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

24 BOOTAN.We were now within half a mile of Buxadewar.Here, at the footof the lastascent, we were met by a herald who preceded our party,sounding a trumpet ;and when we came near the summit, we werejoined by five mountain nymphs, with jetty flowing tresses, who escortedus with strains of gratulation, as I conceived, into Buxadewar,twenty miles from Chichacotta.The day was far spent ; it was past three o'clock, and we remainedtinder the shade of a tree, until a house was made ready for our reception.After waiting some time in the open air, we were conductedinto a wretched habitation, which impressed us with very unfavourableideas of the attention of our new hosts, either to cleanliness orconvenience.All the Zeenkaubs, and officers in public stations, cameto see us, each presenting a Avhite pelong handkerchief, and offeringcopious draughts of tea, and a spirit extracted from rice, or wheat, bythem called Chong, but to which, as a more familiar appellation, wegave the name of whisky.Chong is a slightly acid and spirituous liquor, extemperaneouslyprepared by the infusion of a mass of grain in a state of fermentation.Wheat, rice, barley, and other kinds of grain, are indiscriminatelymade use of for the purpose.The process employed in the preparation,as well as I could learn, is as follows : to a given quantity ofgrain is added rather more water than will completely cover it, andthe mixtuie is placed over a slow fire till it begins to boil ; it is thentaken up, and the water drained from the grain, which is spread abroadupon mats, or coarse cloths, to cool. When it is cold, a ball of thecomposition, here termed Bakka, (which is the blossom of the CacaliaSaracenica Linnaei, collected and rolled together in small balls), is