372 



SIKKIM HIMALAYA. 



Chap. XVI. 



on the Bhotan frontier. The place looked what it really was 

 — wholly deserted. The rain I had experienced in the valley, 

 had here been snow, and the appearance of the broad snowed 

 patches clear of trees, and of the many houses without 

 smoke or inhabitant, and the tall scattered trees with black 

 bark and all but naked branches, was dismal in the extreme. 

 The effect was heightened by an occasional Hindoo, who 

 flitted here and there along the road, crouching and 

 shivering, with white cotton garments and bare legs. 



The delight of my Lepcha attendants at finding them- 

 selves safely at home again, knew no bounds ; and their 

 parents waited on me with presents, and other tokens of 

 their goodwill and gratitude. I had no lack of volunteers 

 for a similar excursion in the following season, though with 

 their usual fickleness, more than half failed me, long before 

 the time arrived for putting their zeal to the proof. 



I am indebted to Dr. Campbell for the accompanying impression and description 

 of the seal of the Dhurma Rajah, or sovereign pontiff of Bhotan, and spiritual head 

 of the whole sect of the Dookpa, or red-mitred Lama Boodhists. The translations 

 were made by Aden Tchebu Lama, who accompanied us into Sikkim in 1849, and 

 I believe they are quite correct. The Tibetan characters run from left to right. 



The seal of the Dhurma Rajah is divided into a centre portion and sixteen rays. 

 In the centre is the word Dookyin, which means " The Dookpa Creed ; " around 

 the " Dookyin " are sixteen similar letters, meaning " I," or " I am." The sixteen 

 radial compartments contain his titles and attributes, thus, commencing from the 

 centre erect one, and passing round from left to right : — 



1 . I am the Spiritual and Temporal Chief of 



the Realm. 



2. The Defender of the Faith. 



3. Equal to Saruswati in learning. 



4. Chief of all the Boodhs. 



5. Head expounder of the Shasters. 



6. Caster out of devils. 



7. The most learned in the Holy Laws. 



8. An Avatar of God (or, by God's will). 



9. Absolver of sins. 



10. I am above all the Lamas of the Dookpa 



Creed. 



11. I am of the best of all Religions— the 



Dookpa. 



12. The punisher of unbelievers. 



13. Unequalled in expounding the Shasters. 



14. Unequalled in holiness and wisdom. 



15. The head (or fountain) of all Religious 



Knowledge. 



16. The Enemy of all false Avatars. 



