LADAK AND THE MONASTERY OF HEMIS.
The first event after being settled in our new quarters was the arrival
of a sheep, presented to us by the Kardar, or chief dignitary of the
town, as a mark of affection and distinction. This, according to the
strict letter of the law, we should have refused to accept; twenty days
marching, however, while it had sharpened our appetites, had rather
diminished our stores. Sheep were not to be got every day, and an
ill-looking animal which we had succeeded in purchasing at Egnemo, had
been overcome by the heat of the weather and taken itself off on the
road. Other supplies, also, were a good deal weakened by successive
attacks; potatoes had been extinct many days, and the stock of ducks,
which formed our main stay in case of future difficulties, was rapidly
succumbing to the knife of the assassin. Under these circumstances we
felt that we would be in no way justified in hurting the Kardar’s
feelings at the expense of our own, by refusing his present, and
believing ourselves to be in this instance fit subjects for out-door
relief, the new arrival was soon swinging about in the breeze, a
welcome addition to our unfurnished larder.
Having thus ended the struggle between our duty and our feelings, we
turned our attention to the exploration of the surrounding country.
The town of Ladak, although in a commercial point of view by no means a
flourishing-looking settlement, was, as far as picturesqueness was
concerned, everything that could be desired. It was built in the style
so popular throughout the country—on pinnacles of rock, and such out of
the way positions as seemed, of all others, the least adapted for
building purposes—immediately outside the town, occupying a sort of
bason among the surrounding mountains, and was what might fairly be
called a “city of the dead.” It was of considerable extent, and was
formed of groups of the numerous monumental buildings which I have
described, and which in a country where the habitations of the living
appear so few in proportion to those of the dead, form so curious and
remarkable a feature. These tombs, although by no means of very modern
date, bear traces, in many instances, of the more recently departed of
the Buddhist population. Burnt fragments of bone, hair, &c., were
scattered about in various directions, while, collected together in one
corner, were the little mounds of mud with a rise at one extremity,
where the sculptured turban ought to rest, which denoted the last
resting-place of the Moslem faithful. Meeting with the Kardar’s
chupprassie, I entered into conversation with him about the manners and
customs of the Thibetians, a subject on which he seemed to have very
hazy ideas indeed, although not on that account at all the less
inclined to impart them to one more ignorant than himself. His opinion
of the inscribed stones was that they were all written by the Lamas,
but he failed completely in explaining for what reason they were
collected together. He was aware, however, of Khurjidal, who was to
inspect them at the last day. The tomb-like erections, he said, were
considered in the light of gods; the bones and ashes of departed Lamas
having been pounded up together and deposited beneath them, together
with such valuables as turquoises, Pushmeena, rupees, &c. This fact
would perhaps account for their being so often in a ruined state—Gûlab
Singh having, probably, taken a look at their foundations in search of
such valuable pickings. The reason my informant gave me for the
unwillingness of the people, however poor, to sell their superabundant
ornaments, was that they regarded them as sacred, and held them as
their own property during their lifetime only; on decease the jewels
reverted to the possessions of the Church. The Lamas are provided, by
the custom of dedicating in every family of two or more, one to that
office; should there be a number of girls in a family, all those that
do not marry become nuns, and adopt the male attire of red and yellow.
