A JOURNEY TO TIBET. 211 



mation of real utility. I fhal! therefore, without fur- 

 ther apology, fubjoin the refult of my enquiries, pre- 

 mifing only, that my authority for the delcription is 

 derived principally from Poorungeer, and confirmed, 

 with fome additional particulars, by the concurring 

 reports of a Goffeyn who was at that time himfeli pre* 

 fent on the fpot. 



The Emperor of China appears, on this occafion, to 

 have ailumed a very conlpicuous part, in giving teltn 

 mony of his refpetl and zeal for the great religious 

 Father of his Faith. Early in the year 1784, he dif- 

 patched AmbafTadors from the court of Pekin to Tee- 

 Jhoo Lcomboo, to repreftnt their Sovereign in fupport- 

 ing the dignity of the High Prieft, and do honor to 

 the occafion of the aflumption of his office. Dalai 

 Lama, and the Viceroy of Lajfa, accompanied by all 

 the court, one of the Chinefe Generals ftationed at LaJ/a, 

 with a part of the troops under his command, two of 

 the four magiftrates of the city, the heads of every mo- 

 naftery throughout Tibet, and the Emperor's AmbafTa- 

 dors, appeared at TeeJJioo Loomboo to celebrate this 

 epocha in their theological inftitutions. The 28th day 

 of the feventh moon, correfponding nearly, as their 

 year commences with the vernal equinox, to the middle 

 of Oclober, 1784, was choien as the moft aufpicious lor 

 the ceremony of inauguration ; a few days previous to 

 which the Lama was conducted from Terpalmg, the 

 Monaftery in which he had paffed his infancy, with 

 every mark of pomp and homage that could be paid 

 by an enthufiaftic people. So great a concourfe, as 

 affembled either from curiofity or devotion, was never 

 feen before; for not a perlon of any condition in Tibet 

 was abfent who could join the fuite. The procefiion 

 was hence neceffarily conltrained to move fo (low. that 

 though Terpaling is fituated at the dillance of twenty 

 miles only from TceJIwo Loomboo, three days expired in 

 the performance of this fliort match. The fipft halt was 



made 



