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was of silver, and I thought that, as typical of its class,
it was worth while to photograph it.
It is never entirely satisfactory, as no doubt the
reader will have discovered by this time, to ask a Tibetan
too closely as to the meaning of some of the stranger
sights in a gompa. Here our own lama confessed himself
beaten when he was asked what was the meaning of
some objects arranged in the innermost sanctuary
behind a pane of glass of considerable size. In this,
the most sacred position in the temple, it was certainly
surprising to find, after pulling aside the dirty and
greasy katags which hung over the front of the shrine,
three irregularly shaped pieces of common rock and a
wasps’ nest. All four were crowned with gold and
turquoise, and from the interior of each crown rose a
torma, a marvel of dexterity and patience. We had
tea with the Umzi, the Abbot being absent in Lhasa,
and came back in the company of two cheerful lamas,
who were carrying our’ purchases. We arrived back
at Pome-tse, or North Camp as it is called on the
military maps, in time to join the Mission mess at
dinner out in the open air under the trees. I doubt
whether very many people have ever before deliberately
chosen to dine out of doors at an altitude of 12,600 feet.
On the 30th of July, as the passage of the river
was still delaying us, O’Connor and I went out again
on the same road to pay a visit to the larger monastery
next door, Jang-kor-yang-tse. This is a far more
pretentious establishment than its neighbour; as I
have said, Tt boasts the proud distinction of having
an incarnation of its own, and we were lucky enough
to find his Saintship at home. We went up to an open
courtyard in front of the main entrance of the gompa.
VOL. II. g *