out without any remarks of disap-
proval, but he could not induce her to let him in with-
out some member of the household restraining her. On
the whole, he enjoyed us just as much as we did him
and perhaps a little more, seeing that we were a trifle
cleaner than he was. Among these Tibetans there is
a peculiar custom we only learned after close contact
with them. When anyone is ill one of the members of
the family goes to a lama, gives him a Jchata, tells him
about the sick one, and asks him what marriba is to be
consulted. The lama accepts the Tchata, throws dice,
to indicate a certain page in a sacred book which
is turned up, whereupon the name of the marriba is
announced. Tsanga Fuyeh was the lama to whom they
went for this knowledge, and after his relative was

164 WITH THE TIBETANS

cured by tapping, he would send every one to us for
treatment. We had never suspected that our names
were recorded in the sacred books of Buddhism !

The news of this woman's cure spread far westward
among the Koko-nor Tibetans, and Tsanga Fuyeh did
not cease to sound our praises. As a result people came
m from distances requiring twenty days on horseback.
This much was amusing: anyone who had a pain of
any kind in the region of the stomach wanted to be
" tapped/' for the Tibetans reason that what is good
for one sick person is equally good for another ! I
had also to be specially careful to give explicit directions
about taking medicine, as another of their maxims was
" if a little medicine is good, a large quantity must be
so much better/' and they would swallow a whole bot-
tle of liquid or box of pills at a single dose. Frequently
also they ate the papers in which the powders were
wrapped, thinking that if the medicine inside the papers
was good, there certainly also must be some virtue in
the paper. The visit of Tsanga Fuyeh and the noto-
riety it gave us among the nomads of the grass country
prepared the way, as will be seen, for further trips
into the grass country, and later into the great beyond.

Mr. Rijnhart's return from the journey to Pekin
was hailed by the natives with delight, especially by
the kopas, who came to bid him welcome home, bringing
a Jchata and large pieces of meat, sometimes as much
as half a sheep. Shortly after his return the question
of servants was settled, for we secured the services of
Mohammed Eahim, the third of Capt. Wellby's men
that had reached Tankar in safety. He had been

DISTINGUISHED VISITORS 165

away in the grass country herding flocks and cat-
tle, so that when Dr. Sven Hedin appeared, he missed
being taken on with his men and so found himself alone
in Tankar. He came to us and a very valuable serv-
ant he proved to be, with the fault of a hasty temper
which occasionally would get him into trouble.

We had in the center of our courtyard a square flower
garden, where we coaxed some native flowers resem-
bling yellow poppies, marigolds and asters to bloom with
our own violets, nasturtiums and sweet peas, which
gave our home a delightful whiff of old-fashioned far
away gardens in the homeland; many a time we would
sit on the little stone fence about the flowers, and, look-
ing down into the depths of the blossoms, see pictured
there faces of loved ones far away, made happier by
sunny, bright letters from the Tibetan border. The
blooming of each new flower was for us a visitor, each
bringing its quota of interest and cheer. When the
first dark velvety nasturtium bloomed there came to
our home another blossom, who brought with him a
budget of love and a stock of sunshine which will re-
main always, but now only in memory — dear little
Charles Carson Rijnhart, who came to us on June 30th,
1897. Ani had anticipated the event with a large
amount of talk and wonderment at the preparations
I was making. She told me that among the nomads
the mother's only bed is one made of the powdered
excreta of sheep, and that when the weather is warm
the little one is pasted with butter and put out to
bask in the sun. If medical science is needed, none is
to be had, nature alone is to be depended upon ; and yet

166 WITH THE TIBETANS

everyone is satisfied, as no one has learned that in other
countries things are different. When the tub of warm
water was brought in daily for the bath and baby was
put into it, Ani and Doma looked upon it all as an act
of almost certain insanity, though Mrs. Eidley, who was
of such inestimable help to us, had been doing the same
thing for her two dear little children and no harm
had resulted. The natives do not allow a stranger to
approach the mother until forty days after the birth
of a child, owing to some superstition; and the mother
goes out one hundred days after it, so that everyone was
amazed to see us about the middle of August, going
horseback on a journey to the south of the Koko-nor.

Mohammed Rahim, henceforth to be known as Eahim,
was baby's delight, and Doma was not at all pleased that
she was not looked on with as much favor as the dark-
faced boy, who would walk up and down the courtyard
carrying the precious burden, singing weird Hindustani
and Ladaki airs, and even the British bugle call which
he had learned in India. There is such a difference be-
tween Tibetan and white children, the former having
apparently scarcely any nerve tissue and showing so
little interest and vivacity, and though baby was only
an ordinary child, he was in the eyes of the natives a
great curiosity; they considered him exceeding
smart to " notice things," and in comparison to theirs
he certainly was. The twenty days among the nomads
in August, to be described in the next chapter, were
very enjoyable and will never be forgotten by those
natives who came into contact with us. They would
come in on tiptoe with their tongues protruding, to

DISTINGUISHED VISITORS 167

stand and gaze upon Charles asleep in his hammock
swinging between the tent poles, and hold up both
thumbs and put the tongue out still further if possible,
as a token of approbation. When his bath time came
and the tent door was closed on account of the draught,
the women and men too would run to our tent, pick
up the flap around the bottom and the whole aperture
would be filled with dark faces and laughing black eyes,
while they watched the performance interesting to them
and enjoyable to Charles. Such remarks as the follow-
ing were common : " White child," " See her put
him into the water," " He will die," and " Why does she
not paste him with butter and put him out in the sun ? "
Tibetan children living in the tents are experts at rid-
ing, jumping on the backs of horses and even cows
and running down hill at full speed. They are in
sunny warm weather to be seen playing about the tents
with only a string of something that serves as a charm
around the neck, with perhaps a tiny bell, added to the
covering nature herself gave them. Their lives are des-
titute of pleasures, for they have no playthings, no
candy, fruit, or cake, which children in this land and
even in China have in such abundance. They are not
loved and cuddled the way children are in the home-
land, and oftentimes the calves and fawns tied to the
post in the tent receive more attention than the bairnies.
Shortly after we were settled in Tankar Mr. Rijn-
hart went down to Sining and had his bicycle brought
up the mountainous road. As riding from Sining to
Tankar was impossible, it was necessary for a man to

168 WITH THE TIBETANS

carry it on his back. This wonderful " one man cart "
(the literal translation of the name the natives gave it)
will never be forgotten by the people, and though very
much interested in its mechanism not one of them could
ever be induced to mount. As far as real use in travel-
ing was concerned it was nil, but Tibetans came in
large numbers wanting to see it, and we were glad to
have such a powerful magnet attracting the people to
us almost daily, thus enlarging the circle of our
acquaintance and usefulness. To satisfy them Mr.
Eijnhart gave exhibitions. Crowds of people came to
witness the " foreign teacher " ride on " the one man
cart." The great difficulty was to keep the men and
boys from following too closely, as if any accident should
happen, the rider was in danger of being tramped upon
by the multitude behind. Outside the east gate was a
decline, and they never ceased commenting upon the
speed with which the bicycle would " run " down that
hill " faster than the best horse." My sewing machine
also attracted its share of attention and was called the
" iron tailor," one woman even going so far as to come
to inquire if it were true that when I finished sew-
ing I carried him to the kitchen, put him on the table
and he made food for us? Poor Tibetan women and
often men would give me a small piece of cloth and ask
me to make it into a bag, that they might take it home
to show their mothers what wonderful sewing it did.
By degrees we had won as many friends in Tankar as
in Kumbum and Lusar, besides we had gathered a
fund of information about the nomads of the grass

DISTINGUISHED VISITORS 169

country. Our name and work were known among them
many days' journey west and south, and the Scriptures
we had given away to visitors were being read in dis-
tricts to which we never yet had gone.

CHAPTER X

AMONG THE TAN-GUTS OF THE KOKO-NOR

Tangut Customs — Journey to the Koko-nor — Nomadic
Tent-Life — A Glimpse of the Bine Lake — Robbers —
Distributing Gospels.

Never since our memorable attempt to reach the
Koko-nor under the guidance of Ishinima, had we given
up the project of visiting that wondrous lake, not merely
because of the pleasure we anticipated at gazing again
on an extensive body af water, but rather to spy out the
country, get better acquainted with the nomads in their
temporary settlements, distribute copies of the Gospels,
preach the doctrine, and ascertain the prospects and
possibilities of future missionary work among them.
These nomads, called Tanguts, or Koko-nor Tibetans,
who frequently visited us at Tankar, talked about the
lake continually and supplied us with minute informa-
tion as to the nature of the country through which we
should pass. We had become so well acquainted with
the Tanguts that, although we knew most of them were
robbers, we lost all fear of them. Their costume con-
sists of the ordinary sheepskin gown worn with the
woolly side next the body, high top-boots and some-
times a hat with a peaked crown surmounted by a red

170

THE TANGUTS OF THE KOKO-XOK 171

tassel, and the brim lined with' white lambskin. The
men have hanging from their girdles their flint and
tinder, knife-case, powder-horn, and, stuck through
the girdle from right to left is a sword encased in a
sheath made sometimes of wood, but often of metal
inlaid with silver and stones". When they are traveling
they seldom take their hand off the hilt of the sword.
Many of them carry also guns and spears. All the
smaller baggage, such as the drinking-bowl, snuff-box,
money, weighing-scales, etc., is carried inside the blouse.
The women could scarcely be distinguished from the
men except for the headdress. The hair, thoroughly
greased, is braided into fifty or more small plaits which
are bound together at the back with wide strips of
cloth covered with shells and beads, the whole weighing
several pounds, extending below the waist and dangling
at every step. The fashion of dressing the hair among
the men varies in different localities. Some have the
Chinese queue, others have the front hair trimmed
into butter-smeared fringes and bangs, while that from
the back of the head flies in the wind; others have the
hair, augmented by silk or cotton coils, wound round
the head and adorned with rings, corals and other
stones; still others have their heads utterly unkempt.
The women's gowns, like the men's, are held by girdles
from which hang knives, needle-cases and other append-
ages. Both men and women wear a charm-box around
the neck, containing a small idol, pieces of old cloth
and small parcels of medicine. The women always wear
large earrings in both ears, and as many rings on their

172 WITH THE TIBETANS

fingers as they can procure. The men wear an earring
generally in the left ear only.

As the fur garments are worn by the Tanguts for
years and bathing is unknown, the odor of their bodies
is decidedly disagreeable; in my medical capacity I
have had to come into such close contact with the
Tibetan women as to feel positively nauseated by the
smell, and the liberal supply of vermin that sometimes
would be on my wrist after feeling a patient's pulse.
They seem to suffer no discomfort on account of the
vermin. They have no desire to exterminate them; to
kill a louse, in fact, is regarded as a sin against the
teachings of Buddha, and they rarely do kill them ex-
cept to eat them. That I have seen them do, picking
them not only from their own bodies but from others'.

A visit from a party of these Tangut Tibetans at
Tankar we always regarded of great moment, taking the
time of every one in the household, some to talk to them,
others to doctor the sick ones, as invariably some of
them wanted medicine ; and nearly always we gave them
some of their much-relished brick tea. A call of aro
at the door, a rush to hold the doorkeeper, our dog
Topsy, a quick entrance of several people with their
rustling leather gowns, heavy boots, clanging swords,
knives and women's headdress announce their coming.
Then there are holding out of hands, the profuse salu-
tations with cries of dimo-dimo-ing , the presentation
of the kliata, or perhaps a sheep's stomach full of sweet
milk, or a piece of butter drawn from the depth of a
dirty skin bag, with hands that leave black marks wher-
ever they touch, and some clxurma, all given with lib-

THE TAffGUTS OF THE KOKO-TSTOK 173

erality and genuine good feeling, and accepted with
the greatest grace and thankfulness, because we knew
that it was the best they could give, and their hearts
came with the gifts. The boy in the meantime is busy
in the kitchen preparing a huge pot of tea, and some
basins are filled, and much smacking of lips and chit-
ter-chatter shows the genuine enjoyment with which it
is partaken of. If there is a man of any social standing
among them he is invited into the best room, the one
farthest from the entrance, and entertained there. If
they are ordinary people they are entertained in the
courtyard with rugs spread on the floor, or in the drug-
room.

The particular journey into the Tangut country of
which I now write was one we made at the invitation of a
panaka, who requested us to go and operate on the
eyes of his aged father afflicted with cataract. The
panaka provided us with animals to carry our supplies,
which consisted of a tent, rugs for bedding, two iron
pots, and a wooden basin for each of us, a pair of goat-
skin bellows, besides drugs and copies of the Gospels
for distribution. For food we took plenty of dried
doughstrings, a bag of roasted barley meal, butter,
cliurma, a half brick of tea, and some hard baked bread.
Bread taken on a journey in this compact form has the
advantage of being always very palatable, and of re-
maining good for months if made well.

Although little Charles was only forty-two days old
it was decided that I should accompany the expedition,
and the 12th of August, a lucky day in the estimation
of the natives, was fixed for our departure. Early in

174 WITH THE TIBETANS

the morning the panaka came to our gate with two
fine yak and it was not long until we joined the caravan,
which consisted altogether of nine yak and one horse,
laden with stores, and five ponies with their riders, our
panaka, a medical lama, and his Chinese bookkeeper,
Eahim our Ladaki servant, Mr. Eijnhart and myself.
Mr. Eijnhart carried baby, while Topsy with wagging
tail ran between the horses' feet as excited as if she too
had visions of the Blue Lake.

About five miles west of Tankar, we forded the Hsi-
ho (Western Eiver) and turning south-west entered the
Ea-la valley, in which we passed a small lamasery of
the same name, containing about two hundred priests.
At about 5 p. m. we reached the limit of cultivated
fields and having met some caravans of merchants on
their way to Tankar with wool and barley, camped with
them for the night, continuing our journey on the fol-
lowing morning into the western wilderness, leaving
every trace of the work of man's hand behind. We had
not gone far when one of the yak fell down ill, and, as
the Tibetans would not think of leaving the animal in
its sad condition, the whole caravan was obliged to
pitch tents and wait until he either recovered or died.
While we prepared a fire and boiled some tea, the lama
doctor, seeing an opportunity to prove his skill, under-
took to restore the animal to its wonted vigor. While
murmuring low incantations he drew his sword and
kept patting the animal's back and sides with it, all
the while marching round it and from time to time
offering prayers. Now and then he threw a handful of
road dust on its head and back. Suddenly the incan-

THE TANGUTS OP THE KOKO-NOR 175

tations ceased, and the panaJca was directed to secure
a dry herb, twist it into two pyramids and setting fire
to them, put one up each of the yak's nostrils. This
done, the incantations were resumed until finally the
yak gave a vigorous kick and the holy man came to join
us at our fire, having concluded that his work was
done, or that there was no use continuing any longer.
As we thought of the night coming on, we fervently
wished the animal would take a sudden change one way
or the other. Looking about for a suitable place to
pitch our tent, and trying to get reconciled to the idea
of passing the night in that robber-infested district,
Mr. Rijnhart cast another look at the animal and found
he had ceased to breathe, so that we were now able to
proceed. The lama had given us reason to believe that
this district full of gullies and crevices, favorite hiding-
places for thieves, was particularly dangerous, and we
were all glad to leave it. At 3 p. m. we crossed the
Ra-la, a very high mountain pass, from which we got
sight of the Koko-nor, blue indeed and glittering in the
bright sun. The Ra-la mountains are rich in iron and
there is every indication of the presence of more pre-
cious metal. That night we encamped with another
caravan of Tibetans, keeping watch during the night,
as much for fear of them as of the attacks of brigands.
These panaJca dwelling south of the lake have all more
or less the appearance of thieves and robbers, and con-
sidering this, it is amusing to witness one of their cus-
toms. As soon as a caravan stops, two or three of the
men boil the tea, while others unload the yak. When
the tea is boiling, all are called around the fire. One

176 WITH THE TIBETANS

of them throws a small lump of butter into the tea,
takes the ladle, dips it out, and throws it with a little
tea towards the sky. Then all take off their hats and
join the man who sprinkled the tea in a kind of prayer,
while the latter twice again dips out tea and throws it
up. The tea is offered to a god, and the prayer invites
him to come and drink it, asking him to keep them
from sickness, to give them peace on the road, and to let
them meet with only good, honest people. After the
tea is finished the same prayer is said again while one
man turns out the remaining tea and all the leaves by
the side of the camp fire.

Early the following morning we crossed the sand hills
by which the lake is lined, after which we followed the
shore, over a mile from the water's edge. Here was
most beautiful pasture ground, gradually ascending
from the water and towering some three to five miles
off into lofty mountains, covered with the finest grass.
Until noon we saw no tents and then only far out of
our way. We stopped at Tso-nitag ("The Lake's
Neck") where we were visited by some Tibetans, to
whom we talked while tea was being prepared; in the
distance we saw a large caravan, recognized as belong-
ing to the Kambas, a wild tribe of Tibetans living far-
ther in, the same barbarians by whom the French trav-
elers, Dutreuil de Ehins and Grenard, were attacked,
and the former killed, about four years previous. But
they stayed far from us, continuing their march. On
the slopes of the mountains we saw herds of antelopes,
here and there a stray wolf, and a number of white-
headed eagles; also a large species of hawk. The lake-

THE TANGUTS OF THE KOKO-XOE 177

side was literally covered with ducks, geese, sheldrakes
and bustards. Our servant shot a goose, but as it tasted
so much like sea-water, it was uneatable. In some parts
the ground was full of holes, in which live lizards, a
small, white bird, and a species of lagomys, all very
plentiful. During the night there fell in the valley
copious rains, which the chill air of the high altitudes
turned into snow, so that with the coming day we saw
the mountains covered with their glistening white man-
tle. It was the 16th of August when we reached the
panaJca's camp, two hundred yards from the water's
edge. It included six tents situated close together,
while many others were visible further down the shore.
As we approached the tents a pack of about twenty
of the fiercest dogs imaginable surrounded us, and with
hideous yelping sought to drag us from our ponies,
being prevented from accomplishing their object only
by the arrival of some of the tent people who sub-
dued them with stout clubs. After dismounting we
were led to a tent and asked to sit down on some rugs
beside a rude furnace made of mud and stones. A
handful of churma and barley meal was put into a
basin, tea poured upon it and a large lump of butter
added, the whole being stirred up and handed to us
with a polite request that we refresh ourselves with a
drink, while our own tent was being erected.

The tents are made of woolen stuff, manufactured by
the inhabitants. Inside are four, or sometimes five,
poles over which the ropes run that hold up the tent,
while outside there are also poles to hold the same
ropes tight. The tents which, when viewed from the

178 WITH THE TIBETANS

outside, resemble huge spiders, are invariably black,
the inhabitants therefore often being called " Black
Tibetans." In the center of the cloth of the tent a
narrow strip is left open as an exit for the smoke
ascending from the temporary furnace below it, which
divides the tent into two parts. To the right of this
furnace is the place of honor ; in it guests are received,
and at night the men sleep there. The left-hand side
is occupied by the women, children, and in this case
some little goats and young deer. The first night while
we were asleep in our tent, a huge dog entered and
carried away our candlestick and candle (a home-made
one of mutton fat), Mr. Eijnhart's hat as well as
all the meat he could get. The candlestick we did not
find for days afterwards and the meat not at all, though
the hat was not far away, but the incident induced
Kahim to hang up nearly everything to the crossbeam
of the tent during the remainder of our stay.

The South Koko-nor Tibetans are on the whole jovial,
and roars of laughter and merry song are not uncommon
in their encampments. Musical instruments are, how-
ever, not found among them except the drum and cym-
bals. Their needs are few, and apparently they are
contented, each having his one or two garments, a
matchlock, sword, flint and steel, a wooden basin, knife
and chopsticks (the latter less needful, the fingers serv-
ing). Each family has a tent, some horses, cows and
sheep, the number being now depleted, now augmented
by the constant robberies practised first by one, then by
another marauding tribe. The panaka whose guests
we were owned about twenty horses, twelve cows and

THE TANGUTS OF THE KOKO-XOR 179

eight hundred sheep, and was regarded as well-to-do.
In their primitive way of living they are rather clever,
manufacturing themselves the things they need, with
few exceptions. We found them much more stingy and
dirty than Tibetans from any other part. The women
were so filthy that close contact with them inside the
tents was as usual nauseating to me, so I spent as much
time as possible outside, where they congregated round
me and evinced the deepest interest in the white baby.
Even the fresh lake breezes, the limpid azure sky above
and the crystal clearness of the little stream near by
could not drive away the odor of their gowns, or make
us unconscious of the abandoned filthiness of their
persons. Multitudinous vermin and the accumulated
grease of years have made them proof against any fur-
ther adhesion of dirt. While the men go to the hills,
always heavily armed, to guard the flocks and herds, the
women remain at home making the butter and cheese,
and collecting argols to be dried in the sun and used
for fuel. Without the slightest scruple they would pass
from the manipulation of the argols to the mixture of
butter, the milking of the cows, or the making of tea,
without washing their hands, but simply wiping them
off on the grass !

One strange feature about this part of the country
was the conspicuous absence of prayer-flags, prayer-
wheels or prayer-stones so abundant in every other
place inhabited by Tibetans. We saw only one prayer-
wheel, and it belonged to a priest, who had come for
contributions. Mendicant priests abound even among
these nomads and their solicitations are nearly always

180 WITH THE TIBETANS

liberally responded to by gifts of butter, sheep and even
cows, horses, or anything else the cause may require.
The liberality of these people for religious purposes is
proverbial, while they are most niggardly in every other
way.

The cattle found among the Koko-nor Tibetans for
the most part are the long-haired black ones of the
same bread as the yak (Bos Grunniens) which flourishes
best at high altitudes. They originated from wild cat-
tle and are yet not by any means so tame as cows in the
homeland. They grunt instead of bawling and thus
remind one of pigs rather than cattle. They are pas-
tured on the hills and in the valleys wherever there is
grass. The calves are always driven in a different
direction from the cows; both sheep and cattle are
rounded up with the help of a sling, made of a piece
of flat rope about twenty inches in length on each
side of the pouch, all woven of wool. The natives are
experts at using these slings and the animals know the
sound of them, for often have we seen the girls go
through the motion of throwing a stone from them
though they had none to throw, when the snap of the
sling would be enough to make the animals run. The
cattle are driven in at night and tethered, some
to either side of long ropes fastened to the ground with
pegs, and when milking time arrives the calves have to
be mothered by the cows or no milk will be forthcoming.
When we read in M. Hue's book, his account of the
" stuffed calf " we were incredulous, deciding that it
was only a creation of the author's imagination, and
we had also affirmed our intention to educate the Tibe-

THE TANGUTS OF THE KOKO-NOK 181

tan cows that are as primitive as the people, but it
was of no avail and we had the mortification of ac-
knowledging ourselves beaten by our own cows. The
little calf belonging to one of the latter took sick and
died, though, in order to save it, a native woman burned
pyramids of edelweiss on its spine, and carried it three
times across a fire to prevent the demon from remaining
with it. The mother was disconsolate, and refused to
give any milk, so we resorted to deception and stuffed
the hide of the calf with straw. When milking time
arrived the woman carried the calf from the straw room,
and the cow complacently licked her stuffed baby while
she willingly allowed us to milk her.

The milk is not strained but is scalded, part of it used
for tea and to make butter; the other part is mixed
with a very little junket left for the purpose from the
day before, poured into vessels and allowed to remain ;
in the morning it is " set " into junket, though not so
sweet, and becomes the sho so highly esteemed by the
Tibetans. The cream removed from the scalded milk
is placed in a not scrupulously clean wooden churn and
is churned with a dash as our old fashioned churns
have; the butter is squeezed by the hands, thereby re-
moving the milk, and pressed into small flat round
pieces, or into a skin sometimes with part of the fur
in it, or into a sheep's stomach. The butter is very often
full of hairs from the animals, and other kinds of dirt,
and often streaked with green, but is prized highly as
an article of diet. Among some tribes I have heard
the older the butter the better it is liked, but wherever
we have been, the fresher it is the higher price it com-

182 WITH THE TIBETAN'S

mands. The butter-milk is curded and the curds are
dried, sometimes in the sun, becoming churma, which
is eaten with barley meal and tea or with barley meal
and butter when there is no opportunity to boil tea, the
whole mixed up with the fingers and eaten in lumps.
The meat used by the Tibetans is as a rule mutton,
and though the lamas consume large quantities of the
meat, they avoid killing it if possible. The natives are
exceedingly skilful in catching the very sheep they
want out of a flock of several hundred by means of a
lasso, and the Tibetans we knew best, unless we ex-
pressly desired it otherwise, slaughtered the animals
by tying a rope tightly about the nose, thereby cutting
off the supply of air. Immediately afterwards the
throat was cut, all being accomplished amidst the
mumbling of the prayer Om mani padme hum. The
hide is removed carefully and cured in a primitive man-
ner, becoming the material of which the gowns are
made, or perhaps it is shipped to China. Almost every
particle of the animal is eaten, the entrails are turned
inside out, imperfectly washed and filled with chopped
up liver, lights, heart, and kidne}T, seasoned with salt
and mixed with tsamba, not unlike haggis when prop-
erly prepared. I have seen Tibetans when traveling,
cut up the hearts and kidneys, mix some blood with it,
put all in a pot, and just bring it to a boil and eat
it with great relish. Often they put pieces of meat
right on the fire, notwithstanding the kind of fuel they
use, and broil it. As a rule the meat is boiled and
eaten in large quantities, the fattest being considered the
choicest; hence the tail is given to guests as a mark of

THE TANGUTS OF THE KOKO-tfOR 183

respect or honor. The bones are picked very clean and
then cracked on a stone, or by a sharp blow from a
knife, and the marrow removed and eaten. The scapula,
or shoulder bone, is put into the fire very often and
used to tell fortunes with, according to the cracks made
by the heat. Some prayers are usually written on them
and they are then hung up near water prayer wheels
on strings across a road or near a tent.

The tea is the most important item in Tibetan culi-
nary art, and any one who can make it to suit the fasti-
dious is indeed clever. The tea used is the brick tea,
made of the coarse leaves and small twigs of the tea
plant in China, pressed into bricks bound around by
basket work, and sent up to the Tibetan border on the
backs of coolies, and then into the interior of Tibet on
the backs of oxen. There are three principal grades and
the best grade goes in very large quantities to Lhasa.
The brass pot in which the tea is to be made is thor-
oughly cleaned with some dried argols if nothing else
is at hand, and, the correct amount of water having been
poured in, is placed upon a good fire; the leaves are
then in large quantities put into the water, and a little
salt and sometimes soda, if they have it, is added, and
the whole is thoroughly boiled. The tea is then strained
into a churn containing butter and tsamba and the
whole is churned up into a mixture looking not unlike
chocolate, but with a very different taste. The leaves
are often used a second time or are fed to the horses.
Should the harder brick tea be the kind used, a piece
is put in a wooden mortar and with a stone pestle is
powdered up and then added to the water. Tea poured

184 WITH THE TIBET AXS

into a basin on a piece of butter is drunk in very large
quantities, composing the only breakfast partaken of
before 10 o'clock. Every one carries along with him
in the blonse of his gown his own drinking bowl made
of wood, among the better class lined with silver or
white metal. The butter sinks into the wood and as it
is often rancid, the basin soon takes on a peculiar, not
at all inviting odor, especially as the only dishcloth the
natives possess is their tongue, the bowl being thoroughly
licked out after use. When partaking of Tibetan hos-
pitality, tea drinking is sometimes more of a bore than
a pleasure, the pressure brought upon you to drink more,
your basin being filled up whenever set down, being
so hard to resist, and yet if the butter is not fresh the
tea acts almost like an emetic. There is no more gen-
uine hospitality than that to be found among these
nomadic , people and not to accept it with the grace
with which it is proffered, at once raises a barrier be-
tween you and them. Frequently we have seen travelers
insist upon perfect strangers eating their butter and
tsamba; and almost invariably the latter would do so,
and upon finishing, leave as much of their own in the
place of what they had eaten. Delightful, pleasant in-
tercourse with these tent-dwellers living so simple and
so natural a life!

In some families the tsamba is ground fresh every
morning. A half basin of tea with a liberal supply of
butter is heaped up with tsamba from a skin bag, and
without spilling a particle of the meal, the natives skil-
fully knead the whole into a mass and eat it from the
hand in pieces, as we eat bread. It is remarkable that

THE TANGUTS OF THE KOKO-XOE 185

the natives prize the tsamba so highly as an article of
diet, and yet except in certain places none of the land is
cultivated, the people preferring to lead nomadic lives
and go sometimes a month's journey for their tsamba to
doing agricultural work even on a small scale. The
barley is used to make chang, an alcoholic drink of
which the natives imbibe very large quantities. It is
made by soaking the barley at a moderate heat for some
days and then crushing and straining it. Chinese wine
is freely used along the border and even long distances
into Tibetan territory. Both men and women drink
freely, becoming jovial, and often, if away from home,
avaricious and quarrelsome, and pity the poor travelers
falling unprotected into the hands of drunken Tibetans.

Among the Koko-nor Tibetans the women are vested
with all authority in household affairs. We wanted to
barter a knife for another pair of bellows, and the man
with whom we bargained said, " I must first go to the
tent and ask my wife if I may do so."

As soon as our own tent was erected we repaired to
it and were immediately visited by our panaka bearing
a present of dried meat which we graciously acknowl-
edged. We also had visits from many priests and others
with whom we conversed on Christianity, and presented
each one with a copy of the Gospels in their own tongue.
Our tent was pitched in a charming situation whence
we had a splendid view of the lake and its environs.
To the south and west stretched ranges of mountains
covered with fine grass, their summits burned to crim-
son by the setting sun. On the other side, like a
gigantic jewel of the desert, lay the lake, while faintly

186 WITH THE TIBETAN'S

visible in the distance beyond its northern and eastern
shores other mountain ranges blended their bluey out-
lines with the sky. The lake is not large, being, accord-
ing to Kockhill, about 230 miles in circumference.*
The same author calculates the altitude as 10,900 feet,
while Dr. Sven Hedin places it at 9,975 feet. The
lake is, so the natives informed us, fed by seventy-two
streams; of these we had already crossed thirty-one,
none of them large enough to merit the appellation of
river, but they supply man and beast with fresh water,
a mission which the Koko-nor with all its beauty cannot
fulfill, since its waters are salty. On the side where
we were camped there was no beach, the grass contin-
uing right to the water's edge.

In the lake are three distinct islands a considerable
distance apart; the western one, a low strip of land, is
uninhabited, and is named Tso-ri-wa-ri ; the middle
one, called Sam-me-che-kur, lying near the southern
shore, is a mass of white rock (probably granite, which
abounds in all the mountain ranges of the district)
rising perpendicular out of the water; the third one,
first mentioned by Hue and later by Eockhill and Prje-
valski, is called Tso-ri-niah. Projecting high above
the surface of the water, it is at once an island and a
truncated hill. The natives attribute to it a legendary
origin which is as follows: The waters that have
formed the Blue Lake flowed into the basin which they
now fill through a long subterranean passage leading
from Lhasa, the holy city. A god having compassion
on the country lest it should be completely inundated,

* Prjevalski's measurement is 266 Kilometers.

THE TAXGUTS OF THE KOKO-NOR 187

placed the Tso-ri-niah mountain rock at the mouth
of the passage and caused the flow to cease. Hue has
given a most elaborate version of this legend in the
second volume of his work. It is only one of the many
that have grown up around the lake and islands. As
Dr. Hedin passed through the Koko-nor country he
heard the following : " In the grey far off days of old,
a great lama dug a vast hole in the ground. Then he
took a white root and a black root of some plant, and,
holding them over the chasm, cut the black root into
two halves, out of which the water gushed forth in
streams until it filled the lake. If he had cut the white
root, the hole would have been filled with milk. It was
fortunate he cut the root out of which the water flowed,
for otherwise the people who lived in those parts would
not have been able to keep sheep and so would have had
nothing to do. After that the lama went up into a high
mountain close by, and broke out of it an enormous
piece of rock and cast it into the middle of the lake,
and that was how the island was made."*

On the Tso-ri-niah is a small lamasery containing
twelve hermit lamas and two incarnations of " living
buddhas '■ one of whom belongs to Gomba Soma. These
recluses spend most of their time on the island in prayer
and meditation, coming into contact with the " world "
only in winter time when they cross on the ice to the
mainland to collect contributions of butter, tea, barley-
meal, and other provisions necessary for their subsist-
ence. They are not supposed to eat any meat, but they
keep goats on the island to supply them with milk. No

Through Asia," by Sven Hedin, Vol. II, p. 1143.

188 WITH THE TIBETANS

sign of a boat is to be seen along the shore, so that no
communication can be had with the mainland in the
summer months.

On the day after arrival we expressed our readiness
to operate on our patient's eye, but, as the time for
moving to their winter quarters had come, we decided
at the request of the panoka's people to wait two days
until they should have moved their camp to the ad-
joining mountains, to a place which marked the first
of three stages to the winter camping-grounds. "We
distributed Gospels and talked to some priests; had a
bath in the lake and saw large quantities of fish. Two
days later we moved, making the ascent of a lofty
mountain from which in the distance the lake appeared
like a sheet of glass. The operation was duly performed
and as far as we could ascertain, was very successful.
The following day we gave copies of the Gospels to
many Tanguts, among others to thirteen priests, who
were returning to Tankar from gathering contributions,
and were passing our encampment. Two days later the
report reached us that they had been attacked and
robbed of everything — our books likely having been
carried off too. The report of the robbing of the thir-
teen priests, as well as the losing of their horses, struck
fear into the hearts of two lamas who wanted to return,
as well as into the hearts of our priest and book-keeper :
so they decided to await our return and travel safely
under the protection of our fire-arms. On the 2nd of
the eighth moon we prepared for the journey. Stand-
ing on the mountain height as the rising sun peeped
over the eastern ridges and mirrored his glowing face

THE TAtfGUTS OF THE KOKO-NOR 189

on the glassy surface of the lake, we inhaled once more
the exhilarating breezes that swept across it, and felt
in our hearts as we gazed on its placid waters how
delightful it would be ever to abide by its shores. But
dangers were pressing and duty called us back to Tan-
kar. We must turn away from those beautiful shores
and from the watery oasis, so bright and pure, like
the lakes that wash the shores of Ontario, my native
province. Thou blue inland sea, in silence lift-
ing thy unsullied waters to the pure heavens, reflect-
ing in thy limpid depths the pageantry of the rolling
clouds; thou fountain of legends that well up from
thy mysterious depths and allure to thy shores the dark
faced sons of the desert to worship the Great Spirit
whose voice is heard in thy silence; thou sapphire of
the wifderness, safely guarded in the embrace of en-
circling hills, and mirroring the radiances of the sun-
sets of ages, Aegean in thy grandeur with thy rocky
Patmos, we bid thee farewell, but from our souls the
apocalypse of thy beauty will never be effaced !

Having some Gospels left we decided to distribute
them among the encampments we might meet along the
road, and it was not long before we had an opportunity.
The priests and people received the books gladly. Mr.
Rijnhart estimated that on the trip at least two thou-
sand Tibetans were reached with some knowledge of the
gospel. As far as possible we tried to put a book into
each tent and since in each is a lama who can read, it
is safe to conclude that ten people would hear some
reading from each book. On the whole we were much

190 WITH THE TIBET AXS

encouraged by this itinerating work, and decided it-
was a most effective way of preparing these rude, but
interesting nomads for the reception of Christian teach-
ing.

CHAPTER XI

TOWARD THE TIBETAN CAPITAL

Lhasa, the Home of the Dalai Lama — Need of Pioneer
Work in Inner Tibet — Our Preparations for the Jour-
ney.

In the far interior of Tibet, about one hundred miles
north of the Himalayan range, sheltered by sacred moun-
tains on every side, is Lhasa, the capital, the only city
in the world which is absolutely inaccessible to West-
erners. To set foot within its walls has been the ambi-
tion of many travelers of the present century ; one expe-
dition after another, even after crossing the formidable
passes that lead through the natural barriers enclosing
the country on the south and west, has been obliged to
retreat without a sight of the coveted goal. For the
scant information regarding the city we are indebted
to Hue and Gabet, probably the last Europeans to visit
it (that was in 1346), and to the Indian Pandit A. K.,
who resided there for some time. The attempts of
Prjevalski, Bonvalot, Rockhill, Landor and others to
penetrate to the forbidden capital have been in vain,
every one of them being obliged by officials to turn
back, or, being unable to proceed on account of the
hardships they have been compelled to endure. To-
rn

192 WITH THE TIBETANS

day the eyes of the traveler and scientist as well as
those of the missionary, are eagerly watching for the
development of events that will lead to the downfall of
the barriers that too long have kept a people in dark-
ness, and bid defiance to the march of Christian civil-
ization.

During onr residence of three years at Kumbum and
Tankar, Lhasa had become a subject of almost daily
conversation. The four kushok, and especially Shar-je-
ja-ba had told us much about the city and its surround-
ings— its great temples, revered priests and the exalted
Dalai Lama. Mina Fuyeh had spoken of the sacred
college there, and of the many lamas who resort to it
from all parts of Tibet to study the profound doctrine
of Sakya Muni, and of the multitudes of pilgrims who
feel themselves amply rewarded for months of perilous
traveling by worshipping in the Dalai Lama's temple
with its five golden cupolas, and receiving his blessing
by touching his magic scepter. City of mystery and
wisdom, what wonder that every lama's supreme ambi-
tion is to go there to study or to worship? Many of
those who are not able to go in state walk all the dis-
tance, often begging as they go, so that they will be no
temptation to robbers. Mina Fuyeh often told us that
it would cost him a fortune to go, for, being of such
high rank himself, he would be expected to give very
handsome offerings to the Dalai Lama and the temples
in Lhasa, otherwise he would not receive the considera-
tion due him. The necessity of keeping up appearances
— the demands that rank entails upon human beings,
are the same everywhere, whether in the wilds of Tibet,

TOWARD THE TIBETAN CAPITAL 193

or in the cultured cities of the west. Mina Fuyeh
very conveniently excused himself from undertaking a
journey to Lhasa, for he declared that, having paid
homage to the potentate in his previous life-time, he
did not intend to visit Lhasa again until his next life-
time ! Not long ago I received news that the former
abbot had undertaken a journey to Pekin' and Eastern
Mongolia, a journey which will bring him a handsome
income, as Tibetan lamas in those regions are greatly
revered, receiving in exchange for their services the
most munificent offerings. I have often thought he was
more concerned in accumulating wealth for himself
and increasing his own influence than in contributing
to the exchequer of the Dalai Lama.

