iittpeffeGtschem^rendgnaborti’v'é thes endeavöurs towards carrying into
execution^ the iöö# impertantfobject-ofyourplan; which-1 feouceived
to be an immediate intercourse between the English,: and the natives
of Tibet, 1• I have obtained, the Regent Chanjoo- Gooshoo’s promise- of
encouragement jo all merchants, natives of India, that may be sent to
traffic in Tibet,on-behaifof the’ government of Bengal.. No impediment,
therefore, now remains in the way of merchants, to prevent: their
carrying their commercial concerns into Tartary. Your authority
alone, is requisite to secure them the protection of the Regent of Teshoo
Loomboo, who has promised to?grant free admission into Tibet; to all
such merchants, natives of India, as shall come recommended by you;
to yield them every assistance requisite|pjj|the transport of their goods
from the frontiers of Bootan; and to assign them a place of residence
for vending theirCOmmodities, either within the monastery, or, should
it be considered as more eligible, in the town itself.
I did not deem it consistent with the spirit of.your dësignspat the
present period, to be importunate for greater privileges than these, to
native traders: such as I have obtained will, I trust, be competent to
the purpose, of opening the much' wished for communication; and as
this mode coincided with the Regent’s wishes, it appeared to me better
to adopt it, than to check the opening -trade with a load of taxes, and
a variety of embarrassing forms. —Let merchants first learn the way,
taste the profit, and establish the intercourse; and afterwards' the
traffic may bear a tax, which if laid upon it in its infancy, might
suppress its growth. These concessions, in which the Regent readily
acquiesced, will, I presume, be considered as most material, towards
revivin^ttbqhrsttieh beawe6n»Ben.^l^4-BM^ih1ate4E.oga as. ,seahritv,.and
^protection arefjthes firstees^»^i@^;^q^isi|^Tqf the, e^j3^^mp^fc>c|f cqm-
hirerce,’ so i profit .wills provd- itsfbest> epgpufa'gemenj:it wUi.rqqst powt-
erfully stim®Iht|g»the i-ijidnstry pft the- mcrohantkwhoaisiieijSgaia^di in gp
advantageous taw undertakir^r.#^hripfMiim': to^pursuej'^si?plans to
th# gfe a tesb-pos^ rfilet'eM fenjM §?
Td'grvelfulkffircd'fofs the-license; I have- obtained,-inOfthin-g^hPi form
is wanting ^and*,- imdependentlsylob fh^nfitye 1 ty of.^riktefii treaties; fe|-
malities almost? unknoWrt'fti'Tibet, ^,^^a?''d^|slqli'§i8jngJtJ^®|;R e^® to
execute such an agreement,-befedq&e it eerddi,ba^L€i^l|>ijgg| $gli$;.tb^nf
during the-minority of Teshoo Lama; it, must^bav^hegM revocable
by him, the momentibe should- be admitted into hjgjpffice} and^.Goi^i
never'fbd- cbhsidered-' as bindings,evferi qpqnit^^^ernipentgy{i^hr;is
'dphelds by his authority, rande’eo’ndtieted- undeb they^saji.cfeiqEB^qf his
'name. For the Regent possessespnomhideperadent^ewers,.hut is the
ostensible- instrument of administration, under the guidance of his
supreme,: the Lama: and even supposing the Regent possessed of adequate
authority to enforce a treaty of commerce, yet to hayte pressed
him to the conclusion of one, I thought, would have been to abandon
the. grehtt.obj.ect-in view ;• for Leptasidered the.'agency of natives of
India, stationediat so remote: a; distance from control, op,any check
to restrain their .conduct',' as- a very dubious reliance,;, and. that the
benefits resulting from it, would' be found, at besgextremely precarious.
These; reasons suggested to me the expediency-, of waving the
attempt to secure, by written agreement, those privileges to merchants,
for which the Regent pledged his wordespecially, as the. prospect, of