THE DALAI LAMA. 77 



in Peking ; there are upwards of a hundred of them ^ 

 in MongoHa. They are all terrestrial saints, of 

 highly-developed holiness, who never die, but pass 

 from one body to another. A newly-born gigen is 

 discovered by the lamas of the temple to which his 

 predecessor belonged, and is confirmed in office by 

 the Dalai Lama. It devolves upon the latter digni- 

 tary to appoint a successor to himself, but the Chinese 

 Government secretly exercises great influence in the 

 election, which usually falls on some poor unknown 

 family. The personal insignificance of the Dalai 

 Lama, in the absence of family ties in the country, is 

 the best guarantee the Chinese can have of the 

 submission of Tibet, or, at all events, of their own 

 security from an unruly neighbour. They have 

 indeed good cause to be watchful, for if a talented, 

 energetic person were to appear on the throne of the 

 Dalai Lama, he might with one word, like the voice 

 of a god, cause a rising of the nomads from the Hima- 

 layas to Siberia. Deeply imbued with religious 

 fanaticism and the bitterest hatred for their oppres- 

 sors, the wild hordes would invade China and cause 

 it great injury. 



The influence of the gigens is unlimited ; a prayer 

 offered up to one of them, the touch of his garments, 

 his benediction, are regarded in the light of the 

 greatest blessings humanity can enjoy ; but they are 

 not to be had gratis. Every believer must bring his 

 offering, which, in some cases, is very large. The 



' 103 in all. Hyacinthe's ' Statistical Description of the Chinese 

 Empire,' part ii. p. 60. 



