they can. go by one route and return by another, thereby
going from left to right, a consideration of great
importance with the devotee. Nor is it to be forgotten
that many a pilgrim who has visited Badrinath
will be tempted to continue his way over the western
approach by the Niti Pass, and will thence go the
round of the sacred places in Tibet, eventually returning
by the Lipu Lekh Pass and the eastern route to Tanakpur.
The public is now becoming familiar with the
fact that Gartok is the seat of a Yiceroyalty, but it
has scarcely realised that there are two Viceroys or
Garphans there, and that the system of Government
is a dual control. Mr. Traill, the distinguished Commissioner
of Kumaon, writing in the year 1825 in
connection with Gartok, says: “ The chief government
is entrusted to two officers conjointly, who are
called Garphans, with the additional title of Urgu
Ma and Urgu Y a ; they reside at Gartok, and are
relieved after three years. Natives of Lhasa and of
that neighbourhood are invariably nominated to these
situations. TheUrga Ma appears to enjoy superior
consequence and consideration, but to give effect
to his acts the concurrence of his colleague is indispensable.”
This state of things has continued ever
since the days of Mr. Traill, and is in actual existence
now, the only difference being that the titles have been
changed, for the Garphans are now commonly known
as Urgu Gong and Urgu Hog, the respective meanings
of these euphonious titles being senior and junior,
indicating that the former official enjoys the greater
consideration and respect of the two. I t has occasionally
happened that the Garphans nominated from
Lhasa have not themselves come to administer the
offices with which they have been entrusted, but have
sent confidential servants or relations to carry out
their duties for them, a system which has only to be
extended to India and our colonies to result in a great
and immediate increase in the popularity of the Indian
and Colonial services among Englishmen.
THE ACTUAL CREST OF THE LIPU LEKH PASS : PONIES RESTING :
A BITTER WIND BLOWING
Mr. Traill makes another interesting statement
with respect to Western Tibet. He says: “ The only
regular military force in the province is said to consist
of two hundred horse, stationed at Gartok. This
body must have been originally recruited from Tar-
tary, as the men of which it is composed are described
by the Bhotias as a horse-eating race. Each town
and village has its enrolled militia, liable to be called
upon whenever their services are required.” There is
now no regular military force at Gartok, and apparently