In common with all other missionaries and travelers
interested in Tibet, we had thought, read, and dreamed
much. about Lhasa even before we reached the border,
and indeed our hope and faith led us to look forward
to the time when the gospel could be preached there, as
well as in every nomadic encampment on the Tibetan
plateau. We knew moreover that if ever the gospel were
proclaimed in Lhasa, some one would have to be the
first to undertake the journey, to meet the difficulties,
to preach the first sermon and perhaps never return to
tell the tale — who knew? Pioneer work in mission
fields has from the days of the apostles down to the
present entailed its martyrdoms as well as yielded its
glorious results. If the opening of Africa meant the
sacrifice of a Livingstone, if the Christianization of the
South Sea Islands meant the cruel death of John Wil-
liams, if the triumphs of the Cross in Uganda were

194 WITH THE TIBETANS

wrought over the body of the murdered Hannington,
and if Burmah must be trod by the bleeding feet of
Judson and his wife, before the great harvest of five
hundred churches can be reaped, could it be possible
that all Tibet should be Christianized, that witness of
the Christ should be borne in the very stronghold of
Buddhism without some suffering, some persecution,
nay without tears and blood?

As I have already stated, we felt from the very be-
ginning that we were specially called to do pioneer work ;
and now that it had been permitted us to travel among
the Tanguts of the Koko-nor, preaching, teaching, doc-
toring, and distributing the Scriptures for many days
into the grass country, Ave were willing to be thrust
into other unknown and more distant fields. Xot a
single missionary was laboring in the Lhasa district,
and yet there was the Masters command : " Preach
the gospel to every creature." Having prayed that
God would open our way to the interior, Ave had quietly
aAvaited events. We asked that we might be divinely
guided at every step and that the means might be pro-
vided for the journey. Our prayers were answered and,
although we knew not what the results would be, we
rejoiced exceedingly that Ave were counted worthy to
traverse for the first time in the name of Christ whole
districts in which His name had never been heard.
Whether we should ever reach Lhasa or not, we did
not know: our desire was to approach as near to it
as possible, settle down for a year's work in the far
interior, gain the confidence of the people as we had
done on the border and then eventually — in God's time

TOWARD THE TIBETAN" CAPITAL 195

— enter the capital. On the way too, we would take note
of all points where missions might be established, con-
versing with the different tribes and ascertaining their
attitude in the matter. Besides this, we had ordered
a large supply of Scriptures which we would distribute
as we journeyed, and thus our pioneer work would be
sanctified by the Word of God, which cannot return
unto its Author void. Let it be clearly understood
that the purpose of our journey was purely missionary;
it was not a mere adventure or expedition prompted hj
curiosity or desire for discovery, but a desire to ap-
proach our fellow men with the uplifting message of
Truth and to share with them blessings that God had
ordained for all mankind — and we knew that even if
our mission apparently failed, the path at least would
have been beaten, and that in due time other laborers
would be sent forth to carry on the work.

From a human standpoint there was absolutely
nothing inviting in such an undertaking. On the fron-
tier the minds of Chinese and Tibetans alike are filled
with fear of the great difficulties of the journey to Lhasa,
through robber districts, over very high mountain passes,
and across large rivers, and to a certain extent we had
shared their apprehensions; but after the thrilling ex-
periences of the Mohammedan rebellion, and after com-
ing into such close contact with the people through our
residence in the house of the abbot, and especially after
our itinerating journeys among the nomads of the Koko-
nor, every vestige of fear was gradually removed. Fre-
quent and intimate conversations with merchants, lamas
and others, including many women, who had been back-

196 WITH THE TIBETANS

wards and forwards from Lhasa several times, took
away the terror of passes, rivers, arid wastes, and death-
dealing winds, of which we had heard so much, and
Inner Tibet did not seem so far away, so impossible
to reach, as we had at first been led to believe.

Shar-je-ja-ba and many others from the sacred city
had told us that we might go as far into the country
as we chose, even to within one day's journey of the
capital, and stay as long as we wished, provided we
did not try to go to their city of worship, as contact
with Europeans would defile their high priest. Know-
ing that a passport from the Sining Amban or Tartar
General would give us the good-will of the people be-
yond the districts where we ourselves were so well known,
Mr. Eijnhart applied for one, though other travelers
going in from China, scrupulously avoid allowing this
official to know they are going into Tibet, as he would
not permit them to proceed, did he know their inten-
tions. However, our aid to the soldiers and other
wounded during the rebellion, was so much appreciated,
that we felt if any one could procure a passport from
this man we were in a good position to do so. He was
very friendly indeed, but said much as he would like
to help us he had not the power to give us a passport,
because our Chinese ones were only for the Sze Chuan
and Kansu provinces, and advised us that the next pass-
port we applied for at Shanghai or Pekin should be
made out for Kansu and the Tsing-hai or Koko-nor,
and upon it he could then give us one in Tibetan which
would enable us to travel in safety. Mr. Eijnhart then
asked him to give us a letter saying to those who read

TOWARD THE TIBET AX CAPITAL 197

it that we were on a peaceful mission, and that the peo-
ple had nothing to fear from us ; whereupon he replied
that he would gladly do so, but that he could not affix
his official seal, so we refused the letter, knowing that
did we show to the Tibetans a letter purporting to be
from the Amban, and they looked for his seal which
was not there, they would think a lama had written it
and at once conclude we were dishonest, so it would
do more harm than good. However, he said that though
he could not give us a passport or an escort, he had no
power to prevent our going, and added that we might
go where we chose, and stay as long as we wished.

When it became known among the natives that we
intended to make a journey into the interior, our
friends, though they tried to dissuade us, did all in their
power to help us make our preparations. Without
this help we would not have known just how to arrange,
for in a country like Tibet, the natives know how to man-
age transport animals, pack-saddles, hobbles, food, etc.,
better than foreigners do. At this time Eahim was of
inestimable value to us, and forwarded our going as no
other servant could have done, for our journey would
take him in the direction of his home in Ladak, and
he was anxious to see his mother and friends who were
in all probability mourning him as dead. We first de-
cided how many men we would take with us, and then
calculated how much food we would need, and so how
many animals we would have to purchase. We already
knew the danger of having too little food, and Rahim did
not allow us to forget that either, having narrowly
escaped dying from hunger in the far unpopulated in-

198 WITH THE TIBETANS

terior. We did not wish to be at the mercy of petty
chiefs, who might choose to dictate, saying that if we
did not accede to their wishes they wonld not permit
the people to sell us any food, a calamity that had
already befallen travelers among these exclusive nomads.
To avoid being boycotted in the above mentioned way,
we decided to take with us food enough to last us two
years, hoping we would be beyond the border for that
length of time. There were two reasons wiry we did
not take a large caravan. One was our belief that a
small caravan would excite less suspicion and covet-
ousness, and another was the fact that a small caravan
would be more easily managed, requiring fewer serv-
ants to look after it. We would also have less trouble
in looking after them, and further we would not re-
quire such large quantities of supplies. We decided
to take only two men besides Eahim, and would there-
fore need five riding animals and twelve pack-animals.
Besides this we sent some camel-loads ahead to the
Ts'aidam, a Mongol settlement about a month's jour-
ney from Tankar.

Every year a large caravan of Tcopas, who have been
trading on the border and at Pekin, leaves Tankar for
home, and as the roads over the mountains are impas-
sable in winter time, the beginning of the fourth moon
is fixed as the date for starting. In the spring of
1898, this time fell about the middle of May, so all
our plans were laid for leaving at the same time as this
caravan, many of whom we knew very well. Tankar
was a busy place indeed amid all the preparations for
the departure of such an immense caravan, providing

TOWARD THE TIBETAN" CAPITAL 199

animals, food and other things requisite for a journey
of nearly three months. Though the hopas come out
of Tibet with yak, they usually sell these animals on
the border and buy mules for the return journey, fhe
latter commanding a high price in the interior. See-
ing that we expected to stay some time in the Ts'aidam
we did not deem it wise to take mules, since they do
not winter as well there as horses. Besides, we did not
purpose to burden ourselves with grain to feed our ani-
mals, and with mules, grain is indispensable. Until we
had bought the required number of horses, our court-
yard presented oftentimes a peculiar aspect, and it
was laughable to see some of the animals brought to us
for sale by those who thought foreigners did not know
very much about ordinary everyday life and its re-
quirements; there were horses large and small, fat and
lean, diseased and lame, and some with beautiful sad-
dles under which were deep sores. On the borders of
Tibet all bargaining between two persons is done
through a middleman, up whose sleeve the seller puts
his hand, and by the way he grasps the different fingers
of the former's hand, makes known his price; where-
upon the buyer is notified in the same silent and unseen
manner. He then tells the middleman how much he
is willing to give, and so backwards and forwards in
the sleeves the price is arranged. As the business be-
comes brisk, however, the silence is broken, and often
gives way to general confusion. There were pack sad-
dles to be provided for our transport horses, and one
must be careful not to be induced to buy yak saddles,
instead of mule or horse saddles, for they are entirely

200 WITH THE TIBETANS

unsuitable. Pack saddles are made of wood consisting
of two horizontal pieces for sides, joined to each other
over the back of the horse by two rounded pieces, one
in front and one behind, padding, straps and ropes
completing the outfit. Blacksmiths were busy making
iron hobbles — chains with cuffs which are fastened on
the forefeet of one or more horses, and locked, the owner
keeping the key. These are used to prevent the animals
being stolen at night, and are a native invention, while
others woven of wool and yak-hair are used to keep
them from straying too far away when grazing, and to
make the catching of them when wanted an easy mat-
ter. While horses, saddles, ropes, etc., were being got
ready, we had tailors and women making for us all the
Tibetan clothing we might need, and though Chinese
tailors are nuisance enough when sewing for you, they
bear no comparison to Mongolians and Tibetans. Never
had we dreamed of the difficulties of getting garments
made, so many different kinds of workmen were re-
quired; the one who cut could not sew and vice versa,
so a lama made our good cloth gowns, a kopa made up
the pulu, while a Mongol woman made the under-
jackets and collars, putting silk stitching on them.

Little Charlie was well supplied with clothing made
in English style, having, besides a little fur ja-ja, or
sleeveless jacket, a fur cape and shoes, and for cere-
monial occasions, a Tibetan gown and sash. No one
enjoyed the busy time as well as he, for he was carried
around in Eahim's arms during shopping, bargaining,
etc., raising his voice in approbation as the natives be-

TOWARD THE TIBETAN CAPITAL 201

came excited over a transaction, and taking a general
delight in the entire proceedings.

On April 5 we had an interesting visit from the
Kor-luk pei-si, who is, so the Mongols informed us,
the biggest prince in the Wu Ts'aidam, his dominions
lying four days north from Barong, the place through
which caravans go to Lhasa. He was a tall, rather
well built man with the true Mongolian type of face,
well dressed, with a turban of raw dark-red silk wound
in yards around his head. He had about fifty Mongols
with him, including many women, among whom was
the Achi of the prince, but whether she was his wife
or not, we could not clearly find out. The women were
tall, two or three of them young and very good looking,
and all were dressed in new sheepskin with borders
of red cloth around the bottom and up the side. The
right arms hung free from the gowns, displaying under-
jackets of white, with green cloth trimming stitched
in many-colored bright silk thread, while strings of
beads from one earring to the other fell down to the
bosom. A beaten silver wine bottle with screw top, and
amulets hung in front of the gown. The hands were
bedecked with rings set in coral and stones, the head
was crowned with a small hat with white lamb on the
brim, and a red tassel surmounting the peaked crown,
giving a coquettish, graceful air to their persons. They
all enjoyed their visit very much, the peals of laughter
at Charlie, the sewing machine, and some little dolls,
adding to the enjoyment of all. The chief was so
anxious to have a pair of kutsi sewed on the machine,
that he sent a man to the street to bring the cloth, but

202 WITH THE TIBETANS

on his return no one could cut them out, so we gave him
a pair of Mr. Kijnhart's in return for the cloth and
he presented us with a piece of pulu (a piece is usually
ten lengths from the finger tips of one outstretched
arm to those of the other), and a lump of sugar from
India by way of Lhasa. This chief hired for us two
camels to carry loads as far as the Ts'aidam, to be
left with the Dzassak of Barong, each one to carry
240 catties, the two to cost ten taels, worth at that
time seven dollars. That night we worked until mid-
night, sewing bags for grain, and packing two boxes
which contained, among other things, over four hundred
Tibetan Gospels, and three hundred of Mrs. Grimke's
text cards. In the morning early, the Mongols came for
the loads. As usual, there was the regular grumbling
at the weight, a pretence at giving back the money
because the Mongols' scales were lighter than ours, be-
fore finally the camels were gently made to kneel, their
burdens were tied on, and off went the first of our
goods into the, for us, unknown.

As we appreciated the quiet that settled down upon
our courtyard after the bustle of that departure
was over, our hearts had a thankful yet strange
feeling, as we spoke of the kindness the native
chiefs had invariably shown us, and of the fu-
ture with its new friends and surroundings; while
Ani, good old soul, congratulated us on the great saving
these camels would be to our horses as far as the
Ts'aidam. Xothing was too much trouble for her to
do in the way of helping us, and oftentimes tears would
bedim her eves as she looked at me and baby, who

TOWARD THE TIBETAN CAPITAL 203

always laughed at her; perhaps thinking of her loneli-
ness after we were gone, perhaps of the possibility of
our not returning to Tankar, and even of the uncer-
tainty of life in the far interior. My heart sometimes
overflows as I think of the love and tenderness of these
dark-faced women, and wish it were within my power
to do more for them, to bring them out of the condition
in which they live into the liberty which the gospel
brings to woman wherever it is known. But we had
to hurry with more preparations, and by May 20,
we were ready to leave our home, where the greatest
gladness had been ours, where our mail had come to us
regularly, where bright, long-loved blossoms had added
joy and sweetness to our labor of love among the peo-
ple, and launch out into new places away from friends
and associations, as well as the possibility of getting
letters and papers from the homeland. We had
deemed it wise to give up our house, over whose owner-
ship there had been a lawsuit, the result of which
made it unsafe for us to retain it during our absence;
and we rented three rooms in another courtyard where
we stored our sewing machine, some books, and other
things we did not want to take with us, the landlord
promising that we could have the whole house upon our
return. This made it necessary for us to move the
things to be left, at the same time that we were doing
the packing of what we wanted to take, thereby increas-
ing our work.

Our greatest difficulty was the securing of two men
to accompany us on the journey, and for a long time
it seemed as if no one suitable would offer for service,

204 WITH THE TIBETANS

everyone having a sincere fear of perils in the interior,
which had been much augmented by the tales told the
year before by the men of Captain Wellby's expedition.
However, through real friends we secured two men who
could speak Tibetan, Mongolian and Chinese. The
older, named Ja-si, was very dark, tall, neat in his attire,
an earring in his left ear, and a great swagger in his
walk; while he knew everything about ever}d)ody and
every place, and had no fear of going wherever the for-
eign teacher wished him to. The younger, named Ga-
chuen-tsi, was a relative of an old Mongol friend of
ours, and was a short, fat-faced, laughing boy of twenty-
two, always happy, except when Ja-si, of whom he
stood in awe, influenced him. Of the three we liked
him best, his disposition was so bright. Eahim, who
was a sort of overseer, was an adept at dealing with
Tibetans from the interior, Ja-si had had a Fan-tsi
wife, and so was perfect in his manner towards them,
while Ga-chuen-tsi was more at ease with the Mongols,
which probably accounted for his cheerful, smooth
manner. We provided them all with clothing and bed-
ding, as usual, giving the relatives of the two men we
had just hired a portion of their wages, which were to
be four taels a month with the understanding that if
we sent them back, we were to give them each a horse
to ride and food, with a gun if they served us well, all
of which was duly put into an agreement signed by
pao-ren, " security."

Our supply of food was mostly native and consisted
of the following:

616 catties

490

a

150

u

300

a

140

a

40

a

40

(C

20

u

TOWARD THE TIBETAN" CAPITAL 205

Tsamba (barley meal).

Wheat flour.

Kua mien (vermicelli).

Rice.

Barley.

Butter.

Brick Tea.

Sugar.

Besides these native supplies we had some stores in-
tended mainly for Charlie, such as milk, sago, tapioca,
cornstarch, arrowroot, oatmeal, etc., with some meat
extract and soups. The grain, flour, and rice were put
into bags made of white drilling, inside coarse native
woolen sacks, just the size to constitute one half a load.
The Icua mien, stores and goods for bartering, were
put into boxes, the latter consisting of buttons, needles,
silk, silver and gold thread, cloth, Tchatas, otter fur and
boots. Our drugs, clothing, bedding, instruments, books
and sundries constituted the remainder of the loads,
except the tents, of which we had two, one small,
very warm white one, and one large dark blue one, with
iron tent-pegs for each. Such was our equipment when
the last bale was put up and we were on the eve of
leaving the gates of Tankar.

CHAPTEE XII

FAREWELL TO TANKAR

Leaving Faithful Friends — Our Caravan Moves Off —
Through the Grass Country to the Desert — Two Mon-
gol Guides.

With the help of our two men, our preparations
were nearly all complete at daybreak on the twentieth
of May. There remained yet one horse to buy, and
for that of course, we had to pay double price, as every-
body knew we were in a hurry. After breakfast the
last remains of our housekeeping at Tankar, the big
pots, were removed from our clay range and taken over
to the storehouse which we had rented for two years.
Mr. Eijnhart and Mr. Uang, a Chinese merchant from
the eastern gate, proceeded, as a final precaution against
thieves, to seal up the doors and windows. Mr. and
Mrs. Uang were both profuse in their demonstrations
of kindness and solicitude for our welfare, the latter,
just before our departure, bringing us a delicious, re-
freshing dish of home-made mien. Other friends fol-
lowed with gifts of various kinds, principally food stuffs
to be used on the road. Ani and Doma, their eyes moist
with tears, attentive to the very last and unwilling to
yield to any in the matter of bestowing mementos,

206

FAREWELL TO TANKAR 207

brought us a set of artistically woven straps with which
to fasten the chopsticks to our girdles. One by one the
horses were saddled and led out into the street where
many willing hands were waiting to adjust the loads.
All along the street the gateways were filled with women
and children who had come out to watch the unusual
scene. No greater interest could have been manifested
if we had been high officials or great Buddhist digni-
taries leaving on an important mission or pilgrimage
to some distant shrine.

As soon as all the animals were loaded the caravan
began to move slowly toward the western gate, and
within a few moments seventeen of our ponies and our
three men disappeared from view. Mr. Rijnhart and I
remained behind, knowing that we could easily overtake
them, while dear old faithful Ani brought us one more
pot of hot tea, of which we partook with full hearts.
Then we visited once more each room of the home to
which we had become so attached, as if we had a sort
of half unconscious presentiment that we would for a
long time, and perhaps never, enter it again. As the
term for which our rent was paid had not yet expired,
we locked the door with a key the landlord had given
us, much to the chagrin of his opponent in the law-
suit, who stood ready to rush in the moment we were
gone, and claim the house on the principle that " pos-
session is nine-tenths of the law." Then taking an
affectionate farewell of our Chinese friends, many of
whom we had learned to love sincerely, and followed by
the more demonstrative Tibetans and Mongols, men,
women and children, we sadly marched toward the great

208 WITH THE TIBETANS

gate which all the time we were dreading, as we realized
more vividly at every step how many devoted friends it
would shut away from us. One man carried baby, and
all remarked how white the little hands looked around
his dark neck. Doma rushed away crying, the last
good-byes were said at the city gate and we sped to
overtake our caravan. Such a heart wrench! We
scarcely realized the bond there was between us and
the natives until we came to part, and then how the
tears flowed ! The future was veiled, or we might have
hesitated — it would have been but human — and stayed
indefinitely in dear old Tankar.

Never had the country around about seemed so beau-
tiful. Vegetable gardens and harvest fields were green ;
the hills presented a different shade of the same re-
freshing color, and the river was bright and shimmering
in the distance. A blue haze hung over the mountain
tops which beckoned us on, holding out to us hopes of
brightness in the new fields of labor we would reach
in the regions beyond, which would, in a measure, com-
pensate for the sorrowful partings of the day. Suddenly
our thoughts were snatched from the future to the pres-
ent by our coming in sight of one of our horses which,
violently objecting to his load, finally succeeded in
kicking it off, and smashing the saddle. This horse
afterwards became Ja-si's, as he would never allow a
load to be put on his back, but was as docile as a child
when ridden. The experience of that day was that of
every caravan on the first day of its march; there was
the usual trouble with the horses and almost endless
readjusting of baggage and saddles.

FAEEWELL TO TANKAK 209

Skirting the Hsi-ho we passed the Tsa-ta-si, where
lived the lama who had made some of our clothing, and
reached at 5 :30 the village of Pa-uen-chuan-tsi, on the
opposite side of the river, approached by a cantilever
bridge. Here we pitched our tents which G-a-chuen-tsi
endeavored to make look as gorgeous as possible, as his
people lived in the village and he wished to present a
good appearance. We had a time of feasting and an-
other series of good-byes accompanied with presents
of potatoes, cakes, bread and milk, with peas and straw
for our horses. This is the very last cultivated land,
all the country beyond being tsao-ti or grass country.

As we were to spend Sunday at G-omba Soba* with
friends, we started next morning and in a short time
reached the lamasery, the same one we sneaked past on
our proposed visit to the lake with Ishinima in 1895. I
may say in passing that the lamasery is rightly located
by Mr. W. W. Eockhill in his " Land of the Lamas "
and that Capt. Wellby is quite wrong in his attempt to
correct him. Here was the home of Tsanga-Fuyeh,
the biggest " living buddha " in the lamasery, who had
been so instrumental in securing friends for us through
recommending us as doctors, and the dear old man came
to our tent to visit us accompanied by his young lama
acolyte, bringing a parcel of sultanas and a hhata. He
warned us about robbers and passes, and exhorted us to
hurry back to Tankar before he died, that he might
see us again in this life. He also gave us a beautiful
tsamba basin, and a horse already saddled. In appre-

* This lamasery is also known as Gomba Soma. " Soma," and in some
districts " Soba" is the word for "new" and "Gomba" means " lam-
asery."

210 WITH THE TIBETANS

ciation of his courtesy we gave him a feather pillow,
which he thought was a most wonderful invention. For
a while he seemed utterly to lose himself in the delight
of shaking it up and down till it swelled to its utmost
limit, then sitting on it and reducing it again. Pei-
Fuyeh, a " living buddha " of the same rank, had his
treasurer living at G-omba Soba, and this man, who
had long been a friend of ours, brought us a large lump
of loaf sugar, a parcel of dates and a little enamel
pitcher for Charlie. Sunday evening a party of travel-
ers camped beside us, consisting of the wife and young
son of a Wang-yeh of the Mongols, another Mongol
woman with her little girl, and three men. They had
nineteen mules and horses and invited us to travel with
them. The two children were about twelve years of
age, dressed in cloth, the boy's clothing having a pre-
dominance of yellow indicating his rank. They were
betrothed, and were being taken to Lhasa to worship
and be blessed by the Dalai Lama before entering life
together. It was refreshing to see them enjoy play, and
rather pitiful to see them tied by their feet to the stir-
rups when about to ford rivers, for fear of a dizziness
overcoming them, causing them to fall off. The bo}^s
mother was intelligent, well dressed and very clean,
even washing her teeth, though her finger was her only
brush.

The kopas broke camp before daylight, traveling a
few hours and then allowing their animals the whole
day to graze. Although we did not start with them
each morning, yet we always overtook them and were
camped alongside them every day. The Mongol women

FAREWELL TO TANKAR 211

would invite me and Charlie into their tent to rest
and drink tea, while their men would help us to unload
our animals and pitch our tents. Natives are adepts
at selecting beautiful camping spots, and when we
would see the encampments of the ho pas in the dis-
tance, the white tents of various size and shape with
hundreds of horses and mules grazing about, the lux-
uriant grass and low rolling hills, the poetry of it all
struck responsive chords in our hearts. Late in the after-
noon the men from the various tents went out and
drove in their mules and horses, to receive their appor-
tionment of split peas. How tame some of the mules
were, going up to the tent doors and sniffing about,
and asking in as plain a manner as possible for food.
By and by they were tethered and saddled ready for
the morning, then the men gathered about drinking
their tea, and, as dusk settled down near us all, their
voices were heard from near and far chanting prayers,
accompanied by the ringing of bells. Then quiet
reigned and everyone slept well.

The average march the first days was twelve miles,
our road going through a wide valley, then along the
Hsi-ho for ten miles, crossing a tributary and on for
thirty miles, where we camped on the northwest corner
of a little lake, really a bay, cut off from the Koko-nor
by drifting sand, and called Baga-nor. The country
was on the whole grassy and well watered, affording
the nomads good pasturage. Many Mongol tents were
dotted on either side of the road in the sheltered places
and wherever the green fodder was most plentiful.
Some Tibetans were also camped near the streams that

212 WITH THE TIBETAN'S

flowed into the Koko-nor. Crossing the Balema gol,
we camped again on the shores of the Koko-nor, next
da}' crossed the Iki Olan, probably the same as is called
Ulen Muren by Rockhill, though the latter name the
natives do not seem to know at all. On Sunday, much
to our regret, we were obliged to part with the ho pas,
they going on at their usual early hour, and we re-
maining behind to rest for the day. The people from
the tents of the nomads in the neighborhood came
about us freely, and we did some doctoring, for which
we got a fat sheep. We also gave away some Tibetan
Scriptures and text-cards. No missionary had ever
been in this locality before. The next stage of our
journey led us through one of the supposed robber dis-
tricts, and we did not feel any too comfortable when
we saw that we were being spied by four men ; suddenly
they disappeared over a hill, and after a little while
reappeared over another hill near the road, heavily
armed. On seeing our men ready with their rifles to
defend our stuff, they rode up, asked a few simple
questions and passed on. Shortly afterward we met the
chief of the Wortug Tibetans who had a large cara-
van, and he said the four men were robbers. We
crossed the bed of the Buha gol, the most important
river in the district, although we found it nearly dn%
and camped on one of its tributaries. Here we saw
large herds of kiang or wild mules, called by the Chi-
nese ie mah or wild horses. They are not more than
fourteen hands in height, and are beautifully colored,
light brown on the back, gradually fading into white
on the belly. They have long ears and tails like an

FAREWELL TO TANKAR 213

ordinary mule, are always found in herds and families,
and, when trotting or galloping, go in single file. The
animals were exceedingly bold, coming quite near our
tents and mingling with our horses. They are orna-
mental rather than useful, the Tibetans in vain hav-
ing tried to tame them for domestic use.

In this spot where the grass was so good we halted
for a rest, and Rahim provided us with a most refresh-
ing repast in the shape of twelve fishes which he had
caught with his hands in the stream. A Tibetan came
two days' journey offering us a large piece of green
denim in exchange for medicine. He had heard from
other Tibetans that some wonderful doctors were pass-
ing through, and did not want to miss an opportunity
of consulting us.

The next part of the road took us through a part
of the country with poor grass, and over a pass, at the
top of which was a large obo, a heap of stones, with
prayer-flags flying from the top. On nearly all the
passes these obos are to be found. In all probability
they were originally intended simply as landmarks to
point out the road, as smaller mud ones are still in use
for that purpose; but the mountain obos have long
since taken on a religious significance. Whenever the
natives reach the oho at the top of a difficult pass they
all dismount, each throws a stone on the heap, and pass-
ing to the right of it, all join in chanting their grati-
tude to the god of the mountain for helping them to
ascend. We have frequently seen our men observe this
somewhat romantic ceremony, and' they were much per-
plexed that we did not follow their example. All that

214 WITH THE TIBETANS

day we searched in vain for water, and, when emerging
from a valley, rejoiced to behold a sparkling lake, but
it turned out to be the Tala-dabesun-nor, a salt lake,
nearly dry. Deviating from our direct southwesterly
route, we found good grass and fresh water about eight
miles north of the lake, and learned that the apparent
drought was caused by the natives having drained off
all the water for the purpose of irrigation. This dis-
trict would be wealthy but for an inroad of southern
Tibetans probably from across the Yellow Eiver, who
drove off 50,000 head of cattle and sheep at one sweep,
reducing the entire settlement to poverty. Knowing
that we were nearing a marsh and that our trail was
not any too distinct, we hired two Mongols, and, as is
the custom in this part, paid their wages in advance
to a middleman, a native doctor, who stood as guaran-
tee for the good conduct and fidelity of the men. They
were to take us to Barong. We learned that the Tala-
dabesun-nor is called thus to distinguish it from Serkin
Dabesun-nor; the former belongs to Tsing hai Wang's
district, the latter to the Korluk Bei-si district.

The two Mongols were types, one of them an old
man, thin, sharp featured, and very talkative and agree-
able, the other a lama who had a wife whom he had
stolen from another man near Barong. Therefore he
was anxious not to pass through her native settlement.
He was young, round-faced, with shaven head, and kept
to himself, counting beads, and burning scapulae to
see what fortune had in store. Whenever he saw peo-
ple, he disappeared so as not to be seen by them for
fear, we presumed, of being recognized. Our Mongols

■^%-

FAREWELL TO TANKAR 215

at first insisted upon going a southern road to Barong,
saying it was shorter and there was not so much dan-
ger of being lost in the marsh; but fearing the sudden
appearance of marauding bands of Tibetans from south
of the Yellow River, we decided upon the northern
road. This road led up towards a pass named Shara
Kuto, and when about ten miles from the top we
stopped where there was good grass, and water flowed
in a small stream intermittently; one moment there
was water and the next moment there was none. The
people there were well-to-do, the women wearing their
sheepskins in the early morning, and when the sun
grew warmer putting on their pulu gowns. I felt sorry
for one poor young woman who had the Mongol head-
dress, and upon asking her how that came, she replied
that she was a Mongol whom a Tibetan had secured for
a wife. The morality of the people just here was at a
lower ebb than in many other places, the women espe-
cially acting, even in our presence, in an unseemly
manner. Next day we were much refreshed by seeing
evergreen trees, the first trees of any kind we had seen
since the day we left home, and we were also rejoiced
to camp on level ground on the southern bank of the
Dulan gol, in sight of the Dulan Si on the opposite side
of the river, while to the northeast was the Tsahan-
nor, a small lake hidden from sight in its sheltered
spot enclosed by three hills. Dulan Kao is a very small
cluster of houses, composed mostly of lamas' homes and
the residence of the prince of the Tsing hai, all built
of mud brick surrounded by walls. The trail on the
north bank of the river is covered with stones, but Mr.

216 WITH THE TIBETANS

Kijnhart and Eahim pursued that road while our cara-
van stayed on the south, crossing later and camping on
the north bank, where there was good grass, and plenty
of the most bloodthirsty mosquitoes. Dulan Kao as well
as being the capital of the wang-yeli's dominions seemed
also to be just inside the boundary of the mosquito dis-
trict, for the Mongols had told us blood-curdling tales
of those pests when we passed the village, and we found
them only too true.

We were now facing the famous marsh, where travel
was impossible unless along narrow trails, which were
often not to be found except by the help of the guides.
The northeast part of the plain was cultivated, wa-
tered by irrigation ditches ; the southern was the marsh
which we found quite dry along the trail, and only had
difficulty once crossing a small stream, although our
Mongols assured us that had it not been dry weather
we might have found it impassable. There were two
lakes in this large plain, between which our road lay;
the larger one was Serkin Dabesun-nor, the western
half of which was dry salt and saltpetre. It receives its
water supply from the Katsa gol flowing from Dulan-
nor, and another stream from the west. The Dulan
nor is fed by the Dulan gol which flows past Dulan
Kao. After passing the marsh we halted about a mile
north of the Timurte mountains and south of the
Dabesun-nor, where we came across a camp recently
occupied by the kopas. Here we found only brackish
water. Our route continued in a south southwest di-
rection, mountain ranges on either side of us, at first

FAREWELL TO TANKAR 217

of dolerite, then pudding stone, changing finally into
sand-hills, some of them very high.

The sand-hills marked the beginning of the desert
of Koko beileh, too barren to support any population,
but roamed over by herds of kiang and antelopes.
When we came within sight of the bed of the Tsa-tsan
gol which was then dry, the load fell off one of our
horses, and the animal exulting in the unexpected free-
dom, scampered away in the direction of home. As
we sat by the roadside waiting until Rahim should bring
him back, the guides told us there was water around the
corner of the last hill to the right directly away from
the road. When the pony was caught and his load re-
adjusted we crossed the river bed where the road was
not recognizable, and reached Talin Turgen, where we
found a basin of bad water on the side of a hill, but
abundance of grass and mosquitoes. While we were
striking camp the next morning six deer suddenly
darted from the underbrush near us, followed shortly
afterwards by a bear. We were all mounted, so no at-
tention was paid to the deer, but Rahim asked per-
mission to have a shot at bruin, which being
granted he started in pursuit, followed by such re-
marks from the older Mongol as " No good will come
of it. Those animals are not to be touched/' We saw
the boy in the distance dismount and tie his horse to
some brush, when the bear returned, as we afterwards
saw, for her cub, whereupon the Mongol jumped off
his horse, got his gun ready for firing, saying, " He is
coming, he is coming; we will all be killed/' and then
told us a story of eight men who had been killed by

218 WITH THE TIBETANS

a bear because one of them had attacked him. Just
as Mr. Eijnhart was starting to Eahim's rescue, the
two bears turned and made off with rapid strides to-
wards the hills. Eahim's horse had run away and he
came towards us, his eyes full of fear, and told us how
the " wild man " (the Chinese and some Mongols call
bears ie-ren, wild men) had stood up and looked at
him, and how having fired all his cartridges he took
his sword in his hand and crept away. He never
wanted to shoot a bear afterwards. The old Mongol
carried a scar as a result of the episode, for in dis-
mounting quickly, his gun had struck his head and
made a deep gash. He took some of the tinder ( scorched
edelweiss, a fluffy vegetable) and put it in the wound
to stop the bleeding.

We were glad to find a pleasant camping ground to
the right of the road on the banks of the Sulim gol in
which was the best water we had for days and along
whose banks our horses found good green grass. Here
our lama-guide deserted us, taking off with him the
pot and food the two of them expected to use on their
return journey. Ergetsu, the next camp, was an
oasis in the desert, there being good water and grass,
but the march the day following was through weari-
some sand dunes until we passed the Shara gol, where
our second guide deserted us. Happily we found good
water, but were again nearly eaten up by mosquitoes.
Erom this pest a piece of fine netting saved baby and
me, while Mr. Eijnhart kept a smoky fire all the time
in the other tent; while traveling we wore hliatas
sewed into veils. After passing the Tso gol springs

FAREWELL TO TANKER 219

we lost our way and went on and on through a very wide
dry river bed, in the bottom of which there had recently
been running water, but which was now covered only
with red earth. Towards dusk a small party of Mon-
gols, who had been farming over the hills and who
were moving their encampment to Barong, stopped be-
side us. They told us that the dry river bed was that
of the Bayan gol, in crossing which Rockhill had ex-
perienced such difficulty owing to the mud. At their
kind invitation we followed the Mongols to their camp
along a road which led through a brushwood thicket
in which bloomed an abundance of flowers resembling
spirea, except that they were pink. How gladly we
plucked them, for we had not seen a flower since leaving
Tankar. The Mongol women decked their hair with
them, and seemed to rejoice with us that the desert
and all its barrenness was past and we were again in
the midst of flowing water, green grass and fresh food.

CHAPTEE XIII

IN THE TS'AIDAM.

The Ts'aidam and its People — Polyandry and Cruelty
to the Aged — The Dzassak of Barong — Celebration
of Baby's Birthday — Missionary Prospects.

We had now arrived in the Ts'aidam, a large plain
some six hundred miles from east to west lying north
of the Kuenlun Mountains. It is called Wu Ts'aidam
by the Chinese (Wu means five) because it is divided
into five states, Taichiner, Korluk, Ivoko, Dsun and
Barong. The small district of Shang east of Barong
is also usually included in the Ts'aidam, although po-
litically it is distinct. It was given by the Mongol
princes to the Dalai Lama and is governed b}^ a rep-
resentative from Trashil'unpo who is changed every
five years. The other states are governed under the
authority of the Sining Amban by Mongol princes,
each of whom receives annually a government grant of
from one hundred taels and four pieces of satin, to
twelve hundred taels and eight pieces of satin. The
satin is called mangtuan, being of a special design orna-
mented with yellow dragons and used exclusively by the
chiefs, and to adorn temples. It is worth from twelve
to twenty taels a piece, according to the quality. The

220

IN THE TS'AIDAM 221

population of the five states is estimated at from 8,000
to 16,000, for the most part Western Mongols, but
among them are found many Eastern Mongol lamas
who are here allowed to have wives, a privilege which
is denied them in Inner Tibet or Mongolia. The
Ts'aidam Mongols, as far as we were able to ascertain,
practise polyandry, and marriages are often arranged
for a limited length of time. It is not uncommon for
traders, Chinese, Mongolian or Tibetan, to secure wives
for a certain period of time, perhaps six months, a
year or two years, and when they go to their own homes
again, the children are left with the so-called wife. As
a rule the Chinese look down upon the very loose mar-
riage laws prevailing among these nomads, but in
Tankar a respectable Chinese woman told me that
Chinamen often rented or leased their wives to other
men for a time varying from one day to several years.
Though this may be done in that locality I have no
idea that it is a usual occurrence in China, and is prob-
ably a custom born of contact with the nomads. There
is another thing which stamps the inhabitants of the
Ts'aidam very low in the scale of civilization and hu-
manity, and reveals their need of the socially uplifting
influence of Christianity, and that is their treatment of
the aged. In many cases the old people as soon as they
are no longer able to work are ejected from the house
or tent, and compelled to eke out their remaining days
in a cave or on a dunghill, where they soon succumb
from exposure or lack of nourishment. For most cases
of such treatment the daughter-in-law is responsible.
Almost immediately upon entering the home she as-

222 WITH THE TIBETANS

sumes a tyrannical authority over her husband's pa-
rents, making it exceedingly uncomfortable for them,
denying them the necessities of life, and never ceasing
until in exasperation her husband is goaded on to the
cruel deed. Many of the natives speaking with us on
this matter, said how much better it was to have
daughters than sons, for the parents who had daughters
only, would not run the same risk of being cast off in
their helplessness at the instigation of a daughter-in-
law. In strong contrast to the treatment of the aged
by the Ts'aidam Mongols is the filial piety of the Chi-
nese, which is occasionally carried to excess, the old
people being allowed the role of tyrant, sometimes
beating their grown-up sons and daughters severely
with no resentment or retaliation from the latter.

