from the Terai, beyond Dorjiling, were cut off by the
interruption of communication, and the authorities
evidently could not hold us long at this rate : we sent
up complaints, but of course received no answer*
The Dewan arrived one afternoon in great state,
RAJAH’S RESIDENCE, AND THE HUT ASSIGNED TO US. ARRIVAL OP THE DEW AN,
carried in an English chair, given him by Campbell
some years before, habited in a blue silk cloak lined
with lambskin, and wearing an enormous straw hat
with a red tassel, and black velvet butterflies on the
flapping brim. He was accompanied by a household
of women, who were laden with ornaments, and wore
boots, and sat astride on ponies; many Lamas were
also with him, one of whom wore a broad Chinese
hat covered with polished copper foil. Half a dozen
Sepoys with matchlocks preceded him, and on ap*
proaching Tumloong bawled out his titles, dignities,
&c., as was formerly the custom in England.
At Dorjiling our seizure was still unknown: our
letters were brought to us, but we were not allowed to
answer them. Now that the Dewan had arrived, we
hoped to come to a speedy explanation with him, but
he shammed sickness, and sent no answer to our
messages, if indeed he received them. Our guards
were reduced to one sepoy with a knife, who was
friendly; and a dirty, cross-eyed fellow named Thoba-
sing, who, with the exception of Tchebu Lama, was
the only Bhotea about the Durbar who could speak
Hindostanee, and who did it very imperfectly: he was
our attendant and spy, the most bare-faced liar 1 ever
met with, even in the e a s t; and as cringing and
obsequious when alone with us, as he was to his
masters on other occasions, when he never failed to
show off his authority over us in an offensive manner.
Though he was the most disagreeable fellow we were
ever thrown in contact with, I do not think he was
selected for that reason, but solely from his possessing
a few words of Hindostanee, and his presumed capability
of therefore playing the spy.
The weather was generally drizzling or rainy, and
we were getting very tired of our captivity ; but I
beguiled the time by carefully keeping my meteorological
register, and by reducing many of my previous