Speaking Tibetan Rerfectly and Disguised as Beggar: Two Months in Lhasa From Oun Owx Connesronvest, Sining, Kansu, Jan, 15, There are very few lands to-day that are not opened to the traveller, bhut the land of Tibet still boasts of being a "Closed Land." Word has just come through to. Shing from the lady in question, that two happy jand interesting months have been spent actually in Lhasa, that great forbidden city, where no white lady has ever been'before. Many travel Jers in the past have been to Lhasa. As early as the 18th century Vane de-Butte entered from. the Indian border, visiting Lhasa on the way to China.' He was the first European who accomplished this feat, 1811, Manning managed penetrate into the "Forbidden City," also spending some little time thi and actually had an interview wit the Dalai Lama, He, by the way, had to leave ax quickly as he could, being suspected asa spy. He wa the first Englishman who ever tered the city, In later years, Younghusband's expedition took a number of foreiggn= /erx into the city of Lhasa, Only last year, word came through that General Pereira got through safely, also being the guest of the Dalai Lama, These were all men, What about the Indy?
'Mme. Alexandra David Noel, the French Indy Buddhist, who was here in Sining for about' three your spending most of her time in veri ous Tibetan Lamaseries, actually staying in the sacred city of Kum-bum for over a year on end, has now accomplished the feat of ing the "Forbidden City." Her words are...
"Iam far from Sining, I write from the bungalow of the British rade agency at Gyantse, How I fave come here is like a romance, Thad a mind to visit an unknown Dart of Tibet, where no white man has ever yet gone, 40 T started from China and went my way across the Popas country, and others, until I reached T have spent two ing the New Year's and other festivals. Now I think T shall down to India, and from th embark for China again, [The question is asked, how did she ido it? This is easily answered, Mme. Noel speaks Tibetan like native. She disguised herself as Tibetan beggar pilgrim. She ix 6 years of age, and was so clever in the disguise, that she was never suspected, although she spe full months in Lhasa itself, vi fall the most important' shrines and temples Truly Mme. Noel is to be con= gratulated, for she is the first white who hax ever been in the "Forbidden City"!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.