Page:Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet vol 1 (1876).djvu/149

 some accident will surely happen afterwards; a journey must never be discussed beforehand, bad weather or a hail-storm will be certain to follow; the names of father or mother must not be mentioned; nothing should be sold or given away for three days after the recovery of one of the cattle, and so on.

But all these customs are a mere fraction of their superstitions. Soothsaying and sorcery are strangely developed among them, and are exercised not only by the shamans and lamas, but also by ordinary mortals, women excepted. The soothsayers carry rosaries or strings of Chinese copper money, and make use of sundry exorcisms. If a beast be lost, a pipe or tinder-box mislaid, recourse is always had to the prophet to learn where to look for the missing property; when a journey is about to be undertaken the auguries must be consulted; if a drought occur, the whole tribe must apply to a shaman, and large sums are paid to induce him to make the heavens send down to earth the life-giving moisture; if attacked by a sudden illness, the Mongol calls in a lama to drive away the devils which have entered his body. Time after time the impositions practised by sorcerers and magicians are exposed, yet the Mongol never loses his childish reliance on them. One fortunate result is sufficient to wipe out the recollection of all previous failures, and the reputation of the prophet stands as high as ever. Some are so artful that they discover beforehand all that is necessary to know for the successful practice of their profession, and after deceiving others so often they