Show 1 S and Magic in inthe the Solitudes Solitudes' By Alexander David Neel cOpyright 1926 by the McClure NE Syndicate i AU tights rights ot of translation J and andI I adaPt adaptation tf reser for all countries Including Holland and c- c Madame Dav Ned David d. d Neel k is a French woman and a French scholar who also alsa knows English well weli enough to write this article as it appears ap ap- pears Much of af the flavor of af her hor own telling wa would ld have been lost last by translation and the story stary would lose by professional journalistic handling This is a story of af her adventurous journeys preparatory tOo to her last and effort tOo to reach Lhasa the forbidden city of af Tibet which will be recounted in a later article Through a Land of Mystery and Legend in Search of Strange Botanical Specimens Specimens-An Encounter With Tibetan J j Ro Robbers How How a Wily Lama Protected the thes s Reverend Ladys Lady's n for tor magic Old Age Old Songs Sung to the the f ff I Age 1 J IG f 9 r tt Drumming Of f a Copper e 4 I. I 1 Cauldron Cauldron a Insisted on erecting a I barricade with the bags and boxes baxes containing our He meant It of af course as a shelter fOr fOrus forus us but ns as distinguished a literati as my ad adopted san may be In his native native na- na tive land hind his knowledge does does' not nat extend to the ar art of As it was b built lIt It appeared to me that we would rather protect the barricade with our bodies than be by It it but I am myself far from being be- be trig ing expert In that matter and no great general happened to be there thereto to enlighten us Seldom have I 1 spent such a delI de- de lI night ns as that one ane when at t teach each minute we expected an attack But it was as not the prospect of that event which gave charm charm to m my vigil A CAULDRON FOR A DRUM Seated at the entrance ot of his tent a bowl of tea near him sang ballads thousands of af years old ot of th the lap of Kham marking th the cadence by striking with a small rod on a Tibetan cauldron In which we cooked over our camp fire The songs extol the forests whence arise arise- shining peaks clad with eternal snows and the high deeds ot of rustle rustic knights Robbers they are like those whose pl sence In our aur neighborhood compelled Us to watch like the watchman hImself him him- self seU I who know has It-has played hIs part In more than one hot hat like ter-like the three others athers who are arenow now naw acting as sentinels like all Jn In that land lind ot of primitive braves who do not conceive ot of any other ather field itt In show their prowess tn n the trials followed by the rich caravans had a fIne Voice aice still swe t accents mingled with mystic ones The songS told not only of warriors but or of merciful goddesses and hOly lamas and seine same stanzas finished with ardent aspIrations aspirations toward the tho spiritual awakenIng awaken awaken- Ing that puts an end to fear and all sorrow sorro TIle The vulgar cauldron itself had risen to the level of that poetry Us its metal sounded solemn as a ben bell i was indefatigable he went wenton on WI till dawn with his bewItching recital rae lone sentinels came back be benumbed benumbed numbed by their prolonged stay on the damp grass and ran to revive the fire and make tea h had d stopPed and the harmonious caul caul- dron ron t fallen back to Its utilitarian part stood already filled with water among the flames As f Jr ho he was still fast asleep with his head resting against his barricade The robbers had not dared to attack at- at tack us ut they had spent the night near noor oUr camp As we were finishing eating our breakfast the te three men appeared each one leading lead lead- ing tI a horse My Iy boys bos leaped leapE on an their feet teet and ran to them Who Vho are are you they asked We saw you OU yesterday What are you doing here We e are hunters answered the newcomers Indeed That Is good luck for us We e have no meat left we will buY some samo same game from you The styled self hunters looked embarrassed Ve have not yet killed anything they said My servants did not need to hear more IDo Do you yau know asked ot of the three Tibetans who Is the noble reverend lady who travels With such a a. beautiful and wears a toga taga kind of oC vest worn warn by lamas In golden brocade Would she be the Piling Jet Jet- fa reign foreign reverend lily dy wh lived In We Va have hav heard about her Yes she is and yoi rou understand that she does daes not fear robbers any anymore I more than wild beasts or ar any other thing One who would steal the least of her belongings would immediately immediately im- im mediately be discovered and caught In that case she has only to look lookin I In a bowl full of at w water ter and at at once she sees in It the likeness of af the thief together with the stolen thing and the place where both are at that moment So It Is really true raid he men All the cowmen say ay white foreigners have ha such a power LL IS more certaIn certain- confirmed con con- firmed my head servant was w well acquainted with that story which Was repeated among the cowmen and clev cleverly lie he had taken advantage of It to frighten the robbers and to dissuade dissuade dis- dis suade them from going to fetch tetch frIends to rob us a later About ten days had elapsed since that Incident when we stopped forthe for tor the night in front of an encampment encamp encamp- meat ment ot of I retired in my tent before night had fallen Callen and from there I heard many visitors coming They rhoy were bringing presents presents pres- pres or of milk and butter buttel and Yang Yong- den told them that the lama ladY had shut herself herselt up for Cor religious meditation lon and could not nat be disturbed disturbed dis- dis but she would see them the following Then some whispering went on and a servant ha having called the to drink i tea near the kitchen fire they aU all moved away and I could not nat he hear r more of at what was saId At dawn asked permission slon sion to eater my tent I 1 must he said inform you OU before the call agaIn about their