In the forbidden land, an account of a journey into Tibet . ough four men walked bymy side wherever I went, and an equal number lookedafter Chanden Sing and Mansing. Naturally we werenot allowed to go far from the serai, but we could prowlabout in the village. I took this opportunity to have aswim in the Mansarowar Lake, and Chanden Sing andMansing again paid fresh salaams to the gods and plungedin the sacred water. The Lamas, who had been so friendly during my formervisit, were now extremely sulky and rude ; and, afterhaving witnessed our arrival, they all withdrew into themonastery, banging
In the forbidden land, an account of a journey into Tibet . ough four men walked bymy side wherever I went, and an equal number lookedafter Chanden Sing and Mansing. Naturally we werenot allowed to go far from the serai, but we could prowlabout in the village. I took this opportunity to have aswim in the Mansarowar Lake, and Chanden Sing andMansing again paid fresh salaams to the gods and plungedin the sacred water. The Lamas, who had been so friendly during my formervisit, were now extremely sulky and rude ; and, afterhaving witnessed our arrival, they all withdrew into themonastery, banging the gate after them. All the villagers,too, hastily retired to their respective houses. The placewas deserted with the exception of the soldiers round us. Poor Mansing, who, worn out and in great pain, wassitting close by me, looking vaguely at the lake, had anextraordinary vision, the result, probably, of fever or ex-haustion. Oh, sahib, said he, as if in a dream, though he wasquite awake; look, look! Look at the crowd of people 179 IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND. walking on the water. There must be more than a thou-sand men! Oh, how big they are getting! . . Andthere is God! . . Seva. . No; they are Tibetans;they are coming to kill us; they are Lamas ! Oh, come, sahib, they are so near! . .Oh, they are flying. . .Where are they.^ Iasked. I could see that the poorfellow was under an halluci-nation. His forehead wasburning, and he was in ahigh fever. They have all disap-I peared ! he exclaimed, as [ I placed my hand on his I forehead and he woke from [ ^. ^ . [ l^iis trance. ^ ^^JBm^^^Mifc^;^^^ He seemed quite stupe- A TIBETAN SHEPHERD Asd for a fcw momcuts; and, on my inquiring of himlater whether he had seen the phantom crowd again, hecould not remember ever having seen it at all. The natives came to visit us in the seraz during theevening, and we had great fun with them, for the Tibe-tans are full of humor and have many comical ways. Asfor ourselves, now that we were only two marches
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