208 CHUM ANA KO. Chap. XXV, 



also had followed us to Rungpo with the same object. 

 Their own extreme timidity, and the general good-feeling 

 in the country towards Campbell prevented its execution 

 before, and, as a last resource, they selected the Singtam 

 Soubah and Dingpun Tinli for the office, as being per- 

 sonally hostile to him. The Dewan meanwhile being in 

 Tibet, and knowing that we were about to visit the frontier, 

 for which I had full permission and escort, sent up the 

 Tibetan guard, hoping to embroil them in the affair ; in 

 this he failed, and it drew upon him the anger of the 

 Lhassan authorities.* The Soubah, in endeavouring to 

 extort the new treaty by force, and the Dingpun, who 

 had his own revenge to gratify, exceeded their instruc- 

 tions in using violence towards Campbell, whom the 

 Dewan ordered should be simply taken and confined \ 

 they were consequently disgraced, long before we were 

 released, and the failure of the stratagem thrown upon 

 their shoulders. 



During the march down to Laghep, Campbell was 

 treated by the Dingpun's men with great rudeness : I kept 



* In the following summer (1850), when the Rajah, Dewan, and Soubah, repaired 

 to Choombi, the Lhassan authorities sent a Commissioner to inquire into the affair, 

 understanding that the Dewan had attempted to embroil the Tibetans in it. The 

 commissioner asked the Rajah why he had committed such an outrage on the 

 representative of the British government, under whose protection he was ; thus 

 losing his territory, and bringing English troops so near the Tibet frontier. The 

 Rajah answered that he never did anything of the kind ; that he was old and 

 infirm, and unable to transact all his affairs ; that the mischief had arisen out of the 

 acts and ignorance of others, and finally begged the Commissioner to investigate 

 the whole affair, and satisfy himself about it. During the inquiry that followed, 

 the Dewan threw all the blame on the Tibetans, who, he said, were alone 

 implicated : this assertion was easily disproved, and on the conclusion of the 

 inquiry the Commissioner railed vehemently at the Dewau, saying : — " You 

 tried to put this business on the people of my country ; it is an abominable lie. 

 You did it yourselves, and no one else. The Company is a great monarchy ; you 

 insulted it, and it has taken its revenge. If you, or any other Tibetan, ever 

 again cause a rupture with the English, you shall be taken with ropes round your 

 necks to Pekin, there to undergo the just punishment of your offence under the 

 sentence of the mighty Emperor." 