The Mongols are exceedingly polite in their way.
When two strangers meet they hold out both hands with
the palms turned upward, and make a graceful bow ut-
tering the salutation Amur sa-mbina. A present is ac-
knowledged simply by holding it up to the forehead; they
have no words to express thanks. Their religion is as
conspicuous as their politeness. While attending to
their daily duties, whether drawing water, tending the
flocks, gathering argols, churning butter, or whatever
it may be, they never cease to mumble prayers. Be-
sides this, each settlement supports a number of lamas
who are engaged to chant for them, and thus assist
them in the accumulation of merit. These Mongols
seemed quite averse to accepting the copies of the Gos-
pels in Tibetan which we offered them, but the Jcopas,
who were then trading in the district through which

IN THE TS'AIDAM 223

we passed, took them with great eagerness and apparent
pleasure. Most of the Mongols here are nomads, al-
though they do some farming, raising all the barley
they require. Whether they engage in agriculture or
are pure nomads they must pay a certain tithe of their
income in taxes to their chief. They dwell in tents;
the houses which compose the villages are of a very in-
ferior order and are used mostly as storerooms. The
village of Barong, the home of the dzassak, or chief, is
composed of a few mud-brick dwellings and is situated
about eight miles from the foot of the Kuenlun moun-
tains. The food of the Mongols here is the same as
that of the Tibetans, and like the latter they make wine,
and also a sort of koumiss from mare's milk.

They are good-natured, simple, cowardly enough to
be afraid of the Tibetans, and proverbially honest,
though from experience we found it best not to trust
them implicitly. The spot where we were encamped
was rather low ground, and in the center of a large
encampment of Mongols, very near to some of their
tents. The grass was excellent as was also the water,
and considerable underbrush stretched about us. When
it rained the place was turned into a veritable mud-
hole, the ground being of a sort of clay formation, and
various ditches had to be dug to keep the water from
our tents and fire. Our camel loads of goods sent on
from Tankar in advance had arrived safely, and were
in the hands of the Barong dzassak, but being in need
of rest for both ourselves and our animals, we stayed
in our first camping place for a few days, employing
our time in bartering and chatting with the natives.*

224 WITH THE TIBETANS

and in writing letters. We feasted on fresh meat, milk
and butter, but had to be careful that we did not unin-
tentionally buy butter made of camel's milk, which the
natives offered for sale. Cattle were very scarce in
this locality, owing partly to the plague which had
carried off thousands of them, and partly to the inroads
of the G-oloks, the mortal enemies of the Mongols, and
of whom the latter are desperately afraid. Young girls
and women came to see me frequently, bringing butter
to barter for silk and gold thread. They were dressed
for the most part in long pulu garments with little
jackets underneath, their hair done either in many
plaits fastened with cloth at the back or divided into
two larger plaits, one on each side, enveloped in a broad
band of black cloth or velvet, embroidered with thread
or beads, going down underneath the girdle to almost
the bottom of the gown. The married women had the
latter custom. A profusion of beads of different colors
adorned their persons, which were very dirty indeed,
and it took our utmost care to keep the population of
our tents from increasing to an alarming degree.

Our horses were already weary from their long march,
and to spare them we decided to hire camels to trans-
port our goods to the dzassak's camp, a half day's jour-
ney distant. One needs a liberal supply of patience to
deal with Mongols, who are sharp, calculating and so
changeable that it is difficult to keep them to a bargain
after it has been made. Two of them having inspected
our loads and having received the required number of
Icliatas in prepayment for their services, returned next
morning with an insufficient number of camels, and

IN THE TS'AIDAM 225

one of those they did bring could not carry a heavy
load. They also failed to bring any ropes or pads to
go underneath the loads. A lively time ensued and
finally Mr. Eijnhart told them plainly our horses would
not carry one atom of our stuff, that the camels had
been paid for in order that our animals might
have a rest. Our men then counted our ropes
and watched the loads, and amidst much grum-
bling from the Mongols, packing and loading was fin-
ished and off we went. The aspect of the country was
bleak, almost like a desert, at last settling down into
a very level plain, upon which in the distance we saw
hundreds of tents. The two boys drove our horses on
happy without any loads, while Eahim rode alongside
of us. Baby and all thoroughly enjoyed the air and
sunshine. We chose a pretty camping ground near a
stream of water, in the midst of blue iris, about one
hundred yards from the tents of the dzassalc of Barong,
from whose tent two men immediately came to help
us pitch ours. Taking Eahim and baby with us, for
we never considered it wise to leave the little fellow
with the servants when we were both away, we went to
give the dzassalc the presents and find out from him
about the loads which the Korluk Bei-si had left in his
care for us. From what Eockhill had said in his
" Land of the Lamas " we expected to find this man
both polite and kind, especially as our presents, which
were very valuable, were made to him and to his wife,
the Mongols of Tankar having advised us to seek the
latter's influence. On reaching the door of the tent
we were welcomed only by inferiors, and saw sitting

226 WITH THE TIBETANS

upon some rugs a man of about thirty-seven years of
age, dressed in a dark bine cloth gown, and a little cir-
cular Chinese hat, his face very fat, having by no means
an attractive expression. He had not risen to receive
us, thereby committing an almost unpardonable breach
of politeness, one to which we were unaccustomed, but
which we knew was calculated to give us an exalted
opinion of his dignity. We bowed and seated ourselves
upon rugs provided for us, while the women gave us
tea in china basins into which a piece of butter and
some tsamba had previously been put; we were also
served some bread fried in fat, and hong-tsao-er, a dried
Chinese fruit. The tent was a large round one made
of felt with lattice work on the sides and a hole in the
center to emit the smoke from the fire immediately
beneath in a round clay fireplace, with the pot resting
on an iron tripod. Rugs covered the floor around the
sides, and boxes were piled high, giving an air of af-
fluence not found in ordinary tents. The chief had a
little wooden bed six inches high that he used in order
to avoid getting rheumatism, which disease, according
to Chinese doctors, comes from the earth. On either
side of him sat a lama, one of them apparently en-
grossed in praying, but really hearing and seeing every-
thing that was going on. The chief's wife and little
daughter sat in the opposite side of the tent from us,
and though we had expected to see the former clean
and well dressed, she was neither, being quite indis-
tinguishable from other Mongol women as far as her
attire was concerned. Women of various ages crowded
the tent, several men were sitting near the door, which

IN THE TS'AIDAM 227

was itself filled with heads. There is no such dignity
found among these nomad chiefs as among Chinese
mandarins, for the poorest man can go into the chief's
tent and be given tea, while a bargain or a business
transaction is being discussed. The chief told us our
goods had come, and that he would go over to the vil-
lage on the morrow with Mr. Kijnhart to get them.
As we were about to leave he arose and accompanied
us to the door, bowing there and watching us depart;
an old woman held a big, ferocious dog until we were
beyond danger and we sauntered slowly to our tent,
glad to be once more in the sweet sunshine out of doors.
He came over next day and brought us several pounds
of fresh, moderately clean yellow butter, some cliurma,
and a big fat sheep. We were not in need of any favors
or kindness from him, but he had evidenty decided that
we were people to be cultivated, or perhaps he con-
cluded that as we expected to stay for some time it
would pay him to be agreeable. The weather during
the stay was delightful; the grassy plains stretched
on all sides where were tents innumerable with flocks
and herds ; towards the south we could see the Nomoran
and Burh'an Bota passes in the Kuenlun mountains, be-
yond which lay our goal. Near our tent a ground bird
had her nest of five eggs hidden among the iris. How
we enjoyed her, for birds, with the exception of hawks
and ravens, had been very scarce.

Our boys had had turns at being cook, and
while one of them would do his best with the
viands, the second would look after Charlie, and
the third would serve as a body servant and tend

228 WITH THE TIBETANS

the horses in the morning and evening. The chief
supplied us with fuel to make bread, and had
his men bring firewood from some distance away, which
was mostly roots dug out of the sand. Bread-making
was an event of great importance. We had a beaten
brass pot ten inches in diameter, over which a lid fitted
closely lapping down an inch. Into this our bread was
put and the pot was then buried in the fire of dried
cow- dung, care being taken that it was not too hot.
Fruitcake can be made in these pots, and many other
very palatable kinds of cake and buns, provided always
the ingredients are at hand, and plenty of fuel, which
we sometimes found difficult to get. About our so-
journ of three weeks in the Ts'aidam cluster sweet
memories, for there our little family had the last quiet
time together in sunny weather, without one cloud of
worry or unrest to dampen the thorough enjoyment.
The outstanding event was the celebration on the 30th
of June of baby's birthday. In preparation for the
day a birthday cake was made of flour, sugar, butter
and sultanas, and the chief was invited to come over
to help eat " foreign cake." In the morning the Mon-
gols were surprised to hear the guns which were fired
in honor of our little son, while each of our servants
was still more surprised when called and presented with
a gift. How thoroughly baby enjoyed those days, when
he made the tents ring with joyousness from his musical
laughter, his shouts and the beating of our Russian
brass wash-basin which he used as a drum. Then from
sheer weariness he would fall asleep, leaving the camp

m THE TS'AIDAM 229

pervaded by a stillness, made sweet by the fact that
he was still there.

The chief came to our tent very often, and we did
some trading with him. We had some rice that we
wished to barter for sheep and he was anxious to have
it, so of course no one else dared to make an offer, for
he always has the pre-eminence in matters of trade, and
frequently must have his share of the profits of a good
bargain made by members of his tribe. We found him
contemptibly mean, wanting to use small weight scales,
cheat us on the price, always begging us to " add a
little," the common request of a Chinese purchaser,
when anything is being weighed or measured out to
him. We would not have been so surprised at this
man's character had we previously seen W. W. Eock-
hill's account of his second journey, upon which he and
his old friend, the dzassah, had about a similar experi-
ence to that which we had had. Poor Dowe, RockhilFs
guide in 1889, came to grief through his highly prized
revolver, for he was exiled in Shang, his flocks and
herds having been confiscated by the chief and he him-
self disgraced. While he was on his way to Tankar,
he had some trouble with a young servant, during
which he threatened to shoot the latter, and drawing
the revolver fired it, though some of the Mongols said
it was unintentional. However, he killed the man and
the family of the deceased demanded the payment of
indemnity and the dzassah left Dowe a poor man,
though he himself no doubt profited by his steward's
misfortune. When we were there Dowe was almost
blind and living in Shang, but had managed to collect

230 WITH THE TIBETANS

a few sheep and cattle together. An old trader from
Tankar who was in the Ts'aidam during the summer
was a frequent visitor at our tent. He had accom-
panied the Chinese official who had been sent to investi-
gate the murder of Dutrueil de Ehins, the French
traveler who had been killed by the K'amba in 1894.
He was near us there in connection with the wool trade,
and would be returning to Tankar in August. To him
we gave our letters, addressed to our friends at home,
and he said he would either send them with some one
reliable who would be going before him, or he would
take them himself to Mr. TTang, the merchant at the
east gate, who had frequently carried or sent letters to
Sining for us. These letters with good news, did not
reach Canada until after the letters from me announcing
the great calamity that befel us later on our journey.
While in the Ts'aidam we provided ourselves with fifty
catties of butter and eleven sheep for use on the road
south, expecting not to see people again for a month.
This bartering made us thankful that we were not de-
pendent upon these Mongols for our t samba, as the
price demanded was very large and it took a long time
to come to terms with them at all, they are so change-
able. They are also great cowards, and succeeded in
infusing into the minds of our two men fears of the
journey beyond, dilating on the passes and rivers, espe-
cially the robbers who would be sure to prey upon us.
Having ascertained that a party of Eastern Mongols
were passing through the Ts'aidam on their way to
Lhasa and TrashiFunpo, we proposed to leave two days
after them, because we knew there was a possibility of

IN THE TS'AIDAM 231

our missing the trail in the places where it was not
distinct. A young lama camped in a small white tent
beside the dzassak's was going to Lhasa with the Mon-
gols, and through him we learned when the caravan
would leave, and made our preparations accordingly.

One of our reasons for staying so long in the
Ts'aidam was to acquaint ourselves with the possibil-
ities of missionary work among the nomads, and after
looking over the ground we came to the following con-
clusion: A mission could be successfully carried on
in the Ts'aidam during the summertime, the workers
returning to Tankar for the winter. To inspire confi-
dence it would be wise for those engaged in mission
work to do a little trading, otherwise the natives would
suppose they got their living by magic. There is no
doubt that with suitable men a good work in the dis-
tribution of Gospels could also be done, and the fact
that so many travelers from Lhasa pass through the
district would give the mission a wide influence.

CHAPTER XIV.

UNPOPULATED DISTRICTS.

Crossing the Kuenlun Mountains — " Buddha's Caul-
dron"— Marshes and Sand-hills — Dead Yak Strew
the Trail— Ford of the Shuga Col— Our Guides De-
sert Us — Snow Storm on the Koko-Shilis — We Meet
a Caravan — The Beginning of Sorrows.

The Kuenlun mountain range stretches across Tibet
from west to east at about thirty-six degrees latitude,
and practically forms the northern limit of the unex-
plored Tibetan territory lying west of ninety-three de-
grees longitude. The range is also the southern boun-
dary of the Ts'aidam, and the natives furthermore look
upon it as the line of demarcation between comfortable
and dangerous traveling from Tankar to Xagch'uk'a.
Once the traveler gets south of the Kuenluns, they say,
he is certain to encounter dangers formidable in the
shape of passes, rivers and brigands. Rockhill states
that this mountain range south of the Ts'aidam has no
name, and Prjevalski calls it Burh'an Bota (Buddha's
Cauldron), but in this the latter is mistaken, for that
is the name, not of the range, but of one of the passes.
Like every other caravan on its way to Inner Tibet,
we had rested long in the Ts'aidam and gathered.

232

UNPOPULATED DISTEICTS 233

strength for the ascent and crossing of Burn' an Bota,
and other high passes on the road, which on account
of the scarcity of pasture, and the great altitude, tax
to the utmost the traveling capacity of both man and
beast. We learned from the lama previously men-
tioned that travelers often congregate on the very edge
of the Ts'aidam plains because there is grass, and the
animals are allowed to have a good feed; for immedi-
ately at the foot of the pass, where another halt is al-
ways made before the ascent is attempted, the grass is
very poor. The morning after our lama's tent was miss-
ing from its position beside the dzassak's, we left the
latter' s proximity and made our way to the last halting
place north of the mountains.

I have always thought of sheep as such docile ani-
mals, following quietly and meekly their shepherd, but
when I look back on that day in the Ts'aidam with its
treacherous marshes interspersed with grassy plains,
the sheep banish everything else from my thoughts,
and I again see them as they were that day jumping
and running in every direction except that in which
they were wanted to go: first to join the dzassdk's
flocks, and, when separated from them, off directly op-
posite to another flock, a particularly ambitious one
always leading. Poor Ja-si and Ga-chuen-tsi were
out seeking them away into the night. We set up
our tent poles as a tripod upon which to place our brass
wash-basin, and burned in it a great fire to serve as a
beacon, for we feared they might be lost in the marsh.
Not far from us there was a tent in which lived an old
couple, and from them we received fresh milk which

234 WITH THE TIBETANS

we carried along in bottles the next morning on our
journey. 0 the bleak barrenness of that marshy dis-
trict ! Sand-hills, gravel and scrub ! Not a sign of life
in any place, not a drop of running water, only here
and there in a little hollow in the bed of what had
been apparently an irrigation stream, hidden in the
shade of a bush, we would find a little, but not enough
to refresh us and the horses. When it was nearly dark
Mr. Rynhart went ahead and found a camping-place
among brushwood on the bank of a large stream of good
water flowing towards Dsun, in a deep gully right at
the foot of the mountain which towered in front of us.
It seemed cruel to tether the horses, but there was not a
blade of grass, and when such is the case animals will
stray miles away in search of food unless prevented ; so
we gave them some barley, and all prepared for the
ascent of the Burh'an Bota the following day. We
started shortly after daybreak, beginning to ascend at
once along a dry watercourse, where not an atom of
green was to be seen, but strewn here and there were
dead yak, many of them reduced to skeletons and others
more recently dead. Of the latter we counted forty-
two, and the sight made us pause to reflect on the name
of the pass and wonder whether the explanation of its
name, " Buddha's Cauldron/' is not found in the fact
that it claims so many sacrifices of these poor animals ;
or was the name suggested by the vapors that hang
over it, which the natives call poisonous from the de-
pressing effect they produce on travelers? Hue de-
scribed the discomfort and pain endured in the ascent
of this pass, which half of his caravan crossed in one

UNPOPULATED DISTRICTS 235

stretch while the other half stayed part way up, in-
tending to cross the day following. We camped some
distance from the summit, where there were indications
of the kopas having stopped, and where there were
food, water and fairly good grass. Our camp was in a
beautiful recess in the hills which, with their varied
shapes and hues, towered cloudward in front of us.
So great was the elevation to which we had attained
that the country we had just traversed seemed, as we
looked back upon it, to belong to another world far
beneath us. Though the natives assured us that it
always rained whenever anyone crossed this pass, prob-
ably from the great altitude and the clouds hanging
about the summit, we had fine weather; but no one
enjoyed it very much, as all except Rahim had a head-
ache. Ga-chuen-tsi was very ill, and little Charlie was
perfectly willing to lie down with me and keep quiet,
for we found that we felt much better when still and in
a prostrate position. On the top of the pass was a
large obo and our native companions cast a stone
upon the already large heap, chanting in loud and joy-
ful voices their thanks to the spirits for help in climb-
ing successfully to the top, a task of no small magni-
tude. Caravans coming out from the interior pay
heavily in that locality by the yak and horses lost dur-
ing the crossing of this pass, the severe toil and the
great stretches of country without any fodder coming
at the end of a long journey causing large numbers to
succumb. How delightful it was after descending along
rugged paths to camp in luxuriant grass, and among
brushwood which provided us with plenty of firewood.

236 WITH THE TIBETAXS

Such was our next camping-place on the bank of a
pretty stream, which next day we followed down its
course, to branch off from it along the caravan road
which led us up another stream, showing us we were
ascending again. In fact the whole month's journey
might be said to be a series of ups and downs in more
senses than one — the road continually ascending or
descending, the grass and firewood being one day
abundant, the next absolutely wanting.

As we were in uninhabited country, and expected to
be for a month or more, the appearance of four men
and some camels was a welcome sight and the occasion
of marked politeness on both sides, Mr. Eijnhart pre-
senting them with some bread, and Rahim exchanging
tobacco with them. They were part of a large caravan
on its way from Lhasa to Tankar, but the oxen were
several days behind them, having to come so slowly.
The mere sight of them gave us a feeling of compan-
ionship that was pleasant after the isolation of the
mountains, and we proceeded with the anticipation of
meeting at any moment perhaps another small party
who were aiming to push on to the Ts'aidam. Well do
I remember the beauty of the camping ground the fol-
lowing day, situated on the bank of a copious stream
coming apparently from springs in some exceedingly
lofty mountains a few miles up a beautiful valley at the
head of which stood, as if it were a sentinel on guard,
a solitary summit towering high in its magnificence
above all surrounding peaks. Our tents were pitched
among beds of dainty pink primulas which studded the
grassy carpet. But all was not to be sunshine, for that

UNPOPULATED DISTRICTS 237

night the rain fell in torrents, traveling was impossible
the next morning, and the men found it necessary to
go about ten miles for firewood. We deemed it wise
to move our camp to the hills, for if the rain continued
as it showed every indication of doing, we might have
been in danger from the previously quiet mountain
stream, now muddy and rising rapidly, though eventu-
ally it proved a needless fear. We had seen these quiet
streams suddenly changed into raging torrents, in their
mad course carrying everything with them, hence our
determination to move to higher ground, and to avoid
flowery carpets in the future, if they were on the banks
of a stream liable to overflow suddenly. Wild mules,
antelopes, bears and wild yak were plentiful in these
regions, but owing to the wet weather fuel was hard to
get, and at times yak horns cut into fine splinters, to-
gether with roots of small weeds, were all we could
find; these were scarcely sufficient to more than warm
water for tea, though we always had enough dry
kindling wood that we carried in part of one load to
make baby's food.

Now our road lay in a west southwesterly direction,
following streams for the most part, these seeming to
form openings in the mountains. Then we ascended a
pass on which there was a small oho. After following a
rivulet, crossing and recrossing it several times, we
forded the Shuga gol, which, being greatly swollen with
the recent rains, and having a sinking sand and gravel
bottom, was almost unfordable, and it was with con-
siderable anxiety that we saw some of our loaded
horses almost swept away in the seething current, or

238 WITH THE TIBETANS

sink in pitfalls. The tedious march through miry
ground and red clay along the river in search of a
camp with good grass and spring water, must have dis-
couraged our two boys, Ja-si and Ga-chuen-tsi, for we
noticed that they were not so amiable and happy as
before. One morning when we arose we found that they
had decamped in the night, taking with them their
own belongings, a pot and food enough for the return
journey. The discovery caused some surprise, and Mr.
Rijnhart, with Eahim, mounted our best horses to go
back and if possible bring the truants to camp again,
leaving Charlie and myself with Topsy to await their
return. Our camp was high in a sheltered nook in the
hills on the river bank, with bright green grass and
pretty moss along little bubbling springs, the moun-
tains towering in the distance, the snow-capped sum-
mits of the loftier ones looking down in their calm
superiority, giving one the impression that they were
conscious of their own height. There is no solitude
like that of the mountains, perhaps because their
majesty impresses one so, and makes nature too far
away to be friendly.

That day alone in the hills with no trees, birds or
flowers near, made me realize the sweetness provided by
the companionship of a little child and a dog, who
both seemed to feel the loneliness, and endeavored to
be bright and companionable, while occasionally a chill
would pierce my heart as the thought came : " What if
any accident should prevent their return ? " Was it a
foreboding of the future, a whispering of what was to
be? The thought was not harbored, but a little gar-

UNPOPULATED DISTRICTS 239

ment that was being knitted for baby grew very rapidly
under my fingers that day, and great was the rejoicing
when late in the afternoon the jaded horses bore their
riders home, even though they came without the two
boys. We trust the latter reached the Ts'aidam in
safety, for they had plenty of food, and the trail was
good, but it rained next day and the rivers must have
been very high, making their crossing on foot danger-
ous.

The desertion of these men left us in a quandary, but
we rearranged our loads that they might be easily
handled by two, fed some of the extra food to our
horses, and continued our journey after a rest of four
days. Storms seemed to be the rule, for it snowed and
hailed at about twelve o'clock every day ; but we pushed
our way on past a lake called Uyan-khar, across a plain
where the trail was scarcely visible and where quick-
sands were numerous, to a camp by the side of springs
with plenty of wild onions, which were a great treat.
Rahim had had a gruesome experience here on his way
out of Tibet in 1896. He and two companions were the
only survivors of the six who followed in Capt. Well-
by's footsteps, keeping out of sight two days' march
behind the latter, until they discovered signs of a large
caravan with yak which had crossed the Chumar river
just before them. They had no food except a blue
flower of the labiatse family and wild onions, and here
on our camping ground they saw a tame yak, prob-
ably one that had been over-fatigued and left by the
caravan mentioned above. They attacked and killed it,
and, he said, they were so weakened by starvation that

240 WITH THE TIBETANS

they just sat down and ate raw liver, not waiting to
cook it. The dusky eye of the Oriental flashed as he
recalled the joy that had come to him in this spot when
the yak and traces of a caravan told him he was again
approaching the haunts of human beings.

Wild onions grow in great quantities in these dis-
tricts and are particularly welcome to travelers, for
they grow in places along the caravan-trails, where
there is no meat to be had, and where they are the
only obtainable green for diet. We invariably tented
when possible in what had previously been kopas
camps, and the deserted fireplaces, together with the
small obos around on the hills, served as landmarks to
point out the road, as the blazed trees did in pioneer
times in our own country. The corpse of a man on
the roadside told its own pathetic tale, how he had
fallen sick and unable to keep up with his caravan,
how he had been left behind with a supply of clothes
and food, and had died alone when the food was all
used. There, surrounded by his scattered and torn
garments, lay his body, the flesh partly devoured by
wild beasts and eagles. Eahim shuddered at the sight,
and at the memory of his own escape from a similar
fate ; and our arrival at the Chumar river where he had
first seen traces of the Jcopas who helped him, revived
the memory of how kind Jcismet had been to him.

Having camped again near some obos made of large
prayer-stones in a position east of a low ridge of hills,
and after having crossed some sand-dunes, we forded
the Chumar, one of the headwaters of the Yangtse ; and
even though at the ford the depth was less than else-

UNPOPULATED DISTEICTS 241

where, we experienced considerable difficulty in cross-
ing it, for there were several branches separated by
small sandbars bearing tufts of grass. In the first
branch our horses sank into the quicksand, and had
Eahim not been an expert we would have lost several
loads, while the last branch was very deep, all the
horses having to swim. Then we passed through a
shaking bog, which well-nigh exhausted our animals.
It seemed that at every step the wavering foundations
would give way and we would sink somewhere into the
depths of the earth. Dead horses and camels strewn
along the way gave evidence of the extreme difficulties
of transport across this treacherous piece of county.
In the entrance to the Koko-shili range on the southeast
of the valley, we came to a spot where caravans had
evidently stayed several days, and where a dog that
had had its back broken was keeping guard over some
dead horses, and resented Topsy's advent. The ascent
of the Koho-shili is at first gradual, but near the top it
is very steep. A violent snow-storm overtook us and we
feared to lose the trail, but two obos indicated our ar-
rival at the summit, and a careful descent brought us to
a pretty camping ground. The transition from the
area of a snow-storm around the summit of a pass with
its irregular stony paths, its bleak peaks and obos, to
sunshine, green grass and bright crystal streams below,
gives one an exceedingly pleasant sensation, and makes
the pulse throb with joy and a sense of satisfaction.

The next few days' traveling brought us to different
branches of the Ulan Muren, and on to one of the
branches of the Mur-ussu, another high water of the

242 WITH THE TIBETANS

Yangtse, called Mur-ussu by the Mongols and Dre Chu
by the Tibetans. Here I make extracts from Mr.
Rijnhart's diary which will give an adequate idea of the
locality.

" August 10th. To-day fine and hot. Start at eight
o'clock, travel through sand-hills covered sparingly with
grass, pass along the east side of a lake, then turn
southwest and enter between two lakes. On the north
shore of the southern one are many large obos. Stop
after traveling three and a half hours on the western
extremity of a lake, north of the Mur-ussu, with di-
rectly south of us a snow-peak, Mt. Dorst, and southeast
Mt. Djoma, also a snow-peak. Charlie is teething."

" August 11th. Charlie is a little better. Started
with fine weather from the northeast corner of lake.
In about an hour afterwards we reached a large branch
of the Mur-ussu; on one of the largest streams horses
swim; get many things wet, but did cross admirably.
On the road have a fearful hail-storm; pass two small
lakes, one east, one west of our track. Come in sight
of largest branch of Mur-ussu, a source of the Yangtse ;
camp on right bank."

The main branch of the Mur-ussu is very large, flow-
ing quietly in a deep bed, and it gave us a feeling of
inability to ford, unless it spread to a greater width
further on. We kept looking for that as we skirted its
banks, when in the distance we spied yak, and Rahim
announced that they were saddled. Bahim's vision was
much keener than ours, for we could barely verify his
words by means of our telescope. We were all on the
qui vive, when suddenly we saw some white tents, and

UNPOPULATED DISTEICTS 243

on nearer approach discovered that there were fourteen
of them, having about 1,500 yak and many horses. Our
way led through the center of the encampment and
not having any fear we rode up and were received in
a very friendly manner by the travelers, most of them
knowing us. They had been just one month coming
from Nagch'uk'a and were on their way to Tankar, so
we sent messages with them to our friends. By their
dripping yak, and everything being spread out in the
sun to dry, we concluded that the river in front of us,
and which they had just crossed, was very deep; and
though they wanted us to camp beside them, we went
on to ford the waters, which would probably give us
such a wetting that we would need to stop on the other
shore and get dried. There were five branches, and
while the Tcopas watched our passage we crossed first
one then another, the horses swimming at times. The
only one who enjoyed the fording was Charlie, who
shouted with joy, when we all called out to the horses
to arouse their courage as well as our own. The sensa-
tion of camping across the river from friends was pe-
culiar. The tents on the opposite bank looked like a
town, but in the morning every vestige of the recent in-
habitants with dwellings was gone, and we were again
alone. We had the worst storm that night we had ex-
perienced on the road, and it seemed as if tent and
everything would be blown away, but we steadied the
poles, and in time all apparent danger was past. Later
on some of the kopecs must have visited our camp, for
next morning, to our consternation, five of our best
animals were gone. They had undoubtedly been

244 WITH THE TIBETANS

stolen, as we traced them away down to a river-
crossing with footsteps of another horse and dog.
This event marked the beginning of sorrows, for
Charlie had begun to cut his teeth, so was causing us
no little anxiety, but we traveled very short stages and
he seemed to improve, even though a gland in his neck
was swollen. On the bank of a large river Rahim shot
and killed a wild mule, some of whose flesh we were
glad to use for food, having tasted no meat for many
days.

In the most deserted region through which we had
yet passed we found ourselves without guides, lost five
of our ponies and saw the hand of affliction laid upon
our little child.

CHAPTER XV.

DARKNESS.

bearing the Dang Las — Death of our Little Son — The
Lone Grave Under the Boulder.

Following the occidental road from the Ts'aidam we
had ascended many passes, and though some of them
were over 16,000 feet above the sea, on none of them
did we find old snow, and hence the snow-line in that
region cannot be lower than about 17,500 feet. Wild
animals abounded in many localities, yak sometimes
being visible from very near. One fine day we sur-
prised a number of the latter which, on seeing us,
dashed across a large stream, their huge tails high
in the air, the spray from their headlong rush into the
water rising in clouds, presenting a magnificent sight.
Wild mules had been seen in large numbers, especially
after we crossed the Mur-ussu river, while bears
and antelopes were everyday sights. On August the
twenty-first, after we had been ascending for several
days, we found ourselves traveling directly south, fol-
lowing up to its source a beautiful stream full of
stones, probably one of the Mur-ussu high waters. In
front of us were the Dang La mountais, snow-clad and
sunkissed, towering in their majesty, and, to us tenfold

245

246 WITH THE TIBETANS

more interesting because immediately beyond them lay
the Lhasa district of Tibet, in which the glad tidings
of the gospel were unknown, and in which the Dalai
Lama exercises supreme power, temporal and spiritual,
over the people. Moreover, as we hoped to obtain per-
mission to reside in that district as long as we did not
attempt to enter the Capital, it seemed that our jour-
neyings for the present were almost at an end. This
hope, added to the fact that our darling's eight teeth,
which had been struggling to get through, were now
shining white above the gums, revived our spirits and
we all sang for very joy, picking bouquets of bright pink
leguminous flowers as we went along.

The morning of the darkest day in our history arose,
bright, cheery, and full of promise, bearing no omen
of the cloud that was about to fall upon us. Our break-
fast was thoroughly enjoyed, Charlie ate more heartily
than he had done for some days, and we resumed our
journey full of hope. Eiding along we talked of the
future, its plans, its work, and its unknown successes
and failures, of the possibility of going to the Indian
border when our stay in the interior was over, and then
of going home to America and Holland before we re-
turned to Tankar, or the interior of Tibet again.
Fondly our imagination followed the career of our lit-
tle son; in a moment years were added to his stature
and the infant had grown to the frolicking boy full of
life and vigor, athirst for knowledge and worthy of
the very best instruction we could give him. With what
deliberation we decided to give his education our per-
sonal supervision, and what books we would procure

DARKNESS 24?

for him — the very best and most scientific in English,
French and German. " He must have a happy child-
hood/' said his father. " He shall have all the blocks,
trains, rocking-horses and other things that boys in
the homeland have, so that when he shall have grown
up he may not feel that because he was a missionary's
son, he had missed the joys that brighten other boys'
lives." How the tones of his baby voice rang out as
we rode onward ! I can still hear him shouting lustily
at the horses in imitation of his father and Eahim.

Suddenly a herd of yak on the river bank near us
tempted Rahim away to try a shot, but the animals,
scenting danger, rushed off into the hills to our right;
then across the river we saw other yak, apparently some
isolated ones, coming towards us, but on closer exam-
ination we found they were tame yak driven by four
mounted men accompanied by a big, white dog. The
men evidently belonged to the locality, and we expected
they would come to exchange with us ordinary civili-
ties, but to our surprise when they saw us they quickly
crossed our path, and studiously evading us, disap-
peared in the hills. This strange conduct on their part
aroused in our minds suspicions as to their intentions.
Carefully we selected a camping-place hidden by little
hills; the river flowed in front and the pasture was
good.

Though baby's voice had been heard just a few mo-
ments previous, Mr. Rijnhart said he had fallen asleep ;
so, as usual, Rahim dismounted and took him from his
father's arms in order that he might not be disturbed
until the tent was pitched and his food prepared. I

248 WITH THE TIBETANS

had also dismounted and spread on the gronnd the com-
forter and pillow I carried on my saddle. Eahim very
tenderly laid our lovely boy down, and, while I knelt
ready to cover him comfortably, his appearance at-
tracted my attention. I went to move him, and found
that he was unconscious. A great fear chilled me and
I called out to Mr. Rijnhart that I felt anxious for
baby, and asked him to quickly get me the hypodermic
syringe. Eahim asked me what was the matter, and
on my reply a look of pain crossed his face, as he has-
tened to help my husband procure the hypodermic. In
the meantime I loosened baby's garments, chafed his
wrists, performed artificial respiration, though feeling
almost sure that nothing would avail, but praying to
Him who holds all life in His hands, to let us have our
darling child. Did He not know how we loved him
and could it be possible that the very joy of our life,
the only human thing that made life and labor sweet
amid the desolation and isolation of Tibet — could it
be possible that even this — the child of our love should
be snatched from us in that dreary mountain country —
by the cold chill hand of Death? What availed our
efforts to restore him? What availed our question-
ings? The blow had already fallen, and we realized
that we clasped in our arms only the casket which had
held our precious jewel; the jewel itself had been
taken for a brighter setting in a brighter world; the
little flower blooming on the bleak and barren Dang
La had been plucked and transplanted on the Moun-
tains Delectable to bask and bloom forever in the sun-
shine of God's love. But oh ! what a void in our hearts !

DARKNESS 249

How empty and desolate our tent, which in the mean-
time had been pitched and sorrowfully entered ! Poor
Rahim, who had so dearly loved the child, broke out
in loud lamentations, wailing as only orientals can, but
with real sorrow, for his life had become so entwined
with the child's that he felt the snapping of the heart-
strings. And what of the father, now bereft of his only
son, his only child, which just a few moments before
he had elapsed warm to his bosom, knowing not how
faint the little heart-beat was growing? We tried to
think of it euphemistically, we lifted our hearts in
prayer, we tried to be submissive, but it was all so real —
the one fact stared us in the face; it was written on
the rocks; it reverberated through the mountain si-
lence: Little Charlie was dead.

As I sat in the tent clasping the fair form of my
darling, Mr. Rijnhart tenderly reminded me that the
Tibetans do not bury their dead, but simply throw
the body devoid of clothing out upon the hillside to
be devoured by the beasts of the field and the fowls of
the air. If the men whom so recently we had seen
and whose actions were so suspicious, should come to
rob us, they would, he feared, dispose of our darling's
body as was their custom, and that would be to us a
still greater trial than the loss of our goods; and so,
reluctantly and tenderly he suggested, to avoid such a
calamity, that our precious little boy should have a
Christian sepulture on that very day. Kneeling to-
gether we prayed that God who loved us and whose
children we were, would make us strong and brave.
Our drug box, emptied of its contents, and lined with

S50 WITH THE TIBETANS

towels, served as a coffin, which I myself prepared, while
Mr. Eijnhart and Eahim went to dig the grave. With
hands whose every touch throbbed with tenderness I
robed baby in white Japanese flannel, and laid him on
his side in the coffin, where he looked so pnre and calm
as if he were in a sweet and restfnl sleep. In his hand
was placed a little bnnch of wild asters and bine pop-
pies which Eahim gathered from the mountain side,
and as the afternoon wore away he seemed to grow
more beautiful and precions; but night was coming
on and dangers threatened, and the last wrench must
come. Many of his little belongings were put into the
coffin, accompanied by our names written on a piece of
linen and on cards. Then there was the agony of the
last look. Our only child, who had brought such joy
to our home, and who had done so much by his bright
ways to make friends for us among the natives — to
leave his body in such a cold, bleak place seemed more
than we could endure. As the three of us stood over
the grave, the little box was lowered. Mr. Eijnhart
conducted the burial service in the native tongue, so
that Eahim might understand, and the cold earth of
Tibet, the great forbidden land, closed over the body
of the first Christian child committed to its bosom —
little Charles Carson Eijnhart, aged one year, one
month and twenty-two days. Mr. Eijnhart and Eahim
rolled a large boulder over the grave to keep wild ani-
mals from digging it up, and obliterated as well as pos-
sible all traces of a recent burial. There was another
reason for this. The natives often bury goods when
their transport animals break down, and robbers search

DARKNESS 251

for booty wherever they find the surface of the ground
disturbed. If such should discover our little grave we
knew they would disturb it, and in their disappointment
desecrate it with wanton indifference. When the funeral
was over we went to the tent, but could we eat food?
could we drink tea? could we close our ears to the
frenzied mourning of Rahim? We could only say,
" Lord we are stricken with grief, we cannot see why
this should be, but help us to say ' Thy will be done.' ,:
Less than a month afterward we realized that the All
Loving had dealt very kindly with us in taking our
little darling when we were comfortable, when we had
plenty of food for him, a tent to sleep in and horses to
ride on; for later we found ourselves with barely
enough common food to exist on for a few days, while
we traveled on foot, Mr. Rijnhart carrying on his back
a heavy load.

