^giving but a:|>ale and feeble blossom: the pomegranate finds a more
congeniafsoil,and produces t he largest and most-excellent fruitof its kind-
Weswete treated, on ounarrival, with tea, 8cc.-which was followed
by fruit, growing wild, smaller^,but not
unlike: a: ripe £loe, The weather was clear and temperate :,?there was
,a delightful, silent serenity in this retreat; and the' eye dwelt with
natisfaetion onithe different shades of verdure, in the variegated scene.
Two musicians, placed at a distance, .played upon reed instruments,
in-wild and not unharmonious strains, while the Raja held ,us ;|n
conversation, - on the customs tand produce of foreign countries ;
subjects ion which he sought for information, with insatiable .avidity.
I selected the? most striking peculiarities -.of all nations for his entertainment
,• and he, in his turn, told-me of wonders, for which I claim
no other-credit, than that ofr-repeating with, fidelityfhe story of my
author.
In-the first place, he/mentioneda race of people, of uncommon stature,
inhabiting a prodigiously high mountain, whose, base,was many
days journey, in circumference. The. country .lay-east ofBop.tan; = and
being far distant, his subjects had never had any intercourse, with it;
but two of these'people had, some/years ago» ,wandered .hither, and
they were the admiration of all the inhabitantsbeing-not .less/(according'to
his description, than eight feet high. They- stayed: but a.,short
time, and • seemed happy at the ithoughtsi of returning to .their, gigantic
brethren.
In the same range of mountains,morth. .of Assam, he informed me
-there were as species of human beings; with short straight tails, which,
awarding to report;- were e&Jfepehnely-jineonvehiemte-tp ibheniv 'a«' fheyii
were iffiexibie ; in consequenceiof iwhich. (they,weresjobidged io>, ‘dig
bolyhi® the ground;before itheyteoa^M^attemptMto ’|i.ti<down."'. $
He had ‘a^-Ver-y CuriCus'creatuiejdleiitold^mc'jthentinshis-.posaessdon;'
a W M Sdrse, with a horm-grbwinghioini flptaijddle of his ''iofflehead;,
Hf5 had dhee another^df the-same species’; but'iedied. yJsfeouId;not’
dis^dvdi'lfrofh ^bfdhCe n fe&iMe{iO'r.t>btain anyiietheri1 explanation tthan
hurra -'durel a^'gt'eaf i% ^ ’o'fF'i,'’.i-’jd^pre‘ss'ed?iaw®-rwiearhest idfShbrlpf
she^^reature!«ss*curious sand «rieommon^ andi tfildnbim; thai-gwe bad
^epFeSerttatiCilpibf an,.animal calkd!anrunioom,rfowhich'hisid^e?ip&ou
artsWelied'y |-but-fit was genera’lly considered as 'fahailoiis.,0 He
assitssd ime-ef the truth of what he -told fire,'umdipromisexf.f'should
sW‘ it. ! It wa!s ’some distance from Tassisudan/, andthisspeopdEtspaidiit
reli^hifsJ’rgspectsf but -l never had. a?sight of
' The last.’storyT Shall noti£ki>is?amJac.count; the
hilfiadvemtiire fof his ’ own, idsesi^nedtuot iess'ste(magaifyijolgt! opis jop; of
his- steal,-than to adds respect.to hi&religiousjcharacter.in th&,e§t,iijnaii%j
his'own disciples: -it was introduced 'ihi-co®sesj!Udnce>of> ourcoont
versation turning ■ Tibet. H» pain ted to me the difficulties.of xtbe
way, and the wide ’disparity of-’country .and:» of 'cltmafterkf ‘ I«have
seen, I haye experienced, and,speak from my own knowledge; for,”
/continued he, “ somes years ago, putting on the. appearance of a mendicant
or fakeer, >1 made -a pilgrimage! to' Lassa,, and visited .the, l.iply
temples, ■ sacredjas the., seats of the superior objects: ofseteriwipshi^
My journey was-'peiformed all the?w.ay on foot, withupe; edfiiphnipri.
I walked, oyer, and saw; every part of the extensive city of Lassa; I paid