/ DISPENSE BENEDICTIONS. 163 



thus In a measure removed the obstacles that beset 

 our path ; on the other hand, it was necessary to 

 keep up my character by dispensing benedictions, 

 prophesying, and every kind of absurdity. Tangu- 

 tans and Monsfols would sometimes come in crowds 

 to pray, not only to us but to our guns, and the 

 native princes often brought us their children, en- 

 treating us to lay our hands upon them, and thus 

 confer a lifelong blessing. As we approached 

 Dulan-kit, a crowd of 200 men assembled to worship 

 us, kneeling down on each side of the road. 



I was often consulted in my capacity of prophet, 

 not only as to the future, but in cases of straying 

 cattle or lost pipes, and the like. And one of the 

 Tangutan princes besought us to tell him how to 

 make his barren wife bear children, if it were but two 

 or three ! The Kara-Tangutans, who are constantly 

 harrying the region round Koko-nor, not only never 

 dared to attack us, but actually discontinued their 

 raids in the district through which we happened to 

 be travelling. The chiefs of the Mongol banners 

 often applied to us for our assistance to protect them 

 against the robbers, and to order the restoration of 

 their ravished cattle. 



The charm which attached itself even to our 

 name exceeded all bounds of probability. Thus on 

 the way to Tibet we left a bag of barley-meal with 

 the Prince of Tsaidam, who gladly took charge of it, 

 assuring us that it would protect him from marauding 

 Tangutans ; two months afterwards when we re- 

 turned, the same prince sent us a couple of sheep in 



