As far as I could make out it seemed to be the original of
which the printed circular was a translation. It certainly appeared
ancient enough.

"'This manuscript,' said Sing, 'and the box of powder was obtained by my
brother and given to me at his death. He died from the effects of a fall
from his horse, which broke three ribs and otherwise injured him
internally. He never would have died except from the accident, as he had
taken several doses of the Elixir. Just how long it will enable a man to
live we do not know, but certainly one hundred and fifty years and
perhaps even two hundred years. He obtained it in the following manner:
My brother had long been desirous of visiting Lassa, which is, as you
know, the wonderful capital of Thibet, but was unable to do so until a
few years before his death, when he accompanied a Hindoo who went there
for the purpose of making certain reports to a foreign government. His
name I am not at liberty to disclose, but his report was simply signed
Punjaub A.B. My dear brother described Lassa to me very minutely, and
from all accounts it must be the most wonderful city in the world. As
you probably know, no European or Christian has ever been allowed to
enter within its walls. According to my brother's description the city
is situated in a fertile plain on the Sampo river some six hundred miles
north of Calcutta, and has a population of fully sixty thousand persons.
The streets are wide, and the houses have their walls whitened and the
frames of the doors and windows colored red and yellow.

"'Nearly west of the city, connected with it by a splendid avenue, is
the mountain of Buddha, where now stands the temple of the Grand Lama.
This temple is four stories high, and therein dwells the Grand Lama and
his High Priests. Some idea of the magnificence of this temple may be
obtained when I tell you that its great pillars are covered with plates
of pure gold. The Grand Lama can live forever, and many people believe
he does so, but he really does not. After a certain time he reincarnates
himself into a new body. All of the priests, however, are very old. It
is claimed the Pandita is at least one hundred and fifty years old. The
Grand Lama has about him two priests of the highest grades, one the
Pandita and the other Tchoiji. The Grand Lama sits upon an altar or
throne for hours at a time, clothed in gold-woven cloth and jewels of
fabulous value. Over his head is a magnificent peacock's tail comp