monastery lay right below us, a common square
surrounded with wooden fences. In the middle rose a large temple quite
different from all those of western Mongolia, not in the Chinese but in
the Tibetan style of architecture, a white building with perpendicular
walls and regular rows of windows in black frames, with a roof of black
tiles and with a most unusual damp course laid between the stone walls
and the roof timbers and made of bundles of twigs from a Tibetan tree
which never rots. Another small quadrangle lay a little to the east and
contained Russian buildings connected with the monastery by telephone.

"That is the house of the Living God of Zain," the Mongol explained,
pointing to this smaller quadrangle. "He likes Russian customs and
manners."

To the north on a conical-shaped hill rose a tower that recalled the
Babylonian zikkurat. It was the temple where the ancient books and
manuscripts were kept and the broken ornaments and objects used in
the religious ceremonies together with the robes of deceased Hutuktus
preserved. A sheer cliff rose behind this museum, which it was
impossible for one to climb. On the face of this were carved images of
the Lamaite gods, scattered about without any special order. They were
from one to two and a half metres high. At night the monks lighted
lamps before them, so that one could see these images of the gods and
goddesses from far away.

We entered the trading settlement. The streets were deserted and from
the windows only women and children looked out. I stopped with a Russian
firm whose other branches I had known throughout the country. Much to my
astonishment they welcomed me as an acquaintance. It appeared that
the Hutuktu of Narabanchi had sent word to all the monasteries that,
whenever I should come, they must all render me aid, inasmuch as I
had saved the Narabanchi Monastery and, by the clear signs of the
divinations, I was an incarnate Buddha beloved of the Gods. This letter
of this kindly disposed Hutuktu helped me very much--perhaps I should
even say more, that it saved me from death. The hospitality of my hosts
proved of great and much needed assistance to me because my injured leg
had swelled and was aching severely. When I took off my boot, I found
my foot all covered with blood and my old wound re-opened by the blow. A
felcher was called to assist me with treatment and bandaging, so that I
was able to walk again three days later.

I did not find Colonel Ka