An Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama in Tibet - Prajna Quest

70 BOOTAN.or delicacy, in its observance, however recommended by extensive[fashion^ we are obliged to have recourse to the suspicions suggested inB. remoter times, by the frequent and treacherous use of poison. Henceoriginated a caution, in which the national character of this peoplereadily disposed them to acquiesce ; and the same jealousy and distrust,which gave birth to its adoption, has contributed inviolably to)preserve it to the present day ; so that however humble, or exaltedthe rank of the person, who introduces to his guests the refreshmentof tea, the cup-bearer, which is an office of the hrst credit, never presumesto offer it,without previously drinking some of the liquor thathe brings.The Raja held out, upon the points of the fingers of his righthandj a shallow lacquered cup, of small circumference, which wasfilled with tea.Three cups had been sent, and were set down beforeus ; the Raja directed his servant to fill them also ; still holding thecup in his right hand, he repeated, in a low and hollow tone of voice,a long invocation; and afterwards dipping the point of his finger threetimes into the cup, he threw as many drops upon the floor, by wayof oblation, and then began to sip his tea. Taking this as a signal, wefollowed the example, and partook of the dishes of parched rice, thatwere served up with it. We found this liquor extremely unlike whatwe had been used to drink, under the same name; it was a compoundof water, flour, butter, salt, and bohea tea, with some other astringentingredients, all boiled, beat up, and intimately blended together.I confess the mixture was by no means tomy taste, and we had hithertoshunned, as much aspossible, these unpalatable libations, yet