Accompanied by 10 mounted, arched-top, albumen prints of Ladakh ghost dancers, mounted two to a page. These photographs were produced by Melville-Clark during his travels in Ladakh in 1861, and are believed to be the earliest photographs taken there. He also produced an account of his travels “From Simla through Ladac and Cashmere,” published in 1862.
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These Mystic Plays of which I am about to give an account, are performed on certain feast days in all the principal monasteries of Ladak, about twice in the year, in spring and antumn. They are also, I have been informed, enacted at Lhassa and Bhootan, but I did not see one when in the latter country. I can give no information as to their origin, and must here state that not being a Tibetan scholar, I cannot vouch for the true orthography of proper names written down at the time vévd voce, and which are very difficult to catch. The Play hereafter described, I saw performed in the fine old Gonpa or Monastery of Himis, which is situated in a lateral ravine that joins the river Indus a day’s journey above Leh on the left bank of that river. From its secluded position, this was one of the few religious houses that escaped destruction on the invasion of the country by the Dogra army under Wazier Jerawur. At that time much curious and interesting property and valuable religious writings were ruthlessly destroyed. The theatrical property, consisting of silk dresses, masks, &., are therefore seen in greater perfection at Himis than at any other monastery in the country. On entering the court-yard on the day of performance, we found the head Lhama with all the gylongs (monks) of the establishment were assembled, the musical instruments were arranged ready under the little verandah to the proper right of the large Prayer Cylinder which stands under the centre of it, and every thing betokened the coming scene.

Before commencing an account of the strange performance, it will be as well to roughly describe that portion of the building where it is enacted. The principal entrance to the monastery is through a massive door, from which runs a gently sloping and paved covered way leading into a court-yard about 30 & 40 yards square, having on the left hand a narrow verandah, in the centre of which stands the large Prayer Cylinder above mentioned. The larger picturesque doorway the entrance of one of the principal idol rooms, is in the extreme right hand corner, massive brass rings affixed to large bosses of brags are affixed on either door, the posts of which are of carved and coloured wood work. The walls of the main building with its bay windows of lattice work, enclose the court-yard along the right hand side, the roof is adorned with curious cylindrical pendant devices made of cloth called “Thook” each surmounted with the Trisool or trident, painted black and red. On the side facing the main entrance, the court-yard is open, leading away to the doorways of other idol rooms. In the centre space stand two high poles ‘‘ Turpoché,” from which hang yaks’ tails and white cotton streamers printed in the Thibetan character.
Innumerable small prayer wheels are fitted into a hitch that runs round the sides of the court-yard. A few large trees throw their shade on the building, and above them tower the rugged cliffs of the little valley, topped here and there by Lhatos, small square built altars, surmounted by bundles of brushwood and wild sheep horns, the thin sticks of the brushwood being covered with offerings of coloured flags printed with some muntra or other. All preliminaries over and the actors ready inside the building, the musicians,* wearing curious head-dresses and robes, red being the predominant color, took up their position in the verandah facing the monastery. Their instruments consisted of enormous long trumpets, that draw out like a telescope to 8 or 9 feet ; these issue a low, mellow, bass sound, the mouth-piece is of peculiar form being a large flat disc against which the lips are pressed ; a narrower trumpet globe-shaped at lower end; flageolets, drums and cymbals completed the set. The drums are peculiar, being fixed to a long handle, the end resting on the ground, they are struck with a bent piece of thin iron, the point of which is covered with a leather button. The musicians commenced a wailing sort of air accompanied by a low chant, to which the drums and cymbals beat a regular tune, but very subdued. Then came, trooping out of the idol room, a set of maskers in the most extraordinary dress it is possible to conceive; they were called Tsam-Chut and in single file led round the flag-poles in the centre of the yard, with a sort of quiet and most laughable dance, slowly turning round and round themselves, and coming to a sudden halt at the end of each bar of the music, which the drummers notified by a louder stroke. Thus the circle moved round the poles while they tossed their arms about and waved the coloured flags they held in their hands. The dresses were all of China silk and Kimkab, the apron embroidered with the face of a hideous demon, the head-dress was a large conical hat with a very broad brim, edged with black wool; from the hat several wide ribbons of different gay coloured silks hung down the back, extending nearly to the heels, but the most extraordinary and striking part of their costuine, was the device of a death’s head, the eye-sockets, teeth, &e. worked in silk on a white ground. This was suspended from the neck and hung down to just below the breast.

In the left hand they held a sort of spoon having for the bowl a piece of human skull, cut out of the forehead portion, and round the edge of which were attached narrow streamers of silk and some plaited ends of hair. This ghostly ladle is called “Bunpau.” In these spoons, the portions into which the enemy is cut wp, are carried away and thrown up into the air as an offering to the gods: of this enemy I shall speak further on. These maskers hold in the right hand a short little stick with red and blue streamers of silk; these and the spoons majestically waived about as they go round in their solemn dance, had the most curious effect I ever saw. Pantomimes and extravaganzas floated round one during the whole performance, yet this was a real mystical religious pageant having some curious and bygone origin, which none of the party knew or could get explained. This dance came to an end at last, and as the troop ascended the steps to the large doorway, the same number, but in a different disguise, came out. The tune was now changed and seemed to be the repeating of a number of stanzas of the same length, the maskers held in the right hand little drums anil in the left, bells. To the first, the drums were attached a short string with a small ball at the end, so that when moved quickly backwards and forwards it may strike both ends of the drum, At the end of each stanza they gave a rattle and aring at the same time, moving round in the same way as did the first set, only stopping to make an obeisance to the centre when they used their drums at the end of the intonation. These were also dressed in gaudy China silks, both wore gilt masks with apertures for eyes and mouth, the top of the hat was conical with silk streamers on the sides and a large loose scarf behind. These masks were named “‘Chin Bep”’ or from their copper coloured masks, “ZANG-BUKH, lit. copper mask.* These had no death-like insignia, as the first maskers wore. After these had retired, a short delay, and another more imposing group marched with great dignity out of the monastery. These all wore very large masks of different forms and colours, still all of the same type as the heads of deities, their great peculiarity being the third eye in the centre of the forehead. The principal of these deities was ‘‘ Turogan Pupma Junenas” or “he born of the lotus” over whom was carried a large umbrellas: Among the other attendant maskers of consequence wast Sinaz’ Dranprox, Dorsz’ Troxone, Sanesea Kurpo (Brahma), Zuin-Sxrone or Eswara. These are, I believe, intended to represent emblematically the six classes of beings subject to transmigration, viz. 1, gods; 2, demi-gods, 3, men ; 4, animals; 5, ghosts; 6, the inhabitants of hell ; for although we did not then see the mask of the bull’s head, it should have been among the maskers,—perhaps the monks did not take the trouble, and thought us none the wiser,—now tliis would well represent No. 4 of the above classes; and in another monastery I afterwards saw masks made to represent stags. Attending on this principal group were another set of maskers, who carried the long handled drums and the bent striker, Their dresses were of the same type, long petticoats of rich China silk, but the head-dress a kind of crown with six points, gilt, rising to a high point in the centre, while streamers of silk hung down from the ears to e waist.{ On each of the six points were the following 1 2 3 4 syllables in the Lantsa character, viz. OM, AH, SHI, HUNG, TRANGS