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Show Explorer Takes Tea With a Goddess NEW YORK. Sir Charles Bell, who has returned after a year's sojourn in Tibet, reports re-ports that while at Samding, last year, he had tea with a goddess. She Is not a common goddess, either, but ranks as an Incarnation of a Buddhist Bud-dhist deity and as such Is the highest ledy In the land. She rules over a monastery of C9 monks, who believe she can convert them Into pigs whenever she likes. Her vaunted power Insures her not only high social position, but an Income as well. Sir Charles says he was the first white man to visit the "goddess." The Tibetan explorer describes the goddess as about twenty-four years old, with a pensive mien and an air of quiet dignity. In accordance with Tibetan custom, the hostess and guest exchanged presents. Sir Charles described the great prayer service of the Lamas, at which 12,000 monks nsslsted. These officiates were divided into sections and placed wherever room could be found for them. At various places priests were stationed, armed with stout poles eight or nine feet long and some six Inches In circumference. One of them belabored be-labored a monk who was not taking a proper part in the religious service. The Dalai Lama, Sir Charles said, Ii the chief Buddhist monk of Tibet and rules an area of some half a million square miles. There are no railways, no roads, and no motorcars In his domain. do-main. It Is a land of mountain, desert and unbrldged rivers; a land of snow, and Ice, and blizzards. The last ten days of the second Tibetan month, corresponding with the early part of April, are taken up by a festival known as the Tsoncho or "The Offerings of the Assembly." , One of the rites of this festival Is a dice-throwing con jest between the Dalai Da-lai Lama and tliJ devil. If the devJJ wins, evil will triilmph during the next year and the pimple of Tibet will suffer. Should the Dalai Lama load his dice and win the match, the year will be one of bounty and happiness for his subjects. The devil's delegate In the match Is the Serpent King, who wears a long coat of white goatskin and a long peaked hat, and carries In his right hand the black tall of a yak. |