130 ACCOUNT OF BHUTAN. 



tual guide and incarnate Deity, and implicitly obeyed his orders. Some 

 time after this, and shortly before the Dherma Raja's death, he directed 

 that on the occurence of that event, his dwelling house, refectory, and 

 store rooms should be locked up, and that his slaves and wealth should be 

 taken care of as before ; that his body should not be burned, but having 

 been fried in oil, that it should be put into a box, and that tea and rice and 

 Vegetables should be placed daily, at the hour of meals, near the box, whilst 

 his followers should perform religious worship ; by which means he should 

 obtain the food, until after a time, he should be regenerated at Lhassa, and 

 would again come to take possession of his country. After that, the Dher- 

 ma Raja died, and in the course of time, the child of a poor man in Lhas- 

 sa began to say, in the third year of his age, " I am the Dherma Raja, 

 my country is Lulumba, or Bhutan ; my house and property are there. " 

 On hearing this the Deb Raja sent people to make enquiry respecting the 

 child. On their arrival at Lhassa they went to him, and having heard what 

 he said, they acknowledged him as Dherma Raja; but on wishing to 

 take him away, the ruler of Lhassa and the child's parents objected thereto, 

 upon which the Deb Raja sent large presents of money, horses and 

 goods to the ruler of Lhassa, and to the parents of the child, and brought 

 away the latter into the country of Bhutan. On his arrival there certain 

 articles Avere taken out of the store rooms of the deceased Dherma Ra- 

 ja, and being mixed with similar articles belonging to others, were shewn 

 to the child, and he was asked which of the things were his. Upon this, the 

 infant Dherma Raja recognized his former property, and as he also knew 

 the slaves, it appeared that he was in reality the Dherma Raja, and he 



was accordingly seated with the usual religious observances and ceremo- 

 nies on the throne. After that, he began to read the Sastras and to perform 

 the ceremonies practised by the former Dherma Raja, and in the same 



manner being thus continually regenerated, the Dherma Rajas continue 

 until the present day. The reigning Dherma Raja is according to some 



the tenth,* and ace ording to others the eleventh ; but none can tell exact- 



* The Dherma Raja's succeeding to the Government at the age of three, the value of ten of their 



live* 



