F )   M A Y , 1 9 4 3   -   T A R K A L   K A P A N G A ,   C H U ’ U H K

Like the REC expedition that followed him, Peter was also told of the legendry disappearing village of the levitating saint Tarkal Kapanga. (see plate 11) This version of the story was related to him by one of the Buryat elders of Chu’uhk:

“Even as a small boy Tarkal was so blissful that if he did not wear his special iron shoes he was apt to float heavenward. As he grew older the problem intensified, and the people of his village, who valued him deeply for his wisdom and kindness, had to think of ever more ingenious ways to keep him earthbound. These included ropes, harnesses, and even a special suit made of stone. Towards the end of his life he undertook a pilgrimage to the sacred mountain, where he intended to spend his remaining days in silent meditation. Before he left, each person in the village tied a heavy object to Tarkal’s stone suit, firstly for good luck and secondly to prevent him ascending to heaven before he completed his journey. As the word spread, people from villages along the way would tie on more objects, so that by the time Tarkal reached the base of the sacred mountain it was said that the thunderous clanking of tools, anvils, logs, stones, etc. was audible a hundred miles away. Unfortunately, the din caused by the train of objects (said to reach over a mile in length) as Tarkal lugged them up the mountain was so great that a mighty avalanche crashed down burying him under several hundred feet of snow. But so blissful was great Tarkal that with a loud rumbling his body rose from under the snow and floated up to heaven with all the myriad objects still attached to it like the tail of a kite.”