Cathedral a lesson in manners. At any rate, to our
surprise, a definite invitation was one day extended
to one or two of the members of the Mission to make
a morning visit into Lhasa for the purpose of examining
the treasures of the innermost sanctuary of Buddhism.
It was accepted. A Chinese guard of the Residency,
armed with tridents, halberds, and scythe-headed lances,
provided our escort, and immediately upon our arrival
the great doors, half hidden in the shadow under the
many-pillared propylon, were opened and at once
barred again behind us.
‘ Just in front, seen through a forest of pillars, was
an open and verandahed court-yard. Its great age
was at once apparent. The paintings on the walls
were barely distinguishable through a heavy cloak
of dirt and grease, and it was difficult to imagine
the colours with which the capitals of the pillars, and
the raftered roof overhead, had originally been painted.
The court is open to the sky and is surrounded by none
of the small chapels which are the chief feature of the
inner quadrangles of the Jo-kang. The architecture
is of the kind invariable in religious buildings in Tibet
a double row of pillars carry the half-roof overhead,
each supporting on a small capital a large bracketed
abacus, voluted and curved on both sides and charged
in the centre with a panel of archaic carving. Thé
.wooden doors which secure both entrances of the first
court are of immense size, heavily barred, and embossed
with filigree ring plates of great age.
I A t the opposite end of the court an open door
communicates with the second court, revealing a bright
mass of hollyhocks, snapdragon, and stocks, vivid in
the sun. The sanctity of the temple obviously in