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

80 BOOTAN.equally at your command, and did right in obeying you."They werenow called into the presence, and made before the Raja, nine prostrations,which is the obeisance paid to him by his subjects, wheneverthey are permitted to approach ; and I had the satisfaction to witness< their being re-admitted into favour.I omit the repetition of all that passed, relative to the businessof my commission : an inexhaustible succession of obstacles wereurged to oppose the prosecution of it, to obviate which occupiedalmost all my time, and constituted the principal subject of every conference.To attempt the recital here, would be entering into a tiresomedetail, widely deviating from my present design, which is, anendeavour to delineate the appearance of a region, little known,and to mark so much of the manners of the people, as, from an immediateintercourse with them, attracted my observation.-The Raja had invited us to dine in his apartment, which we wereassured, was the highest mark of distinction and goodwill, he couldpossibly confer; since no person in his own dominions, even of themost distinguished rank, ever aspired to the honour of eating in hispresence: but we were strangers, from a distant country, and hisguests.By particular desire, the table was spread with our own campequipage, and the dinner was dressed by my servants, much more to oursatisfaction, than if furnished lirom the Raja's kitchen; for we had asyet seen nothing to attach us to Bootan cookery.As sdon as the Rajahsfrugal fare was brought, a plate of roots and boiled rice, we began themeal. He eat with ivory chopsticks, and sometimes used' a spoon, -linvited him to taste our wine and sweetmeats, which lie declined