The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume IX, No. 4 [‎228r] (126/172)

THE MONTHLY RECORD.
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tho khutukhta, and the seat of the lamas’ administration—may be compared to
St. Petersburg. The chapter of this volume which will most interest ihe reader
is undoubtedly the chapter given to the subsequent incarnations (khubilgans) of
the grand priest of Mongolia—the incarnated deity for all the Lamaites—the
Urga Khutukhta. After having undergone on our planet only fifteen incarnations
since Sakia-muni s times (2596 ytars), t\\Q Khubilgan began to reappear in Khalkha
Mongolia since the year 1635, which was fifty years after the acceptance of
Lamaite religion in Northern Mongolia. At the present time, each new khubUgan
takes place, as is known, in Tibet. After the death of the Urga, khutukhta has
been duly reported to Pekin, an order is received from the Chinese emperor,
enjoining “ to elect the new khubilgan out of Tibet boys.” The election takes
place at Budala, in Tibet, in the presence of the Dalai-lama, the Banchen-bogdo,
the Khan of libet, and a functionary who is sent for that purpose from Pekin.
Twelve boys are chosen for that purpose, and out of them three are definitely
selected, not without all sorts of intrigues on behalf of their parents and relatives
taking place. Their names are written on pieces of paper, which are put in an
urn—the three representing a new reappearance of the bodisatva in spirit, in word,
and in body. The boy upon whose name it falls to represent the re-incarnation of
the spirit is sent to be khutukhta in Mongolia, while the two others are also con
secrated as lamas, but remain in Tibet. Later on, a deputation, which makes a
caravan of a thousand camels at the least, and costs Mongolia no less than about
450,000 Ians in silver (about £50,000), is dispatched to Tibet to bring home the
new divinity. The present khutukhta is twenty-two years old, whose photograph
and a by no means flattering description are given in the present volume. After
a month’s stay in Urga, the party continued their journey to Southern Mongolia,
and went to Kalgan. This second part of the journey will be described in the
next volume.
The Submarine Earthquake of Kamaishi on June 15, 1896.— Prof. Rein,
of Bonn, contributes to the February number of Petermanns Mitteilungen an
account of the effects of this earthquake on the coasts of Japan, based on an official
report, on private communications from friends in Japan, and his own knowledge of
the scene of the occurrence. The great wave that followed the shock advanced
inland at the height of from 20 to 30 feet, in places even 50 feet, and in a few
minutes caused the loss of life of about 27,000 human beings, besides injuring 5000
others and destroying about 7600 houses in the kens of Miyage, Iwate, and Aomori,
the chief centre of destruction being round the bay of Kamaishi, on the east coast
of Honshiu, in 39° 16’ N. Within five minutes this town was almost entirely swept
away. At various places some marvellous escapes are recorded. In one case some
persons were found alive on an island about 6 miles distant from the point on the
coast whence they had been carried away by a wave. A large schooner of more
than 200 tons burden was hurled 500 yards from its anchorage and deposited
almost uninjured on a field of wheat. On the plate accompanying this communica
tion, containing a map from Hassenstein’s atlas of Japan of the region affected,
Prof. Rein has added the chart of the self-registering tide-gauge at Ayukawa, a
station about 70 miles south of Kamaishi, for the twenty-four hours from noon on
June 15 to noon on June 16, 1896. This shows that wide and rapid oscillations
began at that station before half-past eight on June 15, and about noon the next
day were beginning to die away. Outside of Japan effects of this shock have been
observed at the harbour of Keauhu, in Hawaii, and at the mouth of the Rogue
river in Oregon, but on this subject Prof. Rein proposes to send another communi
cation, and asks for information of any unusual marine disturbances on the coasts
of the Pacific Ocean between June 15 and 17,1896.