The nuns, however, seem to be by no means kept in confinement; they
work in the fields, and one of them enlisted with us as a coolie, and
brought her load into camp before any of her male coadjutors. Among
other curious information my friend told me, that the Thibetians by no
means consider that each man is entitled to the luxury of a wife all to
himself; but that a family of four or five brothers frequently have but
one between them, and that the system is productive of no ill-feeling
whatever among the different members. [24] He also pointed out a fact
which I had not before noticed, viz., that the Thibetians invariably
pass to the right hand of these piles of stones and other monuments,
but for what reason he was unable to inform me. [25] Having finished
his stock of information, which I received thank-fully in default of
better, he told me, with delightful coolness, that it was the proper
thing for me to give him a bottle of brandy for the Kardar, and that it
would be necessary to send also a corkscrew with the bottle, to enable
him to get at it! The impudence of the request was almost worth the
bottle, but brandy was too scarce and precious a commodity to justify
us in pleasing the Kardar, so that all I could do was politely to
decline sending the corkscrew or the bottle either. In the afternoon we
explored the Bazaar, where we found abundance of dogs, dirt, and
idlers, but little else. What little there was in the way of
merchandise the proprietors seemed utterly indifferent about disposing
of, and after visiting a few shops we went away in disgust. The people
were a mixture of Cashmeeries, Chinese, Tartars, Bengalees, and Indians
of all sorts and sects, and more idle, good-for-nothing looking
scoundrels I never laid eyes on. One most amusing group of Mahomedan
exquisites reminded one forcibly of Punch’s Noah’s ark costumes and
Bond Street specimens of fashion. They were dressed in exaggerated
turbans and long white Chogas, or loose coats, which reached down to
their heels; and, as arm in arm, with gentle swagger, they sauntered
through the bazaar, they had, in addition to their heavy swellishness,
an air of Eastern listlessness to which the most exquisite of their
European prototypes could never hope to attain. On reaching our camp we
found another traveller had added his little canvas to the scene; it
was one of the Government Survey, whom the natives invariably designate
by the comprehensive title of “the Compass Wallahs.” Wallah is, in
Hindostanee, as nearly as possible an equivalent to “fellow,” and in
explaining the character of this particular order of Wallah, the accent
is always strong on the second syllable of the compass. The Compáss
Wallah in question we found quite a wild man of the mountains; his
face, from changes of heat and cold and long exposure, was burnt and
blistered into all sorts of colours, and, to make his appearance more
generally striking, he wore as head-dress, a flyaway, puggery, or
turban of blue cotton, of the most voluminous dimensions and wonderful
construction imaginable. He gave us an amusing account of his
operations among the clouds; how he always rode a cow! and was so much
alone that he at times began to doubt the existence of other white men
in creation besides himself; how he was sea sick at first, and unable
to sleep at night from the great rarification of the atmosphere, &c. He
joined us during dinner, just in time for a triumph of a plum pudding
which our cook had unexpectedly produced, and his heart was so
gladdened and expanded by either the suet, the raisins, or the brandy,
that he chatted away until the dissipated mountain hour of eleven
o’clock, when we sent him off to bed, much pleased with his
entertainment, and again reassured, at least for a time, of the
continued existence, not only of white men in the world, but of their
plum puddings. Among other statistics he gave us the height of Ladak,
as 11,000 feet, and that of the recently discovered monarch of the
mountains, now set at rest as belonging to the Himalayan range, as
being 29,003 feet above the level of the sea. [26]
August 15.—Employed all the morning in endeavouring to procure supplies
of tea, and after unearthing a queer-looking package containing seven
pounds and a half, we differed about the price, the proprietor
demanding twenty-four shillings, or about twice its local value.
August 16.—There being no tidings of the arrival of expected caravans,
we marched for the monastery of Hemis, crossing the Indus immediately
after leaving Ladak, and following it up towards its source. Outside
the town we passed a mound of the inscribed stones, which must have
been nearly a quarter of a mile in length, and probably contained as
many as 30,000. The left bank of the river, which thus formed our path,
was a continuation of detached huts, forming no regular villages, and
affording very little shade or apparent prospect of shelter for man or
beast. The right bank, however, was studded with picturesque-looking
little villages, built generally on rocky summits, and surrounded by
tombs and Mani panees, to an extent almost to rival the towns
themselves in size and importance. About nine miles on the road we
halted for breakfast, on the confines of a desert of smooth stones,
from which the heat ascended like vapour, and made our eye-balls ache
again. There was no shade in sight, however, and milk was here
forthcoming, so we made the best of a bad situation, and, after our
repast, lost no time in getting again under weigh. After a hot tramp
over a perfect desert, we reached the wooded little village of Chunga,
where, as it was getting late, we called a halt and pitched our camp.
All hands being tired by their march, we got our dinner at nine
o’clock.
August 17.—Started early for Hemis. From the formation of the mountains
in which it is situated, the entrance to the village opens upon the
traveller suddenly and as if by magic; and as we tramped this morning
along the parched and sandy desert, welcome indeed was the unexpected
vision of trees and rushing water which the sharp turn presented to our
astonished gaze.
