er against the wall. We
hastily ascended it, and became spectators of a most singular sight. The
terraces were illuminated by red lanterns suspended from long poles, and
all the Lamas, attired in their state mantles and yellow mitres, were
seated on the roofs of their houses chanting their prayers with a slow
and monotonous voice. On the roof of our own house we found the
Stammerer, the Kitat-Lama, and his Chabi, wholly absorbed with the
ceremony. We took care not to disturb them, and contented ourselves with
merely looking on and listening. Those innumerable lanterns, with their
red, fantastic glare, the buildings of the Lamasery vaguely illumined by
the reflection of their trembling light, the four thousand voices
combining in one immense concert, accompanied from time to time by the
sound of trumpets and marine conchs--all this produced an effect that
agitated the soul with a sort of vague terror.

After having gazed for awhile at this strange spectacle, we descended
into the courtyard, where we found old Akaye still in the same place and
the same position. "Well," said he, "you have seen the ceremony of
nocturnal prayers?" "Yes, but we don't understand what they precisely
mean. Would it be troubling you too much to ask from you some
explanation of the matter?" "Not at all. These prayers were instituted
for the purpose of driving away demons. You must know that this country
was once fearfully infested with demons, who caused maladies in the herds
and spoiled the milk of the cows; they often invaded the cells of the
Lamas, and at times carried their audacity to the excess of penetrating
into the temple in the hour of general prayer, their presence being
indicated by the confusion and discordance which immediately prevailed in
the psalmody. During the night they assembled in large numbers in the
ravine, where they frightened everybody with cries and howlings so
strange in their character that no man could imitate them. A Lama, full
of learning and piety, invented the nocturnal prayers, and the demons
have since almost entirely disappeared from the district. A few come
here occasionally, but they don't do any mischief as they used to do."
"Akaye," asked we, "have you ever chanced to see any of these demons?"
"No, never; and I'm sure you have not seen any of them." "What makes you
suppose so?" "Because the demons only appear to wicked Lamas, and the
good Lamas never see them." At this moment the prayer of