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

TIBET.' 199an extensive suburb, on the north and west sides of Phari: on the southlay a large basin of water;and on the east, a bank of earth projectedto a considerable distance, which seemed to fail with an easy slope,from a level with the rampart, into the plain.The valley of Phari is very extensive, compared \/ith the narrowslips of land we have been used to look at in Bootan. I suppose it tobe not less than ten miles in length, and four in breadth ;surroundedon all sides with low rocky hills. The little soil on this^ as well as onthe other, is incapable of cultivation : it was covered with loose stones,and intersected with numberless water channels.Some of them nowconveyed shallow streams;but the broadest, which have been worn, asIconjecture, by the torrents produced from the sudden thaw of snow,were dry.At the foot of the rocks, on the western border of the plain,was a large brook, flowing towards the south, which they calledMahatchieu; and added, that it had a passage through the hills ofNipal, into Bengal.Tangun horses climb with ease and safety overthe steepest and most rugged roads ; but level land is not so familiarto them : mine fell twice upon the plain, between the last descent andChassa Goombah, where we took up our residence, after a short stageof about eight miles.This is the station of Phari Lama, a dependant of Teshoo Loomboo,who is here a little potentate, being superintendent of a Goombah,or monastery, and governor of a most extensive range of rocks anddeserts, which yield verdure only in the mildest season of the year,when his neighbourhood is frequented by large herds of the longhaired,bushy-tailed cattle : from his character and station, lie has