King Me agtsoms, was drowned here, and the king, furious at the river gods for having caused the death of his heir, ordered the river to be whipped. The nagas were terrified when they learnt the order, and repairing to the king, told him that if he would forbear, they would show him many good omens. 'Tis for this that this place is also called Songkar (or Zungkhar) lha-tag, or "Zungkhar of the gods' omens."
Near the village passes the road to Lhasa by the Songkar la and Dechen,[1] over which a great deal of timber is carried on yaks to Dechen and thence by boat to Lhasa.
From Songkar to Samye most of the way is over a great sandy plain called Nagshu chyema,[2] which stretches from the base of the rugged Lomda hills to the Tsang-po. Reaching the top of a low hill, Samye stood before me, its gilded domes glittering in the sun, and the hillock of Haboi ri rising amidst the sands to the south of the great monastery.
Passing under some willow trees growing through the sand just outside the lamasery walls, we entered by the southern gate, over which was a chorten made somewhat in the shape of a dorje.[3] The guide led us to the house of the mother of the Om-dse (head priest), and we were most hospitably received by the old lady, who gave us her oratory to lodge in. Before the rooms assigned us was a little flower patch, and other plants were growing here and there in pots. There were also two singing-birds in cages.
Tung-ma, our hostess, was a fine-looking old lady of about sixty years of age. She wore as a necklace a number of silver ornaments and charm boxes set with turquoises. Her head-dress differed from any I had seen, being in shape like a pointed cap.[4]
Phurchung was delighted with Samye; he had not only reached the holiest of Tibetan sanctuaries, but a place where chang was extraordinarily good and cheap; what more could he ask for?
After taking tea I went with my two companions to visit the chief
- ↑ The Gokhar la crossed by Nain Singh in 1873. Dechen djong is on the Kyi chu, a day’s journey east of Lhasa.—(W. R.)
- ↑ Chyema (bye-ma) means "sand," nagshu probably means "black."—(W. R.)
- ↑ I cannot conceive how a chorten can resemble a dorje (vajra). The comparison is not a happy one.—(W. R.)
- ↑ Perhaps she came from Litang. The women there wear a large silver plaque on either side of the head, which meet over the crown in a point, so that, from a distance, the head-dress looks not unlike a pointed cap.—(W. R.)
