THE SACRED MOUNTAIN 539 



guarded it from the profanity of man ; it was a pleasure 

 we keenly appreciated to be able to enjoy its beauty, 

 undisturbed by the presence of other mortals, with 

 the exception of the aged priests who dwelt in the 

 temples surrounding the lake. Strangers were rarely 

 permitted, and nomads were never allowed to disturb 

 the peaceful surroundings. The neighbouring pastures 

 grew rank and wild ; and the wild-game resorted here 

 in numbers from the hard-hunted valleys beyond the 

 sacred precincts. 



A previous explorer relates that he found a notice 

 put up near the lake, saying : " It is forbidden, under 

 penalty of instant death, to violate the tranquillity of 

 this holy land. There must be not only no shooting and 

 no tree-cutting, but cattle may not even be pastured 

 here, that they may not trample underfoot the herbage 

 belonging to God's creatures." 



In an amphitheatre of steep-forested slopes lay the 

 lake, tucked in close under the highest summits, backed 

 by a world of snow and ice. Merzbacher called it "the 

 pearl of the Eastern Tian Shan," and I think it would 

 be hard to find an alpine lake having so perfect a 

 setting as the Bogdo-ola. Turquoise-blue lakes, pine 

 forests, and snow backgrounds are not uncommon, but 

 the presence of quaint Chinese temples picturesquely 

 perched on the steep hill-sides and mirrored in the lake 

 added greatly to the effect ; as did, also, the sound of 

 muffled drums and deep-noted horns at sunset. 



The colony of priests who lived up there in isolated 

 temples spent a life of dull monotony. In bare cells, 

 existing on bread and water, cut off from the outside 

 world, and never returning to it, they might well be 

 •described as ha\dng to "live on air and scener}^" They 



