2SO STORIES ABOUT THE DALAI LAMA. 



our most constant visitors was the Lama Sordj'i, 

 who came several times a day, and told us a great 

 deal about Tibet. He related, amongst other 

 things, that the pilgrims arriving at Lhassa were not 

 allowed to see the Dalai Lama before having paid 

 from three to five lans the first time, and one Ian the 

 second and every succeeding occasion of their seeing 

 the incarnate deity. But this scale of charges refers 

 only to the poorer people, who are provided with 

 lodging and food at the cost of the sovereign of 

 Tibet. The wealthier classes and the princes who 

 come to make their devotions bring large and some- 

 times very rich presents to the Dalai Lama, 



The present Dalai Lama is a boy of eighteen, 

 and, as we heard the Buddhists relate, obtained his 

 seat on the throne in the following manner. A 

 short time before the death of his predecessor, a 

 Tibetan woman came to pray at the temple. 

 Hardly had the saint set eyes on her than he pro- 

 phesied that she would become the mother of his suc- 

 cessor. He then gave her bread and some kind of 

 fruit, after partaking of which the woman conceived. 

 Soon afterwards the Dalai Lama died, having named 

 this woman as the mother of his successor. It is 

 certain that the very moment the infant was born 

 a miraculous stream of milk flowed from the post 

 which supported the yurta, in proof of the holy call- 

 ing and great sanctity of the new-born babe. 



Another very interesting tale related by Sordji 

 was the prophecy about Shambaling, the promised 

 land of the Buddhists, to which at some future time 



