IQ4: ' PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1777- 



nary purposes; and they trust altogether for warmth in their houses to their furs 

 and other clothing. The Lama, who is completely conversant in what regards 

 Tartary, China, and all the kingdoms in the east, was exceedingly inquisitive 

 about Europe, its politics, laws, arts, and sciences, government, commerce, 

 and military strength; on all which heads Mr. Bogle endeavoured to satisfy him; 

 and actually compiled for his service a brief state of Europe in the Hindostan 

 language, which he ordered to be translated into that of Thibet. The Russian 

 empire was the only one in Europe known to him: he has a high idea of its 

 riches and strength, and had heard of its wars and success against the empire of 

 Rome, for so they call the Turkish state, but could not conceive it could be in 

 anywise a match for Cathay. Many of the Tartar subjects of Russia come to 

 Thibet; and the Czar has even, at various times, sent letters and presents to the 

 Lama. Mr. Bogle saw many European articles in his hands; pictures, looking- 

 glasses, and trinkets of gold, silver, and steel, chiefly English, which he had 

 received that way, particularly a Graham's repeating watch, which had been 

 dead, as they said, for some time. While he was there, several Mongols and 

 Calmucs arrived from Siberia, with whom he conversed. 



The city of Lahassa, which is the capital, is of no inconsiderable size, and is 

 represented as populous and flourishing. It is the residence of the chief officers, 

 of government, and of the Chinese mandarins and their suite. It is also 

 inhabited by Chinese and Cassemirian merchants and artificers, and is the daily 

 resort of numberless traders from all quarters, who come in occasional parties, 

 or in stated caravans. The waters of the Great River, as it is emphatically 

 called in their language, wash its walls. Father Duhalde, with great accuracy, 

 traces this river, which he never suspects to be the Barampooter, from its origin 

 in the Cassemirian mountains (probably from the same spring which gives rise to 

 the Ganges) through the great valley of Thibet, till, turning suddenly to the 

 southward, he loses it in the kingdom of Assam; but still, with great judgment 

 and probability of conjecture, supposes it reaches the Indian sea somewhere in 

 Pegu or Aracan. The truth is however, that it turns suddenly again in the 

 middle of Assam, and traversing that country westerly, enters Bengal towards 

 Rangamatty, vmder the abovementioned name, and thence bending its course 

 more southerly, joins the Ganges, its sister and rival, with an equal, if not 

 more copious stream ; forming at the conflux a body of running fresh water, 

 hardly to be paralleled in the known world, which disembogues itself into the 

 Bay of Bengal. Two such rivers uniting in this unhappy country, with all the 

 beauty, fertility, and convenience which they bring, well entitles it to the 

 name of the Paradise of Nations, always bestowed on it by the Moguls. 



The chief trade from Lahassa to Pekin is carried on by caravans, that employ 

 full 2 years in the journey thither and back again ; which is not surprising, when 



