it was designed and 

 cast. 



The temples o f 

 Urga are many and of 

 all kinds. Some are 

 no more than large 

 tents and others are 

 resplendent in vivid 

 colors, gold leaf, and 

 gilt. Some follow the 

 Chinese style, some 

 the Tibetan, and oth- 

 ers seem to have a 

 sort of style common 

 to neither. 



There are few reg- 

 ular streets in Urga, 

 with the exception of 

 the main street, along 

 which are lines of 

 prayer-wheels, which 

 T-re sheltered by small 

 shanties or sheds. 

 These are turned by 

 hand by the people 

 who wish to pray. 

 Prayer flags float ovei 

 all tents and temples 

 and smaller prayer- 

 wheels turn in the 

 wind, while gill 

 prayer-wheels swing 

 from the roofs of the 

 temples. 



Urga was the resi- 

 dence of a Chinese 

 lieutenant governor 

 or "amban,"as he was 

 called, the representa- 

 tive of the Chines^ 

 government. Sine 

 Mongolia declarec 

 herself independent oi 

 China, early in the 

 year 19 12, there has 

 been no amban, the 

 former one having 

 fled, reasoning that he 

 was not needed. The 

 god was crowned Em- 

 peror of Mongolia 

 and as he was actuallj 

 the religious h e a 

 it made his positioiffl 

 doubly secure. 

 Whether China will 

 ever again obtain con- 



662 



