Page:Narratives of the mission of George Bogle to Tibet.djvu/204

24 on the day on which it was slain, and being generally allowed to carry their effects along with them, may be considered among the most opulent class of inhabitants. Deb Seklu, after a prosperous reign of eighteen years, named his successor, and spent the rest of his days in this peaceful retirement.

One day we ascended the high mountain. We set out early in the morning, and reached the summit at about three o'clock. The palace of Tassisudon with its gilded turrets, the windings of the Chinchu with its wooden bridges, the fields below covered with rice and with villages, the tops of distant mountains, and the lofty castles of fakirs formed the prospect. We met with some wild cherries and one currant bush, and got down after it was dark.

The Deb Rajah was absent on our arrival. His return to Tassisudon was in this wise. At about ten o'clock the balconies of the palace were covered with priests, who are all clad in red cloth, the manufacture of Bhutan; and 4 long brass trumpets, 6 castanets, 4 tabors, and 4 fifes were sounded at intervals. At eleven, 30 match-locks were fired on the road he was to pass, and the salute was repeated when he came up to them. The procession consisted of 12 led horses; 120 men dressed in red, with blue solitaires; 30 matchlock men; 30 archers; 30 horses laden with cloths and other furniture; 40 men on horseback, some of them with bushy caps; the chief dewan, with a bushy party-coloured standard; 6 musicians; the Deb Rajah on horseback, covered with a scarlet cloak, a large yellow hat like a cardinal's, a choura burdar on each side of him, and behind a man carrying a small white silk umbrella with different coloured fringes. As they came near the palace everybody except the Rajah alighted; the men with bushy caps pulled them off, and walked up to the gate. At different parts of the road which he had to pass, fires were lighted, and the people prostrated themselves before him. In the whole cavalcade there were about 400 persons.

Two days afterwards the Deb Rajah sent for me. If there is any satisfaction in being gazed at, I had enough of it. I dare to