d and silver vessels and candlesticks. Behind it
hung a heavy yellow silk curtain with Tibetan inscriptions. The Lamas
drew the curtain aside. Out of the dim light from the flickering lamps
gradually appeared the great gilded statue of Buddha seated in the
Golden Lotus. The face of the god was indifferent and calm with only a
soft gleam of light animating it. On either side he was guarded by many
thousands of lesser Buddhas brought by the faithful as offerings in
prayer. The Baron struck the gong to attract Great Buddha's attention to
his prayer and threw a handful of coins into the large bronze bowl. And
then this scion of crusaders who had read all the philosophers of the
West, closed his eyes, placed his hands together before his face and
prayed. I noticed a black rosary on his left wrist. He prayed about ten
minutes. Afterwards he led me to the other end of the monastery and,
during our passage, said to me:

"I do not like this temple. It is new, erected by the Lamas when the
Living Buddha became blind. I do not find on the face of the golden
Buddha either tears, hopes, distress or thanks of the people. They have
not yet had time to leave these traces on the face of the god. We shall
go now to the old Shrine of Prophecies."

This was a small building, blackened with age and resembling a tower
with a plain round roof. The doors stood open. At both sides of the door
were prayer wheels ready to be spun; over it a slab of copper with the
signs of the zodiac. Inside two monks, who were intoning the sacred
sutras, did not lift their eyes as we entered. The General approached
them and said:

"Cast the dice for the number of my days!"

The priests brought two bowls with many dice therein and rolled them
out on their low table. The Baron looked and reckoned with them the sum
before he spoke:

"One hundred thirty! Again one hundred thirty!"

Approaching the altar carrying an ancient stone statue of Buddha brought
all the way from India, he again prayed. As day dawned, we wandered out
through the monastery, visited all the temples and shrines, the museum
of the medical school, the astrological tower and then the court where
the Bandi and young Lamas have their daily morning wrestling exercises.
In other places the Lamas were practising with the bow and arrow. Some
of the higher Lamas feasted us with hot mutton, tea and wild onions.
After we returned to the yurta I tried to sleep but in vain. Too many
different questions