ations for a long journey are made with enthusiasm, for it is
almost always in Thibet that they have to seek their living Buddha, who
seldom fails to play them the trick of transmigrating in some remote and
almost inaccessible country. Everyone contributes his share to the
organisation of the holy journey. If the king of the country does not
place himself at the head of the caravan, he sends either his own son or
one of the most illustrious members of the royal family. The great
Mandarins, or ministers of the king, consider it their duty and an honour
to join the party. When everything is at last prepared, an auspicious
day is chosen, and the caravan starts.

Sometimes these poor Mongols, after having endured incredible fatigues in
horrible deserts, fall into the hands of the brigands of the Blue Sea,
who strip them from head to foot. If they do not die of hunger and cold
in those dreadful solitudes--if they succeed in returning to the place
whence they came--they commence the preparations for a new journey.
There is nothing capable of discouraging them. At last, when, by dint of
energy and perseverance, they have contrived to reach the eternal
sanctuary, they prostrate themselves before the child who has been
indicated to them. The young Chaberon, however, is not saluted and
proclaimed Great Lama without a previous examination. There is held a
solemn sitting, at which the new living Buddha is examined publicly, with
a scrupulous attention. He is asked the name of the Lamasery of which he
assumes to be the Great Lama; at what distance it is; what is the number
of the Lamas residing in it. He is interrogated respecting the habits
and customs of the defunct Great Lama, and the principal circumstances
attending his death. After all these questions, there are placed before
him different prayer-books, articles of furniture, teapots, cups, etc.,
and amongst all these things he has to point out those which belonged to
his former life.

Generally this child, at most but five or six years old, comes forth
victorious out of all these trials. He answers accurately all the
questions that are put to him, and makes without any embarrassment the
inventory of his goods. "Here," he says, "are the prayer-books I used;
there is the japanned porringer out of which I drank my tea." And so on.

No doubt the Mongols are often dupes of the fraud of those who have an
interest in making a Great Lama out of this puppet. Yet we bel