28 
Sarat Chandra Das —A brief account of Tibet 
[No. 1, 
The Chone people mostly resemble in dress and dialect the people 
of Bahthang, Lithang, and Gy a? Rong. To the north of Labrang and 
TashikhyiZ lies a large (tribal) district called Rongpo, which contains 
many religions establishments, caverns, and recluse monasteries, such 
3 Rongpo Gonchhen, &c. The people of Rongpo are of a dangerous 
aracter. They continually carry on disputes, and show great delight 
m fighting and bloodshed. The Bon Tantriks of this place exercise 
much power, and exhibit the efficacy of their mysticism. There are 
many orders of Bonpos. Both Rongpo and Nakhog are the largest and 
most populous of Amdoan districts. To the west of Rongpo lies Thikha, 
which is inhabited by a Tibetan as well as a Chinese population. It 
contains Jujo Lhakhang on the top of a hill (the Lamoi Dichhu), and 
several monasteries and other religious establishments. To the east of 
Thikha and Rikon, on the south bank of the great Machhu, are Kare, 
Chhussung, Pethang, Bedo, and Doyu, five districts, among which Bedo 
Gonpa is noted. 
Close to Doyu is the lake called Lhalun-yyu-tsho, which is said to 
be the repository of many wonderful and sacred objects. In winter, 
when the lake becomes frozen, the ice is said to form the figure of 
Buddhist mandala (in concentric rings). The Buddhist devotees say 
that the great and small continents of Buddhist cosmogony are there 
represented. In the neighbourhood of these places there lives a large 
tribe of Muhammadans called Jalar, who speak a kind of Persian-Tartar 
language. To the northward of these, following the north bank of the 
great Machhu, you arrive at Chya Khyung, the seat of Chhoije Tondub 
Rinchhen. It contains the tomb of that famous Lama, as well as tho 
residence of Tsong khapa. The north of Machhu is occupied by the 
Chinese, Tibetan, Hor (Tartars) and (Lalo) Muhammadan population, 
where there are also a few religious establishments. To the east of this 
tract lie the districts called Tantig and Yangtig, in which Tantig 
Shelgi-Yango is a sacred place. 
North of Chya khyung there is a hill called Tsong Laringmo, which 
crossed, you arrive in tho district of Tsongklia, in which is the great 
monastery of Kubum (Kurabum), founded on the birthplace of tho 
great reformer Shdr Tsongkhapa Lossaug Tagpa, the second Buddha of 
the present ago. On tho birthplace of Tsong-khapa. there exists a 
white sandal-wood troo, on every leaf of which at the timo of tho 
reformer’s birth there appeared a picture of tho Buddha Songe naro 
HU pen i at u rally inscribed. Hence, from t he circumstance af a “hundred 
thousand imageH of Buddha ” having appeared on the loaves, the town 
and the groat monastery is called Kumhuin. Kven at tho present ago 
images are occasionally said to be seen divinely inscribed on the leaves 
