the Dalai Lama. This huge, conglomerate structure
of granite rising story above story to an immense height fascinates the
beholder, who marvels at the skill and patience of the builders.

As though to heighten its beauty, the Potala is separated from the city
by a park of grass and trees about a mile wide, making the stately
edifice look like a huge diamond encircled with emeralds. Nothing but a
blind religious zeal could have brought to completion such a series of
connected edifices with their miles of halls, courts, corridors, and
labyrinthine passageways.

Scattered throughout Tibet are upward of three thousand monasteries, or
lamaseries. Some of them are built in remote and inaccessible places and
contain as many as seven thousand monks. Each lamasery has set apart for
its use the best land in that vicinity, the cultivation of which is done
by the common people, who are little better than serfs, or peons.

It is a notable fact that in this strange land there are many more men
than women, although the reverse would be expected. The support of the
hordes of lazy monks is a great incubus and retards the development of
the country.

[Illustration: The yak not only serves as a beast of burden, but
furnishes milk, butter, and meat]

The use of water for cleansing purposes seems to be no part of the
religion of the people; they never bathe their bodies and seldom wash
the face and hands. To protect themselves from the biting cold they
smear their faces with rancid butter, which, catching the smoke and
dust, adds to the effectiveness as well as the strength of the odor.
Their homes and places of worship reek with dirt and filth; small-pox,
ailments of the eyes, and other contagious diseases are prevalent.
Harelip, in a great measure due to lack of proper nutrition, is a very
common ailment.

In leather and inlaid work the Tibetans show great skill, much of the
decorative work on the handles of their swords and daggers being very
artistic. The common people live in constant terror of evil spirits in
this world and of terrible punishments in the hereafter; the educated
classes believe they can drive off or propitiate all evil influences in
this world, but fear they may be changed in a future rebirth to some
vile form of being. In general, the people are treacherous and cowardly.
For weapons of defence they use matchlocks; in firing them, the weapon
is held directly in front of the nose.

Of domestic animals the yak is