26 HISTORY OF SIKHIM AND ITS RULERS. 



with Ledea-se's daughter is pointed out as proving Thothub and 

 Tinle are legitimate brothers, and so both of the Royal family, 

 polyandry being permissible under Tibetan law. The real facts as 

 to Tinle's parentage have been given above. 



Raja Thothub up to 1884 remained in Sikhim and refused to 

 have anything to do with the girl, but in 1885 the influence of Tinle 

 became too great, especially as the Deputy Commissioner himself 

 approved of his going to Chumbi to learn what was being done 

 regarding the dispute between Bhutan and Tibet and the interruptions 

 to trade. Accordingly Raja Thothub went over to Chumbi nomi- 

 nally to pay his respects to the Shafe Rampa. Subsequently the Raja 

 was requested to remain at Chumbi, while the Macaulay Mission was 

 in progress in 1886. In that year, after the stoppage of the Macaulay 

 Mission, the Tibetans advanced into Sikhim and built a fort at Lingtu 

 which they persistently refused to evacuate. The Raja remained at 

 Chumbi, notwithstanding the remonstrances of the Indian Govern- 

 ment and the stoppage of his pension, until December 1887, when he 

 returned to Gantok, in the'meantime having made an agreement with 

 the Tibetans at a place called Galing. In March 188S the Sikhim 

 Expeditionary Force was sent against Lingtu, which the Tibetans 

 were compelled to evacuate, and in September the campaign ended 

 with the complete expulsion of the Tibetans across the Jelep. 



In December 1888 the Chinese Resident, His Excellency Sheng 

 Tai, arrived at Gnatong, and negotiations were opened with a view 

 to a settlement of the Sikhim-Tibetan dispute, but were unsuccessful, 

 and so were formally broken off on the 11th January 1889. 



On the arrival in Darjeeling of Mr. James H. Hart, of the 

 Chinese Imperial Customs Service, fresh attempts at the solution of 

 our difficulties were made, and after long interchange of views, nego- 

 tiations were re-opened towards the close of 1889, and resulted in 

 the convention signed in Calcutta on the 17th March 1890. 



In June 1889 Mr. J. C. White, Executive Engineer, was appoint- 

 ed Assistant Political Officer at Gantok to advise and assist the 

 Maharaja in his administration of the country. A representative 

 Council selected from the chief men in Sikhim was also established 

 with the same view. 



Good roads have been opened from Pedong in British territory to 

 the Jelep pass and to Tumloug, properly bridged throughout. Iron 

 bridges have also been constructed across the Tista, the Rungeet and 

 other streams, and communication throughout Sikhim has been very 

 gieatly improved. 