The entrance to the gorge in which the monastery is situated was, as
usual, quite covered with Mani panees and walls of inscribed stones;
one of the former was studded with human skulls, and otherwise
ornamented, in a way that proved the vicinity of some stronghold of
Lama talent, though not perhaps of the very highest order.
The monastery we found situated in a beautifully-wooded valley, thickly
planted, and having a dashing little torrent foaming through the
centre.
It was built as usual, on the very face of the rock, and towering above
it was an airy fort, ensconced among a number of crows’-nest
habitations, perched about apparently with more regard to effect than
comfort.
While waiting for the kitchen to come up, we inspected the monastery,
and were waited upon by half-a-dozen Lamas, who showed us through the
various temples of the gods. Originally containing some two hundred
Lamas, its numbers had now dwindled down, by their account, to fifteen
or sixteen. We, however, saw actually more than that number ourselves
while wandering through the building.
They owned to having treasure in the monastery to the amount of three
lakhs of rupees (£30,000), but of this we saw small signs during our
inspection.
Some of the divinities were, however, provided with vestments of cloth
of gold, and were seated upon thrones, studded with would-be precious
stones. Others were accommodated with large silver bowls, placed on
pedestals, filled to the brim with “ghee,” or rancid butter, and unless
blest with inordinate appetites, these, from their enormous size, might
fairly last them all till doomsday. We were altogether conducted
through four temples, each inhabited by a number of Chinese figures,
seated in state, with offerings of corn, flour, rice and ghee, &c.
before them, and these were generally served in valuable cups of china,
and precious metals. Hanging from the ceiling and the walls around were
scrolls, decorated in the Chinese fashion, with figures of
tightly-robed, narrow-eyed ladies and gentlemen, scattered about with
the usual perspective results.
Some of these scrolls were decorated with scenes which it would take
hours to decipher and appreciate. One, in particular, of the last day,
was covered with innumerable little figures, and appeared well worthy
of a close inspection.
The bad people might here be seen, falling into the hands of some of
the most disrespectable looking monsters I have ever beheld; while the
good were sitting up in a bunch, looking on at the dreadful scene, in a
satisfied and undisturbed way, beautiful to behold.
The most curious things in the place, however, were the praying wheels,
which I here saw for the first time. They were little wooden drums,
covered round the sides with leather, and fitted vertically in niches
in the walls. [27] A spindle running through the centre, enabled them
to revolve at the slightest push. They were generally in rows of eight
and ten, and well thumbed and worn they looked, but others of larger
dimensions were placed by themselves, decorated with the words “Ûm mani
panee,” in the Lanza character, all round the barrel.
In the vicinity of the monasteries were various small temples, probably
chapels of ease, rudely decorated with grotesque figures, in red and
yellow, and having queer-looking structures fastened on the top of
them, generally a trident, with tufts of hair attached, or strips of
coloured calico, horns of animals, and other rude devices.
In one place we came upon a praying-wheel, turned by water, but I was
unable to ascertain whether the benefit accrued to the water, or to the
possessor of the stream, or to the public generally. Sometimes the
people carry portable wheels, and one old gentleman we met was provided
with a huge brass one, with a wooden handle. It was suspended from his
neck, in company with a collection of square leather charms, fastened
by a string to his coat.
On my asking him what the structure meant, he immediately begun to set
it in motion, and piously ejaculating “Ûm mani panee,” passed on
without another word, but in evident pity for my benighted spiritual
condition.
Among other curious sights, we saw one of the Lamas sitting at a chapel
door, having, before him seven little brass pots. In each of these
there was a letter of the words “Ûm mani panee,” and the pots being
filled with water, he was employed in strewing each with a few grains
of corn from a heap at his side, keeping up at the same time a loud
mournful chant, and swaying himself to and fro, in time with the music.
To have inquired the meaning of this would only have again resulted in
the comprehensive information contained in “Ûm mani panee,” so we
rested in our ignorance, and passed on, much to the relief of the
chaunter. After going all through this curious monastery, we repaired
to our tents, which had arrived in the interim, and which we found
pitched pleasantly among the trees, within a few yards of the torrent.
After a bathe and breakfast, we came unanimously to the conclusion that
the water was so cold, and the air so cool and refreshing, we could not
do better than halt for a couple of days, under the protection of the
Church, before again taking the road on our homeward route.
