IP T I B E T .
influence of religious prejudice. The regeneration of their Lama is said
to haVe taken place, in times ofremote antiquity, ;fte&r 4he site of-the
ancient and ruined city of Gowr; and all those places held in veneration
by the Hindoos, 2S Gy a , Benares, Mahow, and Allahabad, arb
equally objects of superstitious zeal, with a votary of the Tibet faith,
who thinks himself blessed 'above his fellow disciples, if he can biit
perform a pilgrimage to these hallowed spots.
Gunga Sagor, an uninhabited island, situated at the confluence of
the Ganges with the sea, and the pagoda of Jagamaut, upon the coast
of Orissa,-are also decided‘places of equal sanctity, and occasionally
visited, from the same motives of zealous but mistaken1 piety. Nor hre
die advantages, whatever they may be, Resulting from these pilgrimages,
cbnfmed to those alone; who feersonally perform them ;4ie'who^>r6mdtis
them by his persuasion, and supports the pilgrim by his purse, claims
tohimseif, nearly an equal share of merit. So ’ that-agents: aie often
hired, to visit these holy places, from whence they bring to.their employers,
some sacred pledge, picked up on the sea* shore, orai portion
of the consecrated stream, possessed of incalculable efficacy ih alltfheir
subsequent devotions.
The late Teshoo Lama, I was told, had the merit of -having ithus
performed his pilgrimages by proxy, to Ca$hi, Prag, Gunga Sagor,
and Jagaihaut. Indeed, though these pilgrimages cannot be accomplished,
but at the imminent hazard, of the pilgrim's falling a martyr to
the intemperate heat of Hindostan, or to the enervating atmosphere of
the lowlands, yet an enthusiastic spirit is not to be repressed,by the
melancholy fate of former adventurers.
A poeg emaciated igeagrg to me, j,q§fvfetfo,re I Iqff;
Calcutta to commence my orfseufa, jkurndgfofcyfeQ(A feaff ^vith;
labour crqgsqd ^ noscicfiaq air.
of Bengal, and, with %,pt§i|ieyejr^nce, jW qrt^o& ^^^er Scause„ aGpqipi
plished his purpose of.b^hing.in the, s . G a n g e j S , in
spifeqf all difficulties, which iq^i^^y,'.
difficulties pressing ^ith, accumulated force, on a
utterly- unacquainted with the Lpgimgg^qf.qhi^Gquntj'yjfHf wa§ (jien
about to return to, ,Tfek^ajpiqu%fq[^arrjy^Qq}e>gf'|^e?1{iqly;.^y5'fejc|tc>
ffis employer. J cpmiffitted, him to tthe(care |kd wfep'Jfy?'
with Poorungfeeer, ip.charge of |he temple £r|pj^d, at iffie. expense, q£
Teshoo Lama, upon the feapk of the riyer,pppp|.i|pjtp C|Jgul£g.; aqd
he afterwards travelled with my party tq the capitaLof«Efoatan., whence
I dispatched hini with letteis to tfee Regent of.TeshqqLoqmboo, which
he faithfully delivered. Whije^ie was iq CftJ,Gqtta, £ ppegeqt
tjie Governor General, a fdjstipction which m^de him iq&xpressijdy
happy; for, feeing informed of4hq friegdship^Mj^ist^g.jhgtwgeg;',!!^
■ and Teshoo Lama, feg, fead-,cpHge>jy^cf ft reverence for Mr.
Hastings, which waSi^^y jq%E^ii|0'=|fee y e q ^ a tj^% ^ |g ||^ e ^ :ife
feis sovereign Lam^inhi§. opinion,
Jp the discussion of geographical topics, the Regent’smind' tooLa
•ygry extensive mn®,,^id sesfcety lfljS %PY quarter ofifee-giofee, p -
touefeed, Teshoo Lanaa had. beep visited, fee igjd miei/Pot mvi'7 years
before, by aqjtinerant|^Qseini wh°.as?WP^Ms^Sui?'^>^fe?t
p.covmtry, in whiefe half the year
and he appealed to me, wfeetfeerffeis was a,f|lsq reggrtmr not; ,a -cir,-