which is the first village this way on Tashilhunpo soil, we crossed the dry bed of the Chorten Nyima river, forming the boundary, and which I had already passed over on my first journey to Shigatse in 1879.[1] Near here we were overtaken by a violent dust-storm, which hid the whole country from our view and forced us for a while to remain motionless.
Once on Tashilhunpo territory, all my fears of being arrested were over, and I walked on to the village of Tanglung[2] with a light heart. An hour's walk brought us to the door of my old acquaintance, Nabu[3] Wanga, who led me with much ceremony into the best room of his home, apologizing for his not being able to lodge me in his chapel, which was filled with carcasses of sheep and goats drying for winter use.
December 4.—Our host appeared early in the morning to inquire what we required in the way of food for our journey, and Ugyen gave him a list of articles, comprising mutton, barley-meal (tsamba[4]), butter, etc. He also undertook to procure us three ponies, for which I was to pay Rs. 4 each as far as Shigatse. While we were breakfasting a number of old acquaintances came in, bringing me presents of tsamba mutton, butter, and chang. One man, a doctor (amchi), brought a fox-skin cap of ingenious make, which he offered to sell me. It was so contrived that it protected every part of the head, leaving only the eyes and nose exposed, or it could be turned up and used as an ordinary hat.[5]
In the evening Delah Tondub, the head of the militia or village police (yulmag[6]), received an order from Khamba djong, which he brought me to decipher. It was to the effect that he must hold himself and force in readiness to proceed at once to the Lachan boundary, fully equipped with matchlocks, lances, swords, slings, etc.,
- ↑ In 1879 Chandra Das crossed the Chorten nyima la, probably 20 to 30 miles south of tlie village of Tebong (called then by him Thekong). He followed the Chorten nyima river from its source in the mountain of the same name to near its mouth at Tebong, where his route joined the one described in the present narrative.—(W. R.)
- ↑ Or, more correctly, Drang-lung; for he says, in his diary for 1879, that it means "cold valley."—(W. R.)
- ↑ Nabu, or, more correctly, Nabo, means "host, landlord."—(W. R.)
- ↑ Called satu by Anglo-Indian writers. This word is also found in Georgii, 'Alphabetum Tibetanum' (1762), p. 445: "Hordei farinam in jentaculi, pultisque formam subactam Satu communi vocabulo dicunt."—(W. R.)
- ↑ This is the ordinary style of Mongol fur cap, very generally used in Tibet.—(W. R.)
- ↑ On this organization, see chap. vii. p. 180.
