C H A P T E R VI.
The Regent.-—-Soopoon Choomboo.— Countries contiguous to Tibet—
Bengal endeared to the Tibetians by religious-Prejudices.—.Gunga
Sagur— the Confluence of the Ganges withrthe Sea.^r-jfagarnaut.-^i
Performance of Pilgrimage by Proxy.f—A Devotee-m^CMgr^hyr-^,
- Astronomy.-—Pranpooree—his extraordinary Course of Mortifications.—
Russia-^— the reigning Czarina. —— Taranaut Lam a.—
Kharka.— Intercourse between Russia and China.— Pilgrims from
Khumbak.—Gallery of Idols— Means by which the Cabinet is d cca-
sionally augmented— Teshoo Loomboo famed for the Manufacture
of Images.— Lama of LuddauL— War between England— America
and France.— Commerce-r-of the English Nation,— Spirit p fInquiry
and Research.— Siberia — Baikal. — Wandering Tartars.—vjyg\
Tradition extant of an ancient People inhabiting towards theNorth.
|— General Belief of the Origin of Learning.— Inference drawn from
the Similarity of the Sanscrit and Tibet Alphabet.— Character in
which their sacred Writings are preserved and printed^— that of \
j Correspondence and Business?—Regent notifies his Design of leaving
the Monastery— commends me to the Care of Soopoon Choomboo
in his Absence.— Vis its my Apartments, accompanied by Soopoon
Choomboo and the Lama of Luddauk.— Science of Palmistry.-r-
Attar, Pawn.
A t all tinies,, $he»jJ ;Hrefc:,th .ei^ g 6 '^ was in
eofflpaii)i4 l&.e 'PiU *•
she gbaerallyhtgdjgiu f i o n f e l g s I
thought him; quick
Regent-, ex!trOmely?kemmuniGati$g^ I Was^nol&a -lit trle-f^pdsf^-^c^'dis-
coverfbv their com msatnon lio^r.'abg-frdtc an idjsdi-frVjc^Jiyj! d,oqt5iml'
ol the positioned dilieront.u-untMpo| though-maps, arid /sku-fi die-totally
unknowns ■ among- them-.' dfe^ ^ o^Ghanna>iithfe4^m travels litui
t'iughbthem {the situation ;hand ’they pointed* out} tp^e^W ^liy) the
;relative bearings of, the .countries surrounding -them$ ds -1 China', on the
east;.Siberia-on thenorth; Turkestan/.CasHmeer,’tAlmofajs;dir,the;Wes>fe;
Nipal/ Bootan-, Assam, to the south, and Beng al beyond thesd; but also
iofiEngland, and of Russia,; with almost sequal tru fei Yehidfesifous-to
- extend their knowledge, a great variety of-q^esti<®sriWe# proposed to
me, rebating to the;'pecuJjM®t‘praduee, tempemtiweiof- Ij&ni&phi&i different
distances, of remote countries?^
Bengal, ofwhich they had from various authorities dofie'd-ed atoleraBly
distinct idea, they expressed a most eager curiositytevisjttrr Non?dan,
perhaps, the inhabitants ofih kooky,*. arM;fchl©aSk,‘ and- haked region,
fancy a-seehb mo# eufehahting, thaans^kW^kerf id aj adiMry»of:wr4e
extent, presenting throughout a snioofcljeand'erjualsdrfa.de,- clothe^ with
eternal-verdu#,’ intersected;by numberless, deep 'and copiouS ■ riVe'tts,
I abduhding with groyes of-largc and: shdd.^lfc-%esh’aiid;yielding,ah.ihi-
thense variety of frUits and flowers, through every se^sp&nfi theyear.
JBut Bengal is rendered pecul-kriy> dear- tn; therhv fayi the powerful
• M m ’