appointed first Governor-General of India, contain by
far the most judicious description of the life and customs
of the inhabitants of this unknown country that has been
written. He was received as an honoured guest, and,
though, indeed, he was asked not to press his request
for permission to visit Lhasa, the favour of the Tashi
Lama was sufficient to secure for him unique opportunities
of examining the nature, habits and peculiarities
of this unknown neighbour across the Himalayas.
All that could be done to promote friendly relations
between the two countries was cheerfully attempted
by the Tashi Lama, but it is clear from Bogle’s own
account that he met with considerable opposition from
the representatives of Lhasa, even in the court of the
actual ruler of Tibet, and the death of the Tashi Lama
shortly afterwards, combined with the accession to
supreme power of the Dalai Lama in 1776, effectually
put an end to any hope of an amicable understanding
between the two countries. Bogle’s narrative will be
quoted in the following pages, and it would be difficult
to improve on the shrewd insight and steady judgment
with which many of the peculiarities of Tibet were
unerringly noted down, generally with some characteristic
comment, shrewd or satirical.
After the death of the Tashi Lama in 1780, followed
within six months by the decease of Bogle himself at
Calcutta, and the consequent failure of his intended
scheme, Warren Hastings determined to make another
attempt. Samuel Turner, his own cousin, was despatched
at the head of a small party to Tashi-lhunpo.
After some delay in Bhutan he successfully accomplished
the journey, travelling over the same route as that which
had been taken by Bogle, and reached Tashi-lhunpo
This English fowling-piece, made by Wilson in the year 1768, was almost certainly one
of those given as presents by Bogle in 1774. The lock has been removed. It was
found at Pala.