the country of the Ssamba, at
the foot of the Himalaya mountains, the Sa-Dcha-Fo. This last has, they
say, a somewhat singular mission. He prays night and day, in order to
get the snow to fall continuously on the summit of the Himalaya; for,
according to a Thibetian tradition, there exists behind these lofty
mountains a savage and cruel people, who only await the subsidence of the
snow to come over and massacre the Thibetian tribes, and to take
possession of the country.

Although all the Chaberons are, without distinction, Living Buddhas,
there is, nevertheless, among them, a hierarchy, of which the Tale-Lama
is the head. All the rest acknowledge, or ought to acknowledge, his
supremacy. The present Tale-Lama, as we have said, is a child of nine
years old, and he has now for six years occupied the palace of the
Buddha-La. He is a Si-Fan by birth, and was taken from a poor and
obscure family of the principality of Ming-Tchen-Tou-Sse.

When the Tale-Lama dies, or to speak Buddhickly, when he has laid aside
his human envelope, they proceed to the election of his successor, in the
following manner: Prayers are directed to be offered up, and fasts to be
performed in all the Lamaseries. The inhabitants of Lha-Ssa especially,
as being the most interested in the affair, redouble their zeal and
devotion. Every one goes a pilgrimage round the Buddha-La and the "City
of Spirits." The Tchu-Kors are perpetually turning in everybody's hands,
the sacred formula of the mani re-echoes day and night, in all the
streets of the town, and perfumes are burnt in profusion everywhere.
Those who think they possess the Tale-Lama in their family, give
information of the belief to the authorities of Lha-Ssa, in order that
there may be established, in the children so indicated, their quality of
Chaberons. In order to be able to proceed to the election of the
Tale-Lama, there must be discovered three Chaberons, authentically
recognised as such. The candidates come to Lha-Ssa, and the Houtouktous
of the Lamanesque states meet in assembly. They shut themselves up in a
temple of the Buddha-La, and pass six days in retirement, fasting and
praying. On the seventh day, they take a golden urn, containing three
fish, likewise of gold, upon which are engraved the names of the three
little candidates for the functions of the divinity of the Buddha-La.
They shake the urn, the eldest of the Houtouktous draws out a fish, and
the child whose name is