ertures
resemble huge doorways. The smaller look like bells, some like round and
oval sky lights.

The mountain being in the peak form, we were not able to go and visit
these caverns. However, we approached sufficiently near to them to be
able to judge that they are all of a considerable depth. These numerous
cavities resulting, probably, from old volcanic eruptions, are attributed
by the Chinese to the Kouei or evil genii. The Thibetians, on the
contrary, affirm that they were dug by the tutelary deities of the
country; that, in ancient times, some Lamas of great sanctity made them
their retreat, and that therein they were transformed into Buddha; and
that at certain periods of the year you still hear within the mountain
the murmur of Lama prayers.

In Thibet, we had never observed on our route other mountains than those
of a granitic nature, always remarkable for masses of enormous stones,
heaped upon one another, generally assuming a form originally
quadrangular, but rounded at the angles by the incessant action of the
wind and rain. These enormous calcareous masses, which we observed on
our way to Bagoung, could not fail to fix our attention. In fact, the
country began entirely to change its aspect. For more than a fortnight
we saw nothing but calcareous mountains, producing a marble as white as
snow, of a fine and very close grain. The shepherds of these regions are
in the habit of cutting from them large slabs, on which they carve the
image of Buddha, or the formula "Om mani padme houm," and which they
afterwards place on the roadside. These carvings remain for many years,
without being in the least defaced, for this marble having a great
quantity of silex closely intermixed with carbonate of chalk, is
extremely hard. Before our arrival at Bagoung, we journeyed for four or
five lis, along a road bordered on both sides, by two unbroken lines of
these Buddhic inscriptions. We saw some Lamas engraving the _mani_ on
marble slabs.

We reached the little village of Bagoung a little before nightfall, and
proceeded to dismount at a Chinese barracks, composed of a few huts built
of magnificent fragments of white marble, cemented with mud and dung. As
soon as we arrived, they announced to us the death of the Liang-Tai,
named Pei, who had overtaken us at Tsiamdo. It was two days before, that
his caravan had passed through Bagoung. Having reached the barracks, the
bearers of the Mandarin, after setting down t