Nov. 1849. SINGTAM SOUBAH'S FAREWELL VISIT. 213 



constant companions, and though at issue, never at enmity. 

 I had impeached him, and my grievances had been for- 

 warded to the Rajah with a demand for his punishment, 

 but he never seemed to owe me a grudge for that, 

 knowing the Rajah's impotence as compared with the 

 power of the Dewan whom he served ; and, in common 

 with all his party, presuming on the unwillingness of the 

 British government to punish. 



On the 13th of November I was hurriedly summoned 

 by Meepo to the Phadong temple, where I was interrogated 

 by the Amlah, as the Rajah's councillors (in this instance 

 the Dewan's adherents) are called. I found four China 

 mats placed on a stone bench, on one of which I was 

 requested to seat myself, the others being occupied by 

 the Dewan's elder brother, a younger brother of the 

 Gangtok Kajee (a man of some wealth), and an old Lama : 

 the conference took place in the open air and amongst an 

 immense crowd of Lamas, men, women, and children. 



I took the initiative (as I made a point of doing on all 

 such occasions) and demanded proper interpreters, which 

 were refused ; and the Amlah began a rambling inter- 

 rogatory in Tibetan, through my Lepcha Sirdar Pakshok, 

 who spoke very little Tibetan or Hindostanee, and my 

 half-caste servant, who spoke as little English. The 

 Dewan's brother was very nervously counting his beads, 

 and never raised his eyes while I kept mine steadily 

 upon him. 



He suggested most of the queries, every one of which 

 took several minutes, as he was constantly interrupted by the 

 Kajee, who w T as very fat and stupid : the Lama scarcely 

 spoke, and the bystanders never. My connection with the 

 Indian government w T as first enquired into ; next they came 

 to political matters, upon which I declined entering : but I 



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