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

TIBET. 285together, on any occasion, for the business of gratifying one of the mostintrusive demands of our nature. They have, in consequence, no statedtimes for their meals, but eat when hunger calls for gratification.Tocontribute to reheve the cravings of thirst isallowed, indeed, to be ameritorious act ;and hence tea, according to tlieir miscellaneous modeof preparing it, and ckong, or arra, are ser\'ed up to visitors, asa repast, at all times of the day ; when first they arrive, and commonlybefore the conclusion of a visit. I soon learnt to considerthis as a salutary hint to tedious visitors, like the practice of presentingattar of roses, and pawn, in Hindostan, by way of signal,not to prolong their stay.Pawn' is a preparation of an aromatic plantcalled Beetel, in India, the Piper Betel of Linnaeus, two or three greenleaves of which are used as an envelope to cover a variety of ingredients,some of a warm, and pungent'', others of a rough, astringentnature"^; together with a portion of Kut**, and shell lime; which latteris added to exalt the flavour, at the same time tliat it greatly heightensthe property which this preparation possesses, of giving a more ruddycolour to the mouth and lips. It is all together called Pawn.Among the numerous excellencies attributed to this compound, ithasthe credit of promoting digestion, of relieving flatulency, and being inthe highest degree stomachic ; it also strongly perfumes the breath,impresses a grateful flavom on the palate, and by its pungency excitesthirst, at the same time that it imparts the highest zest to the gratificationof it.' Tambuli, Sanscrit. See Wilkins's Heetopades of Veeshnoo Sarma, p. 220.* Cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon. ' Sooparee, areca catechu.* Terrajaponica Jinspissated juice of the C'hadira, a species of Mimosa.