Page:Narratives of the mission of George Bogle to Tibet.djvu/174

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LETTER FROM THE TESHU LAMA.
[Ch. I.

prosperity, Having been informed by travellers from your quarter of your exalted fame and reputation, my heart, like the blossom of spring, abounds with gaiety,^ gladness, and joy; praise^ that the star of your fortune is in its ascension ; praise * that happiness and ease are the surrounding attendants of myself and family. Neither to molest nor persecute is my aim; it is even the characteristic of my sect to deprive ourselves of the necessary refreshment of sleep, should an injury be done to a single individual. But in justice and humanity I am informed you far surpass us. May you ever adorn the seat of justice and power, that mankind may, under the shadow of your bosom, enjoy the blessings of happiness and ease. By your favour, I am the Rajah and Lama of this country, and rule over numbers of subjects, a particular^ with which you have no doubt been made acquainted by travellers from these parts. I have been repeatedly informed that you have been engaged in hostilities against the Deb Judhur,'" to which, it is said, the Deb's own criminal conduct, in committing ravages and other outrages on your frontiers, has given rise. As he is of a rude and ignorant race (past times are not destitute of instances of the like misconduct,^^ which his own avarice tempted him to commit), it is not unlikely that he has now renewed those instances ; and the ravages and plunder which he may have committed on the skirts of the Bengal and Bahar provinces have given you provocation to send your vindictive ^* army against him. However,^^ his party has been defeated, many of his people have been killed, three forts^® have been taken from him, and he has met with the punishment he deserved ; and it is as evident as the sun your army has been victorious, and that, if you had been desirous of it, you might, in the space of two days, have entirely extirpated him, for he had not power to resist your efforts. But I now take upon

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Dalim-kotta, Chichakotta, and Buxa. The last was taken by Lieutenant Dickinson and "young Purling," of the Warren Hastings correspondence, who lost some men in the retreat, owing to the indiscretion of a native officer. This man would fight the Bhutanese,who rolled down stones on the rear-guard.