ItistUutions qftlie Inltabitants of Boutan. 513 



tired for a while, and came out again with rattles in their hands, instead of 

 tabrets, and continued the same movements until Wizie Rimbochy and 

 his attendants advanced and took another circuit round the square ; the 

 different masks flourishing about at the same time according to their respec- 

 tive characters. The contrast between the graceful figures just described, 

 and those with fiend-like visages, was not unentertaining, and the whole 

 scene, including the spectators who crowded the sides of the square and the 

 galleries, together with the rude noise of the instruments sounding from 

 diflTerent quarters, had a wild and theatrical effect, but not of a nature 

 that could be well initiated on any stage. In the course of the per- 

 formance the Kelidar and several other personages of note, who were on 

 this occasion at Tacissudon, went, and standing in a row made three 

 prostrations before Wizie Rimbochy, as he was seated upon the bench, 

 and presented their handkerchiefs. When the performance had ended, the 

 Rajah, followed by the gylongs, adjourned to one of the largest chapels, 

 and took his seat on a pedestal or throne placed in front of the altar, with 

 Lam Geysey on his right hand and Lam Keb on his left, each on separate 

 seats something lower than that placed for the Rajah. The gylongs 

 squatted in rows upon the floor. What passed here I was not allowed to 

 see, but I understood that the ceremony consisted chiefly of eating and 

 drinking, as the priests came out each with a portion of fruit in his hand. 

 The zeen-caabs were at the same time regaled with liquors in the gallery. 

 They said it was usual for a benediction to be conferred by Wizie Rim- 

 bochy on the multitude, who approach one by one to make their obeisance 

 and to receive it, but on this occasion it was not observed.* 



A festival of the same kind is held at Ponaka, Paragong, and Wandepore, 

 but the Rajah said there is no such dancing used at Thibet. He did not 

 seem willing to enter upon an explanation of what had been exhibited, and 

 theaccount given by others was neither satisfactory nor perfectly intelligible, 

 but by what little could be gathered from them it has an allegorical mean- 

 ing, which refers to some former calamity, when the country was invaded 

 and the inhabitants devoured by monsters, such as they imitate \n mas- 

 querade, commissioned by an adverse deity for this mischievous purpose. 



* The dewan and tlie darogah, with a party of zeen-caabs, patrolled every day round the 

 square while the performances lasted, to maintain orvler. 



