Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/201

LEYTE. 183 LHASA. area is 3872 square miles; with the dependent islands, 4214 square miles, or nearly as large as Connecticut. It has a roughly rectangular shape with a large bay indenting each of the four sides, and a number of smaller inlets forming in several places excellent harbors, such as that of Tacloban (q.v. ). The coasts are as a rule clear, with deep water close inshore, except along the north- western end, where there are reefs and shoals. The eastern coast is high and steep, the western low and sand}', interrupted by a number of rocky headlands. The interior is generally mountain- ous; an irregular chain with a number of peaks runs parallel with the western coast, about six miles inland, and reaches in Mount Sacripante a height of .3930 feet. There are several extinct volcanoes, some of which are over 4000 feet high. The rivers of Leyte are numerous, but are as a rule small mountain torrents. The chief among them are the Bao and the Leyte, both in the northwestern part. There is only one consider- able lake, the Laguna de Bito, five miles long by three broad, situated near the centre of the island. The climate of Leyte is temperate and health- ful ; the extreme annual temperatures are 52° F. lowest, and 86° F. highest. The island is abun- dantly watered and very fertile. Large parts of it are covered with forests, in which one of the predominant species is the Dammar pine, from which great quantities of pitch are pro- duced: these forests also yield some of the finest hard woods of the archipelago. Tlie nu- merous broad valleys are among the best culti- vated lands of the Philippines, and yield abun- dant crops of hemp of an excellent quality, be- sides sugar, rice, coffee, cotton, and corn. The production of hemp in the island in 1896 amounted to 359.346 piculs (1 pieul = 137.9 pounds) ; it declined during the war with Spain, but with the reestablishment of peace the output is growing. The mineral wealth of Leyte in- cludes gold, silver, iron, lead, and sulphur, only the last mentioned being mined to any extent. The leading industries consist in the manufac- ture of hempen fabrics and cocoanut oil. Ship- building is also an important industry, the large shipyards of Tacloban employing several hundred persons. The population was estimated in 1902 at 270.490, almost all of whom are Visayans, speaking the Visayan language. They are intel- ligent and industrious and show great interest in American institutions. Leyte was first seen by llagellan in 1521. Its original name was Abuyog. and the Spaniards called it first Filipina. which name was later extended to the whole archipelago. Civil govern- ment under American rule was instituted on April 22, 1901, and the inhabitants showed such a friendly attitude toward the new rggime that before the end of the year most of the island was intrusted to the native constabulary. LEYTON, la'ton. A town in Essex. England, a London suburb, five and one-half miles north- east of Saint Paul's (Map: London, D 8). It is distinguished for its municipal progress, own- ing an electric-light plant, an economical and efficient sewerage system, free libraries, a fine technical institute, opened in 1896, and an isola- tion hospital. Roman remains have been found here. Population, in 1891, C3.100; in 1900, 98,900. LEZE MAJESTY. See Tbeasox. LHASA, LASSA, or H'LASA (Tibetan LhuHd 'God's place or hou.se;' in Chinese, t'o-ji, 'Buddha Land'). The capital of Tibet, and the chief seat of the Lamaistic hierarchy; situated on the right or north bank of the Kyi-ch'u, a left- bank tributary of the Yaru-Tsang-pu or Brahma- putra, in an elevated plain (11,580 feet above sea-level), sometimes called Wo-ma-t'ang or "milk plain,' sloping to the north for about 12 miles, and surrounded by lofty, barren moun- tains. The city is small, but regularly laid out; the principal streets are wide, well lined with Tibetan, Chinese, and Xepalese shops, and com- paratively clean, but the back streets are exceed- ingly filthy. The principal buildings are of stone, but there are many of adobe and sun- dried brick. The chief trade is in precious stones, gold, velvet, cashmere, and other fabrics peculiar to the region: and in tea from China, silk, lace, carpets. Russian goods, nmsk, etc. The chief interests of the city, however, are religious; thousands of pilgrims visit it annually from Mongolia, Kashmir. Nepal, etc.. and liuddhist temples and monasteries abound. Xear its cen- tre stands the cathedral, a lofty. Hat-roofed shrine, resplendent with green and gold, knovn as the .Jo-K'ang or Lha-K'ang, the 'House of the Lord,' surrounded with conventual houses and gardens. Here stands a life-size image of Bud- dha as a prince, about 16 years of age. said to have been cast during his lifetime in Magadha, the Buddhist Holy Land. The material is de- scribed as an alloy of five precious metals. It is surrounded by many others representing bodhi- sattvas, saints, and historical personages, the chief of which are Manju-sri. the god of wisdom, and Maitreya, the coming Buddha. In the suburbs to the west of the city is the palace of the Dalai Lama, the head of the Lamaist Church, and the incarnation of Avalo- kiteshvara (see Kwan-yin)^. an imposing pile of lofty buildings gorgeous in' green and cinnabar, perched on the rocky hill, called by its founder Moimt Potala. which rises from the plain to a height of 375 feet. A replica of the palace was erected in .Jehol (q.v.). in Eastern .Mongolia, by the Emperor K'ien-lung. These buildings date from 1643. and are well described by Hue and Gabet, who visited the city in 1840. To the south of this, also on a rocky hill, is the pavilion used by the Teshu-Lama. "of Tashi-lun-po. when he visits the city. Other great monastic establish- ments in the neighborhood are Depung. 3 miles west, with 7000 monks and students, and 11^ miles north ; Sera, sheltering 5500 monks, taking its name from three large temples gilt all over within, xer being the Tibetan wor<l for gold. The population of Lhasa is not certainly known. The most reliable estimates make it 45.000. of whom 30.000 are monks an<l 15.000 laymen, not reckoning a Chinese garrison (2 miles distant) of 2700 men. The affairs of the city, as of Tibet, are in the hands of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese Amaban or Minister Resident. Since the end of the eighteenth century for- eigners have been forbidden to enter the city. Among the few who succeeded in entering it were Manning, in 1811: Hue and Gabet. in 1846: Xain Singh, an Indian surveyor, in 1874; and Sarat Chandra Dass. in 1882. See Hue and Gabet. floureuirs d'un voyaqe en Tartari/. le Thibet et In Chine (Paris, 1852: Chicago, 1900); RockhiU,