and I am inclined to think that they made more than
a trifle out of the transaction.
We descended the two or three steps of this dais,
down on to the chunam floor of the outer temple.*
On either side of the main aisle were twelve huge drums,
and thick heavy cushions lay out in an avenue towards
the great doors. On the right, as one came down the
sanctuary steps, was a very large silver chorten against
the far wall, studded in profusion with lumps of
raw amber, as big as, and not much unlike, golden
pippins. We came out again into the sunshine of the
court and the shade of the portico. Our kindly hosts had
provided us with tea and boiled teggs and we sat down
on piled-up cushions for luncheon. It did not take us
long to realise that it was as well that we had brought
some sandwiches with us, for we made the distressing
discovery, egg after egg, that Tibetan tastes in this
matter are a mean, but not a happy one, between those
of Europe and of China. An egg absolutely black
with age is not unpleasant to the taste, but these eggs
which were only just beginning to qualify for a Chinese
menu were something terrible, and we felt confused at
having to seem unappreciative of the kindness of our
friendly wizards.
A crow had built its nest over the big blue board
which surmounts the main door and craked apprehensively
from time to time. The orange and blue
swallows dipped and wheeled in the sun outside and
the just-seen tree tops beyond the cloister roof helped
to make snugger still the brilliant little home of
* This chunam floor is a fine banket of minute pebbles and cement which receives a
high polish, and though it is nowhere here brought to such perfection as at Agra or
Delhi, it makes a very permanent and even handsome flooring and is much used in Tibet.
The Throne of the Chief Magician of Lhasa.
NOT ICE THE SHA PE OF THE BU T T E R LAMPS AND THE
RE POUSSÉ W O R K ON THE SH R IN E B EH IN D THE THRONE.
Kyil-kor lacquey crimson and gold, butter ■ lamps silver-
gilt, grey silk robes, many coloured katags, silver proscenium.