When night came on the sky was unusually dark.
What more fitting than a nocturnal storm after the in-
ward tumult of the day? The thunder rolled, the
lightning flashed, while from the sable clouds in tor-
rents fell the rain, which as the winds grew colder, was
congealed into snow. We could not sleep. We could
only think of our precious one and be thankful that the
body from which the vital spark had fled, had no power
to feel the chill of the mountain blast. The little fel-
low's bed had always been made of blankets and furs,
while every precaution had been taken to exclude any
draft from his corner, and now what need had we to be
careful? No need, for he slept not with us, but in
another world,, free from all care, and future sorrow-

252 WITH THE TIBETANS

ing. Dear child, now, as then, it is still well with thee.
On arising the following morning how I missed him,
for there was no little boy to dress, no one to joyously
relish his food, watching the spoon go backwards and
forwards for every fresh spoonful. When the time came
for departure we took a sorrowful farewell of the little
grave with its protecting boulder of strength. It
seemed impossible to tear ourselves away, knowing that
every step took us further from the spot that held our
most precious treasure, with the conviction that we
should probably never return there again. Before leav-
ing we covenanted that by God^s help we would seek
to be instrumental in sending out another missionary
to Tibet, in the name of our little boy. Mr. Kijnhart,
instead of mounting first and having Baby handed to
him as was his custom, tenderly placed me in the sad-
dle, and all three of us sobbing, we tore ourselves away.
Following the stream we saw some bears with their
cubs digging for roots — and again we felt thankful for
the strong boulder over the little grave. If Mr. Eijn-
hart could speak, he would wish to say some word in
tribute to his little son, but since his voice is silent,
what more fitting than to close this chapter by a quota-
tion from his diary, dated August 23, the day of our
departure, from this, to us, the most sacred spot in
Tibet ? It reads thus : " To-day we started with
broken hearts, leaving the bod}r of our precious one
behind in regions of eternal snow, where the mother
of the Yangtse Kiang flows tranquilly past. His grave
is on the western bank of one of the southern branches
of the Mur-ussu, at the foot of the Dang La moun-

DARKNESS 253

tains, a little over two hours north of the mineral
springs of the Dang La, and about ten hours' travel
from the nearest Icopa encampment in the Lhasa dis-
trict under Nagch'uk'a."

CHAPTEE XVI.

BEYOND THE DANG LA.

Accosted by Official Spies — Our Escape — The Natives
Buy Copies of the Scriptures — Our Escort to the
Ponbo's Tent.

From the north it occupies a period of several
to climb slowly to the summit of the Dang La, and
after the first sudden steep descent on the south the
road leads down gradually for days, and is compara-
tively easy traveling for both man and animal. Though
it was warm when the sun shone brightly, on the night
of August 25 there was almost an inch of frost and the
firewood was wet. Some of us had to go supperless to
bed, and could not have any breakfast, but on the road
Topsy caught a large hare, and in one-half hour we
approached the first Tibetan encampment, on the oppo-
site bank of the Dang Chu, whose downward course we
had been following. After four hours we crossed it
and campel on the west bank. Shortly before cross-
ing two men heavily armed came over and rode up
close behind us, then returned to the opposite bank,
and as they did not speak to us, we presumed they had
been spying our movements. A considerably lower alti-
tude had provided abundance of fuel, and the day being

254

BEYOND THE DANG LA 255

warm we halted and took advantage of the welcome
opportunity of making bread, and having a delicious
meal of rice and hare. As Topsy had provided the lat-
ter she was not forgotten.

Although we had been seen by the people of the large
encampments about us, no one came near us and we
were not anxious to court interference, so stayed away
from their tents. In the night one of our horses most
inopportunely died, and the next morning Rahim and
Mr. Rijnhart were compelled to walk and ride alter-
nately. After having been on the road about three
hours, we were met on a beautiful slope by eight mounted
Tibetans, who were armed with guns and swords, and
looked very different from any other Tibetans we had
ever met. They were all very dirty, wore sheepskin
gowns, girt so high that as they sat on horseback their
knees were bare. Some of them had their hair done
up in a queue ornamented with rings of ivory or silver
set with coral, all bound around their heads; while
others had their bushy locks hanging about their faces,
giving them the appearance of wild men. They all
used snuff, being very dirty about it, plastering it over
the nostrils and upper lip. As we rode along they
turned and rode with us, asking such questions as,
" Have you any merchandise ? " " Where are you go-
ing?" They were soon joined by two others from the
valley who were both well dressed, but not any cleaner
than their comrades. After having reviewed the situ-
ation two of them rode on ahead and in a short time
were lost to sight, evidently having gone to report our
advent to their chief, for we were satisfied that this

256 WITH THE TIBETANS

was a small party of attaches of the government at
Nagcrr'uk'a, who were watching to keep any foreigners
from entering their domains. Mr. Eijnhart, Eahim
and myself took care thenceforth as we traveled to con-
verse only in a language which the Tibetans did not
understand, and after discussing the situation, we de-
cided to push on just as far as we were able that day.
So not even stopping for lunch, on we went, until we
were weary and tired, especially Eahim, who refused
to ride in the presence of others while his master
walked. When we neared a river, one of the men came
to tell us that when we camped near its banks we were
to remain until their two companions returned from
Nagch'uk'a with permission for us to proceed; where-
upon Mr. Eijnhart informed him that we were going to
see the official, thus following a conviction established
by much experience, that it is better to go to head-
quarters than deal with petty chiefs who, having no
independent authority, are compelled to be obedient
to their superiors and therefore arbitrary.

When we had forded the Shak Chu we camped
about one hundred yards from the spot where the
Tibetans had now pitched their ragged brown tent.
They were all very friendly, for they came over
and sat freely about our tent-fire, chatting with Eahim
and through him with Mr. Eijnhart, who did not wish,
under the circumstances, to be familiar with them, re-
fraining from going either out to them or inviting
them to come in. They told Eahim that no foreigner
had ever passed that place, and they did not intend to
allow us to. Their plans were not commensurate with

BEYOND THE DANG LA 257

their intentions, for in the dead of the night while they
slept soundly, we arose quietly, packed our loads, took
down our tent when we were just ready to start, and
mounting our ponies, rode away. The moon gave
enough light to avoid the pitfalls, with which were in-
terspersed those small tufts of grass that make it so
difficult to ride among them without plunging in the
mire. Silently our little caravan ascended along a
stony trail, the Khamlung La, and, as the blush of
dawn overspread the landscape, we had begun the de-
scent on the other side, scrambling through a very stony
road with large boulders that made it hard for us to get
our loaded horses past in safety. Presently we had
reached a beautiful plain dotted with tents and merg-
ing into low hills, the whole clothed with green grass,
a crystal stream flowing through it bubbling over its
bed of small stones. A man well dressed in pulu, wear-
ing ornaments enough to indicate wealth, as far as in
this country a man can have wealth, rode up in a very
friendly manner, informing us that the stream was the
Sapo Chu, and that the district was called Sapo. He
pointed to his tents, of which there were five, and in-
vited us to stay near him, in order that we might do
some trading, so we halted five hundred yards from
his encampment. The population of Sapo is estimated
at one hundred and fifty tents, and the chief, who lived
west from our camp, pays tribute to the Chinese am-
bassador at Lhasa. When we first halted, the ground
was very wet from the frost which glistened on every
blade of grass, so we postponed pitching our tent until
it was dry, and while we waited our guards of the previ-

258 WITH THE TIBETANS

ous night were seen galloping swiftly towards us. Hav-
ing arrived they dismounted and throwing themselves
on the ground beside us, they laughed heartily, telling
us that we were smart to have escaped from them in
that wa}f. A wreath of smiles also covered Rahim's
face, for he with ourselves felt a little dubious about
they way they would receive our decamping as we did;
but so thoroughly do the Tibetans enjoy outwitting
their neighbors that though they were the sufferers they
displayed their native characteristic in approval.

We spent two days in this locality, having pleasant
intercourse with the inhabitants, and doing consider-
able bartering, for we were in need of meat, fresh but-
ter and milk. For the first time among Tibetans we
had brought to us for sale some legs of mutton. In
the Koko-nor only the whole sheep, and never a part
of it, can be bought. The most useful articles for bar-
tering here were Wuchai Jchatas and red broadcloth,
the latter being used for making collars, for trimming
boots, and to adorn the headdress of the women. We
traded some Tankar boots for the kind used in this
locality, and Eahim bought a prayer-wheel, made of
silver set with coral and stones.

We thought the people were very filthy as they pre-
sented the appearance of never washing their faces;
but they brought their good horses to the river near us
and after having driven them into a deep place where
only their heads were above water, they gave them a
thorough cleaning and left us to wonder why they did
not consider water was good for human beings as well
as for horses.

BEYOND THE DANG LA 259

The clothing of Tibetan women in all parts of Tibet
is made after the same pattern, so that little variation
except in headdress is noticeable even in districts most
widely separated. In some localities, however, aprons
are worn and in others little sleeveless jackets. But
the women here attracted our attention at once b}^ a
peculiar fashion of headdress. We had often read of
the women smearing their faces with a repulsive cos-
metic of black sticky paste in order that by their beauty
they might not allure the lamas from their devotions,
but these women here with the same purpose, in-
stead of painting had their hair arranged so that it fell
over the face, hiding it from view. Parted in the center
it was woven in fine plaits from the middle of the
forehead on either side, and the plaits were fastened
together, forming meshes like a coarse veil, the two
sides being separate. When they wished from co-
quetry or otherwise to cover the face, they pulled the
veil of hair down, first one and then the other side,
fastening the two sections opposite the chin by means
of a button, making a distinctly original mask through
which their bright eyes could see everything, but could
not be seen. It was rather amusing to watch a good-
looking young woman or girl in her pulu gown and
ornaments, hastily pull her veil of plaits over her face
when a lama or a stranger approached. Sometimes the
action was a gesture of grace, accompanied by a smile
which flashed across her face and in her eyes. A cheery,
good-natured woman of about thirty-five came to offer
for sale a little wooden bucketful of fresh milk, ask-
ing about three times as much for it as she expected

260 WITH THE TIBETANS

to receive, while we offered as much less in the same
proportion as we expected to give, whereupon, as was
also the custom, she put it down and seated herself near
the fire to enjoy the general conversation. After about
an hour she took the bucket up, thereby intimating
that we were to complete the bargain, when, lifting the
cover she discovered that the precious liquid had all
leaked out. Everyone laughed at her and said she de-
served the loss as she had asked too much for the milk ;
in fact she joined heartily in the laugh herself. The
women came freely to our tent and sat around our
camp-fire. As most of their own tents were across the
stream the}r would, when going home, sit down beside the
bank, remove their cloth boots and, gathering up their
skirts, trip across on the stones, laughing and chatting
merrily all the time. The men who came about us were,
in common with their race, anxious to drive a bargain,
but they were above the average in intelligence. A
certain number of them were able to read and to our
surprise manifested an ardent desire to secure copies
of the Scriptures in the Tibetan character. In no other
part of Tibet had we ever been offered money for the
books, but here people came from far and near anxious
to get them and offering in return silver, or anything
else we might wish to ask. Many of Mrs. Grimke's
text cards were here distributed, and I look back on
our stay among those friendly people with great pleas-
ure, remembering the promise that " My word * * *
shall not return unto me void." The Word of God has
been scattered for the first time among them, and we
do not know what far-reaching results will follow.

BEYOND THE DANG LA 261

The people in Sapo have a greater admiration and
reverence for Jerimpoehe, the great incarnation at
TrashiFunpo, than they have for the Dalai Lama.
From this district pilgrims go frequently to worship
Jerimpoehe, hence there is a highway leading directly
across the country. The people suggested our follow-
ing that route, saying that a lama was about to start
for Shigatsze in a short time and we could go with
him. However, we had told our guides that we were
going to see the chief at Nagch'uk'a, and to deviate to-
wards another place would give rise to suspicion, per-
haps getting us into trouble; besides which this other
road probably presented the same obstacles as the road
we had at first intended to follow. While trading here
we made use for the first time of the Tibetan coin
called chong ka, a round beaten silver coin divided by
lines into eight parts which are cut when small pieces
are wanted. Eight of these coins are worth one Chi-
nese tael. Rupees were also used in that locality, and
nearly every man had a pretty leather purse, often set
with corals, in which to carry coins.

While we journeyed the following day attended by
three soldiers, it stormed furiously, and Mr. Rijnhart
and Rahim walked the whole distance. We met several
people on horseback who invariably stopped us, and
inquired if we wished to buy any horses or sheep.
We were reminded of the men who visited Hue
and Gabet, and wanted to buy saddles of them but were
really spies. We saw one man on horseback carrying
a bright red umbrella, showing how Chinese civiliza-

262 WITH THE TIBETANS

tion, in some of its varied forms, has found its way
into remote corners of the great Empire.

From our road as we wearily journeyed along, we
caught glimpses of the beautiful Chomora Lake at times
hidden from view by the hills, but in its quiet recess,
suggesting calmness and rest on its shores away from
the toil of traveling, which since baby was gone had lost
its charms. The journey became tedious and life had no
longer for us the rosy hues that sweet childhood reflects
upon it. Beautiful rivulets babbled near the roadside
which skirted the hills, and finally we camped near tents,
whose dwellers cheerfully gave Bahim some fuel in ex-
change for a IcJiata, while near us without any tents
camped our guards, now only two in number. The
next morning when we had traveled about three hours,
after crossing a low pass, we were suddenly confronted
by nearly forty men, who had pitched a tent and were
evidently awaiting our coming. Associating the tent
with the removal of his load, our most lively horse
went straight up to it, literally into the arms of
the men, and Bahim went quickly to drive him back,
but seeing that it was impossible Mr. Bijnhart also
went over. The Tibetans gathered about him and one
of them, well-dressed in pulu, having in his hand a
prayer-wheel, profusely invited him to enter the tent
to drink tea, the others seconding the invitation. Feel-
ing that this was a ruse to have us stop, my husband
laughingly passed it off, saying that we had our loaded
horses to look after, and that in a short time we would
be camping anyway. They then said their ponbo, or
chief, was coming to see us, and received for reply that

BEYOND THE DANG LA 263

we were on our way to see him. Only the great tact and
finesse used at that time prevented collision. Mr. Eijn-
hart put them in good humor by giving one of the
men's prayer-wheels a turn in the right direction,
thereby showing his knowledge of their ceremonial.
Thus amid the most pleasant politeness on either side,
we went our way, leaving them' kindly disposed, yet
staring in consternation because we had passed a
large outpost of soldiers designed to prevent our
journeying further towards Nagch'uk'a. A man
soon passed us on the gallop, and we presumed
he was on his way to notify his ponbo that the
peling or Englishman (the only name all for-
eigners are known by in that part of Tibet), had suc-
ceeded in getting beyond the guard, who had probably
received orders not to use any violence towards us.
After having gone some distance we were overtaken by
several of the men who rode alongside us, and conversed
pleasantly and agreeably. A violent hail-storm driving
in our faces compelled us to allow the horses to stand,
when they immediately turned their backs to it, shel-
tering the rider's face. Our companions dismounted
and crouched down in the shelter of their horses, pull-
ing their capacious gowns over their faces, thus impro-
vising a wrap. Crossing a plain in which we had Lake
Chomora on our left we saw many camels and yak,
and clustered around the sheltered nooks of the hills
the familiar black tents of the nomads. We knew we
were approaching Nagclr'uk'a, an important district of
the province of Inner Tibet, governed directly from
Lhasa, a fact which explained the vigilance that had

264 WITH THE TIBETANS

been exercised over us since our coming. A blinding
snowstorm towards evening necessitated our selecting
a camp just before we had reached the houses of Nagch'-
uk?a village, and we tented in the midst of a large en-
campment on a small piece of sward surrounded by
hummocks of grass. Some of the men we had previously
seen at the outpost tent came around the fire and in-
formed us that we were to remain tented there, be-
cause in the morning their two ponbos were coming
to see us. Mr. Eijnhart replied that we would arise
and have our breakfast, pack our loads, and if by that
time the ponbo had not arrived we would slowly make
our way to him, that it made no material difference
where we met him, but we could not long await his
pleasure.

CHAPTER XVII

nagch'uk'a

Government of Nagch'uk'a — Under Official Surveil-
lance— Dealings With the Ponbo Ch'enpo — We Are
Ordered to Return to China — Our Decision.

The village of ISTagch'uk'a beside which we were
camped is situated south of Chomora Lake in the Lhasa
district and contains about sixty houses built of mud
and brick, but most of its people live in black tents,
preferring a nomadic life. The monastery of Shiabden
adjoins the village, but the number of its priests we
were unable to learn. Nagch'uk'a is governed by a lama
who is the representative of the Dalai Lama and is
changed every three years. Associated with him is also
a lay official supposed to be Chinese. This latter has
virtually little power of his own, everything of import-
ance being settled according to the decree of the great
dignitary from Lhasa. Though the well-dressed Jcopas
who had endeavored to prevent our proceeding on our
journey had exerted their utmost to convince us of their
authority, we knew that as yet we had not met anyone
who really had any power to stop us, as the ponbo
ch'enpo of Nagch'uk'a is a man of too high rank to
travel any distance from his home to meet two unknown

265

286 WITH THE TIBETANS

persons with such a small, inconspicuous caravan as
ours. The previous day's hard traveling had prepared
us for an undisturbed night's rest, and the sun was shed-
ding its warmth on our tent and over the tussocks
of grass upon which hung diamonds from the snow and
frost, when Rahim awakened to remember that we were
expecting to see the poiibo that day, or very soon at
least. An excited cry of sahib at our tent door aroused
us, and the boy informed us that a large number of Tib-
etans were erecting a tent near by. Upon peering
through the door we saw pitched first one beautiful
white tent, and then another, amid the greatest com-
motion. While our tea was being boiled three of our
traveling companions, or so-called guards, came to in-
form us that their official had ridden over and was in
a neighboring tent, and invited us to kali, kali, i. e.,
slowly visit him. At about ten o'clock, mounted on a
noble chestnut horse richly caparisoned with red and
gold, and accompanied by a large retinue, the ponbo
ch'enpo of Nagch'uk'a rode from a black tent over to his
own official one, where shortly afterwards we were in-
vited to come to see him. We had in the interim dis-
cussed the wisdom of my being present at the interview,
and had finally decided that we would both go, together
with Rahim; accordingly we donned our best clothing
and having mounted our ponies, rode over to the beauti-
ful tents.

We were led to the larger of the two, a white one
embroidered with dark blue and white with capacious
awnings, altogether the best tent I have ever seen. On
our arrival near the entrance several Jcopas dressed

NAGCIFUK'A 267

neatly in dark red pulu, with red boots came forward
to meet us. Some grooms took charge of our ponies,
and we were ushered into the tent, to find the furnish-
ings of the interior in keeping with the exterior ; beauti-
ful rugs and mats lined the sides to the door, while
the further end was completely covered with very rich
Turkish rugs; upon a dais several inches in height,
composed of mats filled with wool, sat the ponbo
cli'enpo, and at his left side the second chief who is
supposedly a Chinaman, but in this instance was not.
The former was a handsome young lama about thirty-
five years of age with fine cut features, small black
moustache and shaven head. He was dressed in rich
brocaded Chinese silks. The other was an old man
with gray hair worn in a queue, a large gold earring
pendant from his left ear. He also was dressed in rich
silks, and wore a circular hat.

They invited us to take seats in front of which were
little carved tables, and a good-looking, intelligent
young Jcopa extended his hand, asking for our basins
which we brought forth from our gowns. As a mark
of honor the tea was poured into our basins from the
same pot from which the ponbo received his. We pre-
sented to him a satin Ichata with pictures of three bud-
dhas on it, which he accepted, looking a little surprised
at our knowledge of the customs. He told us that no
peling had ever been there before, that he could not
permit us to go any further into Tibet, and that we must
return over the same route we had come by. Mr. Eijn-
hart told him he was not English, that he was Dutch,
that he was not a traveler just passing through the

268 WITH THE TIBETAXS

country, but had lived among the Tibetans for years
and added that we would not return to China as he
wished us to. The chief looked perplexed, but replied
that he had no power to forcibly prevent our going on,
but, did he allow us to proceed, he would be beheaded.
In this way oriental officials endeavor to compel sub-
mission to their desires, taking it for granted that no
one wishes to be the cause of a man's losing his life. At
this Mr. Eijnhart laughed and said he was conversant
with their customs, and that in their sacred books a
man is forbidden to destroy life, even that of a louse,
and remarked how much in unison with that teaching
it would be for their Dalai Lama to have him beheaded,
thereby destroying a life of such high degree ! The
young chief turned to his confreres and said how strange
it was to see a foreigner so different from any peling
they had ever seen before ; we knew their customs, spoke
their language, wore their clothes, and even had read
their sacred literature. He said to us that did we go
on, he would be required to send word ahead, and
that a chief of greater power than he would meet
us and have the authority to stop us. We told him
we had no desire to visit Lhasa, that we were willing to
be blindfolded when near the sacred city, as we had been
informed at Tankar by officials from Lhasa, that we
might go to within one day's journey of the capital and
remain as long as we wished, provided we did not at-
tempt to enter, nor cast our eyes upon the five-domed
golden temple of the Dalai Lama. Our conference
lasted a long time, the tea in our basins being renewed
as politeness demanded ; and when we rose to withdraw,

NAGCIFUK'A 269

nothing definite had been settled, except that we posi-
tively refused to retrace our steps, Mr. Kijnhart adding
that he would prefer being beheaded to returning by
the route over which we had come.

Almost immediately on our return to our own tent
some of the Jeopas brought us a khata, a bag of rice, one
of flour, two large bricks of good tea, and a skin con-
taining four pounds of butter with a message from
their ponbo informing us that the gifts were from his
hand, and that as soon as the flocks were driven in a
big fat sheep would also be given us. We bade the
messengers thank their chief, and gave them as a return
present for the time being, a beautifully bound copy of
the Gospels, accompanied by a Tchata. That the book
was accepted and prized was to us a source of satisfac-
tion. Often my thoughts go back to the ponbo of
Nagch'uk'a with the copy of the Gospels in his tent,
and I wonder whether it has yet brought its message
to him, and muse on the influence it may yet wield
among the ponbo' s people. That evening when it was
growing dusk, a group of soldiers were stationed in
front of our tent about a hundred feet from us, and
shortly afterwards another group took their place the
same distance away on the opposide side. The ponbo
was evidently taking every precaution against our escap-
ing in the night again, something we had not the slight-
est intention of attempting; and we felt thankful that
we did not need to put the iron hobbles on our ponies,
for they would not be stolen from us that night, as our-
selves and all we possessed were being so thoroughly
guarded by the official's soldiers.

270 WITH THE TIBETANS

Our tent was pitched in a level place which was lower
than the surrounding hummocks, and would certainly
be flooded should a storm arise. Besides, there being
no running water near us, the following morning,
watched from the yoribo's tents by his men, we packed
our loads, took down our tents and moved to the bank
of a pretty brook of circling course, upon whose edge
we decided to settle down among the many tents already
there. What a state of excitement the men were in when
they saw us preparing to move, but as soon as our in-
tention was plain to them they did not interfere. It was
a beautiful morning. While all the preparations were
being made, and some of the goods were being moved,
I sat on a hillock enjoying the warm sunshine, while
before us stretched green hills dotted with innumerable
black tents, and behind were scattered groups of gaily
dressed servants of the Lhasa government. Upon ar-
rival at our new camping-ground, we pitched both our
tents, and used our rugs to make us as comfortable as
possible, expecting to stay for awhile and receive com-
pany. Some of the ponbo's men came over to inform
us that their chief was glad we had moved our tent to
a good place, as where we had been was low and unpleas-
ant, but that we were not to move again until we started
for China. This, they said, was the expressed wish
and command of the chief. Evidently the tent dwellers
in that vicinity had also received their instructions not
to have any communication with us, because, contrary
to our experience in other places, not a single man or
woman from any of the black tents came to barter or
chat with us: only the attaches of the government vis-

NAGCH'UK'A 271

ited us and we realized that we were completely ostra-
cised. Feeling that if we remained there, or pursued
our journey further toward the south, we would be simi-
larly treated, and as the object of our going had been
to come into contact with the people, to study their
needs and not merely to travel, we feared it would be
frustrated by the orders of the chiefs. Had we considered
it best we might have pushed on further for we had
abundance of food, but the strain of always being
guarded by soldiers and of being met by petty officials
who endeavored to turn us back, would necessarily prove
trying. Thus our desire to mingle freely with the
people being unattainable, we decided either to winter
in Nagch'uk'a could we gain permission, or yield to the
poribo's desire for us to return towards China and win-
ter some place on the road. Having decided in this
manner, when next we visited the potibo, we were in-
clined to yield, but did not find him so polite as on
our previous visit, though perhaps it was owing to our
imagination. Our tea was now poured from a different
tea-pot from that out of which his was poured, and Mr.
Eijnhart remembered the custom of the lamas, praying
a person to death with the aid of aconite, and conse-
quently drank little. All our efforts to obtain permis-
sion to remain during the winter in that locality were
in vain, but the chief agreed to our following the Ja-
lam (tea road) towards Ta-chien-lu, though when we
suggested fresh horses being given us for our tired ones,
he said yak were best to use on that road. We left for
our own tent again without having come to any definite
arrangement. The chief even refused to allow Eahim,

272 WITH THE TIBETANS

who was a Tibetan, to go towards Ladak to his home,
but insisted that we must all three return together. On
our return to our tent we had a conference and decided
that we would not go again to see the ponbo, but that we
would just stay indefinitely until he came to us, and
arranged everything to suit our desires and not his own.
In the meantime we and our horses would enjoy a re-
freshing rest.

The Jcao-yehj or secretary of the ponbo, and a Tibet-
anized Chinaman came over the following day to ask
us upon what condition we would journey towards Ta-
chien-lu. We replied that we were to be provided
with three guides who knew the road, our tired horses
were to be exchanged for fresh ones, and we were to
be given two extra ones, as we were setting out on a jour-
ney of several months which our own ponies would not
stand unless we gave them a long rest. The result of
our interview was that the next day four of our horses
were traded and we received two extra ones, after which
we were invited again to the chiefs tent. During the
conversation he informed us that he knew there were
several peling countries, and telling them off on his
fingers he gave us the extent of his knowledge of the
geography of the outside world, composed, he said, of
the following countries: England, London, Paris,
France, Italy and Tien-chu-kiao, the latter being the
Chinese name for the Roman Catholic religion! This
from a lama and one of the highest officials in the land,
is another sample of the deep and superior knowledge
with which western Theosophists believe the lamas to
be endowed. How ignorant must the mass of the popu-

NAGCH'UK'A 273

lation be who have never had the educational privileges
of their exalted teachers, and how much in need of the
education and knowledge that go hand in hand with
the gospel of Christ ! While we were supplying the
secretary data for his report to Lhasa of our name,
country, etc., several men came into the tent, each car-
rying one of the following: a bag of rice, one of flour,
a very large bag of tsamha, a brick of tea, and several
pounds of butter, and set them down before us. The
chief then told us these were for our use on the journey,
adding that two fat sheep would be brought us in the
evening. We thanked him, but having all the food we
could possibly require we accepted only the sheep and
butter, so he added another lump of the latter. Shortly
afterwards we arose to go, realizing that we had passed
a very pleasant time with these chiefs, who really had
been as kind to us as their superior at Lhasa would
allow them to be, only being compelled to be appar-
ently disagreeable in refusing us permission to remain
or proceed.

We had told the ponbo that we would leave the day
following, if our guides were ready, so we reckoned up
with Rahim that evening, for according to agreement,
he was to go on to Ladak if we were compelled to re-
turn to China. We gave him 40.65 ounces of silver,
Tankar weight, a carbine and cartridges, a horse with
a saddle, and as much food as he wanted. His plan
was to travel with us the first day, then branch off
towards Sapo, and from there to TrashiFunpo; for the
chief absolutely refused to allow him to remain in
Nagch'uk'a after we were gone, or to go from there

274 WITH THE TIBETAXS

towards his home, but he would allow him to go on with
us half a month's journey to Tashi Gomba, then return
to Xagch'uk'a with the guides, and proceed to Ladak
if he wished. As Eahim considered a month's extra
traveling as unnecessary as it was undesirable, he pre-
ferred adhering to his own plan.

CHAPTER XVIII

ON THE CARAVAN ROAD

The Start from Nagch'uk'a With New Guides — Fare-
well to Our Last Friend — Eahim Leaves for Ladak —
Fording the Shak Chu Torrent — Reading the Gospels
— A Day of Memories.

There are three great highways leading from Nagch'-
uk'a to China, the first being the Chang-lam, or long
road, through the Ts'aidam to Tankar, which was form-
erly traversed by the tribute on its way to Pekin. This
is the road we followed. In times past there was an-
other road through the Ts'aidam to Tankar called the
oriental road, the one that Hue and Gabet pursued.
The second important highway runs to Jyekundo and
through the Horba and Derge provinces on to Ta-chien-
lu, where it is known by the name of the Pei-lu, or
northern road. The third highway is the one through
Ch'amdo and Batang to Ta-chien-lu, called the tea road,
though often caravans from Lhasa to China do not touch
Nagch'uk'a, but go directly to Ch'amdo. This is the
road taken now by the tribute from Lhasa and also
from Nepaul. There are two other roads to Jyekundo,
and another going south of Ch'amdo, but joining with
the third of the above mentioned highways at Ichu.

275

276 WITH THE TIBETANS

On account of its more direct route we had expected to
go towards Ta-chien-lu along this third road, but the
ponbo rather desired us to pursue our journey by way of
Jyekundo, and we felt it made little difference to us
which highway we followed, as our plan was to winter
some place en route. Having insisted upon being pro-
vided with three reliable guides, and having been prom-
ised them, we did not prepare to depart until they had
made their appearance. About eleven o'clock on the
morning of September 6, they came, mounted on three
small graceful ponies, each leading another pony upon
which was a pack saddle with food and pots. They
also had two sheep which with ours would provide us
with fresh meat for some time. In the presence of a
large interested crowd of spectators, Xyerpa, the ponbo' s
steward, told the three guides what was expected of
them, that they were to take us to the lamasery of
Tashi Gomba (or as they called it, Tashi la bu Gomba)
where they were, if possible, to obtain permission from
the kanpo for us to remain all winter, whence they
themselves were to return to their homes. Could they
not procure the desired permission, they were to pro-
ceed to Jyekundo with us, and upon arrival there, we
would give them food for the return journey and a pres-
ent of money if they served us well. When all was
understood and agreed to, Xyerpa introduced our men
to us, and told us the oldest of the three was a mamba,
that he was the leader, hence responsible for the other
two. Immediately every one began to help us prepare
for departure, so we had no opportunity to do more than
take a hasty glance at our guides, but noticed they

ON THE CAEAVAN EOAD 277

were alert and quick in their movements. The chief
came out to say good-bye, and watched our departure in
a blinding snow-storm until we were beyond his ken.

Our caravan now consisted of ourselves well mounted
on fresh ponies, our three guides, our seven loaded ani-
mals and two sheep, while Eahim rode along to avoid
any one's suspicion that he intended to do other than to
accompany us toward China. Our route lay first
east for four hours and a half, then north across
the Tzar Chu, a small stream flowing southward,
passing in its course Shiabden Gomba. We camped
some distance east from Chomora Lake, in a quiet
plain, scattered over which were tents and to
some of them one of our men betook himself for fuel.

The three guides were dressed in sheepskin, and had
extra pulu gowns for use in storms to protect them-
selves from rain and hail. The mamba was about forty
years of age, a thin, short, wiry man with a wizened face
wearing a subdued expression; his hair was hanging
about his shoulders, a brass case full of medicines across
his bosom, and a bell at his back. He wore a broad-
brimmed hat with a peaked crown, made of a light
frame-work covered with cloth, and tied under the chin
with narrow strips of red cotton. He was a man of re-
markable energy, as lively as a little boy, and was almost
incessantly mumbling prayers and turning his prayer-
wheel as he rode along, while he watched the earth for
peculiar stones to make medicines of, asking us to give
him hints on points of medical science with which he
was not conversant. The other guides were younger,
we judged about twenty years of age ; one of them was

278 WITH THE TIBETANS

poor, but so willing to help to work and so agreeable in
every way, even when working hard looking so pleasant,
that we called him the " nice boy." The second one
was better dressed, but so unwilling to do anything when
it could be avoided that we called him " the lazy one/'
As the passing days made us more cognizant of his qual-
ities even this appellation, we thought, was too good for
him, for in addition to being lazy he was the filthiest of
the filthy in his actions and about his food, even put-
ting sausage meat into the casings when the latter had
been simply turned but not washed. All the guides
were armed with guns and swords. There was a quiet
about our hearts that evening, which could only be
explained by the fact that it was the last day of Eahim's
company and service, but we overcame the tendency to
be sad, and discussed our journey together. Rahim im-
pressed upon our three guides how advantageous it would
prove to them if they put forth every effort to help
us on the road, and retold his desire to reach his far-
away home without any unnecessary wanderings ; hence
his determination to cut across country and reach Shi-
gatsze.

The following morning we arose early, and after
tea was partaken of we prepared ourselves as well
as we could for another heart-wrench. Words seemed
powerless to express our feelings. We could but grasp
the hand of the last friend we had in the interior of
the great lone land, listen to his " good-bye " and with
tear-dimmed eyes watch him retire from us, polite to
the last, making his salaams as he led his horse loaded
with bedding, clothing, food, a pot and a Tibetan bel-

ON THE CARAVAN EOAD 279

lows, away towards the Chomora Lake, around which
he intended to travel, always keeping it between him-
self and Nagch'uk'a, and then make his way across to
Sapo. There he hoped to remain nntil he found com-
pany with which to journey to Shigatsze. He had many
misgivings that he might be murdered for his money,
but on the whole was cheerful and hopeful, though
lonely. And could he be more lonely than we, as we
realized that another link which bound us to the sweet
past at Tankar was to be broken? Our two Chinese
had long since deserted us, and now we were to be sepa-
rated from our faithful Eahim who, from the day he
reached our northern home, had never ceased to ingra-
tiate himself into our hearts. The boy whose nature
had been mellowed by the love of our dear little Charlie,
the boy who had accompanied us amid dangers innu-
merable through the Ts'aidam desert, across treacher-
ous marshes and rivers, and over laborious passes, and
who had helped to share our sorrow around the lone lit-
tle grave north of the Dang La mountains, and had
mingled his bitter tears with ours — the last friend we
had, it was hard to see him go. Trusty Rahim, with thy
dark honest face and flashing eyes, among all the follow-
ers of the Prophet thou wert to us the most precious
jewel ! God grant the Truth may ripen in thy heart,
that thou mayest yet be numbered among the disciples
of the Christ. The last sight we caught of him was as
he disappeared around a little hillock waving his hand.
Did he ever succeed in crossing Tibet and reaching his
home in far-away Ladak? I do not know; but I have
fondly believed he did, and have pictured to myself his

280 WITH THE TIBETANS

joyful meeting once more with his friends who had
long since mourned him as dead.

Hastily we prepared to depart in an opposite direc-
tion, with nothing human to comfort us — only our dog
Topsy and three horses remained to us of all the caravan
that left Tankar. We went on into a strange country
with strange guides, feeling that our lives were in the
Father's hands, whose work we had come to do, and
willing that He should dispose of us according to His
will.

We met immense caravans of yak with loads of tea
from Jyekundo, as many as 1,500 and 2,000 yak in
each caravan, with the merchants well-dressed and well-
mounted, and drivers some of whom were women and
girls. We passed an encampment of traders on their
way to Lhasa, at the foot of Karma Kumbum, a large
mountain; the hills around were covered with saddled
yak, all black, about two thousand of them, while on
the pretty plain was a village of large white tents, or
more properly, of awnings which were spread out over
the tea. We threaded our way through the encamp-
ment while the natives in their picturesque garbs of
pulu, and varied headdresses, held the large dogs in
check, or drove our horses from among theirs; then we
climbed a steep, stony pass over the afore-mentioned
mountains. The usual storm with vivid lightning and
hail swept past that day, and while we stood during the
severest part, our " nice boy," his horse and sheep all
rolled together on the ground, and the hairpins in my
hair stung my head. We expected to see the boy unable
to rise, believing he had been killed by lightning, but

ON THE CARAVAN ROAD 281

presently he and the animals were restored to their
normal position and upon asking him what had hap-
pened, he said his horse had been frightened and had
fallen. On camping that evening one of onr guides on
the way to some tents for fuel saw eight robbers heavily
armed, and was warned against them by the nomads in
the tent, so we put hobbles on onr horses that night,
but we were not disturbed.

September ninth presents some of the most vivid
reminiscences of the two weeks' journey with those
guides, and on account of their stupidity at fording
rivers is intimately associated with the robber disaster
a few days afterwards. It was a beautiful day, the
sun bright and warm peeping over the hills into the
valley along which we were traveling, hanging drops of
silver on the grass. Pursuing our way we reached
the Shak Chu at its confluence with the Dang Chu, the
former small, but the latter flowing quiet and deep, in-
dicating a difficult ford. The guides looked across
and, judging from the little pathways on the opposite
side, concluded that sometimes the two streams were
forded separately. To do so now, however, was im-
practicable, so we followed down the Dang Chu which
boiled and foamed in a narrow gorge seemingly angry
at being thus confined by the rocks, until our path along
its edge became difficult and finally, for the horses, im-
passable on account of the rocks that stood in our
way. Ordinarily there would have been a passage be-
tween the rocks and the river, but the latter being
much swollen had extended its waters right up to the
rocks. The mamba said we must turn back and cross

232 WITH THE TIBETAXS

the two rivers at all hazards, but Mr. Rijnhart not fa-
voring this proposal, crept over the rocks to see what
was beyond, and returned to say that we were on the
proper trail, that the river was unusually high and that
since the horses could not scale the rocks, they would
have to he driven into the water and made to swim
around to reach level ground on the other side. Feel-
ing it was somewhat risky to trust our riding and
loaded animals in the boiling torrent, Mr. Rrjnhart
made an experiment with his own horse. Tying a long
rope to the horse, he retained one end of it himself and
crawled again over the rocks as the horse made its way
through the seething waters, prepared to pull the ani-
mal ashore should it be swept off its feet. The ex-
periment was successful, both landing on the other side
of the rocks in safety.

