rn small praying mills, which are filled inside with
prayers written on long strips of paper. When the mills revolve all
these prayers ascend up to the ears of the gods--so easy is it to pray
in Tibet! All the time a man can continue his conversation with his
fellow-travellers.

[Illustration: PLATE XI. TASHI-LUNPO.

From a sketch by the Author.]

Many of the pilgrims, however, like all Tibetans, murmur the sacred
formula _Om mane padme hum_ over and over again. These four words
contain the key to all faith and salvation. They signify "O, jewel in
the lotus flower, amen." The jewel is Buddha, and in all images he is
represented as rising up from the petals of a lotus flower. The more
frequently a man repeats these four words, the greater chance has he of
a happy existence when he dies and his soul passes into a new body.

We reached Shigatse and pitched our tents in a garden on the outskirts
of the town. Outside Shigatse stands the great monastery of Tashi-lunpo
(Plate XI.), in which dwell 3800 monks of various grades, from fresh
young novices to old, grey high priests. They all go bareheaded and
bare-armed, and their dress consists of long red sheets wound round the
body. The priest who is head of all is called the Tashi Lama; he is the
primate of this part of Tibet and enjoys the same exalted rank and
dignity as the Dalai Lama in Lhasa. He has a great reputation for
sanctity and learning, and pilgrims stand for hours in a queue only to
receive a word of blessing from him.

This Tashi Lama was then a man of twenty-seven years of age, and had
held the position since he was a small boy. He invited me to the great
festival in the temple on New Year's Day. In the midst of the temple
town is a long court surrounded by verandahs, balconies, and platforms.
Round about are seen the gilded copper roofs over the sanctuaries and
mausoleums where departed high priests repose. Everywhere the people are
tightly packed, and the visitors from far and near are dressed in their
holiday clothes, many-coloured and fine, and decorated with silver
ornaments, coral and turquoise. The Tashi Lama has his seat in a balcony
hung with silken draperies and gold tassels, but the holy countenance
can be seen through a small square opening in the silk.

The festival begins with the entry of the temple musicians. They carry
copper bassoons ten feet long, so heavy that their bells have to rest on
the shoulder of an acolyte. With deep, long-drawn