443 A JOURNEY TO LAKE 



tie valued at 3 or 400. After our commercial affairs were thus fettled, 

 he faid that we could not have permiffion to go out of the ufual road 

 from Ghertopc to Mdnafarovar, or to flay more than one or two days at 

 that place. Thence we were to proceed to Gangri, afterwards to Hien- 

 lung, to take up our wool, then to return to Ddbd, and enter the ter- 

 ritories of the Gorkhas by the Niti pafs. I anfwered that we were 

 ready to obey, to the utmoil of our ability, the orders which he had 

 prefcribed; but that it had entered into our pilgrimage to vifit Judld- 

 ■muchi, and that by the road ©f Niti, we fhould make a round, to which 

 our finances were unequal. He faid, that the heads of the Seydnas, 

 who had become fureties for us, fhould an Over for our leaving the 

 country by any other road. I urged every argument, that occurred 

 to me ; but he was inflexible. He faid his own head would be forfeit- 

 ed if he gave his confent to our returning by any other pafs ; and that 

 our lives were held by him in equal eftimation with his own; but that 

 the cafe was without remedy. This blow was unexpected and heavy, 

 •as it places us in the alternative, either of being expofed to be flopped 

 by the Gorkhdlis, or of lofing the benefits of the connexion we have 

 formed with the governor of the Undes. Amer Singh fays that as the 

 Marchas were our fecurity here, fo will they guarantee our palling by 

 the Bafchar road. To effecl: this, he fays it is only necefTary to go one day 

 along the Niti road when we leave Ddbd, and then finking to the 

 Weft with a good guide, we fhall reach the Bafchar without inquiry or 

 inoleftation ; or if we diflike this plan we may go to Niti and make an 

 arrangement with the Mana Marchas, near Bhadrindt "h to give. us a guide. 

 My companion thinks it will be beft to go as far as Tapoban, and there 

 linking over the great fnowy Tunfdsi range, gain the province of 

 Budan and pufh vigoroufly for Chilkea. I prefer this, becaufe we can 

 fee our cattle fafe to Niti, and make an arrangement then for paffing 

 our cattle and goods through the Gorkha territory. The old pundit 