Mr. Rijnhart came back to announce the resuH
and the difficult place was soon passed by all.
though the river was not as yet crossed; but we
soon reached a spot where this was necessary and
where apparently caravans were accustomed to ford.
The mamba and the two guides said it was impossible
to cross a large river where the waters were confined
in so small a space, but there was no way of returning
or going forward. He sat still on the horse's back to
tell over his beads to divine whether we would cross
in safety or not. and in the meantime we drove our
ponies in, while his horse, being evidently of the same
mind as its rider, barely stepped into the water and
then stood still. My horse took his cue from the mam-
ha's, going only a few steps from the bank and then

OIST THE CARAVAN EOAD 283

refusing to move farther, until Mr. Rijnhart, having
reached the opposite bank with our loaded animals,
came back for me. Dragging our two sheep behind
us, while the maniba dragged his, we urged on the
horses, which, striking out into the current, had to
swim hard to keep from being swept down. This was
among the most difficult rivers we had forded, and
glad were we when all were safely across. While drink-
ing tea, and attempting to dry our clothing, we were
amazed and disgusted to see two of our loaded horses
across the river quietly grazing. In a moment when
we were not watching them, the perverse creatures had
recrossed the river, and we happened to look up in time
to notice that two others were just about to follow
their example. Mr. Rijnhart had to ford the boiling
torrent again to bring them back. It will scarcely be
wondered at, that we soon began to associate rivers with
disasters, and contemplated the crossing of them with
little pleasure, seeing that our guides, as they them-
selves confessed, were unaccustomed to them, living as
they did in a place near which there were no streams of
any size, and never having forded rivers where the
horses had to swim.

Resuming the journey we crossed a high moun-
tain, the Shalop Chercho, and camped on the de-
scent where we had the view of a snowrange, the
Sokdee. On the eleventh we ascended another moun-
tain but kept on climbing to cross a higher one
still, the Wang-ma-la, with snow peaks on either flank,
encountering during the ascent a severe snowstorm
through which nothing was visible, and- in which we had

284 WITH THE TIBETANS

the greatest difficulty not to lose one another. We
shortly afterwards crossed the Pon Chu, a river worthy
of notice on our maps (for I observe it is not marked
on that of the Eoyal Geographical Society) and en-
camped near a caravan from which eignt horses had
been stolen during the night. Here we could find no
fuel to boil tea either in the evening or morning. On
the twelfth we reached a large tributary of the Sok
Chu, which we crossed, and then followed up the main
river which was on our right, meeting parts of a cara-
van of yak upon arrival at the regular ford. As a large
portion of the caravan proceeded at once to ford
this apparently large river, we sat down to watch them.
The foremost yak stood on the river's edge until the
whole number came rushing down the incline to the
bank, crowding and crashing their loads together. The
men shouted and threw stones, some large dogs took to
the water, and the first yak plunged awkwardly into the
stream, the others following. When they had passed
the deepest part of the river they stood still, letting the
cool water lave their sides heated with the day's march,
not knowing or caring if their precious burden of tea
did get wet, or of greater moment still, if they kept
their companions behind plunging in deep waters, en-
deavoring to reach a comfortable standing-place where
they too might enjoy the cool stream, and avoid the
stones of the drivers. How thankful we were that we
had none of these stupid, perverse animals in our cara-
van. Just when they should be quick they lazily stand
still, and where caution is expedient they push and
crowd over large boulders and through narrow places,

ON THE CARAVAN ROAD 285

each one trying to occupy the identical place for which
another is aiming, all rushing promiscuously with their
loads, threatening to smash to pieces everything break-
able. The ford was gradually freed for us, the last yak
carrying over the drivers who had patiently stood shout-
ing and throwing stones, and we were ready to cross,
having first taken off our boots and stockings that they
might be kept dry. Holding our feet high up to the
saddle, we crossed in safety, and none too soon, for it
began to snow, and we could barely find the road. Fur-
ther on, the caravans we met at intervals left the trail
very distinct, and seeing black tents to our left we
camped near them, a short distance from the Sok Chu,
and succeeded in procuring milk, sho and fuel.

I had been almost unfit for traveling for several days ;
so, although our guides had emphatically refused to
rest, we halted at that beautiful place. The snow was
deep the next morning, and we could see the women and
children come out to look after the flocks and herds.
Having only boots and gowns on, and with the
soles almost worn off the former, they were shiv-
ering with the cold. If they could be taught to
prepare the wool and knit comfortable garments
for winter wear, how much easier life would be
for them, for they must suffer severely in the win-
ter months at altitudes where there is so much snow
and intense cold. This, I believe after careful study,
is responsible in a large measure for the small families,
for many children, not being able to withstand the
severity of the weather, succumb.

Our next camping-place was on the banks of the

286 WITH THE TIBETANS

Teng-nga river, near, though not within sight of, the
Teng-nga Gomba. From the latter there were several
lamas at the tents near which we were camped. The
people were very kind to ns there, bringing us milk, etc.,
warning ns also of robbers on our next few days' jour-
ney. They accepted with alacrity some Gospels we gave
them, sitting around reading them with the marriba
and Mr. Kijnhart. A nun with her shaven head and
plain garb minus many of the ornaments the Tibetan
women are so lavish of, took a copy of the Gospels,
but could not read a word. Our marriba doctored a
man there and our guides left one of their sheep, so
that they might have meat for their return journey.
Brigands must be very numerous just there, because
on the following day we heard of fifty of them having
killed several men and driven off their yak with loads;
moreover the tea merchants we met and camped near,
numbered over fifty in the one caravan, such a large
company indicating that there are dangers of attack
on the road. After following the Ta-o Chu through
an immense plain, we camped on September fifteenth
in a deserted tenting-place, the remains of the stone
and clay ranges all about telling us that the nomadic
people favored the green sward near the little stream,
for their sheep and cattle. They were evidently either
away in the hills on account of robbers, or, because the
winter was approaching, they were seeking more shel-
tered spots for their homes. How welcome was the op-
portunity to rest on that auspicious day, September
fifteenth, for it was the fourth anniversary of our mar-
riage. We had no comfortable parlors into which we

ON THE CABAVAN" KOAD 287

could invite our friends, and no friends to invite, yet
the day meant so much to us that we must celebrate
it even amid the silence, desolation and dangers that
surrounded us. For a time we forgot all about robbers
and prepared a feast — a rice pudding with sultanas,
sugar and butter in it, which we shared with our guides.
What memories came trooping up from the past, of
our friends in America, of Kumbum and Tankar, of
Charlie, and of all the joys and sorrows that had come
to us since hand in hand we had gone forth to fulfil
the mission to which we had been called. How tenderly
my husband spoke of the mysterious dealings of Prov-
idence, and of his faith in that unchanging love which
he had learned to trust, even where he could not trace.
And can I ever forget his words of comfort and assur-
ance to me, words which the poet has thrown into
music :

11 My wife, my life! Oh, we will walk this world,
Yoked in all exercise of noble end,
And so through those dark gates across the wild
Which no man knows ! "

Little did I realize how soon he was to pass into those
dark gates leaving me on the dreary wild alone. Even
that happy day was marred by an accident which hap-
pened to Mr. Bijnhart, who trod on the rusty buckle
of a saddle and as a result suffered intense pain, which
was much augmented when the time came that he had
to journey on foot. The weather was perfect and we
enjoyed talking of our prospects when we reached Tashi
Gomba, where the mamba said he was almost sure we
would be allowed to spend the winter. The following

288 WITH THE TIBETANS

day we crossed another large plain at the eastern ex-
tremity of which we forded the Dam Chu, a beautiful
river, very clear, every pebble in the bottom of which
we could distinctly see. Before we started, wolves in
large packs howled around our tent, and we met indi-
vidual ones on the road. Topsy chased a bear only a
hundred yards from us, while a large herd of wild cat-
tle were scattered around us. On September 18 we
had snow, hail and rain while we crossed a mountain
called Gerchen tsang mo la, and camped near a large
stream of which the mamba did not know the name.
None of our guides had ever been this far on the road
before, but had received directions as to how to find
the lamasery Ave were looking for, and as the Ja-lam
we were following was a large trail, we had little fear
of losing our way. Our three guides had served us
faithfully and our days together had been profitable
to both them and Mr. Eijnhart, to the latter especially
in the language and character. Ever}^ day when even-
ing came, the mamba had taken his bell, little drum
and a book, and, sitting in the far corner of the tent
that Eahim had used, had chanted prayers for two
hours or more. The " lazy boy " had not improved
on acquaintance, but was bearable, the other two more
than making up for his disagreeable manner, which
sometimes even amounted to sulkiness. The unexpected
manner in which even these guides were lost to us will
be told in the next chapter.

CHAPTER XIX

ATTACKED BY MOUNTAIN ROBBERS

We Cross the Tsa Chu — Suspicious Visitors — A Shower
of Bullets and Boulders — Loss of our Animals — Our
Guides Disappear — The Dread Night by the River.

The last tent people and caravans which we met had
told our guides that we were approaching a large river,
the Tsa Chu, and had given the directions we were
to follow, in order to reach Tashi Gomba, which they
informed us was on the bank of the above river, assur-
ing us of the truth of the statement by saying that the
lamas carried water from the river to make their tea.
Having traveled over one rocky mountain after another
and across two streams flowing south, we camped on
September nineteenth within sight of a large range of
mountains east of us. How imposing these latter were,
perpendicular and bare, rugged and severe, giving us
the impression that along their edge flowed a large
river. This was also the mamba's opinion, for he re-
marked that probably at their base was the mighty Tsa
Chu. Next morning we reached a little stream which
the guides said was a feeder of the Tsa Chu. Follow-
ing it a long distance by the side of rugged mountains
whose peaks were barren rocks lost in the clouds, we

289

290 WITH THE TIBETANS

passed a large mineral stream spreading out and flowing
down the hillside, leaving dark brown stains on the rock
and stones wherever it had coursed, and eventually
reached the Tsa Chu, where a large tributary flowed into
it. Having crossed the latter with very little difficulty,
notwithstanding the fact that large masses of rock half
concealed by the water almost caused the loss of some
of our ponies, we halted on the bank of the main river,
tightened our girths, gauged the best spot for fording,
and all dashed into the water shouting lustily to en-
courage ourselves and the horses. Though very wide,
the river was not more than two and a half feet deep,
and the current was neither rushing nor strong as in
some other rivers we had recently crossed, hence we
congratulated ourselves on our good fortune in having
left behind us the last large river to be forded until we
should pass the lamasery. As the caravan road did
not skirt the river, we turned aside from it to the right
and followed a bridle path along the bank, the people
having given the information that in half a day's jour-
ney down the river from the ford, yak could easily reach
the lamasery of which we were in search.

Our march that day had been a wearisome one for
us all, and we immediately looked for a suitable place
to camp where there was good fodder; half an hour
after fording we found one, a level sward, with hills be-
hind us covered with grass and firewood, and in front
of us the Tsa Chu. Having pitched our tents on the
northeast of the river, we roamed about enjoying the
gorgeous view that presented itself to us. The valley
from which we had just emerged was narrow ; the hills

ATTACKED BY MOUNTAIN" ROBBERS 291

and mountains on either side were ranged against the
horizon in glittering masses, rugged, fantastic and mul-
tiform in outline, and of varied tints, the brilliant
green of the sloping pasture land mounting gradually
and fading into the delicate purple and grey of the
rocky summits; the river in its placid onward course
suggested peace and power; the hillocks close to its
edge across from us, seemed with their side garments
of deep verdure tapering off into rocky, sun-gilded
crests, like monarchs of a lower rank reflecting the
splendor of the kingly giant-like elevations whose heads,
towering far above, were crowned with azure and gold.
Behind us again, were other hills clothed with beauty in
minute detail, from the massive rocks with their cling-
ing lichens, to the pretty low shrubs covered with small
leaves and yellow flowers like miniature roses. The lit-
tle paths intersecting one another and running in all
directions suggested our proximity to a lamasery or
encampment, and in anticipation of reaching it soon
we were happy.

Toward nightfall two men on white horses emerged
from the valley we ourselves had just quitted, and,
instead of fording the river, skirted the bank, ar-
riving at a spot opposite us, where they reined
in their horses to hold converse with our men. The
lazy boy went to the river's edge and talked with them,
during which time Mr. Rijnhart leisurely took a good
look at them through the telescope. They were heavily
armed with guns, spears, and swords, had no saddle
bags, hence were not travelers, and one of them had
his face painted red and yellow. While they talked

292 WITH THE TIBETAN'S

they indulged in snuff, and looked too closely at our
ponies to make us feel altogether comfortable, the
mamba standing near us being of the same opinion as
ourselves. Having satisfied their curiosity they disap-
peared over the hills diagonally from the river down
stream. Immediately the guides came to caution us
about their probable intention to rob us that night, and
themselves prepared to meet the enemy by taking down
their tent, intending to sleep outside so that they could
watch their six horses. We put the iron hobbles on
ours, tied Topsy behind them, and Mr. Rijnhart slept
in the door of the tent with both revolvers ready to
frighten anyone who should come about during the
night. It was the very last time we used a tent. The
night passed but no noise was heard, and in the morn-
ing, feeling that we might have been unduly alarmed,
we bent our thoughts and hopes on the lamasery, the
very sound of Tashi Gomba having now become as
music in our ears. We could find no proper road — only
a bridle path that now skirted the river's edge, then
led up to well-nigh inaccessible places and circled on
the slopes of steep hills. The riding was unsafe and
often we had to rest our horses. One of them fell and
his entire load had to be removed before he would at-
tempt to rise, even then remaining complacently as he
had fallen until we forcibly aided him to use his feet.
About noon we followed a road down to the river
to a grassy place where was apparently a yak-trail,
but beyond which the rocks looked as if they jutted
into the river. To avoid having to retrace our steps
should we find it thus, we sent the lazy boy ahead to see,

ATTACKED BY MOUNTAIN ROBBERS 293

and as he did not return we concluded the road was
passable; so drove our animals across the grass, over
a little hillock, to find the boy sitting playing with
pebbles beside the river, near a spot where the water
boiled against a cliff that rose steep and straight and
impassable from its watery depths. Mr. Rijnhart sug-
gested fording the river and refording further on, but
the mamba said that our horses, especially the one that
had fallen, tired out with the day's travel, would be
unable to stem the flood, and it would be best to return,
rest there on that grassy spot while we drank tea, and
then go up over the hills, and so past the difficult place.
Knowing the wisdom of his advice, we acquiesced, and,
having arrived, took the loads off our horses; then the
men got three stones to rest the pot on, gathered fuel
and began to prepare our lunch. The river flowed in
front of us, while behind, a distance of seventy feet
from the former, rose cliffs and rocks at the foot of
which were traces of old camps, such as ashes on the
ground and smoke on the stones. We reclined in the
shade of the cliff until the tea would be ready, and
Mr. Rijnhart said suddenly that he thought he heard
men whistling in the characteristic way in which they
drive yak. We all listened, but heard nothing, when,
without any warning, a shot rang through the air, the
bullet falling in the water. At the command of the
mamba the two boys jumped up and ran to drive the
horses into the shelter of the cliff, where they could be
prevented from stampeding on the little road leading
up to the robbers. The "nice boy" was shot almost
immediately through the right upper arm, whereupon

294 WITH THE TIBETANS

we all promiscuously sought cover at the side of the
cliff. Bullets continued to fall like rain. Immense
boulders were hurled down from the heights, any one
of which striking us would have crushed us beyond
recognition, while accompanying both the shooting and
the hurling of the rocks there were yells, piercing and
hideous, which only Tibetan robbers know how to utter.
Mr. Eijnhart, determined to ascertain the direction
from which the bullets were coming, and who was
firing them, stepped out from under the cliff towards
the river's edge and looked up, only to be greeted by a
bullet which, as he suddenly stooped, struck the ground
behind him. He quickly returned to shelter, but in
his haste ran into the nook where the guides were
crouched, so that he was hidden from me, as a project-
ing angle separated my nook from theirs. There I was
alone, not knowing at the time whether my husband
had been killed or wounded, or whether he had taken
refuge somewhere under the cliff. There had always
been an implicit understanding between us that I was
to remain just where he left me in case of peril or
danger, relying on his care over me even when absent.
So, straining myself as close to the rocks as possible,
I waited breathing a prayer for the protection of
our lives, for I thought my husband and the guides
had gone to parley with the robbers. After what
seemed a long time, the firing almost ceased, then
a final volley of quick shots and a few deafening
yells, followed by shouts dying away in the dis-
tance, told us that for the immediate present the
danger was over. Mr. Eijnhart then came up and

ATTACKED BY MOUNTAIN ROBBERS 295

threw himself in exhaustion on the ground, saying:
" Well, we have lost all our horses except three." What
a sigh of intense relief I heaved! I was so thankful
to see him unharmed after my dreading his being killed.
" Have you made peace with them ? " I asked. " Why,"
he replied, " I have never seen them, except when I
went to look up and saw three men behind a rock with
their guns resting ready aimed; the powder flashed in
the pan; involuntarily I stooped, and then sought and
remained in shelter, attending to the poor boy's arm,
all torn and bleeding."

He then took me by the hand, and carefully keeping
close to the rocks, we crept to where the guides were,
and saw that three of the horses that were apparently
saved had been shot, one being already dead, while
another was shot through the backbone and could not
rise. Some of our horses had absolutely refused to
be frightened by the bullets and boulders that were
cleverly directed by the wily robbers, to divide us from
our horses and prevent our saving them; but the last
shots had despatched three of these four, so that we
might not be able to pursue or trace the thieves. The
guides, who understood the tactics, had managed to
save three of their ponies, exposing themselves to fire
thereby, but we, ignorant of the natives' way of robbing,
imagined they would come down from above, and did
not try to save our horses, though it is manifest that
we would have been shot had we interfered. A sorrow-
ful, frightened little band we were, grouped together in
the cover afforded us by the friendly rocks, the wounded
boy tenderly nursing his arm, on which the blood had

296 WITH THE TIBETANS

left marks little darker than the skin, and whose face
bore besides the expression of pain, that of hurt sur-
prise that he should have been the only one to be in-
jured. We managed to drag the pot of tea into shelter,
where we quenched our thirst and ministered to the
" nice boy," who was faint from loss of blood. The
mamba said : " Buddha knows that the men will re-
turn for our baggage, kill us all, and throw us in the
river." Mr. Kijnhart walked up a little distance to
drive back the old grey horse which was straying in
the direction his companions had gone, and quickly
the three guides prepared for departure. The lazy
boy shouldered his own and his wounded comrade's gun.
They helped the latter to a seat on a pack-saddle, their
riding saddles all having been stolen but one, and,
only delaying a moment to answer my inquiry, "Where
are you going ? " by replying, " To the monastery for
many men to come with us to find the robbers," they
started off to the river. Having said they had better
stay until their leader returned, I called Mr. Rijnhart,
but when he arrived at the spot they were half way
across the river, and he had no horse with which to
follow them.

Quietly we dragged our possessions into the shel-
ter of the cliffs, tied our grey horse near them,
and sat down to drink tea. The feeling uppermost in
our minds was one of thankfulness that our lives were
spared, and that we were unhurt and had our food
and bedding left us. One dead horse was already a
prey to the vultures, while the pretty black horse lay
not far away, paralyzed from an injury through the

ATTACKED BY MOUNTAIN ROBBERS 297

spine. He had my riding saddle on him, the only na-
tive saddle I had ever found comfortable, and suitable
for long journeys. The chestnut horse, shot through
a vital spot, and in pain, wandered to the grey horse for
comfort, lay down near him, neighed good-byes to the
black horse, laid down his head and died. We were now
alone with our grey horse, the poorest of the caravan,
the one that had fallen that same morning, and was
really the cause of our having halted at that grassy
place. Suddenly we missed Topsy, and, upon compar-
ing our knowledge of her movements, we found that
we had last seen her rushing toward the road when the
shots were fired. She had always been accustomed to
run after an animal when Rahim went to have some
sport with the gun, and we feared she had gone off with
our horses, but hoped she would discover her mistake
and return. It was about two o'clock in the afternoon,
and, talking it all over we decided to stay in that place
until the next day to see if our guides were true or
not, though we had a very strong suspicion they were
not, and even that they were in league with the robbers,
and had deliberately led us into ambush. One point
was certain, either they had been treacherous or they
had not known the road, and unconsciously led us
along that bridle path. In either case, the ponbo of
Nagch'uk'a would be held responsible for the trouble,
because as long as we were on the Caravan Road no
harm had come to us, and Tashi Gomba is, as far as
I can learn, on that highway; but the guides had pur-
posely or unwittingly led us astray. Owing to this
uncertainty of the intention of the guides, we concluded

298 WITH THE TIBETANS

to await their return until next day about noon, and
then, if they came not, to prepare to travel on foot
until we reached the lamasery. But then came the
question, where was the lamasery ? Were we on the cor-
rect road or not ? How far away from it were we ? As
the afternoon wore away we kept, by means of the
telescope, a fairly good lookout for the approach of
human beings, whether enemies or otherwise ; but even-
ing came on and we had seen no one, though we had
a very strong feeling that we were being watched all
the time, while sounds of the recent shots rang in our
ears.

The robbers were well aware of the fact that we
had seven loads of baggage for which we had no means
of transport, as were also the guides, and we had no
doubt that our movements were being spied from the
hills or cliffs about us; hence we had some fears that
they might return to possess themselves of the valu-
ables. Our loads were not of such great value to us
that we cared to risk our lives defending them, and
the place had such associations as to give us uncanny
feelings, so we decided to abandon the cliffs for the
night, when darkness obscured our movements. Si-
lently, not speaking above a whisper, we took our
bedding to the edge of the river, where there was a
margin of stones six feet wide between the water and
a shelving bank two feet high. Spreading our rugs
and blankets down, and covering ourselves well, we
rested where the water almost laved our feet. Rain
fell gently most of the night, but we were protected
by our rubber sheeting. We had always carried on our

ATTACKED BY MOUNTAIN ROBBERS 299

persons money in the form of sycee, bullion silver
ingots of various weights, and if we had been discov-
ered that night, we intended to take to the water, and
upon reaching the other bank, make our way to tents
for aid. The night was very long and dark, no object
being discernible, and no sound heard but the rippling
of the water over the stones, and the cry of some ani-
mal or bird unknown to us, that seemed to come from
above among the cliffs, and like a sentry's call and
answer re-echoed through the mountain silence. To-
wards morning it ceased raining; a grey light over-
spread the sky and transformed the river into a sec-
ond sky, but we did not know the dawn was breaking,
thinking the increasing light was due to the clouds
dispersing. Then the grey light slowly suffused the
whole atmosphere, and we could discover rocks and
cliffs and hills standing out, first indistinctly against
the heavens, and then in dark relief. As the horizontal
streaks of light began to take their places in the clouds
over the mountains we arose and, dragging our bedding
back to the cliff, were welcomed by our grey horse, and
found all as we had left it. We wrapped some
blankets about us and crouched down until it was
'breakfast time, when we gathered some firewood and
made our tea.

We both realized the magnitude of the misfortune
that had befallen us, and each endeavored to make
light of it, and the result was a predominance of
brightness rather than gloom; although we were al-
most certain that our guides had deserted us, and that
we would very soon have to find our way on foot either

300 WITH THE TIBETANS

to the lamasery or to an encampment where we might
hope to hire some animals. Midday came with bright
sunshine, so we undid all our baggage and separated
from it what we wished to take with us, not of course
all we wanted, but what we could take along, because
our one remaining horse was incapable of carrying a
heavy load. It was very difficult to reject our most
cherished possessions, and when our Bibles of years'
use, our instruments and many things that had become
a part of our being had to be laid aside, we felt it ; but
necessity is a stern master, and it had to be. We se-
lected enough food to last fifteen days, all the bedding
needed, one large and one small pot, some dessicated
soups, beef tea and condensed milk, a change of cloth-
ing and the diary of the journey, Mr. Kijnhart's Bible
with a few papers, two or three cherished belongings
that had been loved and handled by our darling little
boy, and a few sundries. Everything else that was
valuable we buried under stones at the foot of the
cliff, and left in one corner the tents, pack-saddles, etc.,
hoping that we might meet some one who would come
back with us to get the things, and yet feeling all the
time so sure that the robbers were watching us, ready to
swoop down like eagles after their prey as soon as we
had gone. The afternoon wore away, the sun sank
behind the hills, and the shades of evening brought no
guides, but did bring us an indefinable aversion to
spending another night in that place, associated, as it
was, with robbers, where sleep would be altogether out
of the question. We placed our riding saddle on our
grey horse, and on it piled as much of the baggage

ATTACKED BY MOUNTAIN BOBBERS 301

we had selected as he could possibly carry. Mr. Rijn-
hart shouldered the remainder, and each taking in
hand a staff composed of half a tent-pole, we said good-
bye to the cliffs and retraced our steps to follow the
same road, up which the horses had stampeded. As
we were passing the black horse he tried hard to join
us and neighed farewell as far as we could see him.
Mr. Rijnhart would have shot him out of mercy, but
I begged him not to, for I could not bear the sound of
the revolver to ring out, perhaps to give notice of our
whereabouts to some travelers overhead, thereby en-
tailing more trouble. Cowardly, it is true, the feeling
was, but for long afterwards the sound of shooting
brought anything but pleasant memories to my mind.

CHAPTER XX

OUR LAST DAYS TOGETHER

The Robbers' Ambush— The Worst Ford of All— Foot-
marks and a False Hope — A Deserted Camp — The
Bed Under the Snow — Mr. Rijnhart Goes to Native
Tents for Aid, Never to Return.

The grassy spot beside the cliff was an ideal camp-
ing place, affording shelter from the cold, bleak, pierc-
ing winds, or from the hot rays of the noonday sun on
warm days; but the recent occurrence had removed all
the charms nature had previously possessed for us, and
we were glad to tread our way slowly up the trail we had
come down the day before. Ascending even so insig-
nificant an incline was laborious, for instead of having
our sturdy ponies to carry us up, we had to walk, while
Mr. Rijnhart, in addition to shouldering a heavy bur-
den, had to drag along the almost spent horse with his
load, an impossible task had I not been behind to urge
the poor animal on with my staff. Soon we were at
the top, passing the robbers' ambush of the day be-
fore, and a beautiful spot it was behind the rocks, a
pretty little hollow having served to shelter their horses
while they busied themselves in obtaining ours. How
many men there had been we could not tell, but we

303

PETRUS RIJNHART.
1866-1898.

OUR LAST BAYS TOGETHER 303

supposed there were ten or twelve, and they had prob-
ably been following and watching us all the morning
before a good opportunity for robbing us without danger
presented itself. It had now grown dark, but there
was sufficient light to enable us to pursue our way a
short distance, when we stopped to camp, because we
Avere not sure whether shadows that lay across our path
were gullies or not, and we did not wish to lose our
bearings. We unloaded our horse, which now seemed
so precious to us, tethered him near by, arranged our
food in little packages at our heads, to prevent a wild
animal snapping at us without warning, and lay down
exhausted but much more at ease in our minds than
had we remained below the cliffs. The queen of the night
slowly wended her way across the star-dotted heavens,
diffusing light and shadows about us while we rested,
but slept very little. Arising at dawn we found every-
thing that had been exposed to the atmosphere stiff and
covered with thick frost, and were astonished to dis-
cover ourselves on the edge of a deep gully, into which
we would have fallen had we made a few more steps
the previous night. We had no idea that we were in
the vicinity of such a place, much less so near it.

The next difficulty we encountered was our inabil-
ity to make a fire, having no fuel except the argols, and
not being proficient in the use of the Tibetan bellows
(a goatskin tied at one end to a round iron pipe four-
teen inches long, and about one inch in diameter),
which are manipulated by a peculiar motion of the
hands. Although Mr. Rijnhart had had considerable
practice with the bellows while sitting with the na-

304 WITH THE TIBETANS

tives around a well-blazing fire, he found it quite an-
other matter to start one when so little force was re-
quired, so that at first he succeeded only in extinguish-
ing the blaze instead of increasing it. It took our
combined ingenuity and efforts to finally get the fire
started that morning, and then I gathered fuel while
he plied the awkward bellows. During the tea drinking
we discussed our plans, and knowing the over-weight
of our loads, both that of the horse and the one under
which my husband was obliged to trudge with his sore
foot, and considering, besides this, my own poor health,
we felt we must not wander aimlessly around. We
planned to follow the river down for two days, and
then if we failed to find traces of the lamasery or
tents, branch off to the left, to again strike the Caravan
Eoad; for, according to our compass and knowledge of
the general direction, we were not just then deviating
very much from the latter. Having found a path along
the little stream on which we had camped, leading
toward the Tsa Chu, we followed it around a hill, and
soon were beside the obstructing rocks beyond which
our boy had been sitting on the day of the robbery, and
where we commanded a view of the river and its oppo-
site bank stretching away into open and level country.
After traveling three hours along steep slopes, we
reached an overhanging ledge where we must either
ford the river or branch in over the hills. Surveying
the latter, we saw them rise one tier above another
endlessly, and felt that in our circumstances neither
we nor our horse were able to undertake any more
mountain climbing. Visually measuring the width of

OUR LAST DAYS TOGETHER 305

the river with its volume and current, we shrank from
crossing, but Mr. Rijnhart said he was able to swim in
any current and did not fear to undertake it. After
due deliberation we decided that the best place to ford
was a short distance above the junction of a tributary
from the other side and opposite a sandbar which di-
vided the river. Just above the sandbar the waters
swept around a curve, while immediately below it were
rocks. Mr. Rijnhart, donning some thin garments,
loaded the food, pots and sundries on the horse, and
started off, intending to make a return trip for me and
the bedding. He led the horse across the first part of
the river, which was about two feet deep, then let him
go, and both swam over. It had begun to rain, and
Mr. Rijnhart shivered while he unloaded the animal's
burden on the other side, mounted and returned for me.
His teeth chattered as he tied the blankets to the back
of the saddle and I mounted. As I carried considerable
weight in my gown, about ten pounds of silver, our two
revolvers, the telescope, our silver-lined tsamba basins
and dry stockings for us both, Mr. Rijnhart cautioned
me not to fall off, for with such impedimenta about
me he could do nothing to save me. Taking the long
rope in his hand and leading the horse as far up the
sandbar as he could without swimming, he then let
go and stood to watch us. The current caught the rope
and swept it down; the horse, thinking he was being
led, turned his head and began to swim down the
stream. My husband called to me to pull the right rein,
which I had done instinctively. The horse turned
suddenly, the rushing water caught underneath the

306 WITH THE TIBETANS

bedding and swept me, saddle and all, almost into the
river. Eealizing my peril I threw myself over to the
opposite side, and so hanging on to the horse's mane
with my weight in the right stirrup, by sheer force I
kept the whole balanced and reached the bank in safety.
The old horse, tired out, sat down in the stream, not
being able to step up on the bank; so I dismounted in
the water. Almost everything was saturated. Mr.
Eijnhart plunged again into the current and crossed
successfully, though chilled through from the icy
water. Now that all our garments had got wet we were
in sore straits. Owing to the rain it was with difficulty
we secured sufficient fuel to prepare some hot soup,
and as soon as the shower passed off, after spreading our
blankets out to dry, we roamed some distance away in
search of larger quantities of fuel. Suddenly we dis-
covered the fresh footprints of three horses and a dog.
Were they traces of our guides and Topsy? On what
slender threads the drooping heart is prepared to hang
out a new hope ! Wet and cold and forsaken as we
were, a tremor of joy awoke in us as we thought of the
possibility of help from the old mamba and the two
boys who had left us on the day of the robbery. Had
we misjudged them, and were they still faithful to us?
We tarried the night and divined our hope was a vain
one; we must therefore press on.

The morning of the following day we almost
immediately had to cross a tributary of the Tsa
Chu, not a large stream, but the bottom was cov-
ered with big stones, and the current was very
strong. Not willing to have any more delay than

OUE LAST DAYS TOGETHEE 307

was necessary, we managed to wade across hand in
hand, but had great difficulty to hold ourselves erect
against the force of almost three feet of water and the
tendency to slip on the uneven stones in the bed. The
question of river crossing had become harder than ever
to solve, with only one horse and not a single native
with us, and we tried to think that perhaps we would
not be compelled to cross any more. In a pretty ravine
we found a deserted camp, in one corner of which we
saw three stones that had just recently served as a fire-
place, and a small bit of paper and string that we
judged had held some medicine used by the mamba for
the wounded boy's arm. This was the last trace of our
guides that we saw. After threading our way through
dales and over hillocks we reached a level place on
the river's edge, where were remains of several mud
and stone ranges, indicating a tenting ground; and as
there was good grass and abundance of fuel, we rested
for lunch. Looking about carefully we saw what pre-
sented the appearance of cattle, and upon taking the
telescope discovered immense flocks and herds and tents
away down the river, but on the opposite side ! Some
rocks obstructed our way along the river's edge, neces-
sitating probably a long detour over the hills in
order to progress in the direction of those tents, but
how welcome the sight and what rejoicing it brought
to us! It seemed as if our difficulties were all ended,
and feeling no fear to remain alone, but knowing the
horse's inability to successfully ford the river again,
I would have Mr. Rijnhart cross then and there and go
to the tents for aid, leaving me to await his return.

308 WITH THE TIBETANS

He looked at me a moment, then said : " No, I could
not leave you here alone — travelers may come along and
find you, and you are a woman. We must stay together
as long as we can, and when we have reached a place
opposite the tents I can watch you while I am gone."
To that end we left the river and went at right
angles to it over steep hills, one rising above another,
but each one hidden from view until we had gained
the crown of the first, and passing some magnificent
rocks we reached the basin of a limpid mountain stream
which we followed. Numerous traces of tents were
found in this spot hidden among the hills, an admir-
able place for robber bands to escape detection and yet
be near the highway. Large flakes of snow announced
an approaching storm, and in order that we might
appease our hunger before night came on, we gathered
fuel in the skirts of our gowns as we walked along,
a practice we had learned from the natives. At dusk
we were not yet out of the ravine, but were almost at
the summit from which the rivulet sprang, and there we
camped. Was it the coming disaster that weighed us
down and crushed our bright spirits, or was it that we
were in a glen where crime had left its stain? An
indescribable feeling of uncanniness seemed to seize
us both, so that we scarcely spoke above a whisper,
while we selected a spot near an old fireplace. With
our one staff, some pieces of string and two pegs, we
put our rubber sheeting up for shelter, and crept be-
neath it. Eight inches of snow fell during the night,
making us as warm as when in well-heated apartments ;
but in the morning it was almost an impossibility to

OUR LAST DAYS TOGETHER 309

creep out from beneath the weight, even after we had
summoned courage to decide that we wanted to. The
weather looked threatening and the bulk of snow would
tend to make the walking hard, besides wetting our
Tibetan boots and consequently our feet. The only
dark object we saw far or near was a large brown bear
with a white ring around his neck, prowling and
shuffling about just a few yards from us. Our pony
was the first to stir. He had already brushed the snow
away with his lips in order to reach the luscious grass,
and at last we, too, with a desperate effort threw off
our lethargy and with it our blankets, and crawled out
to breakfast on tsamha and snow. With fingers biting
and aching from the cold, we fastened on the horse's
load, Mr. Rijnhart shouldered his, and off we started
again, bruin watching us with perhaps more than
friendly interest. My husband left me with the horse
while he went to reconnoiter a little', so that we might
not unnecessarily climb hills, and hence get too far
away from the river bank. He found that we had
passed the rocks, so we walked around the steep slopes
of the hills until we were overlooking the river again;
but the walking was inconceivably bad, and in turns
we fell on the slippery snow and grass. The horse
would slip and struggle, the load would fall off, and
then with cold fingers and endless trouble the saddle
and all would have to be readjusted and the whole
start be made again. Finally, when high up among
brushwood on the side of a very steep hill above the
river, the horse slipped and rolled over and over down
the hillside, until we feared he might only be stayed

310 WITH THE TIBETANS

on his headlong course when he reached the water.
When he did come to a stop we felt, even though we
were not much nearer the tents on the opposite bank
than we had been the morning previous, we could not
possibly manage to proceed another step; so, scraping
the snow away from a little piece of ground more level
than the remaining part, we sat down and made a
fire with some of the brushwood growing in the lo-
cality.

Some men from the tents were within hailing dis-
tance. We shouted ; they answered, but would not come
near enough to hold any conversation with us, and ran
about very much excited on the hills. A Chinaman's
curiosity would have induced him to come near enough
to find out at least who we were, but a Tibetan's is not
so great.

The sun shone brightly, and the snow melted quickly,
while we felt that it was too late in the afternoon for
Mr. Eijnhart to attempt to go on foot to the tents,
as at nightfall he would not have had time to return;
so he tried to ford the river on our horse, but it was
impossible. Having talked of, thought about, and
praj'ed for guidance in the matter of reaching the tents,
we concluded that it would be best to spend the night
where we were, and that in the morning Mr. Eijnhart
would swim over, hire animals, and at the same time
find out our whereabouts in reference to the lamasery.
How sore our faces were that night from the sun and
snow, and how severely our eyes smarted ! Neither of
us having any thought of the impending calamity, we
rose on the morning of September 26, had breakfast,

OUE LAST DAYS TOGETHER 311

and my husband prepared for departure. Cutting our
rubber sheeting in two, he used part of it to wrap
about his dry underwear, jacket, trousers, a piece of
silver, five ounces in weight, some Tchatas, and my light
revolver. Binding the whole tightly, he strapped it on
his back and, taking the staff in his hand to deal with the
dogs when he reached the tents, started away cheer-
fully, telling me not to be afraid, but to use his big
revolver, which he had given me in place of my small
one, if any one went to harm me. He said he would
return before dark, if possible; but if not, he would
call out when near me, so that I would not be fright-
ened. When a few steps away he turned to wave his
hand and said " ta-ta." Reaching the river's edge he
threw off on the bank his heavy wadded Chinese jacket
of dark blue cloth, and entered the river. Wading half
across, he put out his arms to make the first stroke, but
suddenly turned around and walked back again to the
bank where he had first entered the water. Shouting
something up to me which I did not hear on account of
the rushing river, he walked up-stream in the opposite
direction to the tents he had set out for. Then he fol-
lowed a little path around the rocks that had obstructed
our way the day before, until out of sight, and I never
saw him again.

