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

; were32 BOOTAN.announced the Soobah's return. He came surrounded with a numerouscrowd, clad in various coloured habits, and we walked together tothe bottom of the stone slope, opposite to his house, where we mountedour horses.When the party was arranged in regular order, the cavalcadewas by no means contemptible. In front were carried, on bamboopoles, five white flags; two staves immediately Ibilowed, on which'fastened shreds of silk of various colours, blue, red, yellow, andwhite, in alternate rows from the top to a foot and a half downward:the bearers kept constantly twirling these in their hands.Seven younggirls with loose hair went next, chanting, in a sort of religious tone, as/ we advanced: they were led with a slow and solemn pace by the Lama,or chief priest,in a deep crowned cap of clotted wool, and a scarletvest, riding on a Tangun horse.Two Zeenkaubs followed, and immediatelyafter came the Soobah, dressed in a vest of blue satin, withgold embroidery, and a garnet-coloured shawl, one end of which passingunder his right arm, was thrown negligently with the other over theleft shoulder. The crown of his hat was shaped after the Europeanfashion, and the brims were three or four inches broad.The top of thehat was decorated with a crest of yellow metal, which in shapeboresome resemblance to a leaf. After him rode two priests, with capssimilar to those of the Lama*.I followed next, with Mr. Saunders, anda number of attendants :Mr. Davis was lame, and could not go.The road was very steep and narrow, and our horses were frequentlyobliged to halt to recover their wind, as well as to relax the tone of theirmuscles ; for it was with the greatest exertion that they scrambled up.When we gained the summit, the girls, who had preceded us, weredrawn up in a row, and sung to us after their manner, as we passed them,