SINO-MONGOLIAN FRONTIER 



red lamas, the laughing bevies of Mongol damsels 

 and the blue-gowned Chinese, while the little 

 devils were jostled about, much to their annoyance 

 and disgust, as the crowds, regardless of blows and 

 curses, sought shelter upon the extensive verandahs 

 of the prayer hall. It rained for an hour, during 

 which time the mournful dirges continued un- 

 abated. At the end of that time the clouds dis- 

 persed and the lamas, dressed in long, yellow robes 

 and high, helmet-like caps, issued from the hall 

 in a double line. Two, bearing a tall, pyramid- 

 shaped object, surmounted with a grinning human 

 skull, preceded the rest. They walked side by side 

 bearing aloft the object of veneration, in such 

 fashion that it passed over the heads of a long line 

 of kneeling Mongols. 



Having arrived at the outermost court, the 

 long procession of monks found to its dismay 

 that it was flooded a foot deep with water. This 

 brought the proceedings to a close, so we returned 

 to camp, without being able to watch the actual 

 devil dance. From what I could gather the devil 

 dance itself would have been a sight well worth 

 seeing. It is performed by lamas and acolytes 

 dressed up as skeletons, demons and mythical 

 beasts such as dragons, unicorns and horned lions. 

 The dancers draw up and execute figures not unlike 

 those in some of our dances, to the accompaniment 

 of cymbals, gongs, drums and trumpets. 



The following day it rained incessantly, but 



155 



