188 PHItOS&PHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 177/. 



themselves between the integuments of the abdomen, and came through the 

 other openings. About the middle of February 1776, the discharge of the 

 excrements by these openings was sensibly diminished; and the wounds were all 

 healed, except one, by the latter end of the year, through which a small quan- 

 tity of excrements still continued to pass now and then. Her health had sur- 

 prizingly improved; she was at the above date very fleshy and strong, had the 

 catamenia, and Mr. F. had the greatest reason to expect that she would be per- 

 fectly cured. Strict regard was all along paid to the non-naturals. 



Subjoined to this account is the attestation of the clergyman of the parish. 



XXV. An Account of the Kingdom of Thibet. By John Stewart, Esq., F. R. S. 



p. 465. 



The kingdom of Thibet, though known by name ever since the days of Marco 

 Paolo and other travellers of the \1t\\ and 13th centuries, had never been pro- 

 perly explored by any European till the present period. It is true, some 

 straggling missionaries of the begging orders had, at diff^erent times, penetrated 

 into different parts of the country; but their observations, directed by ignorance 

 and superstition, placed in a narrow sphere, could give no ideas but what were 

 false and imperfect. Since them, the Jesuits have given the world, in Duhalde's 

 History of China, a short account of this country, collected with their usual 

 pains and judgment, from Tartar relations, which, as far as it goes, seems to 

 be pretty just. 



This country commonly passes in Bengal under the name of Boutan. It lies 

 to the northward of Hindostan, and is all along separated from it by a range of 

 high and steep mountains, properly a continuation of the great Caucasus, which 

 stretches from the ancient Media and the shores of the Caspian sea, round the 

 north-east frontiers of Persia, to Candahar and Cassamire, and thence, con- 

 tinuing its course more easterly, forms the great northern barrier to the various 

 provinces of the Mogol empire, and ends, as we have reason to believe, in 

 Assam or China. This stupendous Tartar bulwark had ever been held 

 impassable by the Mogols, and all other Mussulams conquerors of India; and 

 though in the vallies lying between the lower mountains, which run out per- 

 pendicular to the main ridge, where reside various Indian people, whom they 

 had occasionally made tributary to their power, they never had attempted a 

 solid or permanent dominion over them. It was on occasion of a disputed 

 succession between the heirs of one of the Rajah's or petty sovereigns of those 

 people, that the Boutaners were called down from their mountains to the 

 assistance of one of the parties; and our government engaged on the opposite 

 side. The party assisted by us did not fail in the end to prevail; and in the 

 course of this little war two people became acquainted who, though near neigh- 