request ot of J yesterday They Thoy say that some of at their horses harses have been stolen away they no not nat know by whom wham and they wish you yau to look laak in Ina a bowl bawl of af water In order arder to describe to thorn hem t e thieve and ne place where they keep the stolen stalen animals I What did you ou tell them I asked I think answered Yang den that maybe these men have bad intentions Perhaps they have have- not nat suffered any loss and they obly wish to know If that which Is said about that bowl ot of water business ss and the magic power ot of the white foreigner Is really true or not nat Who Vho knows J if they have not an eye on our aur fine Chinese mules and would not be delighted to steal them It if they were convinced that you yau could not trace the thieves it if the robbery happened at a few days march marca from their own encampment where the tribe to h the brigands belang belong be- be long lang could not nat b bb ascertaIned U If you tell teU them that you have seen their horses and so on and that none had been stolen the they vill be convinced that you have not nat I been able to detect their lIe that I you are powerless In magic and I they may loot lent us So I have ex- ex to them that truly you yau could see all that they want to know In a bowl ot of water but that the water needed Is somewhat different from that one ane could just draw at once from the stream That water must be prepared by ceremonies the recitation ot of a ritual ritual- that l lasts for far three days They have that at once Then I have said that it is doubtful that you au could delay here three days becaUse you are caned called to Amda fat foz an Important meeting with a great lama Jama Also as I know how haw much they shrink at the Idea of killing In cold cald blood a man who has but stolen some property I have that as Soon soan as you would have discovered discovered ered the thieves you must hand them to the Chinese magistrate to tobe tobe be put to death It It is I have said in the power ot of none nane to spate spaCe their life The Towo wrathful deity by of whom wham that divinatorY rite Is performed claims them as victims and 1 if they were not sacrificed sacrificed he would turn his anger anser against those who have requested I the conjuration to be done and he would tak their life lite They have become terrified they all have declared that they feared to Irritate the Towo and preferred to look after atter their horses according to their own awn way and to tty to get a good compensation from the thieves I smiled at athi his ruse and when the came bringing some more presents I to th m. m the very thIngs had told them th day before so that they definitely definitely- gave up all idea of requesting requesting re- re questing the celebration or of the too tragic rite ot of the looking Into a bowl bawl ot of water by a white for far elgner eigner TIiE THE SKEPTIC CONVINCED The head servant had In P hIs e early youth tra traveled as far as n a Tibetan town In the province and been In Inthe inthe the service ot of foreigners As a result re- re suit sult of these visits he had acquired a skepticism ot of whIch he liked to tomake make a a. show shaw before hIs more credulous companions During Doring the that followed that mci- mci dent ent he did not stop from taking it as a subject of at jokes la laughing at atthe atthe the simpleton who had been so easily fooled By that time we hd reached the shore share of the large blue Mue lake th the most mast holy nor nar worshipped by thousands ot of Tibetans and Mon Men The rains were ended I could that wonderful Inland inland in- in land sea bathed in bright sunshine and Its rocky Islands among which the largest has been for centuries the he dwelling ot of a few anchorites Once when I was coming back to the camp after atter having bathed In the lake I 1 saw going out from fram tent and putting somethIng something some some some- thIng In his breast pocket packet He HeI I looked a little agitated and proceeded proceeded pro pro- quickly toward the kitchen place without noticing my presence at some same distance behInd The same evenIng told me that having been called for s ni business bustness bust bust- ness when he was counting money he had left his purse on a. a a box bax In his t tent nt and had forgotten about It Later on when taking it three rupees were missing I did not tell him about I only scolded him for his carelessness careless careless- ness and the thing ended there Three days later I ranged ak-ranged on on my camp table a few blades or of grass some rice and lighted Incense sticks and in the middle I placed a a. bowl full ot of water I waited till the time when I knew that the were in theIr tent undressed and lyIng down it if not yet sleeping Then according to their custon- custon all their most precious belongings especially money were hidden tinder under tin un- der the bag or whatever thing they Used as pillow awhile I rang the small bell belland belland and beat the tambourine USEd by lamas In their religious ceremonies and then I called I said with a stern voice when he appeared three rupees are missing In Lama Yong- Yong dens den's purse I have seen them under under un- un der your head when you yau were lying hying down Go ami fetch them The skeptic let fet fall his manner of sneering Incredulity he turned pale his teeth were chattering He bowed down three times at m my feet and nd without a aVold word Vold went to the servants servants' tent an and brought braught back the money Jets Jetsun un Kush noble reverend lady he asked trembling trem- trem bling will the Towo kill me r I Ishall No Na I I. I 2 answered gravely shall do what Is needed in order that he spare your life He bowed down again and we wept t I away Then alone alane In my small tent open on an the silent desert and the bright starry sky I took toak again the bell and drum of the mystic rites rites' and led by their their- archaic music I on nn the strength th of af an- an faiths In In Inthe the h human man mind and on an the deep mysterious side o othe of 1 the farce that had been acted 6 |