1865.] Description of a Mystic Play. » 75 
The whole of these last named Maskers marched round the Flag 
Poles in solemn procession, the band still playing; they then sat down 
ina line on the ground; Tutocan Pupma Junenas in the centre. 
Then with shrill whistling, made by putting the fingers in the 
mouth, several boys came rushing out of the monastery, and running 
up made obeisance to the chief in the centre, and danced wildly about 
round the Poles. They were called ‘‘ Spao,” warriors, and wore short 
skirts, and streamers of silk hung from the waist, round which was 
a belt carrying small round bells (Gungaroo, Hind.); the same were 
also attached to the ancles. Their masks were green with a broad 
face on them, and from the centre of the crown rose a stick with a 
triangular red flag ; they held a bell in the leit hand, and a large handled 
drum in the right. With these also careered about two jesters, one 
of whom had two small kettle-drums tied on his back, on which the 
other would occasionally thump, and play other practical jokes for the 
amusement of the crowd, salaming also in mock respect to Pudma 
Jungnas and his attendants. There were also another set who made 
up this court of Indra, of which it may be a representation ; these 
were called Katincuun,* wearing a red mitre-shaped hat, silk capes 
ah (north) 
é (centre) 
(west) Shi om ———— hung (Hast) and each of 
these points is 
again supposed 
to be the dwell- 

ing of a god. 
trang This curious 
(South) system is seen 
drawn out on the walls of some of the monasteries, in a complicated sort of 
labyrinth, called MiskyopPa DKYILKHAR, the cirele of AKSHOBHYA in Sanscrit, 
T once saw one in process of construction on a square with sides quite four feet 
in length. The deities assigned to the different parts are numberless, but of 
the principal I may name,—North, Tonytit thibba, West, Nam-’wa-ta-yas, Hast, 
Dorjé Sempspa, South, R. Zingsten J ungldan, Centre, Nang-per-nang-'l'sat. 
See Hodgson, on the Literature and Religion of the Bhuddists, note, foot of 
page 117. ‘In niches at the base of the hemisphere are frequently enshrined 
four of the five Dhiani Buddhas, one opposite to each cardinal point. AKSHOBHYA 
occupies the Hastern nitch; Ratna SamBuava, the Southern ; Amrra’BHA, the 
Western and AmocHastppHa the Northern, VairocHana, the 1st Dhyani 
Buddha, is supposed to occupy the centre invisibly. Sometimes, however, he 
appears visibly, being placed at the right hand of AksHosnya, 
* See No. 3 of Capt, M.’s Photographs, 
. 10 
