Across the Roof of the World. 



the hillside — as is the case witli the Kalmiiks — and possessed of 

 the attributes going to make up the ideal shikari. 



Their notions of distance are based entirely on the time 

 taken to proceed from one given spot to another, and in answering 

 enquiries thereon they reply that it will take a day, or two nights 

 and one day, according to the situation of the objective. There 

 are two ways by which distance with them may be calculated, 

 i.e., they w[\\ tell one that if one goes fast — trotting and cantering 

 — it can be done in such and such a time, or if slowly, double the 

 period will be required. 



The religion of the Mongols is Lamaism, or Buddhism, and 

 the clergy, or lamas, constitute more than half the population. 

 It is not within the province of this book to discuss the rise of 

 Buddhism, but reference may well be made to its leading features. 

 The advent of Buddha occurred five centuries before the birth 

 of Christ, w^hen he beheved himself to be invested with a divine 

 mission. This culminated in the promulgation of the religion 

 which spread through a large part of the Asiatic continent. The 

 fundamental principle of Buddhism is contemplation, and among 

 its precepts was the ordaining of cehbacy, w-hich caused the 

 establishment of monastic orders composed of both monks and 

 nuns. In the days of their inception these monasteries were 

 undoubtedly the seats of learning and rehgion, but in course of 

 time their influence exerted an adverse effect upon the people, 

 and the tyranny of the priests and inequality of castes — to 

 overcome which Buddha had striven — became reinstated. The 

 spiritual and temporal head of Lamaism is found in the person 

 of the Grand Lama of Lhasa, the centre of Buddhism, which, 

 until the recent British political expedition there, had for years 

 remained a sealed book to the outer world. 



There is a temple in Wong, to which were attached over 

 300 lamas, all dressed in the customary robes of red and yellow\ 

 Their heads are shaven and they pass the day in prayer and 

 reciting the incantations peculiar to Buddhism. Although 

 celibacy is enjoined, immorality is rife amongst them, and from 



160 



