324 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photographs by Dr. A. L. Shelton 



MEN AND WOMEN THRESHING WITH FLAILS ON THE ROOE OF A BATANG HOME 



Threshing methods are primitive throughout the East; but, with primitive transportation 

 methods and small fields, a modern threshing-machine would be useless (see text, page 299). 



is a sequel to this experience. A year 

 and a half later, just before I left Batang, 

 I received a letter from Lozong from 

 about two hundred miles to the south, in 

 which, after asking about my health and 

 that of my family, he said : 



''This is to inform you that I have 

 rigidly kept my oath of a year and a half 

 ago." 



That some conception of Western 

 ideals is not beyond the people of Tibet 

 was indicated on another occasion by one 

 of their leaders, the Galon Lama of 

 Chiamdo. During my stay in Chiamdo I 

 had many talks with the lamaist prelate 

 about religion, politics, and many other 

 topics of interest. Mostly, though, we 

 discussed religion. 



We found that there was not a great 

 deal of difference in some of the com- 

 mands of our two religions, but naturally 

 there were many things that we could 

 not agree upon. On parting from him. 

 however, I made him a proposition which 

 I was delighted to have him accept. 



"There are some things on which we 

 cannot agree," I said, "but I want to pro- 



pose this to you and see if we cannot 

 agree to it : That from this day forth 

 you and I will work together for the 

 good of our brother men." 



"I can accept that," he replied, "with 

 my whole heart." 



CAPTURED BY BANDITS 



As a demonstration of his interest in 

 philanthropy, the Markham Tigi, Gov- 

 ernor of Lower Kham, assisted me in 

 forwarding to the Dalai Lama at Lhasa a 

 letter asking for permission to establish 

 in the Forbidden City a hospital in which 

 young Tibetans could be trained for 

 medical work. 



The Tibetan ruler sent a favorable re- 

 ply, stating that, so far as he was con- 

 cerned, he would be very glad to have the 

 work undertaken in Lhasa, provided there 

 were no foreign treaties to prevent. 



It was my intention to establish the 

 hospital without delay, but during a pre- 

 liminary journey to the coast of China I 

 was captured by Chinese bandits and re- 

 ceived injuries which necessitated a trip 

 to America. The establishment of a hos- 



