142 Gaurdas Bysack — Buddhistic Monastery at Bhotebdgdn. [March, 



unfortunate journey to the Court of the Chinese emperor, kept a careful 

 and interesting itinerary of it, and supported the advocacy of the honest 

 Lama in bringing about friendly relations between the Pekin Court and 

 the Bengal Government : he returned to Bengal with the Tibetan Regent's 

 Mission, conveying the melancholy intelligence of the Lama's death in 

 1781, from small-pox, in the neighbourhood of Pekin, and succeeded 

 in maintaining the friendly relations between the two Governments ; he 

 accompanied the Turner Mission in 1783, which Hastings had organised 

 by seizing the occasion of a condolence, as well of congratulation on the 

 appearance of an incarnation of the deceased Lama of which he had 

 been apprised by the Teshu Lumbo Court, and helped Captain Turner in 

 obtaining the establishment of an extended commercial intercourse so 

 far as the assent of the Regent could grant it ; and lastly he was him- 

 self made the accredited agent of Hasting's Government to the re- 

 generated Teshu Lama's Court in 1785, in which capacity he proved his 

 ability, honesty and devotion in the same way as on former occasions. 

 With this last service of Puran Gir, terminated the series of Missions 

 which Hastings successively sent to the Cis and Trans-Nevean States. 



It will be seen that the establishment of the Bhotbagan, and the 

 despatch of the Tibet missions with which it is intimately connected 

 owe their origin mainly to the conciliatory policy of Hastings, to the 

 mysterious doctrine of Lama incarnations, and to the faithful service of 

 a Sivite Sanyasi. 



The personal history of this remarkable ascetic has been gathered 

 from the traditions of the Bhotbagan. He was a Brahmana and a dandi, 

 and a follower of Sankaracharya's teachings, he was a young man when 

 he went to Tibet, had fair features, was tall, strong and sinewy, and was a 

 good rider (as stated also by Bogle and Turner). He possessed remark- 

 able intelligence and wisdom and was master of many languages, inclnding 

 Tibetan and Mongolian, a wide range of experience acquired by travel 

 in and out of India, a practical insight into all the commercial relations 

 of Asia, of which Tibet formed the heart, and enjoyed and deserved a 

 reputation for piety and integrity which made him the trusted Agent 

 of the Lama and of the British Government. 



After his return from Tibet in 1785, he finally settled himself in 

 his Bhotbagan Math, where he spent his time in pious observances 

 and deeds of charity and hospitality, which it was the wish of the Lama 

 he should attend to, specially towards the Tibetan pilgrims, for whom 

 he had built guest-houses. He had also an agency business there, 

 directed to help the traders or their people from Tibet in disposing 

 of their wares and making purchases. Gold in large quantities was 

 one of the principal articles which came from Tibet, 



