470 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



farther north, and the breadth is in 

 many places very inconsiderable. — 

 The embassy will probably produce 

 some very important corrections in 

 the geography of that part of Asia, 

 particularly in the origin and course 

 of the rivers which water the 

 eastern peninsula : but we forbear 

 to state them, because they appear 

 still to require future elucidation. 



An Account of an Embassy to the 

 Coil rt of Teeshoo Lama, in Tibet ; 

 containing a Narrative of a Jour- 

 ney through Bootan, and Part of 

 Tibet; by Captain SamuelTnrn- 

 er. To which are added Viervs 

 tal-en on the Spot, by Lieutenant 

 Samuel Davis; and Observations 

 Botanical, Mineralogical, and 

 Medical, by Mr. Robert Saund- 

 ers, 4/0, 1800. 



TH E present work, is an instance 

 of the assiduity of Mr. Has- 

 tings, whilst governor-general of 

 India, in enlarging the commercial 

 interest of the company by every 

 possible means. No attempts to 

 establish an intercourse with Bootan 

 and Tibet had been made, pre- 

 vious to that of Mr. Boyle, who 

 had been appointed by Mr. Has- 

 tings, and whose success, both from 

 the general character of the man, as 

 well as from the partiality of Tee- 

 shoo Lama, would in all probabi- 

 lity have been complete, had not 

 the death of both, nearly at the same 

 time conspired to throw very seri- 

 ous difficulties in the way. As 

 soon, however, as the re-animation 

 of the Lama was notified to the go- 

 vernor, he prepared a second em- 

 bassy ; for which purpose captain 

 Turner, the author of the present 

 volume, was nominated, and ac- 

 ■eordingly took his departure in the 



beginning of the year 1783. An 

 account of the customs, manners, 

 laws, religious ceremonies, and 

 establishments, independent of the 

 dangers and difficulties arisingfrom 

 travelling in a country so little 

 known, must naturally furnish am- 

 ple materials for instruction as well 

 as entertainment. Every nation 

 has its peculiarities, and much may 

 be gleaned from the most remote 

 and unpolished as well as from the 

 more refined and enlightened. It 

 had been the policy of the Bootans 

 and Tibetians (as it naturally is of 

 all weak and cowardly kingdoms), 

 to prevent any intercourse with 

 other states, as their only means of 

 defence. Great caution was there- 

 fore requisite on the part of captain 

 Turner to avoid exciting their jea- 

 lousy, by shewing any eager desire 

 to examine into the internal state of 

 their government, which might 

 have awakened either the fears 

 or suspicions of the people, and ren- 

 dered the whole plan abortive ; 

 and indeed he seems to have con- 

 ducted himself with great prudence 

 and discretion, and to have fully 

 justified the trust that was reposed 

 in him ; and there appears no 

 doubt, from the perusal of the nar- 

 rative, that a regular barter and in- 

 tercourse would have been esta- 

 blished between the two countries, 

 but from circumstances which oc- 

 curred after his return, entirely 

 unforeseen, and with which he was 

 by no means concerned. After 

 having given this preliminary ac- 

 count, we shall offer such extracts 

 as appears to us instructive or amu- 

 sing, and which may be most ex- 

 pressive of the character of the peo- 

 ple and customs of the country. 



The tliree first chapters contain 

 little or uotliing wortbv of men- 



