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

T I ii ET. 329to the Governor General. I now received the visits of many friends,who had sliewn me much civility during my residence here, and bytheir kind attention had relieved the soHtary gloom of the monastic life1 led, which indeed, except that I was exempt from daily attendanceupon the sacred duties, to which the Gylongs were obliged by theirvows, was equally dull and uniform. But I could not be insensibleof the obliging and attentive assiduity with which allwho had accesswithin the monastery, attempted to beguile my time : either by variousconversation, by instructionin their language, or by amusino- mewith the games of which they had any knowledge. Amongst these,chess held a distinguished place, and here I often met with a skilfulantagonist.I commenced my return towards Bengal, on Tuesday, the 2d ofDecember. The last visits of friendship and ceremony detained meat Teshoo Loomboo till the morning was far advanced ; and it waspast ten o'clock when I quitted the palace. I could not, however, bidadieu to the place, till, in conformity with the custom of these regions,I had bound a white silk scarf round the capitals of each of the fourcolumns, that stood within the apartment I had occupied. I stoppednot, to examine nicely, the obligations to this ceremony. If it weremeant as a tribute of gratitude, itwas certainly due to the comfortableaccommodation this dwelling had afforded me. If ii were the solemndesignation of a long farewell, it equally accorded with my state ofmind at the moment.Having descended to the street, we found our horses saddled atthedoor, and a multitude of beggars assembled round them.Our conduc-