An Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama in Tibet - Prajna Quest

TIBET. 259was paved, were surrounded with a colonnade, for the occasionalaccommodationof pilgrims, and other devotees.Upon the walls of thiscolonnade, were rudely painted many emblematical figures, of giganticproportions, illustrative of various parts of their system of mythology.The two principal figures, of enormous size, depicted with hideouscountenances, and coloured with blue and scarlet, represented incarnationsof Cali.The pillars were painted with vermilion, and ornamentedwith gilding ;and upon the pediment which they supported,was introduced the imperial figure of the Chinese dragon.In tlie centreof the colonnade was a large gate, which opened to a principal avenueof the monastery.Immediately opposite to this gate, stood the porticoof the mausoleum, on the top of which, within a low railing, was placedthe following device, resembling a coat of arms. The centre piece,which was of a spear-like form, resembling the leaf of the pepul tree*,was placed upon a low pedestal. On each side, was the figure of ananimal, not unlike adeer couchant, with the head elevated, the nosepointing upwards, and the throat resting upon the shoulder, or projectingpart, of the hastated machine between them, which Iconjecturedto be about eight feet high.The whole extended from one side of theportico tothe other, stood entirely clear of the body of the building,and was very richly gilt. It had all together, the appearance ofa coat of arms with supporters, but upon a very large scale. Thecentre piece, I was informed, contained within it, some of their sacredwritings.Under the portico, sat a priest, who read with a book before him,» Ficus indica.LI