Page:Narratives of the mission of George Bogle to Tibet.djvu/332

Rh through Nepal, and as he knew that the Deb Rajah did not allow a free trade through his dominions, I begged to know by what road they could go. He said that formerly Deb Judhur would not suffer the Tibet people to trade into his country; that the Bhutanese as well as the inhabitants of Demo Jong's country lying between Pari-jong and Murung, were oppressive and lawless, so that merchants lay at their mercy. I begged leave to represent to him that I had found them very honest and peaceable; as I knew his influence over the Bhutanese I made no doubt but he could procure their permission for a free trade. He observed that the present Deb Rajah was an old man, and spoke not very respectfully of him, but added that he would write to him on the subject, and I might be assured of his exerting himself in the business I was sent upon. It was late and I took my leave.

The Lama sent for me on the 6th December, and delivered me some letters from Calcutta and Bahar. At his desire I opened them in his presence. He inquired what news, and particularly if there was anything said about the Gorkha Rajah. I told him there was not. "Because," said he, "his forces are employed in attacking Demo Jong, whose country is in the neighbourhood of Bengal. They have surrounded it; the Gorkha Rajah has trained Sepoys after the English manner, and given them muskets; but I am told they are not good marksmen, and do not hit above once in a hundred times." I said I had been told in the Deb Rajah's country that the Gorkha Rajah was somewhere on the borders of Tibet. Says he, "They must have meant Demo Jong's dominions, which are subject to Lhasa. O," says he, "I have just now a letter from the Deb Rajah. He is in a sad plight about Deb Judhur, having heard that he was about to return to invade the country, and he writes me by all means to detain him." After this he inquired about lightning in Bengal. He said in Tibet the thunderbolts are sometimes of stone or iron, and then showed me a knife, with an open-worked handle of steel and gold, with several heads carved upon it, and some Chinese characters on the blade, which he said had fallen from the clouds. It was almost the only part of all his conversations that was marvellous. He asked me many questions, but it is endless putting them down. As he had