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

;176 BOOT AN.by its hospitable keeper, who had spread carpets on the ground, and madrsome preparations for our refreshment. His hospitahty was highlyacceptable.Our Tibet friends gave a preference to the buttered teabut we chose the infusion of rice, and drank deeply from a cauldronof it, around which we sat upon the sod. Our grooms, and otherhumble attendants, imitated the example, forming different groups, inwhich their cups and pipes very cheerfully circulated.This halt afforded us an opportunity of reviewing the way we hadpassed.Though there was an astonishingly deep hollow between, yetwe could plainly distinguish the path that led us yesterday over thetop of Pomaela ; and the large monastery above Symtoka, seen fromTassisudon, was also visible. On the opposite side lay the valley ofParo, exhibiting a most luxuriant verdure, not unfrequently broken bythe appearance of populous villages, whilst the river Patchieu glidedthrough it,in a variety of picturesque and beautiful windings.We put up our cups, and rose to descend towards Paro, ourcompanions the Tibetians having now smoked their pipes, and disposedof the last dregs of their tea, as well as the rich skum thatfloats upon its surface : this is usually blown aside in drinking, tobe mixed with malt meal, and well kneaded with the fingers into around ball, by way of conclusion of the feast. We proceeded somedistance before the castle came in view : it was situated near the footof the mountain, about nine miles from Paimaitong, overlooking andcommanding a bridge stretched across the Patchieu. It is a handsomesquare building of stone, ornamented in the centre with agrided canopy, in the manner of all the Raja's palaces. This is