Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 175 (Color Image)

0175	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

JYE-KUNDO TO CHAMDO 129

and white band borders on sides and top. The

exceptions are the abbot's house, the temple and

some houses of the higher monks, which are painted

red. The owner of the land, somewhat corre-

sponding to a " Father procurator ", is called the

Pum-po. He also lives in a red-painted house.

To this house Pereira was invited by the

Pum-po. At the door and in the entrance chamber

were suspended skins of a horse, yak, sheep, dog,

etc., stuffed with straw. From here Pereira

ascended some steep wooden ladder steps to a

small room where he was regaled with dried

persimmons and uninviting tea with rancid butter

in it. The Pum-po was anxious to know whether

China and Tibet would now fight, as the prophecy

had been that there would be peace for three

years, and that period was now up. He said that

both Jye-ku and Jye-kundo were used as names

for the town and they were both Tibetan wards,

the latter being derived from the former and

" du " meaning " assemblage ". So the longer

word meant the assemblage of the people who

formed the town after the erection of the monas-

tery. The Chinese name, " Yü-shu ", he said,

came from the Tibetan words " Yül-shill ", mean-

ing " country formed ". When the twenty-five

tribes of Gabe, amalgamated they gave the

district this name.

The annual festival took place during Pereira's

stay at Jye-kundo. The lamas collected in the

courtyard of the temple, seating themselves round

the abbot who sat by the portico facing and in

the centre of the monks. These monks recited

prayers and rang small bells and then adjourned

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