August 18.—Out early for a day’s stalk over the mountains, after deer,
or anything there might be forthcoming. One of the coolies being a
“shikaree,” or what they call in Ireland a “sportsman,” I took him with
me, and with another to carry some breakfast, off we started at about
five A.M. The ascent at first was so abrupt, that, although in pretty
good walking condition by this time, I found myself halting very
frequently to admire the prospect. Having attained the greatest height
actually attainable, we spied quietly grazing, about half a mile off,
some half dozen little animals, which my “sportsman” declared to be
Ibex, and down Aye went again, best pace, with a view to making a
circumbendibus, to get behind them. With a view to accomplish this, we
had to pass across some very difficult ground, and at last came to a
smooth face of rock, with nothing whatever about it to hold on by, and,
moreover, an overhanging ledge, which fairly seemed to bar all further
progress.
The coolie, however, whose every toe was as useful to him as a finger,
managed to scramble up; and not to be outdone, I also attained some
height, when, holding on fly-fashion, and clinging to the rock with my
fingers and grass shoes, suddenly the pole which partly supported me
slipped away, and my whole attention had to be directed to again
reaching the ground in as soft and comfortable a manner as possible. In
this I succeeded beyond my expectations, and, a second attempt being
more successful, finally reached the top. On attaining our
hardly-earned post of vantage, however, there was no sign of our
friends, but, suddenly, on the mountain below us a herd of about
five-and-twenty more appeared to our delighted view. They were standing
gazing up at us in astonishment, and for some moments we remained fixed
and motionless, hoping to be taken for the stones we were habited in
imitation of. Then, crouching down and crawling along as if on velvet,
down we went again, and after another long and trying stalk, over
broken ground formed apparently of small slates placed edgeways, and
crumbling rocks, whose slightest fall would have been destruction to
our plans, we attained a rock about two hundred yards from the herd,
and paused for breath once more. They were lying about sunning
themselves, with an outlying sentinel posted here and there on either
side of them on the look-out; and seeing an eligible spot some fifty
yards nearer, we stole along to reach it. We were not, however,
destined to take this unfair advantage of the enemy. Just as we had
half crossed the distance, an ill-fated, abominable little fragment of
rock suddenly broke off, and at its first bound away went the herd like
lightning over the precipitous rocks, and with a little chirrupping
noise like sparrows, were in a few seconds well out of range of
bullets. As the natives express it, “they became wind,” and we were
left behind our rock, looking, after all our toils, to say the least of
it, extremely foolish. A shot which I took at some 250 yards was more
to relieve ourselves by making a noise than with any hopes of bringing
down one of the light-heeled little creatures, for their bounding
powers put all correctness of aim at that range out of the question.
The next part of the programme was breakfast, but alas! there were no
signs in any direction of the bearer of our supplies, and I now
recollected that the rock which had so puzzled us would be quite
inaccessible to the coolie and his precious charge, without which he
himself was useless. All we could do was to ascend a high peak of
mountain, in hopes that the breakfast would ascend another, and that we
could then exchange signals of distress and obtain relief. However,
after reaching our look-out station, which took us some climbing, we
could discern nothing around us bearing the slightest resemblance to a
coolie, and our hopes began to descend below zero.
It was now about twelve o’clock, and taking advantage of the produce of
the country, I made a light breakfast off two stalks of rhubarb, and
tying a handkerchief to the top of my pole as a signal, lay down in the
very minute portion of shade procurable under a midday sun, and
indulged in the pleasures of imagination, conjured up by absent chicken
legs and cold chupatties. After a long wait, I came to the conclusion
that the two pieces of rhubarb were entirely insufficient to continue
the day’s work upon, so I reluctantly gave the order to retreat upon
our camp, and turned from thoughts of breakfast to those of dinner. My
grass shoes were by this time completely worn out by the pointed rocks
and flinty ground we had traversed, and my spare ones were in the
society of the cold chicken and the chupatties, so that I was soon
walking in nothing but socks. Before long, this portion of my property
was also run through, and I was finally obliged to borrow the
sportsman’s pointed slippers, in which I managed to get along over the
ruggedest piece of creation I ever traversed, and reached our camp
about three P.M. Tired, hungry, and burnt by the sun, a bathe in the
rushing torrent and a visit to the kitchen were soon accomplished, and
I then learnt that the coolie, being stopped by the rock, had come back
at once, and, having been again immediately packed off by F. to search
for us, had not been since heard of.
