1887 .] 
from “ Dsam Ling Gyeshe 
29 
of tlie Chandan tree and Sugpa trees of the grove. The enemies of the 
Gelugpa school say that the said images are secretly drawn with pins 
and needles by Gelngpa monks. 
At half a day’s march east of Kumbnm lies the Chinese city and 
fort of Ssiling. Directly north of Ssiling, after a full day’s march, you 
arrive at a hill called Tagri (Tiger hill), in which there is a fine cavern, 
described by Dubchhen kaZdan Gya-tsho to be one of the four wings of 
Revo-tse-nga. Proceeding further north to some distance, you arrive at 
the great monastery of Gahdan Tam Chlioi ling (the seat of Lama 
Tsanpo Nomankhan), anciently called Amdo Gomang Gonpa, which at 
present is well known by the name of Serkhang Gonpa. (This is the 
residence of our author, who is an incarnation of an eminent Tibetan 
Lama named Tagtse chovo, who was invited to be the abbot of the 
monastery.) 
The monastery contains about 2,000 monks, among whom are many 
who know the Tshan ni d philosophy. • Thence if you proceed northwards, 
after crossing a mountain pass, you arrive at Chhu Ssang (Gonpa), 
which contains nearly 800 monks, among whom some are versed in the 
Tshan ni d philosophy. Thence if you go south-eastward for more than 
half a day’s march, you arrive at Gonlung (Gonpa), which contains 
nearly 2,000 monks. Formerly two of Je Changkya’s incarnations and 
those of Sumpa, the author of Shve Ser Chhoi Jung’ (the work called 
“ The origin of the Yellow-hat school ”) and Thukwan Lossang Chhoikyi 
Nima, the author of Dubtha Shelkyi Melong, both sacred personages, 
and several other learned men, presided over this monastery. Thence 
going to the south-east for about half a day’s march, you come to a rock 
called Mar tsang, which contains the relics of the great Lama Gongpa 
rabsal. The historical work called Nongjung relates, that anciently 
Tsongkha district was a Tibetan district called in Chinese Tsongkha 
Ssan San Kaun. Tsongkha is now filled with a Chinese and Muhammadan 
population. Now-a-days, times having degenerated, the Tibetans and 
Hor people are gradually becoming followers of Kungfutsi and Lok yan 
(or Laotse), and the Ladak people are imbibing faith in the doctrine of 
Guru Nanak, so that Buddhism is on its decline. Travelling northward 
from Gon lung, you reach a large district called Amdo PaZri, which 
contains 50 subdivisions and contains several monasteries, viz., Ssun 
Shan Taglung (Gonpa), Jog rong thur Chhen (Gonpa), Chho ten than, 
Tsi Chhoi ling, Kanchhen Semni (Gonpa), Dug-gu (Gonpa), Shvamar 
(Gonpa), Gyayag (Gonpa), Digung (Gonpa), Hor (Gonpa), Upper Nag 
yan and Lower Nag yang (Gonpa), Mathee (Gonpa), Dung nag Jam Yan 
(Gonpa), Bangur (Gonpa), Upper Gyatong (Gonpa), and Lower Gyatong 
(Gonpa), Chhulung (Gonpa). Gelugpa monasteries are mostly subordinate 
