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

BOO TAN. 155precipitated the camp equipage to the foot of the rock, to the totaldestruction of all its frangible contents.This was an irreparable loss,aggravated by the prospect before us,of receding still further from the possibility of supplying its place ;of necessity we were obliged to submit, and accept the use of suchmiserable substitutes, as the custom of these regions offered. Not asyllable was said to the Raja of what had happened ;for we knew notbut deaths might have been the reward of the author of this ruin.Having ascended to the gates of the villa, we did not enter it ; but,turning to the left, found the Raja seated in a pavilion erected uponthe edge of a deep precipice, which it partly overhung, commandinga beautiful prospect of the valley, the castle, and the river, with manypopulous settlements, distributed over the surrounding mountains.There was a large level space in front, completely covered with asmooth and verdant turf : various sorts of trees grew on the superioreminences ; firs, the barberry, rhododendron, vaccinium, and themountain ash. The mansion stood upon the right ; on the left was arow of wooden cages, containing a number of huge dogs, tremendouslyfierce, strong, and noisy. They were natives of Tibet; and whethersavage by nature, or soured by confinement, they were so impetuouslyfurious, that it was unsafe, unless the keepers were near, even toapproach their dens.Below the pavilion, we looked down upon a bed of flowers, consistingof a selection from the most shewy of the hardy species ;hollyhocks,sun-flowers, African marigolds, nasturtiums, poppies, and a fewweakly larkspurs. The rose appears to be not in its proper climate,X