Translation of a Letter from Soopoon Choomboo, Mirkin Chassa Lama, Minister
to the late Tiskoo Lama, to Warren Hastings, Esq. Governor General, ire. ire«
Received the 1 Sth February, 17 88.
X o the source of magnanimity; equal in glory to the sun; first of die leader*
of Europe; the selected of the mighty and th? noble; theexalted indignity?
the Governor Immaud u Dowlah. May his fortitude anddris existence be
perpetuated by die beneficence of Almighty God ! -
Having kissed the earth with the respect of the lowly, the meanest of your
devoted (servants), the humblest of your feithful friends, Soopoon Choomboov
represents untoyM, that the loidofhis disciples, the illuminator of the world,
Maha Gooroo, in die year of the Hejera 119 *S sat in the plenitude of good
fortune, on die musnnd of authority; and in those days I sent to you* an
humble writing, by the Gosein, Poorungheer, which you received, and in
answer, thereto you sent a letter. M id choice gifts; and those, and the string
of coral, which, in the greatness of your bounty, you conferred upon me,
arrived safe, and in happy hour, on the 16th day of the month Rubbee ul
Auwul, in the year of the Hejera i 19J, at the place which they call Coombpo,
in the land ofTibburut, in the region of China; and I was exalted thereby.
And the KhulleM Bugwan, that is to say, Maha Gooroo, on the nth
day of the month Rubbee u saunee, in the year of the Hejera l i9Jb, directed
the reins of his intention from Teshoo Loomboo towards the land of
China. And the various inhabitants of the environs, and the places round
about, of Lhobah, and of Khumbauk, those who sojoUrn in tents, and those
who live in cities, came, and were received according to their degrees, and
their stations. And the chiefprinces of the land, and the pillars of the state,
* Corresponding to * A.D. iffe-: the 17th June, 1779.
Sind the great leaders, came forth ts^b‘efetländ|ta giiard him on the high road’,
and tljey were waiting his arrival.wittsvdag^l/expectation; »iW«h,th'eyi obtained
admission to the hoiSburs, ofai^d'ience(in c4w^ds;, crowd afi^ crowd, tapd they
1 pVesehted thjfeir’ gifte;, an®,tbei*".bfF6s&gs 5 and he laid his^handjihonJerring
blessings, upon their heads,* and made them* jp y fu l: 1 and thisl was! the esta-
bKshed^practice all the'way. j .
Thus he travelled on thfoUgh^thb^oumieS 'and th'e- stajge^b'-apd. irr thh
Soobah iof Seur Pootaullah, which is a /place exceedingly delightful-,' -the
Khawfcawn of’China met1 him, and saw him injo-^nd’sädsfiteÄ^rindshe
remained there with the King of China for the space oßobjefifioath/,''»and* the
king prepared entertainments of various sorts, andtmade-*feasfe* after,"divei:s
manners. 1 p
5 .’And during this time the Gösein, Poorfingheer^diade known tho&dfiingjS,
itKwhichyouhad repeatedly instructed him; all of them he lipid e known';
and all which youihadesaid and directed, was acceptable aridj.pleasipgfwjthe
Lama; and he took measures, acebräinjr'äwith the wishes of your noble
heart.
And to the dignified sages, who are renowned throughout the etfeth, .Bbtfr
to those of China and to those of Kilmauk, and also to\the Khawkawn of
Ghina;:he explained your sayings; and he instructed them in’.the things
relating to astronomy, and to geography, and in othef'inatters, ‘fed-jin the
principles of the religious institutions of which they needed' ihfötriiatiom;
and they obtained explanations of these things,* and they were favoured
thereby; and they heard all which was related to them with the ear of
attention.
But at this time, because of our wickedness, the holy Lama accepted ;t<^
himself severe distempers, and he retired from this perishable world to the
eternal mansions; leaving us, his followers, overwhelmed with the sorrows,
of separation. >
For those things which relate to the, speedy coming to pass of the* transmigration,
the Khawkawn of China, and the Lama of Lassa, that is the Dalai
Lama, and the holy instructor of the king, Chaungeah Lama, and others, *