OPPBESSION BY LAMAS 181 



as a wariiii\u', and also to show tliat tlie sentence 

 had been carried out, Oheng-tu being the capital of 

 Sze-chuen. 



The people here appeared to be much oppressed and 

 ground down by the lamas. These worthies form a 

 very considerable proportion of the population and do 

 no work at all. They, however, lend money to the agri- 

 culturists when they can, at ruinous rates of interest, 

 the result being that in most cases the whole of the 

 unfortunate borrower's property falls into their hands, 

 or rather into the hands of the principals of the lama- 

 series to which they belong. As a natural consequence 

 these are nearly all very wealthy. The people are also 

 heavily taxed upon every sort of property, and are so 

 poor as to be hardly able to live. 



I returned to my camp on May 7 and made another 

 attempt to find a way to the south, but failed ; and then 

 moved my tent higher up on the mountain, pitching it 

 at an elevation of 13,000 feet. The next day I received 

 a message from the Tibetan king forbidding me to re- 

 main camped on the mountain, as it is a sacred reserva- 

 tion ; but before leaving I determined to try again for a 

 pass southward, and was again disappointed. My coolies 

 also were sent out, but they too failed to find any way 

 higher up the mountain, as there was so much snow. 

 The tent was pitched at the head of a valley, the sides 



