The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 1904. LHASSA, THE FORBIDDEN CITY.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LIV, Issue 2837, 8 January 1904, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 1904. LHASSA, THE FORBIDDEN CITY.

A halo of romance encompassed that part of Pekin, into which no Christian foot was allowed to enter up to the year 1900, when the Allies broke into the city and relieved the foreign Legations at Pekin. Then the whole of the ancient capital was at the mercy of inquisitive strangers, who examined every shrine and walked unmolested into the holy of holies of the Chinese temples. Up to the present time Lhassa, the storied capital of unexplored Tibet, the abode of the Dalai Lhama, has been jealously guarded from all infidel eyes, and just as the Christian pilgrims of old journeyed to Rome, so the devout Buddhists come in numbers to this holy city of Lhassa. However, so carefully are all the approaches watched that, since two French priests entered it 57 years ago, no European foot has been set within its walls. Many have been the attempts on the part oi travellers to view this forbidden city. Sven Hedin, the famous Swedish explorer, has just written an account of his wanderings in Central Asia and Tibet during the years 1899-1902, and the most stirring part of the work is the description of the attempt he made to

reach Lhassa in 1901. The "Melbourne Argus" quotes Sven Hedin's own words in which he describes how the feverish desire to see Lhassa led him to undertake this dangerous expedition :—" When I started on this crazy expedition, my Mussulmans evidently considered that I had somehow somewhere dropped a goodly portion of the common sense with which Mother Nature had endowed me, and truly it was a crazy project, I will admit, to risk so much, my life included, merely for the pleasure of seeing Lhassa, a city which, thanks to the descriptions of Indian Pundits and Buriats (i.e., Kussinn subjects of Mongol birth and Buddhist creed), their maps and photographs, is far better kndwn, both in respect of its topography and its appearance, than most other towns in Central Asia. But after two years of quiet, peaceful rambling through the uninhabited parts of the continent, and after my long stretch of strenuous labour, I will honestly confess that I felt an irresistible longing for an adventure which should have a genuine spice of danger in it. I wanted to see the Tibetans—l wanted to talk to them— I wanted to get to the bottom of their rooted detestation of Europeans."

The adventurous Swede intended to make a complete exploration of the Tibetan mountains, and, in April, 1901, he gathered together everything necessary for a year's journey, starting from a town Oharklike, in Turkestan, just to the north of the Tibetan mountains. Sven Hedin disguised himself as a Mongol pilgrim and he set out with four attendants, and a Mongol Lama, whom he had persuaded to accompany him, the main caravan taking a different route and meeting them nt a town in Tibet at a fixed time. Misfortune met him at the outset; for he and his party were made knowh to a caravan of Mongolian pilgrims on their way to Lhassa, and, of course, these pilgrims would warn the authorities of Sven Hedin's attempt to enter the city. A very wild and difficult journey they had, and Sven Hcdin's own words in describing one of the terrible storms they met convey some idea of the nature of the country through which they travelled :—" It was brought by the north-west wind, and shook out tons of snow and hail over men, camels, horses, mountains—everything. The snow melted on our clothes, till we were wet through and stiff with cold. First one camel and then another stopped, exhausted, and refused to advance further. One after one We uncoupled them, and left them behind, each in charge of a man. At noon it was twilight, and at twilight it was pitch dark. Slowly, like snails, like tortoises, we crawled up that wretched pass, tho ascent gradually growing steeper as we advanced. The sharp, keen snow crystals cut our faces. We shook and dithered with cold, and gasped for breath. We were 17,025 feet above the level of the eea."

After two months had passed the party reached a suitable place for pitching a camp, and here Sven Hedin, with the Mongol Lama and one of his Buriat Cossacks set out on the road to Lhassa. All three were dressed in pilgrim robes. Sven Hedin had his head shaved and his face covered with a mixture of grease, soot, and brown

colouring matter. They took five mules and four horses. Nothing that could excite suspicion was carried on their persons. They spoke Mongolian only ; but they knew they were dogged by spies. Two of their best horses were taken from them at the outset, and they were obliged to keep always on the watch to guard against the Tibetan robbers who infested the country through which they were travelling. When only 100 miles from the forbidden city the three adventurers were detained by some Tibetans, in charge of a small chief. The chief questioned the Mongolian Lama, and, not satisfied with his replies, kept them all for a further examination. The Thibetans said they had learnt that a Shved Peling (Swedish European) wanted to enter Lhassa, and they made Sven Hedin take off his glasses. Their suspicions were somewhat lulled when they found his eyes were black ; for to the Tibetan mind every European has blue eyes. A more important chief ordered the three suspects to be examined by Kamba Bombo, the chief of the province, and the adventurers were put in a tent and guarded by bands of horsemen armed to the teeth. Sven Hedin describes the state of fear into which his companion, the Mongolian Lama was thrown by these events : — " Our Lama was gloomy and despondent. He had a lively recollection of Kamba Bombo, of Nakkehu, and of tbe thorough way in which ho had searched the caravan of Mongol pilgrims with which our Lama formerly travelled to Lhassa. If Ktuiilui Bombo should happen to rocotfriino him again his fate was sealed ; nnd, ovon if he did not recogniso him, our Lama's destiny was not a little uncertain. Ho told me about a Mongol Lama who, for some trangression or other, forfeited his right to visit tho holy city, and who, by way of atonement for his offence, was ordered to travel from Irga all the way to Lhassa in the attitude of prayer—that is, on his knees. Flinging himself prone, with his hands stretched out on the ground in front of him, he drew his knees up towards his hands, and then, flinging himself forwards again with his hands stretched out in the same way, again drew his knees up to chem, and in that way travelled the whole of the long, wearisome distance, a task which took him six years to accomplish. And when he

arrived within his last day's march of the city gate, the Dalai Lama refused to allow him to enter. A second time, and yet a third time, the man performed this painful penitential journey on his knees, until they became as hard and horny as the callosities on the knees and breast of a c-imel. Still the Dalai Lama's heart did not soften." When Kamba Bombo arrived, he apparently penetrated Sven Hedin's disguise, and though he treated him with the greatest courtesy, he absolutely barred their journey to Lhassa. " You will not go to Lhassa. Yau will not go anotbei day, ' not another step toward Lhassa. If you do, you will lose your heads." However, he treated Sven Hedin very well, supplying an escort oi three officers and a score of men, giving him two horses, in exchange for those stolen, and presenting him at the last with six sheep, a stock of milk foods, and a number of bowls of fat.

Thus ended a spirited attempt to enter the forbidden city, and we cannot but regret that Sven Hedin was unable to reach Lhassa ; for, io his vigorous, strenuous manner he could have painted for us the holy city of the devout Buddhist, so that we would almost feel we ourselves had penetrated within the walls of that forbidden capital.