ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



471 



tion ; the different stages, and some 

 other trivial matters. In the fourth, 

 we are conducted to Tussisudon, the 

 capital of Bootan, and meet with 

 the following account of the recep- 

 tion of Mr. Turner and suite by the 

 Daeb Raja. ' We were first con- 

 ducted to a large apartment on the 

 west side of the great square of the 

 palace, where the three principal 

 officers had assembled to receive us. 

 Here we rested until one of them, 

 who went to announce our arrival, 

 returned to usher us into the pre- 

 sence of the Daeb We followed 

 him, the other officers accompany- 

 ing us, through several passages, 

 and up a number of lofty ladders, 

 which connected tlie different 

 floors, till at length we arrived at 

 the elevated station occupied by the 

 raja, near the summit of the citadel. 

 After a short pause upon thelanding- 

 place, the door was thrown open, 

 and we were ushered into a small, 

 but well-proportioned room, having 

 on the west-side an arched balcony 

 with sliding curtains, being the only 

 aperture for the admission of light, 

 immediately opposite to the door by 

 which we entered, and before 

 which a skreen projectednearly one- 

 third of the breadth of the room. — 

 The remaining space on the wall, 

 beyond the skreen,. was decorated 

 with the portraits, wrought in silk, 

 of some champions of their faith, as 

 stiff and formal as any heroes that 

 ever appeared in tapestry. The 

 walls of the room were coloured 

 with blue, and the arches of the 

 balcony, pillars, doors, &c. were 

 painted with vermillion, and orna- 

 mented witb gilding. The raja 

 was habited in a deep garnet-co- 

 loured cloth, and sat cross-legged 

 upon a pile of cushions, in the re- 

 motest corner of the room, with the 



balcony upon his right hand. Upon 

 his left side stood a cabinet of dimi- 

 nutive idols, and a variety of con- 

 secrated trinkets. Close upon his 

 right was placed an escrutoire, for 

 the deposit of papers required to be 

 at hand; and before him was a 

 small painted bench, to place his 

 tea-cup on, and answering all the 

 other purposes of a table. We 

 each advanced, presenting, one after 

 another, a white silk scarf, or long 

 narrow piece of pelong, fringed at 

 both ends (as is the custom in those 

 countries), to the raja, who, keep- 

 ing his seat all the time, took them 

 in his hand, and passed them to his 

 zempi. I delivered also into his 

 hand the governor-general's dis- 

 patches, which he received with a 

 smile upon his countenance, looking 

 upon them, and nodding with a 

 slow motion of the head several 

 times, before he laid them upon the 

 bench before him. On the other 

 side of the room were placed, im- 

 mediately opposite to the raja, three 

 separate piles of cushions; the raja, 

 extending his arm, pointed to them, 

 and at the same time, with his 

 hand, directed us to be seated.' 



After a short conversation, tea, 

 which is in general use, was intro- 

 duced, which the zempi, or cup- 

 bearer, as amongst the Medes and 

 Persians, first tasted, to prevent any 

 suspicion of poison, and then poured 

 out to the raja. 



From this description of the court 

 and officers, it cannot be expected 

 that there should be much grandeur 

 or magnificence among the subjects. 

 The country is mountainous, bold, 

 romantic, ornamented by streams, 

 abounding: with fish, and lakes fre- 

 quented by wild fowl; thesoil inge- 

 neral, and particularly in the valley 

 ofTussisudon,isfruitful,andadapted 