August 19.—Found the Q.M.G. to-day laid up with fever and influenza,
and administered some quinine pills to him, besides ordering a steed to
carry him on to Ladak to-morrow.
Explored the Lama’s habitations and temples, and saw some very curious
carvings and paintings on stones, some of them not altogether in the
Church order of design.
Some of the ceilings were beautifully decorated, and must have cost a
good deal of money in their day, but they were now rapidly falling into
decay.
During the day we had a good opportunity of seeing the Lamas go through
their private devotions. The operation appeared simple enough. Each as
he entered the court and passed along the rows of wheels, by simply
stretching out his arm set the whole of them in motion, at the same
time repeating “Ûm mani panee” in a dolorous voice to himself. Coming
then to the large wheel with painted characters, he gave it an extra
energetic spin, which sufficed to keep it in motion for several
minutes, and having thus expended his energies for the time being, he
again disappeared as he had come. One of the smaller wheels I found in
a state of neglect and dilapidation as to its outer case, and thinking
it a good opportunity to discover something as to the meaning of the
system in general and of “Ûm mani panee” in particular, I quietly
abstracted the inner contents, in full assurance that it would never be
missed; that the wheel itself would go round as merrily as ever, and
that, as far as the prayers were concerned, there were still sufficient
left behind, considering the reduced state of the monasteries, to
satisfy the conscience even of the devoutest of Lamas. [28]
As I passed out, however, a huge black dog, which was chained up in the
yard, seemed, by the rabid manner in which he made feints at my legs,
to be quite aware of what I had done, and he snapped and howled, and
strained and tore at his chain as I went by, just as if he detected the
holy bundle sticking out of my pocket, and thoroughly understood my
consequent guilty appearance. The principal designs upon the stones
here—some of which, in colour, were in wonderful preservation—appear to
be cross-legged effigies of Buddha, seated in that state of entire
abstraction from all passions and desires, which seem to be the end and
object of Buddhists’ aspirations.
A certain rotundity of form, however, and appearance of
comfortableness, rather tend to suggest that the pleasures of the table
at least have not quite been renounced among the other pomps and
vanities of Buddhist life.
August 20.—Started for Ladak again, nominally at some desperately early
hour of the morning, but in reality at about half-past five, the sun
not shining upon our position until late, in consequence of our
proximity to the mountains. Mr. Rajoo being still indisposed, and, in
his own belief, dying, we mounted him upon a hill horse, where he
looked like a fly on a dromedary. Halted for breakfast half way, and
had a hot wearisome march afterwards into Ladak, the sun being
intensely powerful, and the greater part of the journey over a glaring
desert of shifting sand and loose stones. So deep was this in some
places, that it was with difficulty we could drag our steps along. The
latter part seemed perfectly interminable, and not until four o’clock,
burnt, tired, and parched with thirst, did we reach our old halting
place. Since our departure, the Thanadar had changed his fancy as to
brandy, and now requested a bottle of vinegar. This we promised in the
event of his procuring us some tea, our stock being low, and none other
procurable without government assistance. By this means we obtained a
decorated bundle of pale-looking tea for thirteen rupees, or 1l. 6s.
The bundle contained 7½ lbs., so that the price was heavy enough,
considering our proximity to the land of tea.
My shoe-leather being in a doubtful state, I invested in a pair of the
sheepskin Chino-Esquimaux ones of local manufacture, but soon found
that the old saw of “nothing like leather” was quite a fallacy, when
the leather savoured so strongly of mutton as that composing my new
boots did. In the morning they were absent, and it was not until after
much search that the mutilated remains of one foot was discovered,
gnawed and sucked out of all semblance to Blucher, Wellington, or any
other known order of shoe or boot, while the other appeared
irretrievably to have gone to the dogs. Our lantern here was also
carried off by some of the canine race, and left beautifully cleaned,
but unbroken, not far from our tent door.
Finding that there was no news of caravans, or probability of their
arriving, we determined upon striking our camp, and retiring again
towards Cashmere, having attained the furthermost point which the
limits of our leave allowed.