then ranged themselves behind us, on the same side • of the room by
which they.entered?;.'the three officers stood in front of: the balcony,
between us and the Raja,and the interpreters by them. '
When the commotion of settling in our respective places had èeasëdj
and Silence ensued, the Raja addressed me with many earnest and
particular enquiries respecting the Governor General; he congratulated
ys on our safe arrival at Tassisudon, and expressed his apprehensions
for the fatigue and inconyenieficdj we might have-endured in tvaVel-
ling through a. country-, abounding with so many naturaidiffioulü;ss.j
and so scantily furnished with the necessaries of life.'
I was happy in the opportunity thus afforded me, of paying eveiy
acknowledgment due to-the civilities and attention; we'had- experienced
in the course of our progress; I expressed my thanks also for
the ample supplies of provision provided for us, by the inhabitants and
his officers, at every stage, as well as for the diligence and good care of
the guide, who had conducted us from the frontier of his dominions.
: The Raja was not wanting in attention to the superior members of
our government, but asked respectively after the health óf. the.-gepde-
men of the Supreme Council, and the Chief Justice; and in endeavouring
to convey to mean adequate idea of the strength of his regard
and friendship for the Governor, he used various modes of expression,
which he concluded with the action of advancing his arms, and bending,
the forefingers of each hand, linking them one in the other, and pulling
- them at right angles, with a strong exertion, as if to give force to his
sentiments. The letter I delivered, being written in the Persian lan-
&Uage, could not be then read; for there were hone among his servants,
or all his Shbjhets^wl^^Were 'Gonversant intift* Tha Bengalee language
is -the Only one, differing-from their own, in^hfefi..any business;* of
Correspondence-is ^carriedfonq-andt in-this, 'their commercial inter2-
course with Bengal, as well- as. what relates»to the,.tjE&rifcqijto situated
on-its bonders, is always and? e^dpsively^tr^lisa'efcd.' Thisl was intimated
to me; ‘and I was asked-, whether the dtellveryrofs the letter I had
borne from- the: Governor,- -Was* my loidy; motive for coming to> Tassisudon.
So pointed- and laconic a- question* was quite .unexpected-; but
i answered it, by brieily slating1 the reasons that, induo’cc^tslnAGavcrnor
General, at this time- in^j^FtiCal-ar, to jdfeputd ‘Aubrson? to the Lama’s
court; and added, that, when,llearnt the road.to Tibet lay through
his dominions, and not very distant from his’capifalj’feioWing also' his
'Stkehment-td the Governor, as wfell as having, heanf-the-feme of his
exalted name, it- became an object of'much5 anxiety with me, to haVe
the hohdur of paying my respects t& the friend1-'of my[ patron, and to
a prince of so great renown. - With' respect; to! any othferjreaisldns there
might be; for my waiting upon him', tfid contents* ef the, letter would
amply explain them.i
^ Three small benches, similar to that.before the; Raja,' were brought
and placed befofe us ; and presently a servant came,- bearing a" large
-tea pot of white metal, embossed, and,highly prriariie'rifed with some
other metal, of a^.yellow cofiftfr. He approached the Raja, and then
giving a circular turn to the tea-pot, so as to agitate and mix it» con»
•tents, he poured-a quantity into the palm df hiS-ihahdilswhifefr he had
contracted to form as deep a concave as .possible’,^and hastily sipped
ft up*. To account fqr a custom which- has»so- little: hither* of grace,