The next morning they appeared, each carried by a
lama, men and dogs forming up in line opposite
the house. The latter were nicely got up with collars
and bells, and obviously decorated with a view to
please the eye. No adornments, however, could
disguise the fact that they were horrid, snappy little
beasts, of all colours and dispositions. Only one at
all resembled a terrier, and he not only had a vile
temper, but had lost his tail. It was useless to buy
such animals, so masters and dogs were dismissed,
much to the delight of the latter.
In the afternoon we visited the fort, passing
through several archways before reaching the main
door. The building is wonderfully constructed, for
the top of the rock is extremely narrow, and in
order to obtain sufficient room and to find a firm
foundation, the outer walls rest on narrow ledges
half way down the precipitous sides. Though much
ingenuity had been displayed in its design, yet in
construction it is very weak, and the walls in places
of hardly sufficient thickness to bear the weight
above. In former times this dzong was a famous
stronghold; for the water question, the cause of so
much weakness in other Tibetan forts, was of no
consequence here. The water bastion overhangs the
river, and from this building the defenders could
obtain as much water as they required, without the
danger of exposing themselves. The broad and
sluggish Tsangpo washing against its northern face
also offered many chances of escape in cases of defeat.
With the advent of heavy guns, a strong Government
at Lhasa, and the British Raj at the gates of Tibet,
those old days of bloody fights and lengthy sieges
have gone, never to return. The dzongpons, however,
were none the less proud of their home, and