profusely at my old camping-ground, to which I now
returned after a month’s absence.
Soon after my arrival I received letters from Dr.
Campbell, who had strongly and repeatedly represented
to the Rajah his opinion of the treatment I was
receiving; and this finally brought an explicit answer,
to the effect that his highness’ orders had been full
and peremptory that I should be supplied with provisions,
and safely conducted to the frontier. With
these came letters on the Rajah’s part from Tchebu
Lama to the Lachen Phipun, ordering him to take me
to the pass, hut not specifying its position; fortunately,
however, Dr. Campbell sent me a route, which stated
the pass to be at Kongra Lama, several marches
beyond this, and in the barren country of Tibet.
On the 5th of July the Singtam Soubah arrived;
he was charged to take me to the frontier, and brought
letters from the Rajah and a handsome present, consisting
of Tibet cloth, and a dress of China silk
brocaded with gold; the Ranee also sent me a basket
of Lhassa sweetmeats, consisting of Sultana raisins
from Bokhara, sliced and dried apricots from Lhassa,
and Diospyros fruit from China. The Soubah wanted
to hurry me to the frontier and back at once, being no
doubt instigated to do so by the Dewan, and by his
having no desire to spend much time in the dreary
regions I wanted to explore. I positively refused,
however, to start until more supplies arrived, unless
he used his influence to provide me with food; and as
he insisted that the frontier was at Tallum Samdong,
only one march up the Lachen, I foresaw that this
move was to be but one step forward, though in the
right direction. He went forward to Tallum at once,
leaving me to follow.
The Lamteng people had all migrated beyond that
point to Tungu, where they were pasturing their
cattle : I sent thither for food, and procured a little
meal at a very high price, a few fowls and eggs; the
messenger brought back word that Tungu was in Tibet,
and that the villagers ignored Kongra Lama. A large
piece of yak-flesh being brought for sale, I purchased
i t ; but it proved the toughest meat I ever ate, being
no doubt that of an animal that had succumbed to the
arduous duties of a salt-carrier over the passes: at this
season, however, when the calves are not a month old,
it was in vain to expect better.
Large parties of women and children were daily
passing my tent, on their way from Tungu, to collect
arum-roots at the Thlonok, all with baskets at their
backs, down to rosy urchins of six years o ld ; they returned
after several days, their baskets neatly lined with
rhododendron leaves, and full of a nauseous-looking
yellow acid pulp, which told forcibly of their extreme
poverty. The children were very fair; indeed the
young Tibetan is as fair as an English brunette, before
his perennial coat of smoke and dirt has stained his
face, and it has become bronzed and wrinkled by the
scorching sun and rigorous climate of these inhospitable
countries. Children and women were alike decked
with roses, and all were good-humoured and pleasant,
behaving with great kindness to one another, and
unaffected politeness to me.