The Hon'ble Mr. W. W. Rockhill's
Description of the Present Dalai Lama.
"Concerning the Dalai Lama Thub-tan Gya-tsho himself, I passed a week with him
during his residence at the Wut'ai Shan ( ^'^'^ in the Province of Shansi), and I saw him repeatedly during his stay in Peking. He is a man of undoubted intelligence and ability, of quick understanding and of force of character. He is broad-minded, possibly as a result of his varied experiences during the last few years, and of great natural dignity. He seemed deeply impressed with the great responsibilities of his office as Supreme Pontiff of his faith, more so, perhaps, than those resulting from his temporal duties. He is quick tempered and impulsive, but cheerful and kindly. At all times I found him a most thoughtful host, an agreeable talker and extremely courteous. He speaks rapidly and smoothly, but in a very low voice. He is short in stature and of slight build. His complexion is rather darker than that of the Chinese, and of a ruddier brown; his face, which is not very broad, is pitted with small-pox, but not deeply. It lights up most pleasantly when he smiles and shows his teeth, which are sound and white. In repose his face is impressive, and rather haughty and forbidding. His nose is small and slightly aquiltive, his ears large, but well set on his head. His eyes are dark brown and rather large and with considerable obliquity, and his eye-brows heavy and rising markedly towards the temples, giving him a very heavy narquois and wordly expression, which is further emphasized by his moustache and the small mouche under his lip. His hands are small and well shaped; on his left wrist he usually carried a rosary of "Red Sandalwood" beads with silver counters. When walking, he moves quickly, but he does not hold himself erect, a result of passing most of his life seated cross-legged on cushions. His usual dress is the same dark red one worn by all Lamas, with a waist-coat of gold brocade and a square of the same material covering his Chab-lu, (badge of the Gelug-pa Yellow-Cap Sect of Tibet), and hanging down below his waist in front."
I received the ^'l'^ benediction from His Holiness on June 10th, in 1882, at a religious service held on the topmost floor of Potala (see my description of it in page 17 Appendix VI.)
