ipS I'HILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [anno 1777. 



fleeces, for the fineness, length, and beauty of the wool, exceed all others in 

 the world. The Cassemirians engross this article, and have factors established 

 for its purchase in every part of Thibet, whence it is sent to Cassemire, where 

 it is worked up, and becomes of great wealth to that country, as well as it is 

 originally to Thibet. 



Musk is another of their staple articles, of which it will be needless to say 

 much, as the nature, quality, and value, of this precious commodity are so well 

 known in Europe. The deer which produces it is common in the mountains; 

 but being excessively shy, and frequenting solely the places the most wild and 

 difficult of access, it becomes a trade of great trouble and danger to hunt after. 

 We have the musk sent down to Calcutta in the natural bag, not without great 

 risk of its being adulterated; but still it is far superior to any thing of the kind 

 that is to be met with in sale in Europe. 



The last of the articles which I reckon staple, is gold, of which great quan- 

 tities are exported from Thibet. It is found in the sands of the Great River, as 

 well as in most of the small brooks and torrents that pour from the mountains. 

 The quantity gathered in this manner, though considerable with respect to 

 national gain, pays the individual but very moderately for the labour bestowed on 

 it. But, besides this, there are mines of that metal in the northern parts, 

 which are the reserved property of the Lama, and rented out to those who work 

 them. It is not found in ore, but always in a pure metallic state (as I believe 

 it to be the case in all other mines of this metal) and only requires to be sepa- 

 rated from the spar, stone, or flint, to which it adheres. Mr. Hastings had a 

 lump sent to him at Calcutta, of about the size of a bullock's kidney, which 

 was a hard flint veined with solid gold. He caused it to be sawed in two, and it 

 was found throughout interlarded, as it were with the purest metal. Though 

 they have this gold in great plenty at Thibet, they do not employ it in coin, of 

 which their government never strikes any; but it is still used as a medium of 

 commerce, and goods are rated there by the purse of gold, as here by money. 

 The Chinese draw it from them to a great amount every year, in return for the 

 produce of their labour and arts. I hope the society will accept as a rarity the 

 translation of the original letter which the Tayshoo Lama wrote to Mr. Hastings, 

 by the envoy whom he sent to solicit a peace for the Deb Rajah. It came into 

 my hands in the course of my office, and by the permission of the governor- 

 general I retained a copy. 



Translation of a Letter from the Tayshoo Lama to Mr. Hastings, Governor of 

 Bengal, received the 2Qth of March, \77^- 



"The affairs of this quarter in every respect flourish: I am night and day 

 employed for the increase of your happiness and prosperity. Having been 

 informed, by travellers from our quarter, of your exalted fame and reputation, 



