110 A MODERN REHOBOAM AND HIS CAPITAL 



two deer act as supporters ; scattered about are 

 prayer wheels galore. It is a common sight out- 

 side the villages to see a large prayer wheel con- 

 tinually turned by the action of the mountain 

 stream near which the village is built. 



In the lamaserai at Choni is an immense prayer 

 wheel about ninety years old. It is twenty-five 

 feet high and consists of three stories. These con- 

 tain the Buddist Bible, commentaries and classics. 

 After one revolution a bell rings automatically. 

 The Bible is a colossal work. It is printed at only 

 three places, Peking, Lhasa and Choni, and, vWth 

 the commentary, which is about twice as bulky, 

 costs six hundred taels (about £75). The two 

 together run to a hundred and eight large volumes 

 and furnish loads for a dozen mules. The Choni 

 edition is considered the best. When a field is un- 

 productive the owner goes to the lamaserai and 

 implores the abbot's aid. For a suitable fee the 

 vast work is taken on tlie backs of men or animals 

 in solemn procession round the sterile ground. 

 This is supposed to restore its productivity. 



There are three sets of Buddhists : the Black — 

 the original sect — the Red and tlie Yellow. Those 

 at Choni follow the latter religion if such it can be 

 called. In every family one son at least enters 

 a monastery, for no race is more priest-ridden. 

 Once a priest, he can only be bought out for a sum 

 of fifty taels. The boy starts as a novice and after 

 rising to catechumen and ordained priest becomes 

 a lama. In every large monastery are one or more 

 " living Buddhas," reincarnations of Buddha. The 

 lamas are dressed entirely in red ; red togas and 

 red shoes with red soles. Many carried mystic 



