topped and made a concerted clicking with pieces of wood hanging at
their sides, simulating perfectly the rattling of dry bones and gnashing
of teeth. Twice they went in a circle around the masts, marching in time
to low taps on the drums, and then joined in a lugubrious religious
chant. Having once more made the concerted rattling of their artificial
bones and jaws, they executed some contortions painful to witness and
together stopped.

Then they seized upon an image of the Enemy of Man--made of some sort of
brittle paste--which had been placed at the foot of one of the masts.
This they broke in pieces and scattered, and the oldest men among the
spectators, rising from their places, picked up the fragments which
they handed to the skeletons--an action supposed to signify that they
would soon be ready to join the bony crew in the cemetery.

* * * * *

The chief lama, approaching me, tendered an invitation to accompany him
to the principal terrace and partake of the festal "tchang"; which I
accepted with pleasure, for my head was dizzy from the long spectacle.

We crossed the court and climbed a staircase--obstructed with
prayer-wheels, as usual--passed two rooms where there were many images
of gods, and came out upon the terrace, where I seated myself upon a
bench opposite the venerable lama, whose eyes sparkled with spirit.

Three lamas brought pitchers of tchang, which they poured into small
copper cups, that were offered first to the chief lama, then to me and
my servants.

"Did you enjoy our little festival?" the lama asked me.

"I found it very enjoyable and am still impressed by the spectacle I
have witnessed. But, to tell the truth, I never suspected for a moment
that Buddhism, in these religious ceremonies, could display such a
visible, not to say noisy, exterior form."

"There is no religion, the ceremonies of which are not surrounded with
more theatrical forms," the lama answered. "This is a ritualistic phase
which does not by any means violate the fundamental principles of
Buddhism. It is a practical means for maintaining in the ignorant mass
obedience to and love for the one Creator, just as a child is beguiled
by toys to do the will of its parents. The ignorant mass is the child of
The Father."

"But what is the meaning," I said to him, "of all those masks, costumes,
bells, dances, and, generally, of this entire performance, which seems
to be executed after a prescr