138 Papre Srrras Notices of China. 
capital, besides others, have three principal pagodas, into whose chiefs the 
 Tartars believe that the soul of the great Lama of Tibet has passed. ‘There 
are many pagodas of Budha to the north of Peking and throughout all 
Tartary, all built and maintained by the public exchequer. One of the 
above-named chiefs, who is generally son of a Regulus, has further honours, 
and the revenue of a Regulus of the first class; all the others are paid, 
according to their rank, from the exchequer. All this is done for them 
because they retain in subjection the Tartars of the West, who consist of 
forty-eight principalities. Their respect for the priests is unaccountable, 
and thus it is that the latter, who go in June on a visitation to Tartary, 
on their return in October bring with them whatever the Tartars have 
of most value, especially cattle. It is said that the dynasty will pass 
to them; but the Chinese despise them exceedingly on account of their 
immorality, and of their being all, or nearly all, Tartars. 
