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

;BOOTAN. 159the monastery Pootalah, the residence of Dalai Lama ; of Lubrong,the residence of Teshoo Lama, in Tibet; and of Cattamandu, the capitalof Nipal, and Patan, in the same kingdom, as well as of other places offamed resort.Their representations partook both of plan and perspective;and, without the advantages of hght and shade, a pretty good ideaof the stile of building peculiar to each country might be collected fromthem ; nor were characteristic figures omitted : for instance, Chineseand Tartars in the views ofLassa; the yellow cap in Teshoo Loomboo; the flowing muslin robe in the pictures of Nipal ; and peacocksand prancing Tangun horses made a figure in those of Bootan. Theupper apartments had good boarded floors, and were neatly painted.Their favourite colour is vermilion. There were other temples, andmany cabinets of diminutive Dewtas, which they had no scruple inconducting us to see.Some time elapsed, though we hastily ran over the different roomsand when we descended tothe pavilion, we were immediately calledto dinner.The Raja's repast consisted of boiled rice, some vegetables,and a kind of bread, resembling pie -crust : a couple of cold fowls,which had been dressed in a cuisinier, with biscuit,cheese, beer, andwine, served us. The Raja supplied a dish of strange heterogeneouscomposition, for wliich, not all his rhetoric could give us a relish.It was an olio, consisting of rancid butter, various vegetables, rice,spices, and fa pork : a meat against which, our experience in thiscountry, had inspired us with an invincible prejudice.The fermentedinfusion, called Chong, was more acceptable, and we drank of itplentifully.