THE LAMA'S MOTOR-CAR 



A Trip Across the Gobi Desert by Motor-Car 



By Ethan C. LeMunyon 



OF ALL the strange places and 

 strange people into whose hands 

 American motor-cars find their 

 way, perhaps the strangest or least 

 known of all is "Gigin," whom all Mon- 

 golians call "The Living God," or 

 "Bogdo." 



This personage is known among for- 

 eigners as the "Tasha Lama." or Living 

 Buddha ; he is second only to the Dalai 

 Lama of Tibet in importance in Lama- 

 ism. In ^longolia he is both the relig- 

 ious and the political head of the country 

 and is recognized and venerated by all 

 the inhabitants of Mongolia as sacred. 



The city of Urga, where he dwells, 

 has, up to recent years, been one of the 

 cities of Asia forbidden to the foreign 

 traveler, it being second in importance to 

 the forbidden city of Lhasa, Tibet, the 

 dwelling-place of the Dalai Lama and 

 the capital of the northern Buddhist 

 faith. 



Some months ago an American firm in 

 Tientsin. China, was commissioned bv 



the agent of the Buddha to obtain for 

 him a closed type of motor-car, the Bud- 

 dlia having heard it rumored among his 

 priests, or lamas, in Urga that such 

 things could be obtained from the for- 

 eigners. 



After giving the matter due considera- 

 tion as to the make of car best suited to 

 the needs of the lUuldha, whom we shall 

 call "The God." as it is by that name 

 that he is known in China and Mongolia, 

 a popular-priced American motor-car, 

 having the planetary type of transmis- 

 sion and foot control, was selected as 

 being as near "fool-proof" as possible 

 and best suited to the god's needs. 



This type of car was chosen as being 

 fitted to the country in which it was to 

 be used, and also because it could be 

 easily maintained by people who had no 

 mechanical knowledge whatever. 



The car was ordered by cable from 

 the Detroit manufacturers and was to be 

 a regular stock car and not a special car 

 in any way. 



Photo by Kfhan C. Le Miinyon 

 S.WING G.ASOLIXE BKFORK RE.\CIIIXG THE HILL 

 As long as we had to have the bullocks on the hill we used them here 



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