observations. Each morning we were awakened at
daybreak by the prolonged echos of the conchs,
trumpets, and cymbals, beaten by the priests before
the many temples in the valley : wild and pleasing
sounds, often followed by their choral chants. After
dark we sat over the fire, generally in company with a
little Lepcha girl, who was appointed to keep us in
fire-wood, and who sat watching our movements with
childish curiosity. Dolly, as we christened her, was a
quick child and a kind one, intolerably dirty, but very
entertaining from her powers of mimicry. She was
fond of hearing me whistle airs, and procured me a
Tibetan, Jews’-harp,* with which, and coarse tobacco,
TIBET-PIFE, AND TINDER-POUCH WITH STEEL ATTACHED.
which I smoked out- of a Tibetan brass pipe, I wiled
away the long evenings, whilst my cheerful companion
* This instrument (which is common in Tibet) is identical with the
European, except that the tongue is produced behind the bow, in a strong
steel spike, by which the instrument is held firmer to the mouth.
amused himself with an old harmonicon, to the enchantment
of Dolly and our guards and neighbours.
The messengers from Dorjiling were kept in utter
ignorance of our confinement till their arrival at Tum-
loong, when they were cross-questioned, and finally
sent to us. They gradually became too numerous,
there being only one apartment for ourselves, and such
of our servants as were not imprisoned elsewhere.
Some of them were frightened out of their senses, and
the state of abject fear and trembling in which one
Limboo arrived, and continued for nearly a week, was
quite distressing* to every one except Dolly, who
mimicked him in a manner that was irresistibly
ludicrous. Whether he had been beaten or threatened
we could not make out, nor whether he had heard of
some dark fate impending over ourselves—a suspicion
which would force itself upon our minds; especially
as Thoba-sing had coolly suggested to the Amlah the
despatching of Campbell, as the shortest way of getting
out of the scrape ! We were also ignorant whether
any steps were being taken at Dorjiling for our release,
which we felt satisfied must follow any active measures
against these bullying cowards, though they themselves
frequently warned us that we should be thrown into
the Teesta if any such were pursued.
* It amounted to a complete prostration of bodily and mental powers :
the man trembled and started when spoken to, or at any noise, a cold
sweat constantly bedewed Ms forehead, and he continued in this state for
eight days. No kindness on Campbell’s part could rouse him to give any
intelligible account of Ms fears or their cause. His compaMons said he
had lost his goroo, i.e., Ms charm, wMch the priest gives him while yet a
cMld, and which he renews or gets re-sanctified as occasion requires. To
us the circumstance was extremely painful.