come forty men-at-arms similarly dressed in cardinal and
black, bearing lances, scythe-headed poles, tridents and
banners; after them come the secretaries and their
servants, and then, borne by ten men, his Excellency in
his chair.* There was no great importance in this first
visit of ceremony. But it was returned by Colonel Young-
husband on the following day, and, if you please, we will
ride behind the Colonel as he passes through, the streets
of Lhasa on his way to and from the Residency. Now,
instead of passing to the south of the Pargo Kaling, we
go underneath the gilt-ribbed and celestially-crowned
chorten which tops the western gate between the two
guardian hills, f There is a protective "railing of timber
along both sides of the interior of the gate and a blue
deity in his most “ terrible ” aspect is painted on the
left-hand wall.
Immediately inside the gate the road turns to the
left, and a good view is to be had of the Potala palace
rising above the walled square of houses and stables and
prisons at the foot of the rock. Between the gate and
this enclosure is a small village tucked up under the rock,
not more than thirty houses in all, dirty, squalid and
stinking, although it is under the very threshold of the
Grand Lama’s magnificent residence. Five hundred
yards on an obelisk rises in the middle of the road ; this,
which is almost opposite the centre of the palace, was set
up to record the pacification of Tibet and the domina-
* I t is interesting to note that the Chinese have such a contempt for Tibet
that the v iceroy never takes full official dress with him to Lhasa ; negotiations
were, therefore, carried on with the Amban with less formal ceremony than
would have been considered necessary under other circumstances, though the
Commissioner and his staff, to their great discomfort, always wore correct diplomatic
uniform in their intercourse with both Chinese and Tibetans.
t This is in shape a typical " s tu p a ,” with the exception that the road
passes through it, making a clear tunnel in the centre.
THE UPPER PART OF THE CHORTEN IS OF GILT COPPER \
THE REMAINDER IS OF WEATHER-STAINED STONE AND
m o r t a r . Greys, ochres, eucalyptus-green and, gold. Figures
maroon.