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

;B O T A N 131The castle of VVandipore, with its gilded canopy, is of equal antiquitywith the bridge ;and both are said to have been erected by Lam'Sobroo, about one hundred and forty years ago, when he firstenteredand possessed himself of Bootan. Nor did the conqueror of these regions,shew less judgment than good taste, in selecting "Wandipore forthe place of his principal residence :as it is a situation, both for strengthand beauty, superior to every other that offered to his choice.Perhapssome objection might be made to the violent winds, which are drawnup the deep delis on every quarter, and urged furiously across the siu*-face of the hill ;but the strength of Vv'andipore is not lessened by the morelofty surrounding heights, which carry their high heads far distant, bygradual easy slopes, and contribute greatly to the majesty of the views.This isconsidered as one of the consecrated habitations of Bootanand the Daeb Raja makes ita point to reside here some part of everyyear. It stands upon the southern extremity of the narrow end of arocky hill, which is shaped like a wedge : the sides of the hill arcwashed by the Matchieu-Patchieu on the west, which runs in a swiftsmooth stream, and by the Taantchieu on the east, which rushes withmuch noise and agitation over a rocky bed ;they both join at the baseof the point, below the castle. This is an irregular, lofty building ofstone, covering all the breadth of the rock, as far as it extends. Thewalls are high and solid : there is but one entrance in front, beforewhich, there lies a large space of level ground, joined by an easyslope on the north-west, to the Punukka road. About an hundredyards in frontof the castle rises a round tower, on an high eminence,perforated all round with loop holes, and supporting several projectingS