484 Journal of a trip to Sikim. [May, 



be apparent to himself, and that as his Agent had left me, I should 

 report the whole affair to the Governor General, and await his orders. 

 I did so through the private Secretary, pending my formal report, and 

 asked permission to visit the Raja, as the only means I now had of 

 ascertaining his real sentiments and feelings towards our government. 

 With a confidence in my good intentions, for which I feel most grateful, 

 His Lordship readily gave me the required permission to visit the 

 Durbar, but without any specific diplomatic powers for the occasion. 

 This permission reached me on the 22nd November, my preparations 

 were put in hand at once, and on the 29th I despatched a letter to 

 the Raja communicating my purpose of visiting him. I informed him 

 that I should leave Darjeeling about the 6th of December, and at the 

 same time that I had that day sent 30 porters with grain, &c. in 

 advance under charge of a Havildar, and 8 Sepoys, and I requested 

 the Rajah's officer at Namgialachi to let the party proceed as far as 

 the Teesta River, there to await my arrival. 



On the 3rd, at daylight, when I was at Kursiang, I received a letter 

 from my Moonshi with the food and guard at Namgialachi, as follows : 



" Starting from Darjeeling on the 29th, and arriving at this place on 

 the evening of the 1st instant, I made over your Honor's Purwannah 

 to the Neboo of Namchi, as well as the letter for the Sikim Raja, and 

 I informed him of my orders to proceed as far as the Teesta river, to 

 which he replied, that he was unable to let me proceed without his 

 Raja's orders ; that he would report the same, and further consult with 

 the Mahapun Kada, and 2 or 3 other officers, whose arrival he was ex- 

 pecting that day ; further, he said that he would not allow you, Sir, to 

 proceed, but that if you wished to go by force then they would lose 

 their lives." 



This was a bad beginning. I returned from Kursiang at once, hurried 

 all my preparations, and started from Darjeeling at 2 p. m. of the 4th 

 December for the guard-house above the Rungeet river, where I arrived 

 at 5 o'clock, and found my servants and all things ready to receive me. 

 My equipment is as follows : — A tent made of two Nipal blankets, 

 which when pitched covers 10 feet of ground by 8, and with the poles 

 and carpet is an easy load for one man. It contains my bed, a chair, 

 and a 3-foot square table. I have two ponies, two table servants, a 

 valet, 4 Chuprassies, a Moonshi, an Interpreter ; a guard of 8 Sepoys, 