CHAPTER XXI

LOST AND ALONE

Waiting and Watching — Conviction of Mr. Rijnhart's
Fate — Eefuge Among Strange Tibetans — Their
Cruel Treatment — The Start for Jyekundo for Offi-
cial Aid.

To swim across a river along both banks of which
are numerous overhanging cliffs, and which pursues a
serpentine course, is by no means easy, for the current
carries a swimmer down sometimes to a place where he
cannot land. When Mr. Bijnhart turned and waded
back to the place at which he had entered, I hastily
concluded that he intended to make another trial higher
up, where the landing was level and good ; for opposite
us there were rocks that were in places almost a com-
plete barrier to his getting a footing on shore. I
watched for him to enter the water again be}rond the
large rock behind which he had disappeared; but not
seeing him at once I took the telescope and walked a
distance down the hill, so that my range of vision
should command the bank. To my great surprise I
saw flocks of sheep and numbers of cattle just be-
yond the rocks, on the same side of the river that I was
on, and only a short distance away, almost near enough

312

LOST AND ALONE 313

for me to have thrown a stone at them. I knew then
that Mr. Kijnhart, when he turned about in the water
so suddenly, had caught a glimpse of these tents in
our vicinity, and had hailed the sight with gladness,
feeling that going to them he would need to be away
from me only a short time, in comparison with that
which he would necessarily occupy in crossing the
river, and making his way down to the tents he had
first proposed to visit. I also was much pleased at
our discovery, for I expected him back perhaps in an
hour or so with some of the natives, and at least felt
sure that he would not be away until dark. Varied
were the thoughts that passed through my mind, for in
my imagination I saw him in his clothing wet from
wading in the water, as he had not waited a moment
to divest himself of the wet garments, nor to pick up
and throw about him his warm jacket which he had
left on the bank; but accompanying that came a scene
beside the fires of the tent where he was probably drink-
ing steaming tea, while he explained his mission to
the owners of those sheep and cattle, and bargained
with them for animals. A thought of his meeting
with trouble did not enter my mind until the hours
sped on and he came not ; but even then I did not fear,
for we had always been treated with the greatest kind-
ness and hospitality whenever we had met the people
at their homes, although it is understood by all that the
natives are robbers when away from home. He himself
had not thought of difficulty, for he did not wait to
remove from his bundle the revolver that might have
had a moral effect over the tent people ; but went around

314 WITH THE TIBETAN'S

the rock buoyantly and sure that I would no longer
have to walk, and that his heavy burden would be car-
ried by strong yak, and doubtless entertaining the hope
of being able to get aid from the abbot of Tashi Gomba
in tracing our lost horses, resulting perhaps in their
recovery.

Soon the sun went down over the top of the
hill on which I sat, and the shadows grew longer and
longer. Four bears gamboled about on the hillside
until the shade fell on them and they shuffled away. I
prayed for strength to be quiet, for God to give me
freedom from anxiety as the time passed on and there
was no appearance of him for whom I had watched
all day. The cattle and the sheep across the river
were rounded up and driven home to be tethered near
the tents, but, besides the bears and my horse, there
was not a sign of any living creature on the same bank
where I was, for the flocks and herds towards which
my husband had gone had long since disappeared.

Knowing that the Tibetans are sometimes dilatory
and hard to manage, I tried to think that the tents
were some distance away, that the natives refused to
help us unless my husband would remain until morn-
ing, and so I consoled myself with the thought that
daylight would bring him to me. Eeason told me he
had fallen prey to wicked men, but I would not, be-
cause I had no desire to, listen to it, and my heart
hoped against hope. Dusk settled into darkness, and
a desolate solitude reigned over hill and valley, almost
chilling me to the heart as I sat alone in the stillness
of that oriental night, broken by no sound of human

LOST AND ALONE 315

voice, with no sympathy of friends to fall back upon,
not even the companionship of the faithful Topsy. I
thought of the possible strain both physical and mental
of him who had gone so cheerfully around the rock that
day. What he must have suffered did he have time to
think of his wife alone and in danger! I knew that,
unless he had hopes of helping me himself, every
thought was a prayer that his loving Father would
tenderly care for the one alone on the hillside. I
tied my horse among the bushes and lay down, more for
protection from the cold than from any desire to sleep,
and spent a quiet, peaceful, though slumberless night,
in a mood not to be surprised if the sound of that
precious voice rang out my name through the deathly
stillness, remembering what he had said about calling
to me if he should return after dark — but in vain.
Morning came, and with it I rose to use the telescope
once more, and wait for the hoped and longed for re-
turn of my husband. The cattle and sheep spread out
over the hills across the river, and all nature basked in
the sunshine, but as the hours of the second day sped
on and no trace of him was seen, my heart almost ceased
beating. Well it was that we had learned to trust God
in hard and difficult places. What else supported me
through the leaden hours of that day but the thought
that I was in God's hands?

11 Nothing before, nothing behind,
The steps of faith
Fall on the seeming- void, and find
The rock beneath. "

But I must admit it was a faith amidst a darkness

316 WITH THE TIBETANS

so thick and black that I could not enjoy the sun-
shine. Evening found me still alone with God, just
as I had been the night before. My undefined fear
had shaped itself into almost a certainty, leaving me
with scarcely any hope of ever seeing my husband
again, and with just as little, probably, of my getting
away from the same people who had seemingly mur-
dered him, and indeed, I must confess I had no desire to
leave that hill. The conviction that the tents beyond
those rocks belonged to the robbers who had stolen our
horses was forced upon me, and I concluded also that
when Mr. Kijnhart suddenly came into their presence
they thought he had come for his horses, and would
accuse them to their chief, thus causing the loss of
the goods they had; and so, to avoid trouble, they had
shot him and thrown his body into the river. Some
days' journey from there the celebrated traveler
Dutreuil de Ehins had been killed in 1894 and the
Tibetans had thrown his body into the river, but were
compelled to pay dearly for it in silver, and a lama
had been beheaded for the crime. This was all well
known to the men near us, and if I am correct in my
surmise that these were the robbers, my brave and fear-
less husband had fallen a prey to their distrust and
fear. M. Grenard, who was Dutreuil's compag non-de-
voyage on the expedition on which the former was
killed, as soon as he heard of Mr. Rijnhart's disappear-
ance, wrote that the tribes in the locality where we had
met our trouble were the most hostile they had seen,
refusing to sell them anything even for large sums of
money — and Miss Anuie Taylor just avoided being

LOST AND ALONE 317

stoned as a witch by the people of Tashi Gomba. These
circumstances add weight to what I myself had thought
at the time.

The second night I lay awake watching the stars
that twinkled joyously, meditating and praying for
some light as to my future, and asking God not
to permit me to be rash and make mistakes. Oh! if I
could only have helped Mr. Eijnhart ! Morning came,
and with it no solution of the impenetrable difficulty,
and it seemed to me that I must stay on and wait in-
definitely for some one to come. About ten o'clock I
stood scanning the landscape with the telescope, when
suddenly I heard a shout from behind me on the hill.
My heart bounded with delight under the impulse of
the moment, for I concluded it was the voice I so
longed to hear, and that the yak I saw were some he
had hired to help us. Therefore I was only the more
disappointed to see that they belonged to two lamas and
several armed Tibetans coming from the opposite direc-
tion. I shouted to them, and as the lamas came down
the hill I went up towards them, and we sat down to
converse while their comrades went on with their yak.
After the usual civilities had been exchanged they
asked me where my husband was, and I replied that
he had gone to some tents and had as yet not returned.
They inquired if I were not afraid to stay alone; and
for answer I showed them my revolver, explaining that
I could easily fire six shots from it before a native
could fire one from his gun, and that each bullet could
go through three men; whereupon they remarked to
each other that no one had better try to harm me, as I

318 WITH THE TIBETANS

could wound eighteen men before I could be touched.
They were traveling, they said, to a place three days'
journey away, and as they were apparently friendly, I
at first thought of journeying with them in the hope
of enlisting their help, but gave that up as impossible.
Then I asked them to take me across the river on
their yak, and in answer they inquired if I had money.
I said yes, I would pay them well for it. They jumped
up, and, saying they would go for the yak, ran up the
hill and out of sight in the direction of the tents to
which my husband had gone.

I waited in the same place all that day, but
there was no sign of Mr. Eijnhart, nor did the
men return when the sun had gone down. I felt
that my life would not be worth anything if I re-
mained there all night, and that I must get away
from that place; but whither I was to go I did not
know. I tried to cross the river on my horse, but he
would not venture into the water. Then I dragged
him up the hill, sat down once more and reviewed the
situation, when the thought came : " Why ! I can
never get away from here safely anyway. I will never
be able to get out of the country, I am so far from the
border; I may as well be killed first as last, and so
I will go where my precious husband has gone." And
once more I pulled my horse down the hill intending
to go around the rock. But I was not to go. The im-
pression grew upon me that it was rash to rush into
almost certain death, and thus neither be any help to
my husband, nor leave any trace of the three of us who
had left Tankar in such good spirits, thereby bringing

LOST AiSTD ALONE 319

untold sorrow and suspense to our home friends. Then
there was the thought of future work. Had we not both
consecrated ourselves to the evangelization of Tibet,
and now that my dear husband had fallen, was the
work and its responsibility any the less mine ? Eventu-
ally I walked along the river down stream toward the
tents Mr. Eijnhart had first in view, with a strong
desire to get help to take me to the lamasery or to the
chief of the tribe, but with a vague feeling of unrest
and of doubt as to what would happen. On reaching
the river's edge opposite those tents I called so loudly
to the people that a man and a boy came to the nearest
place to me, so I asked them to come over the river
with two yak, holding up a hhata; but that was not
enough to tempt them, so I showed a piece of silver
which I would give them for taking me across the
river, and they ran away to return with two yak upon
one of which there was a pack saddle. I was amazed
to see them drive the fierce looking brutes into the
water with stones and shouts. I saw that they expected
me to catch them, put my bedding on one, saddle and
mount the other, a task that was utterly impossible,
for I had no experience with these strange wild burden-
bearers — all my life, in fact, I had been possessed of
an inordinate fear even of domestic cattle. I shouted
over that if a man did not come with the yak they
need not send them, as I could not manage them ; then
they stopped throwing stones and the two unwieldly
creatures returned to their homes, while the man said
I could stay where I was. I made ready to spend the
night there, directly across from those .tents, feeling

320 WITH THE TIBETANS

a little more secure when I was so near people whom
I did not know were treacherous, so I partook of some
tsamba and cold water, tied my horse where he could
easily be watched, and lay down on the snow. It
snowed nearly all night, and it was difficult to be peace-
ful. How would it all end? Would the people help
me in the morning? These were only a few of the
many disquieting thoughts that swayed through my
mind, while deep down in my heart a voice whispered,
"Be still, sad heart, and lean upon thy God, who
knoweth the end from the beginning."

When morning dawned I called again, and was glad to
see several women and children come to the water's edge,
for I thought I could manage them better than I could
the men. I soon saw that they would do nothing for me
until I had proved that my horse would not take me
across, so I put my bedding on him and mounted.
The women shouted, threw stones, and waved their
hands, while I did my best to persuade him to cross,
but he knew his weakness better than we did and not
one step would he take, so Achi called out for me to
dismount, which I did. I then asked what they would
do for me. Finally a lama said if I would wait a
while he would go to some tents near by and bring a
horse over, and I could then cross in safety. About
ten o'clock a man and six yak came over for me. The
Tibetan was submitted to a careful scrutiny, for on him
so much depended, and I saw a man with a dirty face,
ragged hair and clothing, but there was an expression
in his eyes that made me trust him. He tied my horse
to one of the yak, put my things on another and my

LOST AND ALONE 321

saddle on a third. He then gave me his own and my
riding animals to hold by the rope through their noses,
while he drove the other four into the water, amid
the clamor of a large party of onlookers on the bank
opposite. My horse at first refused to go, but at last
launched forth and dragged the yak to which he was
tied down the river so far that all feared they would
both be lost, though they did succeed in landing far
down the stream. I felt anything but comfortable in
this, my first, attempt at riding the yak, especially to
cross such a large river, but there was nothing else to
do; so while my rough-looking guide held the huge
black ox by the horns I mounted, and then my com-
panion mounted his. Having no bridle, I had expected
my guide to lead mine by the rope, but the two black,
bulky animals plunged awkwardly into the water, and
I clung convulsively to the saddle, with difficulty keep-
ing my balance, while we swayed with the motion of the
animal swimming, and the current which was very
strong. When we arrived on the other side, all wet,
for oxen swim lower in the water than horses, I ex-
pected to go into the tent, change my wet garments,
and warm myself before a genial fire ; but no, the Tibe-
tans had other plans, and I felt it should be my first
aim to make an agreeable impression on these people.
Amidst such remarks as, " She is not Chinese, she is
a foreigner," they opened up every thing I had with
me, and thankful I was that there was nothing among
the things that could arouse their suspicion except the
revolver, of which they had an intense fear. One man
plunged his dirty hand into the bottom of my tsamba

322 WITH THE TIBETANS

bag to see if there were anything secreted there, and
found a dessert spoon which I gave the one who had
brought me over the river, the silver and khata having
been taken possession of by a man, whom I afterwards
learned was a doctor. When the inspection was con-
cluded I then took one of the women by the hand and
asked her to come into the tent with me, as I was shiv-
ering with the cold, for I had on my wet garments, and
the ground was covered with snow. One of the men
pointed to a spot in the open a little distance from the
tents, and said I could put my things there and sleep.
I firmly held to my purpose of not sleeping out-of-
doors if I could in any way help it, and besought them
to let me have a common tent, or put up a little shelter
for me, and finally they led me to the entrance of a
narrow cave where a sick cow was lying, and, driving
the cow out, they allowed me to put my things there
and stay. I quickly availed myself of the shelter, and
was soon comfortable in dry garments, sipping hot tea,
the first I had had for three days. I thought I had
never tasted anything so delicious in my life before as
that Tibetan tea, for hunger and cold are efficient ap-
petizers. My efforts to conciliate these people were
eminently successful, and we were soon on the best of
terms, chatting freely, but deep in my heart lurked the
awful fear of my husband's fate, and despair of getting
aid. They told me that the lamasery of Tashi G-omba
was two days' journey away; the abbot had been be-
headed, and all the people were fighting, so nothing
would induce the men to go with me there, and the
chief of the tribe was three days' journey distant, so

LOST AND ALONE 323

that I could not find my way to him. Though I did
not tell them what I thought had happened to my hus-
band, they suspected that there was something amiss,
and they knew I had been robbed, also that I could not
have come there alone; so they would not aid me to
reach any person of authority, because they might then
be interfering in their neighbors' escapades, thereby
making of their nearest tent-dwellers lifelong enemies.
One Tibetan will not openly betray another, but some-
times very secretly for a large sum of money he will
tell the owner of horses that have been stolen at whose
tent the latter may be found; but the fact that the in-
formation has been given him by another is never to
be made known, not even to the chief. This was the
secret of the Tibetans in that locality not helping me,
for if they had it would have spoiled their lives. They
told me that Jyekundo, a good-sized town, could be
reached in ten days by horseback and in fifteen by yak.
As a Chinese official is stationed at Jyekundo I prepared
to go there to meet him. I knew he could send letters
to Ta-chien-lu for me, and could also send soldiers back
with me to find out what had happened to Mr. Kijn-
hart. But the natives refused to go all the way, and
asked so much money to go five days with me that we
could not come to terms, so I remained four days in
that little cave.

At night the sick cow lay outside and ground
her teeth, while I put my saddle and traps in
the entrance to prevent her walking in upon me. The
men and women visited me freely, bringing me butter
and meat for sale, and always wanting the same things
in exchange, viz.: the green stones that are used so

324 WITH THE TIBETANS

profusely to decorate headdresses. I went the after-
noon of the first day to a spot on the river across
from the place where I had sat those days waiting and
waiting. How sad I felt when I saw on the bank, just
where he had left it, my husband's wadded jacket.
The third day two lamas on horseback, and I on a yak,
went again, the former going across the river to get
the things that I had left there, because I was not
able to take them all when I had gone towards the
tents. I watched them through the telescope, and my
heart sank when I saw all the things in the same con-
dition in which I had left them, for I knew no one
had been near the place, and my last atom of hope for
the return of the absent one was gone. With a weary
heart I urged the men to start on the five days' journey
toward Jyekundo, but they were slow in promising to
leave. Finally, from some superstition or fear, they did
not wish to have me near their tents any longer, per-
haps because they thought I might bring harm to them,
so we soon came to terms and started away. Almost
everything I had, they managed with great sleight-of-
hand to steal from me, and it was only upon my refusal
to go without my own bridle, which was a good one, that
it was forthcoming. I also demanded a wadded gar-
ment that would be sadly needed in the cold. A man
had hidden it under a stone, but brought it out when
I told the woman I must have it. Leaving the place
where my baby was buried, and setting out alone with
these Tibetans from the locality where I had lost my
husband, stand out prominently as the two events in
my life that have called forth the greatest effort, ac-
companied by sorrow too deep for expression.

CHAPTER XXII

WICKED TIBETAN GUIDES

The Apa and the Murder of Dutreuil de Rhins — Con-
ference with a Chief — New Guides, Treacherous and
Corrupt — The Night Camp in the Marsh — We Are
Taken for Robbers — A Lamasery Fair.

The district along that portion of the Tsa Chu where
Mr. Rijnhart disappeared is called Gra-Je, and is gov-
erned by native chiefs under the jurisdiction of the
Amban at Sining, whose nearest representative is the
Chinese official at Jyekundo; so that though the neces-
sity of traveling towards the latter was painful, my
heart was full of hope that I might there enlist help,
accuse the guilty, and perhaps be able to return with
soldiers. The three men whom I had engaged to ac-
company me five days' journey with yak were to receive
ten ounces of silver besides a valuable garment, and
they were to arrange with other men to take me an-
other five days' journey towards my goal. The oldest
man was about fifty, had almost grey hair, was very
dirty, but his manner was so full of simple dignity and
kindness that I felt attracted to him, and called him
apa, a title which pleased him very much. One of his
companions was the man who had brought me across

325

326 WITH THE TIBETANS

the river, and though he ate raw meat with such keen
enjoyment as to remind me of cannibalism, and killed
a small animal his dog had driven from its shelter, by
battering its head against a stone, I did not fear him.
About the third there was nothing unusual except that
it was he who always held communication with new-
comers, and bargained when such was necessary. They
each had a sword but no spear ; only one carried a gun,
while all three walked, driving along three yak, one
with my things, one for me to ride, and the other to
carry their food, which consisted almost entirely of
meat, with a very little butter and tsamba. My horse
was led by one of the guides, and must have rejoiced
in his freedom from even a saddle, after his journey
of so many months. The evening before we started on
our five days7 journey we went a short distance through
the hills to some tents belonging to relatives of the
guides. The three men slept inside the tents, while I
remained out-of-doors on the edge of a hill, where they
made a good fire for me, procuring from the tents fuel
enough to burn the greater part of the night. Xot once
again was I ever allowed to enter a tent, or the living
room after I had reached the agricultural districts,
where the people occupy houses made of stone; for the
natives have, besides their superstition and prejudices
against all foreigners, a peculiar custom winch does
not permit women other than those of the family to
enter the home. These three guides in their own way
were exceedingly kind to me, and though I could not
trust them implicitly, my mind was comparatively free
from fear.

WICKED TIBETAN GUIDES 327

The yak I first rode was untrained for riding pur-
poses and, though led by one of the men, made such
sudden lurches down the hill that twice the saddle
turned and I was violently thrown off, fortunately, to-
wards the ascent and not downwards; but, after the
second fall, I insisted on having a larger, though more
quiet, animal, and found him much better. My guides
succeeded in trading my jaded horse for a fresh one,
and when the owner of the latter came to complete the
deal he happened to spy my last towel, and nothing
would do but I must give him that — not that he would
use it much, but he coveted it, and I could not find any
substitute acceptable to him; so, feeling that I might
not have any other opportunity to make a trade, I let
him have what I had hitherto considered a neces-
sity to my existence; but a horse that could carry
me over the road was of infinitely more service to me
than even a towel.

The three men expressed their satisfaction and pleas-
ure that I was again riding a horse, for they seemed
to take quite an interest in me; but no offer I made
would induce them to consent to go any further with
me than the five days' journey, so much afraid of
robbers they were when outside their own district.
The apa told me there was a large amount of brigand-
age practised in the locality through which we were
then traveling, also in that through which we would
have to pursue the journey towards Jyekundo ; and
therein lay the reason why they had come unmounted
and unarmed, for anyone meeting them would at once
conclude that they had nothing of value, looking as

I

328 WITH THE TIBETANS

they did, like beggars. While we were camped one
night in a barren valley on the caravan road, between
Nagch'uk'a and Jyekunclo, on the bank of a little
mountain stream, near which the horse was tethered
with a long rope so that he might graze the while, sud-
denly one of the men told us to be still, as the horse
heard something. We looked and noticed that his
attitude was one of attention, his ears strained to
locate a sound. One of the guides immediately untied
him, led him to me, and, putting the rope into my hand,
told me not to allow him to be taken away on any pre-
text whatever, but, if necessary, to threaten with my
revolver. Soon two horsemen quietly approached, and
one of my men went to converse with them, with the
result that one of the two went on, and the other
stayed during the night with us. He was a well-dressed
lama, and, though very inquisitive, was quite harmless;
so, after a little anxiety at the beginning, I did not
have any reason to object to his presence.

My guides had no small difficulty to hire other
men and animals to journey with me when they
would leave, but I was so anxious not to be com-
pelled to make a start alone again that I offered
them five extra ounces of silver df they succeed-
ed. This was quite an inducement, and, on the
night of the fifth day, I had six men with nine
yak to stay beside me in the narrow ravine, but I did
not feel so comfortable or easy in mind as I had done
when alone with my first three guides. The apa and I
had often sat by the fire chatting freely, while the
others gathered fuel and carried water, and I felt as

WICKED TIBETAN GUIDES 329

if I were parting with a friend. He told me about the
killing of the Frenchman, Dutreuil de Ehins ; said that
he was there and helped do the firing- I do not
credit that, though the fact that he so nonchalantly
gave the details, upholding the conduct of those who
had taken part in the murder of the gallant French
explorer, made me feel anything but secure in the
hands of those who think so lightly of killing a for-
eigner. The morning came for parting with my guides
who had been, on the whole, so kind and thoughtful,
really having successfully set the ball rolling for me
towards Jyekundo. Having received their money, they
made me presents of some food, and off they went. We
had talked freely of baby, of my husband and of the
robbers, and as they had shown me some sympathy I
was really lonely when they were gone, and I felt their
departure the more keenly bceause they were returning
towards the place where my heart had been so strained,
and where my thoughts were yet centered, while I was
going always further away.

Of my three fresh guides, one was a man of
about forty, whom I also pleased by giving the
name of apa; the youngest was a boy of about
seventeen, with a pleasant face, his well-combed
and greased hair hanging down behind with an evenly
cut fringe in front. He had a new sheepskin gown, white
and clean except where his well-oiled hair had soiled
it at the back. The third was sneaky both in appear-
ance and action, and was the only one I feared or mis-
trusted. They were all armed with gun and sword,
and, on the whole, we jogged along very harmoniously

330 WITH THE TIBETANS

together. But, strangely enough, they studiously avoided
camping near the people, though they agreed to secure
the services of three more men to travel the remainder
of the way to Jyekundo with me when they themselves
had to return. On the morning of the fourth day, as
we were following the road high up on a slope, we
suddenly saw a chief's tent in the valley at the foot
of the hill. I immediately decided to repair to it,
and ask for an escort of men with horses, because the
yak were so slow and the men were making as little
progress as they possibly could each day, in order that
they should get only a short distance away from home.
When I considered the rate at which we were traveling
I felt dubious about the ultimate success of my efforts,
for my money would not be sufficient to meet the neces-
sary expense for transport and food; but when I made
known to the men my intention they firmly objected,
saying they were afraid, for this was their own chief.
I took the initiative and dragged my horse down,
bidding them follow, which they reluctantly did. Soon
the old man and I were calling to the servants around
the tent.

On our approach the chief's steward came to
converse with us, so I gave him a beautiful Jchata for
the ponbo, and asked for an interview. He returned
the Tchata and said because I was a woman I could not
enter into the august presence of his master, but that
he himself would act as middleman. I refused to accept
the Ichata, and, showing him our Chinese passports, I
informed him that we had been robbed some distance
away, that this was the first chief I had been able to

WICKED TIBETAN GUIDES 331

find, and that I desired an escort with horses to take
me to Jyekundo, expressing my willingness to pay for it.
He withdrew to the tent to make known my wishes
to his master, and returned presently to say there was
another chief near by who would give me what I
wanted, but that he himself conld not. I replied that
my present guides were not responsible to anyone for
my safety, and that I would not leave the place where
I now was without an escort, and that I would stay
indefinitely depending upon him for my food, and for
the safety of my horse ; if I died the government would
in time trace me to that spot, and the ponbo would get
into trouble. This was sufficient to move the chief, and
we very soon came to terms; but I was to wait until
next day so that the escort might make preparations
for the journey. As the five days were not yet up, I
retained my three guides until the following morning
when, paying them their full amount of money, I per-
mitted them to leave. The subordinates of the chief
came about freely, trying to buy my revolver, and par-
ticularly the telescope. The ponbo did not forget his
dignity enough to speak to me, but he sent to ask the
loan of my telescope, with which it was evident he was
as pleased as a child, for he was anxious to buy it ; but,
feeling that he would not give me very much for it,
I said that if the escort he provided took me to
Jyekundo I would send it back with them as a present
for him. Several times he sent messengers to ascertain
if I meant what I said, to each one of whom I gave the
answer that if they returned without it, it would be
because they had not fulfilled the agreement.

332 WITH THE TIBETAXS

In the evening the two men destined as guides were
introduced to me. I noticed that one of them had a very
wicked face and a shaven head, while the other was
just an ordinary lay Tibetan. I had given the ponbo
a piece of silver as payment for the escort, and, fearing
it was not good all the way through, I presume, they
asked if they might cut it in two, and upon permission
they did so, each taking a half. They then requested
me to travel at night, but I emphasized the fact that I
never traveled after dark, and that settled the ques-
tion. The chief had already sent me presents of but-
ter and cheese, and the next morning we set off, the
two men carrying my things on their saddles so that
they might not have a third horse to delay us on our
way. I had an easy heart, thinking that the chief's
men would be quite an improvement over the ones I
had hired myself. But what a change! Instead of
security I found myself in imminent danger, for two
ver}r bad men had been given me, and only the promise
to send the telescope to their chief secured any help
from them. There are no worse men in the peniten-
tiaries to-day than were those men with whom I traveled
for some time, for they planned to kill, to rob me, and
did succeed in cheating me. X~ot for one instant did
they escape my surveillance except when they went in-
side a tent, and even then I watched to see them again at
once when they emerged. The one who carried my food
on his saddle went to his own tent for the necessaries
for the journey, and when gone stole half my little
supply of tsamba and butter. How despicably mean
I thought he was to take from me, a lone woman, my

WICKED TIBETAN GUIDES 333

only food, when I was in a hostile country among
strangers ; bnt it served to put me on my guard.

The first night we spent beside the other man's tent,
and my soul revolts when I think of the suggestions he
made to me, and yet he only treated me as if I were a
Tibetan woman, not knowing that women in our land
are in a widely different position from those in
Tibet. When that man — the very thought of whom
makes me shudder — was leaving to go to sleep
inside the tent, I reiterated what I had already said,
that if anything approached me during the night, I
would fire my revolver at whatever it was, whereupon
he told me to be careful not to kill the dog! In the
morning as we started on the big caravan road towards
Jyekundo, my treacherous guides caused me to feel more
uncomfortable than ever, but they found out that I was
to be treated with respect, and that I would not tolerate
either familiar language or gesture, being ready with
my revolver to resist any impudence. Oh! how I
thanked my husband for his thoughtful care in giving
me that protective revolver, for it was the only instru-
ment to keep in control the abusive and insulting ten-
dencies of those men. I have never seen any other
Tibetans or Chinese who even approached them in wick-
edness of every description, and sometimes can scarcely
realize that I spent days and nights alone with them.

They assured me that women were so low and de-
graded that they were ashamed to be seen traveling with
me, and when we were near people, I was not to open
my lips to utter a word, for if I did it would be known
I was not one of the nobler sex like them and they

334 WITH THE TIBETAXS

would not go another step with me. They wished to
appear very kind and wanted to relieve me of the heavy
telescope, which they offered to carry, but I preferred
retaining that myself in the blouse of my gown. As
long as I had it, they were to a certain extent in my
power, for it would almost mean the loss of their heads
did they return to their chief without it. They soon
found that I was on the alert against being cheated in
a simple manner, so they planned on an extensive scale
to get me within their control, but I was in the hands
of the great, good Father, and He protected me.

About noon the more wicked of the two complained of
a severe pain in his stomach, which grew worse until
he was apparently almost unable to proceed. They
asked me if I had any medicines that would relieve
pain, and I replied in the affirmative, for I had my
hypodermic syringe with tablets of morphia which I
knew would relieve him, if he were really suffering,
something I very much doubted. He asked me
if the medicine were Chinese or English, and up-
on my replying that it was the latter, he said he
dare not take it, for though English medicine might be
all right for us and the Chinese, it would certainly
kill a Tibetan. Seeing tents in the distance to the left
of the road, he said we would spend the night beside
them, and he would secure the services of a lama who
could give him medicine and say prayers for his re-
covery, so we went towards them. When we had ar-
rived at a place near the last ones, we sat down; they
indulged in snuff and conferred together, while I sev-
eral times suggested that we should make our way over

WICKED TIBETAN GUIDES 335

towards the tent and settle down for the night, for we
were exhausted and needed rest, while the sick man
could go and place himself in the care of the mamha.
But soon I saw that they were making other plans, for
we started on again and left the tents behind us, be-
cause, so they tried to make me believe, the inhabitants
were very bad robbers, and it would be dangerous for
us to remain near them.

I dared not quarrel with them, for it would have
ended in their telling the people I was wicked and
should be killed, which would probably result in my
death, so I felt it was better policy for me to be on
my guard and yet not incense my guides. We passed
old sites of tents, where were mounds of fuel laid up
for future use, and reached an immense marsh through
Which we traveled for hours, our horses having diffi-
culty to pick their way, and where human beings had
in all likelihood never been before. Beaching a little
stream we followed it until we found a place where our
horses could jump ; here we crossed and then followed
it back into a right angle, where they dismounted to
camp. We had the black, miry stream on two sides of
us, and were hemmed in by very marshy ground that
extended miles away to the base of some hills. I noticed
that the men carefully concealed the fire in order that
the flames should not be seen in the distance, and as it
was long after dark, we prepared to rest as soon as we
had our evening meal. They frequently assured me
of the safety of our camping ground, where we could
all sleep soundly without any danger of robbers, for
we could not be reached without the plunging in the

336 WITH THE TIBETANS

bog betraying the approach of an enemy. They lay
down with their guns ready, and their heads beside the
smouldering fire, while I spread my rubber sheeting
in the driest place I could find a few yards from them,
With my revolver in my hand I spent the night, now
looking at the stars to glean some hope from their bright
twinkle, now at the horses — praying for strength to
keep awake that I might watch with unerring and un-
faltering eye every movement of the two bad men be-
side me ; for though they had told me so kindly to sleep
without fear, they yet called me very softly six times
during the night, when I promptly answered so that
they might know I was not to be caught napping. What
their purpose was I could not discern, but their leading
me away from human haunts into the center of that
extensive marsh, bidding me have no care for we could
all safely sleep, and then calling me so frequently, made
me realize that their actions boded no good, and that I
might have found a last resting-place in that forsaken
spot without a trace being left. Men may plan, but it
was not to be as they wished. When the morning dawned
the man's pain had vanished, and with it even the ap-
pearance of kindness; probably they were angry that
a woman was so unexpectedly on her guard. We sad-
dled our horses — I had to saddle my own — and before
the sun had as yet risen over the hills, we were on the
way back to the main road which we had quitted the
day before, trotting along quickly until we reached a
place where there were two roads.

Here the guides hesitated, saying they were not
certain which of the roads led to Jyekundo, but

WICKED TIBETAN GUIDES 337

eventually they took the smaller one, and I sug-
gested our doing what the nomads always do, ask
at some adjacent tents for directions as to the
proper road; so while I stayed as I had usually
done at one side on account of the dogs, they sought
information from the tent dwellers. Soon they came
to me, asking if I knew what smallpox was, and saying
that there was an epidemic of it at Jyekundo, and they
would not go. It was not difficult for me to realize what
that meant, for Tibetans are very much afraid of that
dread disease, and flee from it as we would from yellow
fever or cholera. But I said that I was not afraid, and
that they must go with me or they could not have the
telescope for their chief ; whereupon they intimated that
it would be better to be killed by the ponbo while among
their own friends, than to die of smallpox among stran-
gers ! It was of no avail for me to say that when we
arrived within sight of Jyekundo they might return,
and I would proceed alone, for they would not take
another step in that direction. I felt that they were
only endeavoring again to cheat me, so I suggested hav-
ing breakfast there near the tents, for I was faint with
the long horseback ride, the severe strain of watching
the men, and the almost hopeless task of balking them
in their wicked designs. I did not dare to tell them
I would dispense with their services, for that would
at once have turned them into bitter enemies, leaving
me to again make my way alone and unknown to tents,
where they probably would have scattered calumny. I
could scarcely restrain the feeling of desperation that
forced itself upon me, and it was difficult to keep the

338 WITH THE TIBETAXS

guides from thinking that I was almost nonplussed to
know what was the most expedient course to pursue.
Any attempts to induce them to go to Jyekundo proved
futile, and I concluded to accept their offer to guide
me along the caravan road to where there was a China-
man, for I felt if only I could see one of the Chinese
merchants so common near Tibetan towns, that he
would certainly help me, a surmise which afterward
proved correct. After considerable bargaining and al-
most a fight between the two men, one of them drawing
his sword at the other (whereupon I acted as peace-
maker— an important personage in all oriental disturb-
ances), I gave them ten ounces of silver, and promised
them the telescope when we found a Chinaman. It is
as a rule very poor policy to pay all the money down to
guides, and I refused to do it, but they would not stir
from the place until I had, though of course I held a
firm hold over them through the telescope. At the first
tent we came to, they inquired the whereabouts of the
Chinese merchants, and led me off the road along a
little foot-path, by following which we would find some
in two days. My whole nature revolted against travel-
ing with them, for I knew they were bad men trying to
cheat me, but it was best to be patient, and so I tried
to keep my thoughts on the brightest side of things.

We camped in one of nature's loveliest spots that
night — in a little recess among the hills where many
tents were pitched on pretty grassy strips, where flocks
and herds were peacefully grazing, and where babbled
winding brooks, on the bank of one of which we made
a fire. The bad men spent the evening in a black tent,

WICKED TIBETAN GUIDES 339

but I was almost petrified when they said we were ap-
proaching a lamasery where there was an intense hatred
of foreigners, and that if it were discovered that I was
a foreigner we would all be killed; so that everything
that would betray my nationality must be destroyed.
I shall never forget the struggle I had when my hus-
band's Bible that he had used for years — his most pre-
cious possession — and his diary, were condemned to be
destroyed by being buried in a miry stream with stones
piled on them ; but I had to accede to their requests or
face further trouble. The next day we went on, the
men acting most mysteriously when the shades of night
overwhelmed us, leading the way high up into a sort of
cauldron in the hills, far from some tents in the valley,
where we could apparently have so peacefully remained.
We found just enough water to make a little tea, and
then lay down to rest. Suddenly a voice near us rang
out in the darkness, the men hushed up their dog, hast-
ily arose, donned their sheepskins, ignited the fuses
for their guns, and stood ready to defend their horses,
while I prayed for protection. The shouting continued,
but slowly died away in the distance, when one of the
men remarked that they must be searching for us, or it
was some one who was lost, so he in his turn called, and
soon, guided by the voice, the stranger made his way to
the fire, and the three talked together. I heard him
ask who I was, and the guides replied that I was a Chi-
naman who was going to join his companions at the
lamasery, but I did not know the language at all, so he
need not address me, a very artful way indeed to pre-
vent his finding out that I was a foreign woman. Pres-

340 WITH THE TIBETAXS

ently he went away, and returned almost immediately
with three men. I felt that there was something
amiss, bnt soon discovered that owing to onr suspicious
actions we had been taken for robbers, and they were a
deputation sent by the chief to investigate. On their
departure they had taken with them one of the guns be-
longing to my men, as security that we would molest no
one during the night. I was painfully weary but dared
not sleep, and rejoiced that we would probably reach
the lamasery of Eashi Gomba the following morning
when I would let the men go back to their homes. I
hope no other travelers will ever fall into their hands.
At daybreak a young lama brought back the gun, and
as I had the seal of silence on my lips he believed that
I was a Chinaman. My hat and fur collar concealed
the most of my face, which was far from white, and
my garments were by no means unlike those worn by
a merchant of the Celestial Empire, especially my big
straw hat, which the guides implored me to wear in
order to cover my face and hair. How beautiful was
the country through which we wended our way on that
bright day ! Evergreen trees dotted the grassy hillsides
and were welcomed as old friends, for I had seen none
for many months. Was it because hope sang in my
heart, that nature looked bright and inviting ? Or was
it that breezes whispered the same stories through the
boughs as I had often listened to in far-away Canada ?
Or perhaps the secret lay in the fact that in a few hours
I should have parted company with the worst men I
had ever had the misfortune to come in contact with.
The tents, nestled in snug corners of the valleys, looked

WICKED TIBETAN GUIDES 341

inviting, and I would not have had any fear to make
my way to them, for where Chinese merchants are com-
mon, Tibetans are as a rule tolerant and liberal. Pres-
ently we came in sight of a small lamasery which was,
as is usual with these villages, built partly on the slopes
of hills and partly in the valley beside a river, and
though the houses were not many in number the}' were
very substantial and looked well. There were hundreds
of tents of different kinds scattered around the lamas'
abodes, and I realized there was a fair in progress, thus
accounting for the large number of people in gay ap-
parel whom we had seen journeying in our direction. A
Tibetan fair is the last place foreigners should go to
when they are unknown, for a rabble of people drinking
and carousing is unreliable, and just as likely to be hos-
tile as friendly. The men found a Chinese merchant
who had rooms in a lama's house, so to him we went, and
as I was debarred from entering the lamasery because
I was a woman, he came out to see me. The guides
merely told him that I was a Chinese woman from Sin-
ing, and immediately made off, telescope and all, but I
breathed a sigh of relief even though I had as yet to
make a friendly atmosphere for myself in my new
surroundings.

