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

;TIBET. 299the long continuance of dry ^v•eathel obstructs the navigation of otherchannels of the river. But this passage is never to be attempted withoutlocal knowledge, and a sufficient supply of fresh provisions, bothof water and food, for neither is to be obtained within these wilds.Infinite dangers are also spread over this inhospitable space, which isbeset with the most savage and ferocious both of the human and thebrute creation.It abounds also with pirates, who lie in wait along its channels, inlow, long, narrow boats, with from thirty to sixty oars, which glidealong with such velocity, that few who traverse these channels in othervessels, can escape from their pursuit. To land here, is totally out ofthe question, in any case ; for the royal tiger is found to reign solesovereign of these wilds ;which, though clothed with the most exuberantvegetation, offer no habitation suited to the purposes of man.They are visited, however, by some inhabitants of the borders, wliohere follow the profitable, but dangerous, occupation of cutting woodin which if, by some unlucky accident, they disturb the slumbers ofthe savage tyrant, who has possession of these wilds, they pay for theirtemerity, with the forfeit of their lives.But the frequency of such disasters,deters not others from the pursuit of gain ;and from hence, thepopulous city of Calcutta isconstantly supplied witli fuel, as from anexhaustless mine ; no visible impression being made upon its stoclc.The growth of one season, such isthe quickness of vegetation, fullyreplaces the consumption of the former year; and Bengal is henceassured, of an inexhaustible supply of this grand article in the economyof human fife.Qq