74 Description of a Mystic Play. [No. 2, 
centre when they used their drums at the end of the intonation. 
These were also dressed in gaudy China silks, both wore gilt masks 
with apertures for eyes and mouth, the top of the hat was conical 
with silk streamers on the sides and a large loose scarf behind. These 
masks were named ‘‘ Cury-Bep’’ or from their copper coloured masks, 
“ ZANG-BUKH, lit. copper mask.* These had no death-like insignia 
as the first maskers wore. After these had retired, a short delay, and 
another more imposing group marched with great dignity out of the 
monastery. These all wore very large masks of different forms and 
colours, still all of the same type as the heads of deities, their great 
peculiarity being the third eye in the centre of the forehead. The 
principal of these deities was “ Turogan Pupma Junenas” or “he 
born of the lotus” over whom was carried a large umbrella. Among 
the other attendant maskers of consequence wast Stner’ DranpRox, 
Dorse’ Troione, Sanesea Kurevo (Brahma), Zarn-Sxrone or Eswara. 
These are, I believe, intended to represent emblematically the six classes 
of beings subject to transmigration, viz. 1, gods; 2, demi-gods; 3, 
men ; 4, animals ; 5, ghosts; 6, the inhabitants of hell ; for although we 
did not then see the mask of the bull’s head, it should have been among 
the maskers,—perhaps the monks did not take the trouble, and thought 
us none the wiser,—now this would well represent No. 4 of the above 
classes; and in another monastery I afterwards saw masks made to 
represent stags. Attending on this principal group were another set 
of maskers, who carried the long handled drums and the bent striker. 
Their dresses were of the same type, long petticoats of rich China 
silk, but the head-dress a kind of crown with six points, gilt, rising 
to a high point in the centre, while streamers of silk hung down from 
the ears to the waist.{| On each of the six points were the following 
1 2 3 4 
syllables in the lLantsa character, viz. OM, AH, SHI, HUNG, 
5 
TRANG.§ 
* See fig. 2. 
} See Photographs, Nos. 4, 5 and 8. 
t See No 6 of Captain M.’s photographs. 
§ Hach of these syllables have some mystical connection with the centre and 
cardinal points of the compass, thus— 