CHAPTEE XXIII

A FRIENDLY CHINAMAN

A Protector at Last — I Eeceive a Passport from the
Abbot of Kashi Gomba — A Lama Guide — Battle
With Fierce Dogs — Arrival at Jyekundo — No Offi-
cial Aid.

Near the entrance in the mud-brick wall around
the house stood a group of lamas, conspicuous among
whom was a Chinaman about fifty years old, with pock-
marked face and typical Chinese features, who wore
the ordinary Chinese garb, not omitting even the little
circular black hat with the red button. There was noth-
ing in my cursory glance at him to give me cause for
either hope or fear, though his first words might seal
my fate, for he could wield as he chose the curious and
idle crowd that was quickly gathering about and hem-
ming us in. What would be his first hasty thought?
Would he be unfriendly and so increase the innate pre-
judice of the unruly and armed Tibetans? or would
he grasp the situation and thus save me?

I addressed him as lao-yeh (a very respectful title to
give an old man or one of rank), in my Sining dialect
of the Chinese, which would tally with the announce-
ment of the guides that I was a Chinese woman from

342

A FRIENDLY CHINAMAN 343

Sining; but his first sentence told me that he had
pierced my identity with his careful scrutiny, and knew
that I was a European, for he said, " How is it that
you are here all alone like this ? " He had recognized
the bond between us of our being the only " strangers
in a strange land," and though several Tibetans said
that I was not Chinese but peling, he gave them no
heed; while I opened my heart to him and told
him of the fate of our caravan, of our little son's
death, of our being robbed, and then of the awful
separation from my husband — with the subsequent
necessity of my traveling alone. He was touched — the
death of a son always comes with sorrow to a Chinaman
— and he said, " You have eaten much bitterness. Quiet
your heart, for now that you are with us Chinese you
are all right. The Tibetans are bad, but we are all
travelers alike." Some of the lamas brought me a
pitcher of tea which was indeed welcome, while we two
conversed in a language which the Tibetans did not un-
derstand, and he communicated to them as much of the
information as he deemed wise, withholding the fact
that I was not a Chinese woman, though had they looked
at my feet they might have known.

It was with a great shock of disappointment that I
learned of the absence from Jyekundo of the Chinese
official, for the representative of the Amban had left
that place in the summer, and no one would come to fill
the office until the following year. Thus my hopes of
aid from that source were crushed, but the merchant
said there was no small-pox there. He had a depot
for trade in that town, and when the five days of the

344 WITH THE TIBETANS

fair were ended, he would be returning, and he offered
me the escort of himself and his men if I would wait and
go with them. In the meantime the lamas erected a
comfortable shelter near the doorway where I could
remain until we were ready to leave ; but, though kind-
ness and sincerity had prompted the act, I felt that I,
a woman alone, was not safe. So I made known my
misgivings to Kia Chong-lcuei-teli, the Chinaman, say-
ing that if only I were near other women, or could pro-
cure an escort to Jyekundo where I might rest until he
came, I would feel safer than at the fair where I would
have to remain five days, each day increasing the tur-
bulent crowd. There was little possibility of being able
to persuade anyone to leave the fair just at its com-
mencement, but he clearly saw the reasons for my fears,
so towards evening I was taken to the proximity of a
black tent where there were Buddhist nuns, in which I
was to have quarters. I could scarcely realize the tran-
sition from such deep fear when with those guides, to
the sense of peace that resulted from the care, respect
and friendly interest manifested by that Chinaman
and the priests. As evening settled down, one of
the lamas took my horse to his home where I would have
no anxiety concerning him, and as I drank in the de-
light of the peaceful shepherd scenes about me, my
troubled heart was lulled into a calm. The black cattle
came slowly in, glad to see their young again, the sheep
pattered along bleating, horses whinnied joyfully,
women carried water from the clear mountain stream,
while a short distance away the visitors to the fair in
their gay garments were busy piling up near the white

A FRIENDLY CHINAMAN 345

or blue tents their merchandise, and tethering their
transport yak, or mules and horses where they could
exercise vigilance over them during the night.

Early the following morning a messenger came to
inform me that I was to leave that day for Jyekundo.
Kia Cliong-kuei-teh had, contrary to his most sanguine
expectations, received from the abbot of Rashi G-omba,
the lamasery where I was staying, a passport duly
signed and sealed by the same, which said that I was a
Chinese woman from Sining sent by the officials of
Nagch'uk'a, and that I was to have ula and escort to
Jyekundo. Presently a lama brought my horse which
he saddled, putting my load on it, and then led me
into the presence of the Chinaman, who communicated
his plan for my safety, saying that a lama would go
with me until we reached a chief in the Jyekundo dis-
trict who would provide an escort to the town itself,
where I was to inquire for his home, and stay there until
he arrived. He also tried to have a piece of silver
changed into Indian rupees, but the abbot not having
any use for my sycee wanted too much discount, so the
merchant himself changed it without loss to me. It is
only fair to pay a tribute to this man, a perfect stranger,
who treated me in as kind and thoughtful a manner
as any European could have done, not expecting to re-
ceive the smallest compensation for his pains either. It
is not pleasant to hear wholesale condemnation of the
Chinese race from people who know very little about
them; all Chinese are not Boxers, and if my experi-
ence with that merchant will tend somewhat to modify
anyone's opinion about them, I shall be satisfied. The

346 "WITH THE TIBETANS

old lama who was to accompany me to the nearest sec-
tion under Jyekundo jurisdiction intimated that he was
ready, so I bade good-bye to those who had befriended
me, and winding our way around a high wall built en-
tirely of white mani stones, inscribed with the mystic
formula, 0 mani padme hum, we paused before the old
mans house to tell his relatives where he was going.
After that we followed the crystal stream a short dis-
tance, and then, crossing it, stopped beside a tent. I
was given an abiding place in the shelter of a huge
stone which protected me from the cold, while the sun
shed its genial warmth about me, and, as almost all the
natives were at the fair, I had no idlers lounging around
from curiosity. Thus for hours I sat alone reviewing
the past days and planning the future ones, still en-
joying the respite from strain, and having no fear of
such treachery as had almost led to my doom the last
time I had received an escort from a chief. The old
lama boiled my tea, and, with kindness supreme,
brought his rug out and, settling himself not far from
me for the night, guarded me from harm and danger.
This may have been due to the respect and civility
shown those who are traveling on a passport, for when
a traveler has ula, the people are supposed to watch
over him and his belongings to insure safety against
thieves.

Jyekundo is two days' journey from Eashi G-omba,
"but we spent three days after we left the old man's
tents in reaching the town, and I did not at all object.
The first day was a long one, for we traveled from early
morning until almost dark, through beautiful country

A FRIENDLY CHINAMAN 347

in places dotted with trees and alternately mountain-
ous and level. We lunched in the afternoon with two
travelers known to my lama, one a well-to-do merchant,
the other a nun, good-looking, sprightly, and appar-
ently very devotional, diligently mumbling prayers, but
ready whenever the desired opportunity came to take
her share in the conversation. They were on their way
to the fair, but were camping for the night ; so they
had piled up their baggage, mostly t samba and tea,
and taken shelter beside it. They were both well-
dressed, had silver tsamba basins, silver mounted knives,
etc., and were on very familiar terms with each other;
while Moggie, as the men called the nun, coquettishly
resented the teasing she received from one of those who
had accompanied me.

Another interesting woman played an important part
in our evening's entertainment, for, having passed
through tangled copsewood, we reached a group of tents,
at one of which the men called and in answer a woman
came forth. She was about fifty years of age, with an
intensely pleasant face and characteristic manner, her
head crowned with discs of amber, her hair with streaks
of silver in it, her hands decked with jewels. Her hus-
band, the government steward, was away, so she held
the reins of authority, and when my passport had been
examined amidst considerable friendly discussion, dur-
ing which the Rashi lama was often mentioned, she
invited us to select a camping spot. Meanwhile she re-
paired to her tent, almost immediately returning with a
brass teapot wrought in curious and elaborate design,
filled with milk tea which she proffered for our refresh-

34:8 WITH THE TIBETANS

merit. The old lama then gave me over to her care, ad-
juring her to make sure that I should be protected from
the dogs, and when all was amicably settled she with-
drew to the tents. The three of us made ourselves as
comfortable as possible for the night, although we were
much startled by dogs and people running about in an
excited manner, because, as we learned from one of our
men who went to inquire, there were people camped
beyond the copse who were supposed to be robbers, and
the chief had ordered an investigation to be made by
the tent-dwellers in the vicinity; hence the confusion.
In the morning my two guides having returned to Rashi
Gomba, I was supplied with an escort consisting of a
man and his son who, as is the custom with ula, led
me to the tents where the latter was to be supplied,
and in their turn left me with strangers in an extensive
plain. That night was as uncomfortable as any I ever
spent among the Tibetans. It was raining and snowing,
and as the natives did not wish to sleep out-of-doors
beside me, they provided me with a large heavy native
woolen rug, and went themselves into their tents to
sleep, leaving me outside entirely alone, though that
is unusual when one has ula. The dogs, over a dozen in
number, large and ferocious, soon discovered that I was
a foreign element near their home, and came at in-
tervals during the night, barking around me, scratch-
ing at my blankets and jumping upon me, while I kept
well covered, with a hand grasping the bellows to strike
one if he ventured too near my head. I felt like some
one who is being hunted to the death, and called aloud
for help ; but, though the people heard the dogs and un-

A FRIENDLY CHINAMAN 349

derstood what was wrong, they heeded me not, and I
could hear them laughing and talking. As far as they
were concerned I might have been torn and bitten, but
morning found me safe. Soon afterward I left with one
man and a yak for Jyekundo, and, having traveled
about three hours, we suddenly saw cultivated fields,
which to me were the harbingers of peace and safety.
A great joy possessed my heart, for months had passed
since last I saw such marks of civilization.

The town of Jyekundo was not far from the little
farms. Turning abruptly into another valley we saw
the bright walls of the lamasery on the summit of a
steep hill, at the foot of which was the secular part
of the town, made up of houses substantially built of
mud-brick, with flat roofs, the whole reminding one of
a beehive, for the natives were busy ascending and de-
scending the incline between the town and a clear placid
river flowing below it. The valley was level and fairly
green, droves of yak were resting and grazing in it,
while throngs of travelers were coming and going all
the time, all reminding me of the old scenes at Tankar.
We wended our way across a little bridge spanning the
river, and up into a street upon which opened court-
yards and a few shops.

The Tibetan with me did not know the whereabouts
of Kia Cliong-lcuei-teh' s house, so he stopped in the
center of the street, and quickly a crowd of Tibetan
men, women and children, with a few Chinese, sur-
rounded me. I could get no one to direct me to the
merchant's home, as all seemed afraid to help me, so
I showed my passport from the Rashi lama, and asked

350 WITH THE TIBETANS

for a room to dwell in for a few days, the man who
was my escort seconding the demand because he was
in a hurry to leave, and yet could not dump my
bedding, which was carried on his yak, into the street.
The abbot of Eashi Gomba seemed to be much re-
spected, and several of the natives endeavored to find
someone willing to give me a lodging, succeeding
eventually in securing a room in the home of an old
man to whom I promised two rupees for the use of it —
every Chinaman around helping to hiahg the price.
Followed by a motle}^ crowd, I made my way to the
house, the rooms of which were built around a central
courtyard, on one side two-storied, on all the other
sides flat roofed. I found that a corner room had been
allotted to me. Around the walls hung quarters of
beef and dressed sheep, on one side were heaped heads
of animals and piles of wool; but when the room had
been swept and my rug spread on the floor, though
there was no window and no furniture, I felt that I
had, at least for a few days, a resting place. One never
knows how the evil intentions of men may be trans-
formed into blessings, when the ultimate issue of their
actions has been made known. When the guides led
me, not to Jyekundo, but to Eashi Gomba in order to
cheat me, I did not realize that only good would be the
outcome, but I was thankful when I stood for two hours
in the streets of Jyekundo endeavoring to get an abid-
ing place, that I had not been brought there by those
two men. In that case I should have been without the
passport that really proved to be the sesame.

Among the people crowding about were two Tibetan

A FRIENDLY CHINAMAN 351

women of great beauty, white skin, rosy cheeks, good
features, pleasant manners, well dressed in cloth gowns
and bedecked with jewels. They were great favorites
with the Chinese merchants, who admired them, and,
contrary to the custom in the latter' s own country, were
familiar with them. The house I lodged in belonged
in part, if not wholly, to one of these women, who
could speak considerable Chinese, and who had been
much liked by the Chinese official who had been sta-
tioned there.

This town has many different names. I have heard
it called Kegedo, Jedo and Jyeku, though Jyekundo is,
I believe, the correct name. It has an altitude of
12,935 feet according to Eockhill, is situated at the
confluence of two streams whose waters empty into the
Dre Chu not far from it, and, together with the
lamasery, has a settled population of nearly one thou-
sand, and a floating one of several hundred. It is of
great commercial importance, built, as it is, at the
junction of several large roads, radiating in different
directions, the principal one of which leads to Ta-
Chien-lu, the second to Nagch'uk'a, while others lead
to Ch'amdo, Sungpan, Sining and Taocheo. The
Chinese merchants who reside at Jyekundo import
flour, tea, tobacco, chinaware, cotton cloth, thread,
buttons and red leather, exchanging them for furs, gold
dust, musk, drugs, deer horns and wool. They find the
trade profitable, but do not enjoy life at Jyekundo on
account of the cold weather and the precarious position
of all foreigners among the Tibetans, who are so
changeable and often violent.

352 WITH THE TIBETAXS

In this town W. W. Eockhill met with no little
trouble, for the chief informed the natives that if
they sold him food the money he gave them in payment
would, through the foreigner's subtle power, be drawn
back to himself; hence they were forbidden to have
any communication until he,, the ponho, should return
from a conference with another chief as to what course
they should pursue towards the unexpected and unwel-
come stranger. In the meantime the friendly Chinese
persuaded Eockhill to leave for Ta-Chien-lu, before
the chief's reappearance, otherwise he would assuredly
be compelled, however unwilling he might be, to re-
trace his steps to the Ts'aidam.

Eminently different was my sojourn in Jyekundo.
The Chinese merchants accepted me as one of their own
countrymen, and vied with one another in endeavoring
to make me as comfortable as circumstances would per-
mit, one of them sending me by his servant a large dish
of mien with meat and vegetables.

The morning after my arrival, amid considerable
confusion, my room was entered by a man whose face
betrayed at once that he was a Mongol, looking
very familiar among the Tibetans who had accom-
panied him. To my astonishment and great pleasure,
he addressed me in Sining Chinese, and when I had
answered him in the same tongue he turned triumph-
antly to the bystanders, saying, " She is indeed from
Sining, for her words are Sining words.'* He then told
me that he had been absent from home when I arrived
the day previous, and had quite resented the informa-
tion given him that a Chinese woman from Sining

A FRIENDLY CHINAMAN 353

was in Jyekundo, and having come expressly to prove
that I was not from Sining, was amazed to recognize
my dialect. His home was near Tankar, and he had
come to Jyekundo as interpreter to the Chinese
official, had married a Tibetan woman, to whom he
had become so attached that the thought of parting-
brought him pain, and he was waiting until she and
their small family of children could accompany him
to his old home. In the meantime he had official rank,
and was acting in connection with the Amban's govern-
ment at Jyekundo. Calling me his relative and guest,
he constituted himself my protector and friend,
thereby rendering me services that can never be ade-
quately acknowledged. We had scores of acquaint-
ances in common, for his ancestral home was in a little
lamasery on the Hsi-ho in the vicinity of our old home,
and I was able to give him the first reliable account
that he had had of the Mohammedan rebellion, the
devastation by the rebels, and the wonderful foreign
guns and torpedoes which helped so efficiently to
quench the ardor of the Huei-huei.

In the absence of the Chinese official the ab-
bot of the lamasery was almost supreme in au-
thority, but my desire to personally interview him
did not prevail against the stringent laws forbid-
ding women to enter the lamasery except once,
annually, for the purpose of worship; so my con-
ferences were carried on through my Mongol friend,
for such he assuredly proved himself to be. I gave him
particulars concerning the robbery, and Mr. Rijnhart's
mysterious disappearance, which he considered due to

354 WITH THE TIBETAXS

his having been murdered, for he said the natives of
Ga-Je have a reputation for being difficult to restrain,
cruel and treacherous to an extreme. When I asked
that an investigation should be made in the latter lo-
cality the chief said he had no responsibility or au-
thority in that region, and during the absence of the
Chinese official nothing could be done, that Sining
would have to be notified, and the Amban would per-
sonally send an expedition. By sending up my two
Chinese passports and the Tibetan one I had received
from the Eashi lama, I impressed upon him my right
to an escort, and asked him to provide me with means
to travel in safety back to my home in Tankar; but he
said that he was sorry that such an arrangement was
beyond his power, for the road was so infested by
brigands that a very large escort would be required to
protect me, besides the fact that the trails are im-
passable in winter.

The districts under the jurisdiction of the Sin-
ing Amban extend only to Kansa, two days' jour-
ney from Jyekundo on the road to Ta-chien-lu,
hence the Tibetan chief could not be responsible
for my being kindly treated in the provinces of
Derge and Horba, which are under Sze Chuan gov-
ernment. I had to adopt careful tactics to induce
or compel him to make provision for my safe journey,
and emphatically said that unless he would give me a
good passport and an order for ula, I would wait in
Jyekundo until the Chinese official arrived from
Sining. As the trouble caused by the Frenchman's
murder was fresh in their minds, and mv husband's

A FRIENDLY CHINAMAN 355

fate was unknown, the abbot would not have me re-
main in his locality for any consideration, so with
the aid of my Mongol friend, devised means for my
traveling in safety to China. The Chinese merchants
were all in the midst of their most profitable trade, and
none of their caravans were leaving except one, that
was to be sent on from place to place by agents in the
various towns along the route, and might be delayed
a month in a place waiting for transport animals; so
they, even Kia Chong-Tcuei-teh, could give me no help.
The chief sent me presents of tsamba, butter, straw
for my horse and meat that I had to give away because
from its odor it did not promise to be very palatable,
and manifested his interest in my welfare by not per-
mitting me to pay any rent for the room, as I was
considered an official guest. Soon a passport was ready
for me, and literally translated read as follows:
" Passport. — This foreign lady, traveling to Ta-
Chien-lu, by the supreme order of the above great
person, the chief of every place through which her
way leads must diligently see to it that she is provided
with escort to accompany her. The lady has no horse.
She arrived at Jeclo on the first of ninth moon, and
leaves on the tenth of tenth moon. Passport and ula
given by three chiefs to Sze Chuan Kansa." The seals
of three chiefs were to be affixed to the document to
give it greater weight, and the chief said that no one
on the road would assume the responsibility of refusing
to conduct me safely beyond his section, so I would
reach my destination in perfect security. Having
changed enough of my bullion silver to give me a suf-

35G WITH THE TIBETANS

ficient number of rupees for my journey, he sent me
his best wishes for peace on the way, and the inter-
preter, the escort with the ula, and myself rode out
of the town, across the river and beautiful plain into
the main road leading from Jyekundo to Ta-chien-lu,
a very large wide trail. Varied were my experiences
during the month I spent in reaching the Chinese
border, sometimes so thrilling that I doubted whether
I should even yet meet my death in Tibetan wilds,
separated by long stretches of country from the two
who had been so much to me.

CHAPTER XXIV

MORE ROBBERS

From Jyekundo to Kansa — Difficulties with Ula — At
the Home of the Gimbi — Corrupt Lamas — Attacked
by Drunken Eobbers — Deliverance.

The parallel upon which Jyekundo is situated marks
approximately the boundary line between the districts
of Tibet governed by the Amban at Sining and those
under the jurisdiction of the Governor- General of Sze
Chuan, and though Jyekundo is the most northerly
military post there are several to the south; three of
these are on the road which I was to follow to Ta-
chien-lu, one at Kanze, one at Dao, and one at Tai-lin.
A colonel with a small number of soldiers is stationed
at each post. Though they have no authority over the
Tibetan chiefs they report to Ta-chien-lu on the condi-
tion of the country, so that should there be any diffi-
culty brewing troops might be dispatched, and thus
avoid a struggle that might end in great bloodshed.
In the district governed by Sze Chuan the position of
the Chinese officials is a very precarious one, and great
tact must be used by them in dealing with the natives
who consider the Chinese as inferiors in courage and
endurance; but, in the portion under Sining super-

357

358 WITH THE TIBETANS

vision the natives fear the Amban and the Chinese sol-
diers to a surprising extent; hence it is that the
Amban's authority is unquestioned. Nevertheless the
Chinese Tung Shih always exercises the utmost
prudence in settling any trouble among the Tibetans
when the Chinese government acts as arbitrator, or
when it exerts its authority or exacts indemnities. My
Mongol friend at Jyekundo assured me that the affair
of Dutreuil de Rhins' death had caused the Amban and
his stewards great trouble, for the Tibetans thought
they should not be compelled to pay such a large in-
demnity as was demanded, especially as it reduced
them almost to penury. But the Amban is supreme.

Kansa, or Sze Chuan Kansa, as the natives frequently
call it to distinguish it from the town Kanze in the
Horba district, which is often called Ho Kanze, was the
destination of the interpreter who accompanied me.
Being all well mounted, we rode quickly along a fertile
valley, where some of the natives, men and women
alike, were in the fields doing harvest work, looking
after flocks and gathering fuel. That day I saw for
the first time a Tibetan woman able to read. My
Mongol friend had to get the seal of a chief stamped
on my passport as we traveled, but instead of finding
him camped where he supposedly was, we found the
men of his tribe were moving his tents and goods to
another spot, for we met part of the cavalcade on their
way. The chief had gone ahead, but his wife was
there, a rosy-cheeked, good-looking young woman with
a profusion of ornaments on her hair and hands, and
mounted on a black horse with several men in attend-

MORE ROBBERS 359

ance. The interpreter introduced me to her, gave her
the passport and also a letter from the Amban at
Sining, which had just arrived, relative to some tribal
difficulties not far away, in which his representatives
were asked to be arbitrators. She read them both,
commented in an intelligent manner upon them, nodded
good-bye and rode on to overtake the remainder of the
caravan, taking with her the passport, which the chief
stamped and sent back to us in the evening. We spent
the night in a miserable, dirty little shanty, minus doors
and windows, near a large house over which floated
prayer-flags galore, and not far away was a small
lamasery. We had to wait some time for tea and fuel,
because the women were all away digging choma, and
the men would not under any consideration lower their
dignity by carrying water.

The chief sent me presents of t samba and butter, at
which the interpreter was much pleased, for he said it
augured well for my journey to get full dishes of any-
thing the first day. The women came home late in the
afternoon, tall, swarthy-cheeked, and skin-robed, but
kind and friendly without that tiresome curiosity that
characterizes the Chinese. That night I had five of
them sleeping just outside the door of my room in ac-
cordance with the custom that travelers with ula must
have a proper guard, but the interpreter said I was hon-
ored in having so many, information which I doubted a
little, for might it not have been a belief that numbers
increase safety that led so many to spend the night
beside the foreigner? Their merry voices were heard
long after we had retired, a custom which we found

360 WITH THE TIBETANS

common among the Tibetans, and finally I had to in-
terfere, or their excitement in guarding me would
have prevented my slumbers. Fear of them I had none.
In the morning our ula horses were tardy in coming,
but at last we were started away, having been joined
by a good-natured, genial lama, who was also to have
ula because he was traveling with letters from a
buddha which demanded haste, and he promised the
interpreter to help me on the road so far as he could.
There is in the valley through which we passed an
obo that marks the exact border between Sining and
Sze Chuan territory, and there robbers have been
accustomed to dart out of the hills on either side upon
caravans unfortunate enough not to be well guarded.
The approach to Kansa is through a narrow valle}r
through which courses a stream lined on either side
by evergreen-dotted hills, while in the sequestered
nooks nestle the black tents of the sparse inhabitants.
The place itself, which we reached in the afternoon of
the second day, is a mere hamlet containing several
mud-brick houses, conspicuous among which were the
trading depots of Chinese and Horba merchants. Here
through my Mongol friend I received ula, which in
this instance was a young girl who shouldered my
whole load and trudged away with me to a large house
some distance down the stream, where another woman
acted as escort. The lama that had ula went ahead
of me and left orders at every stage for my ula, so
there was no delay whatever with the change. Our
road lay along the Dre Chu, quiet and strong, pursu-
ing its course towards the Yangtse and thence to the

MOKE BOBBERS 361

sea at Shanghai. Had I at last come upon the sight
of waters that made their way to the same Pacific
that washed the shores of my native land? Though
the latter was still thousands of miles distant, yet
civilization and safety began to feel near., and I was
glad. Sometimes we were on precipitous hills hun-
dreds of feet above the river, the narrow path wherever
shaded being covered with ice in places, to prevent a
fatal slip on which the natives had scattered ashes.
At other times our pathway led us through glens of
marvelous beauty, where trees, mosses, ferns and creep-
ers united to make bowers and castles that our imagina-
tion peopled to suit itself, while we quickly wound in
and out, zig-zag, among high rocks and boulders. Just
below one of these beautiful spots we passed over part
of the country that the year previous had been the
scene of tragedy through on earthquake, in which a
large monastery and several small hamlets had been
completely buried. The harm had been almost com-
pletely confined to the south bank of the river, which
had to a certain extent made a new bed for itself; for
the whole mountain side with large trees and tons
of earth had, without warning and with loud crashes
like thunder, sped on its headlong course straight to
the beautiful, calm river. Hundreds of people were
killed in that catastrophe, of which the natives spoke in
subdued voice and with tender pity for the lives and
houses that had been lost. In the general demolition
the great caravan road was destroyed for miles, and
as there is no provision for the repair or making of
roads in Tibetan economy, travelers had succeeded in

362 WITH THE TIBETANS

wearing a little footpath in the midst of the upturned
trees, great rocks and other debris, crowning the
climax of difficulty by an almost perpendicular ascent
to the summit of a hill ; for the whole side of the road
along the river had disappeared, leaving no space for
even a footpath on the bank.

The day's travel was thus unexpectedly difficult and
ula had been changed several times. At dark I
reached a village where I expected to remain over night,
but though the man who was traveling with ula was
resting in one of the homes the natives refused to
allow me to remain, but sent me quickly along the
river with a small boy and girl, saying that not far
away there were some farm houses where I could find
shelter. The moon was shining just the same as she
formerly shone at Tankar, and the remembrance of the
tender thought and care exercised over me in those
days made the refusal of refuge at dark all the more
painful. As we journeyed on the girl told me that
there were no houses until we had passed the moun-
tain that looked to be miles away, so I risked all and
returned to the village where I had received the ula,
the children guiding me to the house where was the
man who had helped me on from Kansa. Evidently
there was some unusual antipathy to Europeans there,
for he quietly told me not to say a word, but inter-
ceded with the natives to give me shelter in the straw
room, to which they brought for my use a little fire
in a shallow earthenware dish and some tea, while an
old white-haired man brought a felt rug and lay down
near me for the night. The following day it was many

MORE KOBBEES 363

hours before I reached a house, the road was partly
destroyed and so dangerous as to necessitate walking-
all the way, and I realized the depth to which the
villagers had meant to harm me in sending me after
dark along that mountain, for nearly the whole night
would have been spent before reaching the other side
in safety, if I could have accomplished it at all. The
first house we sighted was the home of the ferryman,
and was built on a perpendicular bluff in a sheltered
corner where the Drushi Chu winds on its way to the
Dre Chu. We had come into the region of boats and
bridges which to us were welcome heralds of greater
facilities of transit than are found in the interior.
The ferry consisted of a coracle shaped like a tub,
about five feet in diameter, composed of a flimsy frame-
work over which were drawn yak hides, and manip-
ulated by a Tibetan with a broad, straight paddle. A
large pile of tea, done up in raw hides, was waiting
for yak to come and carry it to Kansa, while some men
and sheep were being ferried over the river in a second
coracle. My friend was busy making his terms with
the ferryman when I arrived, and upon reading my
passport the latter refused to carry me across because
there were no houses in the vicinity on the other side
of the river, hence no ula, and he did not wish to take
any responsibility concerning me. He accordingly
sent me up to his home on the bluff, where I remained
for two days, while he found out what course to pursue
with regard to taking me across the river. A little
bird with a red breast made itself at home chirping
fearlessly about the straw on the veranda where I

364 WITH THE TIBET AX S

slept, but it was the only friend that made overtures,
for the women were busy, and except for occasional
visits to bring me delicious tea, they remained in their
own apartments. After that brief rest I departed with
ula which was changed at a well-to-do farmer's house,
where were several lamas and good-looking women, who
all treated me with profound respect upon the perusal
of my passport, and after having given me tea and
tsamba, one of the latter set out with me for the chiefs
home.

Following the Dre Chu we reached the village where
lived the ponbo, who alone had authority to give me
ula for the other side of the river. He was building a
new house, and an army of workers, singing as they
toiled, were busy carrying the sand for the walls and
roof. There I had to pay a small toll for my pass
across the river, and order for ula on the other side.
The next morning with an old nun I made my way
down to the ferry on which some lamas were being-
taken over with several loads of baggage, among which
were some beautiful cushions and rugs such as we had
seen in Kumbum. I entered the boat with the priest,
to do which we had to remove our boots and step into
water over our knees; moreover, I was not permitted
to wear my hat during the crossing, probably from
some superstition regarding it. Having been paddled
out to the center of the river the frail structure was
caught by the current, wafted to the other shore, and
was then carried on the ferryman's back a certain dis-
tance up the stream to balance that which the current
had wafted it down. The passengers had paid their

MORE ROBBERS 365

fares by means of butter, churma and tea, which the
boatman's family quarreled over while I sat waiting
for my ula, which presently arrived in the unexpected
form of a donkey, an animal which is in common use
in that part of Tibet.

I was now fairly started on my journey with ula
along the north of the Dre Chu towards Ta-chien-lu,
and the days sped on, one almost the counterpart of
another. The nomads and villagers were exceedingly
friendly, and, though I was never permitted to enter
their homes, they gave me a corner on a veranda or in
a straw room, and adequately made up for their ap-
parent inhospitality by supplying me with an abund-
ance of tea and some coals in a shallow dish to keep
it warm, all of which came through the influence of my
passports. But if ula is good for one's purse and in-
creases one's safety, it is more than trying to one's
patience, for the Tibetans, having no idea of time, are
in the habit of starting in the morning on a journey.
When I reached their homes at mid-day they made all
sorts of excuses to have me stay till the following
morning. Though sometimes my ula was changed as
frequently as three or four times in a day, some-
times just as often, when I had only been on the road
two or three hours, my escort placed me in the hands
of others at a tent or house and returned to their own
homes. Though I used all my powers of persuasion it
was impossible to move the imperturbable calmness of
the natives, who said there could be no ula until the
day following, and so I had to be content to spend the
largest part of the day, when I should have been travel-

366 WITH THE TIBETANS

ing, in waiting, waiting. My food consisted only of
butter, tsamba and tea, and my strength was fast wan-
ing, so much so that I felt a little more speed was
imperative if I were ever to reach Ta-chien-lu alive..
The province through which I was traveling was
Derge, the wealthiest and most fertile of Eastern Tibet,
for there the natives are skilled in metal work, and the
seals, bells, teapots and other articles manufactured by
them find a ready sale and command high prices. They
are almost independent of either China or Lhasa, and
have a particular antipathy to the Chinese, who find
residence in the province almost impossible, in fact
the Imperial government has had difficulty in keeping
peace in that part of its dominion. A Tibetan official
from Lhasa was on his way through the province at
the same time as I was myself, and it was rather sig-
nificant to see the natives keep away from the high-
ways to avoid falling in with his retinue, for the sol-
diers with him would demand everything they could
see, even the very swords and horses they used on the
road. Thus authority was repudiated. My ula people
were most frequently women, but occasionally a whole
group of young boys and girls came along with me,
taking the very best care of me, and returning to their
homes with other ideas of foreigners than they had
previously had. Some of the official rest-houses along
the road had no people living in them, and, as a rule,
my escort took me to inhabited homes, where the little
children and the women shed some pleasure into my
lonely heart. Occasionally I had a little difficulty with
my escort, and where this was so, as a rule, the people

MORE ROBBERS 367

where I stopped were not overly kind. Two young
boys, one of whom was a lama, resented traveling with
me, and everyone we met at first was stopped and told
slurring things about the foreigner; but when I
asserted my authority and compelled them to go
straight past all travelers on the road, they were very
angry, but dared not object. That night I had a
nicely painted room with a raised bed to sleep on, and
some of the women begged several of the buttons off
my gown in exchange for butter. The following day
the same boy traveled with me from early morning
until dusk, for all people on the road refused to accept
the responsibility for ula, and though he did not wish
to travel so far, I did not dare allow him to return.
Without stopping even for tea by the roadside, we passed
on through pretty glens and valleys, past villages and
lamaseries to Gosa Gomba, a large monastery with
prayer-wheels around the outside, where he placed me
in a. large house in the hands of an old man, gimbi, a
name given to the one who manages ula in a place.
There lived the chief of a new district, to whom the
gimbi submitted my passports. I remained there two
days, and was glad to escape, for there was great diffi-
culty in restraining the lamas, particularly the younger
ones, who came in crowds up the stairway and threat-
ened to push curiosity and impudence into violence,
a danger that was averted by the gimbi and several
old nuns who lived with some of their children in the
rooms not far from me.

The morning I left Gosa Gomba was beautiful, the
sun shining brightly on the frosty grass, and playing

368 WITH THE TIBETANS

upon the gilded turrets, tiled roofs, and painted walls
and prayer-wheels about the monastery. Eustic bridges
spanning the streams, where were clustered the homes
of farmers, on which prayer-flags were waving in the
breeze, added an unwonted charm that was enhanced
by the long piles of white mani stones, the stacks of
straw and the flocks of goats and sheep making their
honeycomb paths all over the hillsides. A lama rode
beside me for a space, with drum and bell on his back,
on his way to some village to chant prayers and " beat
the drum." Soon my escort led me past an immense
chorten at the junction of four valleys, to a large farm
house perched high on a hill whence no persuasive pow-
ers of mine could procure a continuance of my journey
that day. Imagine my feelings when, in conversation
with some women, I learned that the gimbi had sent me
along a little footpath instead of on the big caravan
road, and that hj pursuing this path I would be
months in reaching the Chinese border ! My strength
was waning and, fearing it would prove insufficient for
such a long journe}r, I went with my ula the following
morning back to the gimbi, who was absent when I
arrived. While I awaited his return a young lama
amused a crowd who stood about us by ridiculing for-
eigners, especially myself, even molding t samba into
obscene forms that I refused to notice, and I was
thankful when I saw the gimbi appear, though he was
surprised to see me. Having ordered straw for my
horse and tea for myself, he listened patiently while I
told him my reasons for returning to Gosa, and showed
him the map, pointing out to him several places on the

MOEE KOBBEKS 369

large caravan road that I wished to pursue. I
refused to go the small road, where I was entirely de-
pendent on the people, who could send me wherever
they wished, as I would not know where I was. He
insisted that he could not give me ula on the big road,
but I was equally insistent upon going that road; so,
towards afternoon, afraid on account of the turbulent
lamas, as corrupt men as I had ever seen, to allow me
to remain over night, he started me off to a little vil-
lage on the big road and the escort took me to his
own home. Here men were threshing barley in the
courtyard, two on each side with their flails, who
alternately sang Om mani padme hum as they raised
and let fall the old-fashioned threshing instrument.
It was a pretty harvest scene, which the children en-
joyed as much as I did, as I sat in my quarters under
a veranda in one corner of the courtyard, deciding
to wait for one of my escort's relatives whose home
was in Kanze in the Horba district, and to which place
he would go with me in order to manage my ula more
quickly than I could myself. That same day a dark-
faced, strong Chinaman walked into the courtyard to
hire oxen to travel with him and his companions over
the pass to Zochen Gomba. I called him to me and, after
some conversation, he brought his father, uncle and
their apprentices, all journeymen-smiths on their way
from Jyekundo to Tai-lin, three days' journey from
Ta-chien-lu. They had spent the summer in Tibet, but
were going to China for the cold winter months. The
old man was kind and full of sympathy, and was in-
clined to acquiesce in my desire for one of them to

370 WITH THE TIBETANS

travel with me, but, owing to the fear of robbers, con-
cluded we had better remain together until we had
passed the dangerous places, and in the meanwhile
they would help me manage my ula.

