434 A JOURNEY TO LAKE 



court. As it is the ciftom here for a considerable portion of the pro- 

 perty of every perfon who dies in affluent circumftances, to go to the 

 church, and as likeneflfes are fent to the priefts, who pray for the re- 

 pofe of their fouls, as in the Roman Catholick faith, I apprehend the feries 

 of figures reprefented the whole of the court ; and in this idea my be- 

 lief was strengthened by obferving fome females of different age and 

 character on a bench, immediately behind that on which the Rdjd was 

 feated. The head drefs of two. of thefe was very fimiiar to that of 

 abbeffes. The Rdjd, whofc refemblance was here preferved, in con- 

 fequence of the frequent inroads of the Ladakis, and of his father being 

 killed by the Tatars, was fent by the principal people, to requeft the 

 protection of the Chinefe, who accorded it and afsifled him againft the 

 invaders. But in an earthquake his houfe was precipitated along with 

 himfelf and his houfehold into the plain, and the Chinefe afterwards 

 availed themfelves oi his death., to take this country for their own ufe, 

 and after a certain period to give it to the Deia Lama. 



At this lait temple there were few mufical inftruments ; but at the 



great one/ we faw fome prodigioufly large brafs and copper trumpets, 



made of tubes, which fhut in and drew out like tele (copes, and had 



fmall mouth-pieces or pipes which were diftincl. There were alfo 



drums of great fize fet in frames and beat upon their fides* 



. 



There are granaries in the rock oa which the fmall temple is fitu- 

 ated, in which they fay that there are many thoufand maunds of rice for 

 the ufe of the people generally in the event of any great exigency, and 

 this is certainly a very prudent precaution, as fcarcely any grain is 

 raifed in this country, and the inhabitants are dependant for their an- 

 nual fupply of rice and barley on the marchas of Nitt and Joudr. 

 Shortly after the period that the Gorkhas made an irruption into the 



