2l6 AN ACCOUNT OF 



Poorungeer, during his refidence at Tee/Jioo Looviboo^ 

 bad very frequent interviews with the Regent and the 

 Minifters, and afTures me, he found the heartiefi difpo- 

 Ctions in them to encourage the commercial intercourfe 

 eftablifhed under the aufpices of the late Governor- 

 General, whofe departure, however, the Regent re- 

 gretted, as the lofs of the firft friend and ally he be- 

 came connected with, of, I believe it may be faid, any 

 foreign nation ; in whom was acknowledged alfo the 

 original means of opening the communication, and of 

 commencing a correfpondence, between the Govern- 

 ments of Bengal and Tibet; and although it may be 

 obfervcd that, in confequence of his having, from the 

 beginning, been ufed exclufively to addrefs himfelf to, 

 and acknowledge alone the agents of, Mr. Hajlings^ 

 his attachments to the Englijh nation had grown not 

 without a great degree of perfonality ; yet, free from 

 an unworthy capricioufnefs of temper, he defcended 

 not to take advantage of the opening offered by his 

 friend's departure to clofe the new connection. For 

 fuch was the refpeCt he had learnt to entertain for our 

 national integrity of character,, that, under the apparent 

 conviction our views tended to no fcheme of ambition, 

 but were confined merely to objects of utility and cu- 

 riofity, Poorungeer allures me, he ex pre fled an anxious 

 defire for continuing with the fucceeding Governor- 

 General, the exercife of thofe offices of friendfhip fo 

 long fupported by his predeceffor ; and in the hope 

 that his would be met with equal wifhes, determined 

 to invite you to join him in preferving the fame inter- 

 courfe of commerce i.nd correfpondence, fo eflentially 

 calculated for the benefit of both countries. In con- 

 fequence of which, the Lama and the Regent addreffed 

 the letters Poorungeer had the honour to deliver to 

 you; tranflations of which having, in obedience to your 

 directions, been applied for to your Perfian translator, 

 I now fubjoin them. 



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