One whole day and part of another day's traveling
together brought us to an encampment of fifty tents
where a local chief lived, and where my ula was to
be changed while my Chinese friends went on to
Zochen Gomba. The unexpected happened just then,
for the chief said unless I went three days' journey
away to get the seal of the Derge official stamped on
my passport he had no power to give me ula, and,
notwithstanding bluff attempts and gentle persuasion,
I found that my passport was of no value there. Feel-
ing that the Chinese smiths were ready to help me, I
abandoned all hopes of ula, knowing that speed would
more than compensate me for the loss of my official
escort, and made my way to the house where the
Chinese had quarters on a veranda, a corner of which
they yielded to me for my occupation. This house
was one of a cluster of stone and log structures, the
homes of some Chinese and natives, built on a small
stream by which several prayer-wheels in little wooden
houses along its course were revolved. High up
almost perpendicular paths is the lamasery of Zochen
Gomba, where reside over two thousand lamas. The
landlady slept out on the veranda, accompanied by her
young son, a lama, who insisted upon his mother sing-
ing many songs, entertaining us with sweet, weird
music away into the night, as well as giving her son
pleasure, that, on account of his life as a lama he

MORE ROBBERS 371

could very rarely have. Everything was now changed
for me, and the Chinese vied with one another in try-
ing to make me comfortable. This to me was proof
that the loving Father was caring for His lonely little
child that the very day that my passport was refused
recognition, two Chinamen had agreed to travel with
me down to Ta-chien-lu. This would reduce not only
my danger, for those smiths had been years in the
country, and I had implicit confidence in the Chinese,
but would also reduce the length of my journey per-
haps by a month.

The weather was extremely cold, and several nights
we had to sleep outdoors. One night I had my feet
frost-bitten, and as a result I suffered for nearly a
year. The men were carrying all their tools, bedding,
etc., on their back, and, as we journeyed in company
with a large party of traders across a high mountain
pass which is infested with robbers, the two who were
to go ahead with me shouldered my goods, though we
all remained together until we reached Rong batsa,
where my six men regaled themselves freely with wine,
filling my heart with terror, as they and the Tibetans
in the house became very drunk. Before the carousal
my Chinamen had securely fastened their money in
scarfs about their necks, and the landlady, as each one
became overpowered by the liquor, gave them their
sleeping places, and there was no longer any fear.

In that locality we crossed the Za Chu and followed
our way straight across the country through villages,
meeting on the way thousands of yak, loaded with tea,
and passing some carrying hides and other articles of

372 WITH THE TIBETANS

trade on their way to Ta-chien-dao, as the natives there
called Ta-chien-lu. The men were well dressed, and
their horses were decorated with bright, gay trappings.
We met frequently processions of lamas, one of whom,
dressed in yellow satin with yellow hat and having a
large retinue, betrayed his rank of " living buddha."
The country was dotted with villages and small
lamaseries, and cultivated fields worked by primitive
wooden plows in the hands of men and women, at-
tested the industry of the people. On top of the pro-
montory or steep hill jutting out into a bend of the
Za Chu was seen the beautiful gilded roof of the Nyara
Cromba, and a little further on, beyond some deep cuts
in the road, is Kanze, a large place composed of the
homes of laymen, and a large lamasery, Kanzego, with
a beautiful Chinese temple. Here W. W. Eockhill had
met with trouble from the turbulency of the lamas,
and my guides led me straight past the place, for they
said there were such strained relations between Tibe-
tans and Chinese that the latter were almost en masse
compelled to withdraw. This place is one of the larg-
est in the Horba states, which are next in wealth and
size to Derge, in Eastern Tibet. Notwithstanding the
antagonism of the natives to Chinese and foreigners,
they were very interesting, and withal even charming.
They were better looking and as a rule better dressed
than natives in other parts, wearing a profusion of
ornaments in silver and gold. The men are dressed in
pulu, or colored drilling, have their hair mainly done
in a great queue which they adorn with bright rings
and twist about their heads. The breach of their sun

MOKE ROBBERS 373

and the sheath of their sword are decorated with sil-
ver, coral and green stones. The women often wear a
large disc of silver on their forehead and sometimes on
the back of their head, and both sexes carry from their
girdles silver needle cases, flint and steel boxes and
occasionally an embroidered cloth case for their tsamba
bowl. They are exceedingly hostile to the Chinese,
who have never until late years been allowed to live
even in comparative peace among them, and though
Chinese officials are stationed at Kanze, Chang-ko and
Dawo, they have practically little power, and for their
cowardice are despised by the Tibetans, who disdain-
fully hold up the little finger, which designates the
height of inferiority, and say that the Chinese official
at Dawo is afraid even to step outside of his own door
for fear of a dog.

The first town of importance we reached after pass-
ing Kanze was Chango, which is built on a steep slope
overlooking the Nya Chu, while on the hills above lies
the Chango Gomba, inhabited by over two thousand
lamas who enjoy the reputation of being desperately
unruly and bad. On account of the prediliction of
these lamas to quarrel, my guides led me around this
place, after having stopped at a small lamasery to
buy some extra tea, because tea leaves are so highly
prized by the natives in this locality, that most travel-
ers use them instead of money to pay for fodder and
lodging, as you can obtain more for a little tea than for
ten times its value in silver. Shortly after leaving
Chango we saw on the road several drunken Tibetans,
who were extorting money from some poor travelers,

374 WITH THE TIBETANS

whose valuable large dog the former had in their pos-
session. They were six of a body of fifty soldiers who
had been summoned to compel the natives of Chango
to pay their taxes, and had that morning been dis-
banded, but before leaving the town they had imbibed
too freely, and as a result were an unspeakable terror
to all travelers who fell into their clutches. My guides
congratulated themselves upon having thus easily es-
caped them, but their gladness was premature, for while
we sat in front of a rude farm-house we saw them
passing along the road, and when we were again on
the way we saw them sitting in a little grassy spot,
drinking more wine while their ponies rested on the
grass. Soon afterwards, looking back, I saw them
galloping toward us, and a great fear possessed me,
for Tibetans are very quarrelsome when they are
drunk, and woe betide the poor traveler who is unfor-
tunate enough to fall into their hands ! The older
one of my guides said he would drop behind, and if
we should be attacked one of us might have a chance
to escape. Presently they reached us, and while four
of them stopped to see what the one boy had, the other
two rode up opposite to myself and the second boy,
and, halting, one of them said, " clioli hana du ? "
(where are you going?). The boy answered that we
were just going over yonder, which was a polite an-
swer, but it seemed to incense the man, for, grinding
his teeth in rage, he drew from its sheath his sword
and made for the boy. His companion, who was not
so intoxicated, endeavored to restrain him, but in a
moment the six of them were beside us, and one of

MORE ROBBERS 375

them caught me roughly by the arm and tried to pull
me off my horse, asking me where I was going. In a
moment all six dismounted, and while some of them
dragged my boy by the queue this way and that, others
opened up his load, scattering everything about the
ground. My revolver was worse than useless, for they
all were heavily armed, and to have incensed them
meant that my life would have been taken sooner or
later as a result. Anxiously I sat in my saddle, know-
ing that just as soon as they were through with the
boy they would turn their attention to me. One of
them, who was more sober than the others, motioned
to me with his chin to go towards the other boy, and
I turned my horse and followed his advice, but my
safety was short-lived, for one of the Tibetans re-
mounted and came up in a moment behind me. I rode
astride, as all Tibetan women do, and as he rode along
beside me his knee brushed against mine, and, taking
his sword from its scabbard, he held the naked blade
over me, bidding me dismount and give him my horse.
I looked into his face, that was very near to me, saw
his eyes glassy from alcohol, realized that he was
scarcely responsible for his actions, and my heart was
convulsed. As a child would call his father, I called
aloud, "Oh God! Oh God!" and in Tibetan said,
" Mari, mari" which means " no, no." A strange ex-'
pression crossed the man's face, and he put his sword
away, turned and joined his companions, and in a
moment all had galloped down the river, and not only
was my life spared, but I had not lost anything;
whereas had I been compelled to dismount my horse

376 WITH THE TIBETANS

and my bedding would have been taken, for the latter
was on my saddle. Quite unexpectedly, too, my Tibetan
gown and pot were not lost, for they were in the load
of the boy who sat on the roadside, while the other
one's load had been thrown about and only the tea
leaves taken, but he himself lost a valuable sword, his
tsamha basin and purse, containing thirty rupees.

As we sat on the grass I was almost overpowered
with thankfulness and joy that my life and the things
needful had thus been saved, nor can I doubt that my
deliverance was due to the care of the Heavenly Father,
who neither slumbers nor sleeps.

CHAPTER XXV

SAFE AT LAST

The Approach to Ta-chien-lu — My Pony Becomes Ex-
hausted— Long Marches with Blistered Feet —
Chinese Conception of Europeans — Among Friends
Once More — Conclusion.

With the disappearance down the river of the
brightly accoutred horses and their riders came a great
perplexity, for my boys had a desire to follow them
and endeavor to regain some of their lost property.
In the drunken, unaccountable condition of the Tibe-
tans such a course could only have been attended by
more calamity. Feeling the force of this they desired
to return to Chango and accuse the guilty ones before
the magistrates; but, upon remembering that the men
were unknown to them, and also that it would necessi-
tate great delay in reaching Ta-chien-lu, and not hav-
ing enough money to reimburse their loss, I told them
I was willing to return to Chango with them — they
would still, however, have to accompany me to the
border, according to agreement, as the money had al-
ready been paid to their father. They appreciated my
offer, and also the necessity of fulfilling their father's
agreement with me, and upon receiving my promise

377

378 WITH THE TIBETANS

to supply them with food for the journey, they de-
cided to push on to Ta-chien-lu.

With characteristically national desire to avoid
meddling in other people's affairs, a Tibetan, whose
house was near us though hidden by a hillock from
view, came up after the fracas, and offered us the hospi-
tality of his home. This we gladly accepted, as I felt
it was better not to risk meeting those men again until
the effects of the liquor had worn away, as well as from
the fact that it was late in the afternoon, and quite
time to rest

The scenery along the road down the river for sev-
eral miles from Chango is beautifully refreshing, the
country being very fertile and dotted with hamlets;
then, as the river bends southward, our way diverged,
to return again to pursue its course through mag-
nificent forests of large timber on the sides of moun-
tains towering as far as the eye could see above us.
Another day's journey brought us to Dawo, with its
large lamasery, the Mnchung Gomba, with gilded
roofs and its secular part with two-storied houses built
on either side of a stream, over which are a number
of gristmills. The lamas are about one thousand in
number, and the population of the town is nearly as
many more, of which over 10 per cent, are Chinese,
some of them being workers in metal. Houses dot the
valley to its close below Dawo, and to avoid intricacies
that might prove bewildering if not dangerous, the
older boy and myself went past the town to a farmer's
house at the foot of the hills, while the other went up
into the town to buy tea. He brought us, on his return,

SAFE AT LAST 379

some bread, which was to us a delicacy of delicacies,
though it had no leaven of any kind, for the staff of
life had been absent from even the sight of our eyes
for months. In almost every village there were Chinese,
most of whom have become almost naturalized Tibetans
in clothing, customs and even religion, murmuring the
mystic six-syllabled prayer quite as faithfully as the
natives themselves. On the road a large proportion of
the travelers whom we met were also Chinese, among
whom were even the indefatigable beggars, who ap-
parently would have been much wiser to have remained
in their own country; they were in all probability
exiles on account of some crime, though many of them
were very young. All these Celestials made us realize
that we were every day getting nearer to Ta-chien-lu,
and as my physical strength waned my heart grew more
buoyant at the probability of our reaching the longed-
for goal.

Signs of earthquakes are not wanting in the valley,
almost every house being in ruins, only parts of the
stone walls standing. We passed the corner of the
hill near Tai-lin, having pursued the road which
leads over the Jeto pass, as it was better and shorter
than the one through Tai-lin, which place is largely
Chinese. The second day before reaching Ta-chien-lu
just after we had started from one of two houses where
we had spent the night in a corner of a courtyard, I
was compelled to walk as my horse became unfit to
carry me, and soon so slow in his gait that he himself
was a burden. After having walked some distance on
my already sore feet, whose only protection was a pair

380 WITH THE TIBETANS

of Tibetan boots, with simply one layer of untanned
leather for the sole, we rested amidst the snow that
covered the ground thickly, to boil some tea for our
pony; for the natives give their horses liquid tea, tea
leaves, tsainba, cliurma and at times raw meat to in-
crease their strength and render them able to pursue
their journey. Sitting on some stones waiting while
the horse devoured from our pot his stimulating meal,
we felt the small, rumbling shock of an earthquake.
A great wave of disappointment swept over me as I
thought of the possibility of being buried by a land-
slide and not realizing after all, the recently born
hopes of refuge and safety in the great border town.

The stage that day was a long one, and I walked
thirty miles just as quickly as I could with my spent
strength and blistered feet, for the soles of my boots
had worn through in places. The guides urged me
on, for we could find no shelter until we were beyond
the Jeto pass, which is about fourteen thousand feet
in height. Wearily we climbed and climbed, the ascent
being at first gradual, one dragging the old horse while
another urged him on with my little whip. It wrung
my heart to see the faithful, patient brute goaded like
that, but unless we abandoned him on the road there
was no help for it. I would fain care for the noble
animal that had carried me without a falter or
stumble, far from the regions of trouble and disaster,
bearing the summit of the Jeto pass, we saw the road
to Lit'ang, winding past hamlets through a beautiful
valley. The last part of the ascent was very steep and
difficult. We found the top crowned with a huge obo,

SAFE AT LAST 381

and if natives thank the spirits joyfully for aid in
climbing I rendered sincere praise to my Father that,
though weary to almost an extreme, my strength had
not faltered, and I was beyond the most laborious
stage of the ascent. It had begun to snow heavily and
darkness settled down upon us, but the ground
on either side was so rough that there was no place
where we might lie down to rest; for stones, large and
numerous, dotted either side of the road, while a rocky
stream and a dense growth of large underbrush added
to the difficulty of choosing a suitable camping place.
Here and there we saw campfires near which were
tethered large droves of yak, whose presence was be-
trayed by their black forms on the white background of
snow. Feeling the extent to which the horse delayed
us, two of us went more quickly on ahead, leaving one
of the guides to drag along the poor animal, which
had just as much difficulty on the stony road as my-
self. Presently we reached a little shanty a few feet
square, in the center of a yard enclosed by a low stone
fence, behind which we saw a large number of sad-
dled yak. My guide asked for shelter during the night
— it was denied us for want of space, but, after pass-
ing on, we decided to return and ask again, for the
road was dangerous, being simply a running stream
over rough and uneven stones. The boy told me to
walk straight into the shanty because I was so well
dressed that I would have more influence than he, who
was just a shabby peh-tsi. Making my way through
a gap in the fence to an opening in the side of the
shanty, which was only three feet in height, I stooped

382 WITH THE TIBETANS

low and entered, calling out ta-fco. A Chinaman,
poorly dressed and dirty as a Tibetan, stepped up, and
I told him that we were going to spend the night in
the shanty, for our horse was tired out and unable to
proceed any further. He objected on the score that
the shanty was too small for any more occupants.
When I said he was a good, kind man, that I was thor-
oughly tired out, that I had walked thirty miles that
day and my feet were too sore to go another step, he
invited us to be seated beside a huge blazing fire in
the far corner; for he knew that did he not allow us
to remain until morning we would still have to walk
several miles through the slush and snow. I have, as
a general rule, found the Chinese kind-hearted, and
inclined to help those in distress. The little shanty
was only a few feet square. The " entrance," devoid
of a door, took up one side of it, being supplemented
by a pigsty, where wallowed an immense hog. In
the other side was the rude fireplace, just a hollow in
the ground, and having on either side of it barely
room enough to crouch down to rest.

Our feet were soaking, and while a half dozen
Tibetans drank their tea and watched us furtively, we
three endeavored to get dried, while the two Chinese
lumbermen told us all about the different foreigners
who were living at Ta-chien-lu. It is not surprising
that there are Boxer riots in China instigated for the
purpose of driving from their empire the foreigners,
whom they believe capable of such atrocities as those
men ascribed to our countrymen in the border town.
We had heard before leaving Tankar that several

SAFE AT LAST 383

members of Miss Annie R. Taylor's Tibetan Mission
Band, under the leadership of Mr. Cecil Polhill-
Turner, had taken up work at Ta-chien-lu, and I care-
fully questioned those two men to learn whether this
were a fact or not. They informed me that there were
several families of foreigners living there, all of whom
had large houses, one with men only outside the north
gate, another of the same kind outside the south gate,
and one entirely with women inside the town; all of
which were Roman Catholic establishments, the last
mentioned being a school kept by Chinese Roman
Catholic nuns. There was yet another family, they
said, who had just arrived, with a lady and some chil-
dren. These, I decided, were Mr. and Mrs. Turner
and their co-workers. The men then proceeded to tell
me what the people said of the foreigners, how their
servants bought children on the streets and took them
to the foreign home, whence they were never seen
again; how the strange men could look at Chinese
brass coins and change them with their evil eyes into
rupees with the head of a woman on them. No one,
they added, was allowed to enter the house to see what
was within. I think, on the whole, in new places it is
wise for missionaries to have their homes open so that
natives may at times see into the smallest corners, and
thus, as " seeing is believing," crush at the outset any
ideas of mystery which heathen people are only too
ready to entertain.

In the quiet of that lumber shanty my two Chinese
guides told the others many things they had learned of
foreigners from me, and the impression they had re-

384 WITH THE TIBETANS

ceivecl of the only foreigner they had ever seen. They
explained the purpose of missionaries in coming to
and settling in a far-away country, and said their sup-
port did not come from magic, but from people in the
homeland, who sent them so much salary a year.
Nevertheless the strange tales that they had heard did
not lessen their dread of entering the home of for-
eigners whom none of us knew, for of course I did
not even know the Chinese name of a single missionary
in Ta-chien-lu, and I felt really sorry for the men,
their dread was so genuine, but they had implicit con-
fidence in me and would have gone any place with me.
I told them when in the future they heard anything
disparaging about missionaries to just remember that
they were all as good as I was, to say the very least
that could be said about them.

One of the lumbermen told us of a foreigner who
had gone past their shanty a few days previous on his
way up country, walking and carrying a chest of car-
penter's tools on his back, while one Chinese servant
accompanied him. The foreigner had given him some
medicine for rheumatism, and could speak Chinese and
Lhasa Tibetan. I wondered who it could have been,
and found, when I reached the mission station, that it
was one of the Tibetan mission band, the talented,
bright Mr. Amundsen, who had endeavored to become
like a native himself, and in an unpretentious way was
seeking to gain a foothold among them. He was un-
fortunately attacked by a drunken Tibetan, who con-
cluded that his box was full of silver. Having been

SAFE AT LAST 385

robbed of almost everything, he had returned by an-
other route to his home in Ta-chien-lu.

When we had had our tea and were thoroughly dried,
we made ready to spend the night, and soon in the
very small space, around the hollow fireplace, were
crouched six men and myself, while in the yard were
several Tibetans. My own two men were closest to me,
but all were within touching distance, and yet I had
not a tremor of fear of them, so great was the differ-
ence between the Chinese and Tibetans, that to be
with the former meant perfect freedom from fear and
anxiety; even though these lumbermen were rough and
uncultured, they were kind, and made me feel their
sympathy. A common danger made us all akin in the
little shanty, for at intervals was heard and felt the
great rumbling noise of earthquake shocks, which were
sometimes strong enough to shake the roof. The lum-
bermen recited on and off, tales of landslides and earth-
quakes in the valleys near, painting in glowing words
the beauty of the homes so suddenly destroyed and
the great piety and devotion of lamas who had been
crushed. These recitals subdued me with quiet awe,
and I was thankful after the sleepless night to see the
first streaks of dawn, though with them came the most
violent shock of all.

The sun was well up before we started to walk again,
and its heat quickly melted the snow which had fallen
to a depth of several inches. The road was virtually
a stream of running water, in places almost half a foot
deep, but I cheerfully splashed through it, knowing
that I would, after a twenty-mile walk, reach a Chinese

386 WITH THE TIBETANS

inn or the mission station, either of which would prove
a haven of rest. The road was a gradual descent,
though here and there were sharp ascents which taxed
my strength to the utmost, and at times made me
almost despair of reaching Ta-chien-lu that day. But
on we trudged over the stony road skirted on either
side now by rocks, now by clusters of holly and
rhododendrons to me unspeakably beautiful, indications
of the return of summer with its blue skies and balmy
mountain air. We passed luxuriant valleys, and
groups of houses, Chinese in appearance and so differ-
ent from the homes of Tibetan agriculturalists, repos-
ing on the hillsides looking so neat and inviting. My
physical weakness and sore feet took away much of
the poetry and all the pleasure of the walk. The
Chinese boys kept urging me on, not willing that I
should rest every little distance on a stone by the road-
side, as I felt compelled to do. Thirty miles' walk the
day before and twenty that day could not be accom-
plished by my already exhausted strength without
acute suffering ; but the goal was safety, peace and rest,
and on I went.

Past a picturesque lamasery with red buildings
surrounded by tall trees, on over an arched bridge,
we wended our way toward the south gate of the
town. My escort persuaded me to mount my poor,
tired horse and ride into the place " in state." Just
outside the gate we paused at the massive doors of the
Eoman Catholic Mission to inquire the whereabouts of
Mr. Turner's house. It was certainly amusing and yet
pitiful to see my boy edge away from the door after

SAFE AT LAST 387

knocking. He had a mortal fear of foreigners, and
evidently expected something to spring out of the door
at him. A Chinaman answered our inquiry and in-
formed us that Mr. Turner lived across the river. As
we went on we attracted very little attention even in
the crowded, narrow streets, for Ta-chien-lu has a
motley population, and no one suspected that I was
other than a Tibetan. After we had crossed the
bridge a young Chinaman ran up and told me to hide
my knife and chopsticks that hung by my girdle, as
thieves might steal them. He then led us through a
narrow, dark alley underneath a house, where I dis-
mounted, as a lama called out in stentorian voice,
" What are you doing mounted here ? " Our guide was
the cook who, upon arrival at the Fu-ing-tang (China
Inland Mission House), rushed into the young men's
room telling them a man had come, not knowing
whether I was a Tibetan or a European. In response
to his excitedly given information, two missionaries,
Messrs. Amundsen and Moyes, stood in the outer court-
yard when I walked through the entrance. How clean
they looked in Chinese garb, and how white their faces !
I knew I was not clean, yet, conscious of my dirtiness
and rags, I stood in their presence waiting to be ad-
dressed. But no, I must speak first; so I said in
English, " Is this Mr. Turner's ? " and Mr. Moyes re-
plied " Yes/' How the word thrilled me through and
through. It was the first English word I had heard
since that never-to-be-forgotten morning two months
before when my husband disappeared around the rock,
and the speaker was the first white stranger I had seen

388 WITH THE TIBETANS

since before we left Tarikar. There was another pause,
for I was well nigh overcome with emotion; then I
said, " I am Dr. Rijnhart." Mr. Amundsen then in-
vited me upstairs to Mrs. Turner's apartments. They
had been so dumbfounded to hear the voice of an Eng-
lishwoman come from such a Tibetanized person that
at first they could not speak at all. Upon reaching the
door of the dining-room Mrs. Turner arose while Mr.
Amundsen introduced me. Dear Mrs. Turner asked,
" Are you alone ? " " When have you had anything to
eat ? " Such thoughtful, beautiful care ! Then she
said, " Come into the nursery and cook will bring you
some tea." I looked at the clean matting, so spotless,
and then at my boots, which oozed at every step, leav-
ing dirty marks behind, and I protested that I was too
dirty to go into such a clean room. But that did not
matter, I was ushered in only to have my heart torn
by the sight of little Kenneth, just about the size of
my darling baby boy, for whom I mourned. Tea in a
dainty cup and some cookies were given me for re-
freshment, and then Mrs. Turner offered me a place to
rest until supper; but it was impossible for me to sit
down to a clean table with cleanly people, and I asked
for a bath and some underwear, in response to which
request every member of the household contributed
towards my change of raiment.

I had arrived in Ta-chien-lu just two months after
Mr. Eijnharfs disappearance. Could it be possible
that I had survived that long and perilous journey
alone over mountains and rivers, surrounded by hos-
tile people and subjected to hourly danger from those

SAFE AT LAST 389

who professed to be my guides? Was I really once
more in a Christian home, surrounded by kind friends
and comforts? Yes, at last, and the realization of it
grew upon me when I saw myself delivered from the
dirt and vermin of weeks, and lay down to rest once
more on a clean bed. Gratitude filled my heart, and
with the Psalmist I could say:

Bless the Lord, O my souli

And all that is within me, bless his holy name. * * *

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;

Who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies;

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;

So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

At the supper table Mr. Turner asked me what I
would like to know first about the outside world,
since I had been isolated so long. Scarcely knowing
where to begin, I stammered out the question, "Is
Queen Victoria still alive ? "

Disappointed at not finding an official at Jyekundo,
I now hoped to be able to ascertain through official
means some definite news about my husband's fate.
I prepared a statement of the case and sent it to the
British Consul at Chong-King, requesting him to for-
ward the same to the Dutch and British ministers at
Pekin, to be presented by them to the Tsung-li Yamen.
For six months I waited in Ta-chien-lu in the hope
that some reliable reports would come down from the
interior of Tibet, but I waited in vain. On my arrival
at Ta-chien-lu I had not a cent of money, but kind
friends in America responded generously to my need,
and I was able to get down to Shanghai, thence to

390 WITH THE TIBETANS

Tien tsin, where I interviewed Mr. Knobel, Minister
for the Netherlands, who assured me that he would do
everything in his power to induce the Chinese govern-
ment to make an investigation, and added that Sir
Claude Macdonald, the British Minister, was acting
jointly with him in the matter. I would fain have
remained in China to await the result, but my health
was undermined, friends were pressing me to return to
America, and Mr. Knobel assured me that my presence
was not necessary, that the government would do
everything that could be done. Under date of May 2,
1900, Mr. Knobel received a report from the Tsung-li
Yamen, of which the following is a translation:

" With regard to Mr. Rijnhart's case, our yamen
has repeatedly corresponded with the Governor of
Szechuen, the Imperial Resident in Tibet, and the
Imperial Agent at Sining, who were all instructed to
investigate and report upon the matter. We wrote you
already to this effect on March 8th, last. We since
received, on April 21st, a dispatch from the Imperial
Agent at Sining, reading:

" ' About this matter, telegrams have come to hand
from the Tsung-li Yamen and the Governor of
Szechuen instructing me to hold an investigation.
The necessary orders have been given. According to
information received from the English missionary
Lo Tcheng (Laughton), living at Sining in the Fu
yin tan, the Dutch missionary " Lin " is the same as
Mr. Rijnhart. He is said to have disappeared while
traveling.

" ( The missionary Lo had found a priest by the

SAFE AT LAST 391

name of I-shi-ni-ma, who made inquiries for him.
Upon reaching the bank of the river he heard that the
murder was committed by an inhabitant of " To-chia "
by the name of " Chia-li-ya-sa."

" i Whereupon I (the Agent) sent two competent
persons from my yamen with the priest " I-shi-ni-ma "
to " To-chia," and gave them an escort of civil and
military officials and soldiers. Their report is:

" ' According to the people of " To-chia," the oldest
inhabitants of the place, together with the priest
" I-shi-ni-ma " had gone from house to house, but man
nor woman, old nor young, knew anything about a
murder committed upon a Dutch missionary ; also they
did not know " Chia-li-ya-sa." We, the people of
" To-chia," number three hundred families, large and
small, and are all good subjects. If it should be dis-
covered hereafter that a murderer of a European is
among us, we are willing to suffer punishment.

" i I (the Agent) feared that all this might not be
quite true, so I sent successively again a major, Li
Chih Chung, and an official writer, " Yen Ling," to the
said place in order to make new investigation. The
major and others reported that they received a peti-
tion from Penk?o, the chief of the village, which was
to the same effect as above. This is the result of my
investigation/

" As soon as we receive the reply from Szechuen and
Tibet, we will inform your Excellency.

" Pekin, May 2nd, 1900."

No further news except vague native reports has

392 WITH THE TIBETAXS

been received; nor is it likely that I shall ever hear
anything more definite.

The reader will recognize in the above report the
name of Ishinima, onr Tibetan teacher at Kumbum.
With all his faults he had a sympathetic heart, for as
soon as he heard that onr caravan had come to grief
in the interior and that Mr. Eijnhart had been killed,
he offered his services to the official at Sining, and
made the long journey to the interior in search of
authentic information concerning his friend. Dear old
Ishinima ! On this page, which will forever to him be
sealed and unknown, I cannot refrain from making
some slight acknowledgment of his services. The
sweet associations of our residence in the lamasery will
never be forgotten either by me or by him, and although
his dream of some day visiting America with the " for-
eign teacher " is now shattered, yet it comforts me to
know that he has heard the name of Jesus, is acquainted
with the teachings of the Bible, and prays to the
" Heavenly Euler " as well as to his brazen idol. While
I think of him gratefully and pray for him earnestly
I know that from time to time his thought will wander
to the far interior of his native land, where sleeps the
dust of two whom he loved — and also to me in the dis-
tant land so full of wonders, lying across the deep blue
ocean.

It is natural to weigh our sacrifices against their
results, although the process brings little consolation,
for so often in our superficial view the results are mini-
fied beyond our vision and the sacrifice fills the whole
horizon. Since my return to America manv have

SAFE AT LAST 393

raised the question, " Was the cause worth the suffer-
ing and have results justified it ? " Critics of mis-
sions ask it — those who lift up their hands of disap-
proval when a life is given for the sake of the Gospel
and the spiritual uplifting of a benighted people, yet
lustily applaud the soldier who spills his blood on the
battlefield in the cause of territorial expansion or na-
tional aggrandizement. To such it is sufficient to say
that Christ also has his soldiers who are willing to die
for his cause if need be, in the belief that his cause
is the sublimest among men, and who are content to
leave the results with him knowing that the Great Cap-
tain of their Salvation will in his own time lead his
hosts unto ultimate victory and a kingdom universal.
Such is the optimism of the Gospel and such the faith
and courage it generates.

Kind Christian friends have questioned our wisdom
in entering Tibet. Why not have waited, they ask, un-
til Tibet was opened by " the powers " so that mis-
sionaries could go in under government protection?
There is much heart in the question but little logic.
Christ does not tell his disciples to wait, but to go.
We are not to choose conditions, we are to meet them.
The early apostles did not wait until the Eoman Em-
pire was " opened " before they kindled that fire that
"burned to the water's edge all round the Mediter-
ranean," but carrying their lives in their hands they
traveled through the cities of Asia Minor, Greece and
finally to Eome, delivering their message in the very
centers of paganism. Persecutions came upon them
from every side, but nothing but death could hinder

394 WITH THE TIBETANS

their progress or silence their message. They went to
glorious martyrdom and being dead they have never
ceased to speak. Paul says, "When it was the good
pleasure of God * * * to reveal his Son in me,
that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, imme-
diately I conferred not with flesh and blood/' (Gal.
1, 15-16.) Though he knew bonds and imprisonments
awaited him in every city, he pursued his great mis-
sionary journeys shrinking not from innumerable per-
ils and even glorying in his tribulations. He was will-
ing "not to be bound only, but also to die at Jeru-
salem for the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts xxi 13),
and although he did not court death he elected to go
to the very gates of the Imperial City and face the
judgment seat of a Caesar, because of his desire to
preach Christ even at Eome. Instead of waiting till
the countries under the sway of Rome were opened,
the apostle went forth in the power of God to open
them. So it has ever been in the history of Christi-
anity. Had the missionaries waited till all countries
were ready and willing to receive them, so that they
could go forth without danger and sacrifice, England
might still have been the home of barbarians, Living-
stone's footsteps never would have consecrated the Afri-
can wilderness, there would have been no Carey in
India, the South Sea Islanders would still be sunk
in their cannibalism, and the thousands of Christians
found in pagan and heathen lands to-day would still
be in the darkness and the shadow of death.

Tibet, like other lands must have the light. The
command is " Go preach the Gospel to every creature."

SAFE AT LAST 395

The work is great. So great that beside its greatness
any sacrifice involved in its accomplishment is small.
Mr. Rijnhart frequently gave expression to his one burn-
ing ambition to be of service in evangelizing Tibet —
whether by his life or his death, he said, did not mat-
ter to him. With David Brainerd he could say, " I
longed to be a flame of fire, continually glowing in the
service of God and building up Christ's kingdom to my
latest, my dying moments." Remembering his conse-
cration I too can be strong and say, as I bring the story
to a close, " God doeth all things well — the sacrifice was
not too great."

The results of the journey herein described are to me
of the most encouraging character. Interest in Tibet
has been aroused among Christians of many denomina-
tions, and the country and its needs have been brought
prominently to the notice of several mission boards. The
hope which my husband cherished of seeing many labor-
ers go forth to the field seems nearer realization now
than in his lifetime. The seed sown is springing up
with bright promise. The trumpets are being blown
about the walls of the great closed land. Soon they
will fall that the heralds of the Cross may enter in. I
see them coming and I exclaim — How beautiful upon
the mountains are the feet of them that preach in Tibet
the Gospel of Peace !

While at Ta-chien-lu I was much impressed by the
possibilities for missionary work all along the eastern
border. In the town itself, splendid work is being done
by the Tibetan Band of the China Inland Mission, un-
der the leadership of Mr. Cecil Polhill Turner. The

396 WITH THE TIBETAXS

Christian Missionary Alliance have a work at Tao-cheo,
while other large border towns, such as Kuei-teh, Tan-
kar, Snngpan and others, offer splendid advantages.
Any one of them wonld make a good center for Tibetan
work. Ta-chien-lu is especially advantageous as so many
roads branch ont from it, and Jyeknndo, situated at
the juncture of great roads leading to the border and
also to the interior, could be a splendid station from
which to come into contact with several tribes. In
addition to regular evangelistic work there could be
established in connection with all missionary enterprise
on the border, industrial schools and medical stations.
Meanwhile Kumbum and Tankar, where we labored
three years, are without missionaries. Only the wor-
shippers of Buddha now behold the gleam of the Ori-
ental Sun on the golden roofs of the lamasery; the
great caravans from the city of the Dalai Lama pass
through the border town with no one to tell the pil-
grims of the " Heavenly Buler." From ten thousand
tongues amid the nutter of the prayer-flags and the
click of cylinders is heard the mystic invocation — Om
mani padme hum, but there is no Christian altar. The
devotees still flock to revere the Sacred Tree and wor-
ship the great Butter God, and amid all the host there
is not one witness for Jesus Christ ! The call comes
and it will be answered soon, I feel convinced. And
whoever responds will find many who know something
of Christianity, who have copies of the Scriptures, and
remember with affection the White Teacher who, while
he was with them, labored for their good, and who left
them never to return. And many will have heard of

SAFE AT LAST 397

the lone little grave under the huge boulder at the base
of the Dang La.

5jC • 5j» *f* *gC 3p

" To the spirit select there is no choice.
He cannot say, This will I do or that.

* * * * #

A hand is stretched to him from out the dark,
Which grasping without question, he is led
Where there is work that he must do for God.

* * # * ■*

To the tough hearts that pioneer their way
And break a pathway to those unknown realms,
That in the earth's broad shadow lie enthralled,
Endurance is the crowning quality.
And patience all the passion of great hearts."

— /. R. Lowell,

GLOSSARY.

Achi Sister.

Ahon A teacher among moslems.

Apa Father.

Argols Excreta of animals.

Aro Brother.

Bei-si or pei-si Mongol chief.

Chang Alcoholic liquor made by Tibetans.

Chang lam Long road.

Chen tax Military official.

Chong-kuci teh Head of a house, shopkeeper

Choma Edible root.

Chorten Monument.

Churma Dried curds of buttermilk.

Dalai Lama Grand lama.

Dimo dimo ing Tibetan salutation.

Dzassak Mongol chief.

Fa tai Abbot.

Fen-kuai-tsi Dried manure bricks.

Fu-ing-tang C. I. M. Chapel.

Fu tai Civil official.

Fu yeh Living Buddha.

Oelu Yellow sect of lamas.

Oimbi Controller of Official escort.

Gomba Monastery.

Heh-ho-shang Black priests.

Hopen Shallow pot for fire.

Huei-huei Mohammedan,

398

GLOSSARY 399

lang-ta-ren Foreign great man.

le mah Wild mule.

Ja-ja Sleeveless jacket.

Ja-lam Road traveled by tea caravans.

K'a die ...Mohammedan.

Kali Slowly.

Kang The hollow heated platform in use as

a bed and divan.

Kanpo Abbot.

Kao yeh Secretary.

Karwa Palace.

Khata Scarf of ceremony.

Khopa or ~kova Tibetan from the interior.

Kiang Discuss.

Kotow Strike the forehead to the ground in

worship or honor.

Kuan men. Official gate.

Kushok Gentleman.

Ku tsi Trousers.

Lama Buddhist priest.

La rong Official residence of the abbot.

Li One-third of an English mile.

Long ta Wind horse made of paper.

Mamba Doctor.

Mambafu yeh Medical buddha.

Mang tuan Satin given by the Emperor to the

Mongol princes.

Mani Prayer, rosary.

M^ien "Vermicelli.

Obo Pile of stones on a hill or pass.

Oruss Russian.

Panaka Nomadic Tibetan of N. E. Tibet.

Pao ren A man who acts as security.

Peh Sing Subjects, common people.

Peli tsi Coolie who carries loads on his back.

• Peling English.

Pei-lu Northern road.

400 GLOSSARY

Piao Agreement.

Pien shi Small, boiled, meat dumplings.

Ponbo Official.

Ponbo cWenpo Great official.

Puh tsi Shop.

Pulu Woolen cloth made by Tibetans.

Sho Junket.

Sung Kuan Disciplinarian.

Ta ko Older brother.

Tangut Tibetan of lake district.

Too tai Official of third rank.

Tiao lo Tower of defence.

Ting Civil official in small town.

Tong kuan Eastern suburb.

Tsamoa Parched barley meal.

Tsao ti Grass country.

Tseh Thief.

Tung shih Interpreter.

Via Relays of animals supplied by Gov-
ernment order.

Wang yeh Prince or chief.

Wu chai khata Scarfs of ceremony in parcels of five.

Yamen Home and office of an official.

Yesu Ma'shika Jesus Christ.

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