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

136 BOOTAN.he ofieied me any sum of money I might want, for the discharge ofmy travelhng expences.He ordered a quantity of the roasted grain,(rice) which we used to eat and praise, when we visited him, to bepacked up and sent with us; and while we were at Punukka, wereceived from him daily supplies of most excellent fresh butter, whichI thought equal to any I had ever eaten, for consistence, colour, andflavour.Their process of making butter is as follows. They put the milkdestined for the purpose into a narrow upright bucket, with a lidadapted to it, in the centre of which is a hole that admits the passageof a bamboo shaft ;round the upper part of this shalt a piece of cord,or thong, ispassed, so that two persons, each seizing an end, make itto revolve rapidly, and agitate the contents of the bucket.The upperend of the shaft being pointed, is received in a concave bit of wood,which is occasionally tied to a tree, or any other fixed object whichhappens to be in the way. The lower end, within the vessel, is splitinto four parts^ to a certain distance ;a bandage of twine prevents itssplitting higher. The parts are then kept open, to any degree of extension,by a cross piece, which istied with a thong high or low, inthe split part, as it happens to suit the fancy of the operator. Rudeas this contrivance is, it contains the principle applicable to the sameprocess throughout all the universe, quick and continued agitation.Whether it be the most expeditious mode is of small importance;it is at least simple, easily applied, and completely answers thepurpose.On the morning of the 8th, horses and a guide being ready to attend