After drinking a dish of tea, cups of mutton hashed and of pounded rice and mutton boiled to a jelly were set before us, of which I ate heartily. Then a joint of mutton boiled and another roasted, upon the same wooden plate, were served up to each. The meat was tough and sinewy, but the Lama presently sent me a leg of most excellent boiled mutton off his own plate, and smilingly beckoned to me to eat of it. When we had finished our repast, the Sopon Chumbo distributed the fruits, sweetmeats, &c., according to a list which he held in his hand, sending some of them to people without the palace, and the rest to the guests. Mine were all upon silver dishes. Then everybody retired.
The Lama went up by a back stair to visit the new apartments, and carried me along with him. He went first into the gallery, which is on the same floor with my room, and walking up to the image of the god Sakya, which is in the middle, fell down three times before it. I may as well describe this temple while I am here.
It contains thirteen gigantic figures, which would be about eight feet high standing; but they are all, except the image of the god of war-and another, sitting cross-legged. They are of copper gilt, holding a pot with flowers or fruit in their lap. They are represented covered with mantles, and crowns or mitres on their heads; and altogether, particularly the drapery, are far from being badly executed. The thrones upon which they sit are also of copper gilt, adorned with turquoises, cornelians, and other stones ‘not of inestimable value. The mouldings and ornaments of the thrones are in a good style. Behind each figure the wall is covered with a piece of carved work, like unto the heavy gilt frames of our forefathers’ portraits, or looking-glasses. Behind them are china vases, some of them very handsome, loads of china and glass ware, the last partly Chinese, partly European, filled with grain, fruit, or gum flowers; a variety of shells, large chanks set in silver, some ostrich eggs, cocoanuts, cymbals, and a variety of other articles, making a most heterogeneous figure. Round the necks of the images are strings of coral, ill-shaped pearls, cornelian, agate, and other stones, and their crowns are set with the like ornaments. The ceiling of the gallery is covered with satins of a variety of patterns,
