A VISIT TO THE DALAI LAMA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 175, 28 August 1909, Page 3

A VISIT TO THE DALAI LAMA.

Commander d'Ollone, who recently returned to Prance after a two years' journey in China and Tibet, gives an h(cresting account of an interview he had with the Grand Lama, who, after wandering for some time in Mongolia, took up his residence at Wo Tai Chan, in the mountains on the Chinese frontier. A WONDEUVUL PALACE. The palace in which the Lama dwelt occupied a position of extreme picturesiiurnes*. "Imagi'ie a hill in the midst i.f an amphitheatre of mountains, neatly nil reaching an altitude of eleven lo twelve thousand feet, their slopes eovired with pagodas and saered bnildinsv said the Commander. "The central bill, from its base to the summit, is nothing but a heap of tapering teiunles. Halfway up is a sort of pyramid in the io:*:p of a bell, all white. A stately stahva:<t leads to ihe central pl'Hform. which lused both as a tomple ami as a palace."

A PORTRAIT. I Commander d'Ollone says the Lama j had previously received only three other foreigners—Mr. Rockell, the American Minister at IVkin. who went to Tibe? on a journey of exploration. Baron Ma»inerheim, a Russian, and Colonel Reiss. The Lama was sitting his throve, surrounded by a number of lamas' in yellow robes, standing, lie its a man of about thirty-five, apparently, and his moustache gives him a military expres•'"ll. His features resemble those of a linropeaii, but his .complexion is orange, •";id quite different from anything the 1 -"tnndev had ever seeu. "I. ha»:' . • • • en a man with such a com-i-ie.Muii in aiiv part of the world."' he says. The Grand Lama's general ev[ll M»n was (me of profound wearing and lassitude. CIVILITIES. He was wearing a long orange tun c, yellow breeches, ami high yellow bon.s, lie was bareheaded, ami his hair was cut short. A red silk scarf was fixed • m his >honli | eis. The presentation wu« a' curious ceremony, a blue silk scan' being wound round the wrists of \!i person who is being presented in su< h a manner that a movement of 1 "ycrs can- s it to unroll at the right moment. One of the assistants then takes the scarf, and the Grand Lama presents aiiaiher in it-s place.

j AN AMrKIXIi INCIDENT. | Three interpreters wore jiecessarv for i Commander d*Ollone\s conversation with [ the Lama: a Chinaman tran-shilinir tin l'Yeneh to a Mongol.<~who *ra I again to a Tibetan. who in his turn ex- • nlained to tin; Lama, who I his visitor's journey, md a*'J<ed if he ' had been disturbed in Tibet. When t ! tf | 1 I'renchman was shout to leave, the | Lama hauled him a second scarf, this 1 time a white one, ami then, raising hini-j self on h>. throne, rrave him another f and finer one. sovinjf it was ''for the 1 I Kntnevor of fh<» French." lb* renented) | several times the injunction tlmt it was! to be given into the "liiuiieror's" own! bands.— Exchange.