"Urga is one of the most peculiar places you could think of, and one of our first duties was to present ourselves to the Grand Llama, who was resident there. We got into a small tea house, and were successful in ob taining accommodation for the day or two we should remain in the city, and made our selves as presentable as possible in order to visit the great man. We had to get a palan quin, for it was only meet that Europeans of our importance should go in state, and it was while en route that we suddenly came to the Praying Mill. This was a sort of 'round about,' with huge wooden posts sticking out at the side, which every Bhuddist passing was supposed to take hold of, and push the mill round at least once. Of course, all this was very amusing to us. We stopped our bearers in order that we might see the per formance. It was while we rested that an old Mongolian came along, dropped the big load which he was carrying on his shoulder, and went reverently over the Praying Mill and commenced turning it around.
