112 GEORGE D-S-DUNBAR ON 



rather beautiful brass work set with coral, turquoise and porcelain — in rather 

 marked contrast to the effigy of Tsoke Dorje, whose chief ornament was a 

 large square of blue glass in the middle of his gilded lotus throne. On the 

 Abbot's table by the altar, and to the right of the entrance, were the bell and 

 thunderbolt of the dead Lama. Nearer the door were hung three large drums, 

 and by one of the pillars stood two long and beautifully chased bronze and brass 

 trumpets. Plain wooden floors seem to be invariable in both temples and houses. 



A solid wooden ladder led up to the next storey where a much smaller chapel 

 was surrounded by a wide passage. Here in a beautiful gilded shrine sat the 

 golden Ye Bame. On either side of the central figure were ranged a row of lesser 

 deities in their pillared niches of plainly carved wood, that looked as if they 

 had served as the model for some early illuminated missal — a feeling strengthened 

 by the ' ( Anglo-Saxon ' ' effect of breaking up a low square heavily timbered room 

 with rows of painted wooden pillars. This impression was irresistible although 

 some of the figures appeared to the casual observer to be strongly influenced by 

 Hinduism. 



Another ladder took us to the tiny room under the roof where Tso (Cho) 

 stood, a gilt figure, bearing a distinct resemblance to the Virgin Mary in her 

 diadem. There was a plain stone replica on a slab at one side. Just as the 

 Buddhist sculpture found on the N.-W. Frontier bears the impress of Greek art, 

 so may the images and symbols of Lamaism have been influenced by the sway 

 that Christianity held in Central Asia during the Middle Ages. Great is the foot- 

 print of Prester John. 



The central figure in both the main temple and the one above it were in the 

 conventional attitude of contemplation ; most of the remainder were standing, some 

 in angry and threatening attitudes. Ye-Bame's altar had many small effigies 

 of Buddha about it; in the lowest temple there were numerous Buddhas worked, 

 or painted singly or repeated in a pattern on the silken banners; I saw one wheel 

 of life. I am told that the furniture and ornaments come over the Doshung La from 

 either Chiamdo or Lha-sa. There is a big monastery at Chiamdo which appears to 

 make a speciality of ecclesiastical furniture. 



The dwelling-house was of solid stone, with very solid black beams, flooring and 

 door-ways throughout. The living rooms were upstairs. In the passage I saw two 

 dankis standing on a dresser. Over the door into the Abbot's private chapel (into 

 which I was shown) hung a curtain. The room had one row of two pillars across it ; 

 the small but extremely beautiful shrine faced the door-way; on the Buddha's right, 

 by the window of mushrabeah pasted over with rice paper, was the Abbot's bench 

 and table. On the table were books, an elaborately chased bell and a prayer-wheel 

 set with turquoise and coral. Before I left I was given some excellent chang which 

 tasted exactly like still hock. I was not asked, and so did not intrude into the 

 rooms occupied by those of lesser degree. The house curiously resembled a Becket's 

 house at Canterbury in outward appearance. In these remote districts Lamaism seems 

 to be a peculiarly debased type of Buddhism, and is in fact the Abor spirit-worship 



