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

BOOTAN. 127such impetuosity over uneven rocks, that our horses with difficultykept their legs. On the opposite side, stood a solitary house, wherewe halted for awhile, and were furnished with fresh horses to continueour journey.From hence a firm road led us along the sides of the hills, whichwere covered all over with an equal verdure. A few handsome firswere distributed about, both single and in clusters, at such regularintermediate distances, asto induce a belief, that they owed their dispositionrather to the hand of art than chance. The road, as we advanced,evidently improved ; it was composed of gravel, perfectlyeven, not less than eight or ten feet wide, and of an easy ascent.The weather had now cleared up, and the face of nature had receivedmuch embellishment from the late fall of rain. The mountainsheaving their swelling ridges, decked with a rich verdant robe, into abright blue sky, skirted too with luxuriant groves and intersectingstreams, which ran winding along tlieir bases, displayed a regularityand softness of feature, that is seldom seen in the wild but sublimescenery of Bootan.\'Ve met on this road, one of the Daeb Raja's brothers, a Gylong,riding on a Tangun horse.He was preceded by many attendants, andamong them was a man who played upon a sort of hautboy, or reedinstrument, which he blew, from the moment we came in sight, till wehad passed beyond the reach of the sound, with a strong and continuedblast. Every man of rank, who moves from home upon occasionsof ceremony, is attended by a person of this description, who, Iam assured, blows his instrument from the time the chief mounts his