282 



BOOTAN. 



proceeded over the wooden bridge across the Patcheen, which is here 

 a wide and deep stream : the bridge was partially lined with guards, in 

 different dresses, few in uniform ; it was besides armed with shoulder 

 wall-pieces, capital things for demolishing friends. We then crossed 

 a sort of court-yard and then ascended a steep and extraordinarily 

 bad flight of steps to the door of the palace. Here we found the 

 household troops all dressed in scarlet with two door-keepers, one 

 seated on either side of the door : this led us into a quadrangle. The 

 citadel being in front, the side walls were rather low, although 

 viewed externally they appear of good height, but the ground of the 

 interior is much raised. We crossed this diagonally, passed into the 

 opposite quadrangle on the west side, and thence ascended into 

 a gallery, hung with arms, and filled with followers, from this we 

 passed after a little delay into the Rajah's room. 



This was handsomely decorated with scarfs, the pillars were 

 variously ornamented. The Rajah was seated on an elevated place 

 in the corner, and appeared a good-looking well-bred man. He 

 received the Governor General's letter from P. with much respect, 

 getting up from his chair : the visit was a short one, and entirely of 

 ceremony. The presents were deposited on a raised bench in his 

 front. Communications were kept up by the Deewan and the 

 Zimpay, formerly Joongar Zoompoor or Governor. On retiring we 

 were presented with fruits, oranges, walnuts, horrid plantains, ghee, 

 eggs and rice. 



The whole business went off very well, no attempt at insolence. 

 The concourse of people was greater than I expected. Swarms of 

 Gylongs, the more curious of whom received whacks from leathern 

 straps, wielded by some magisterial brother. 



April \0th. — Yesterday we saw the Dhurma, to whom we had to 

 ascend by several flight of steps, which are most break-neck things, 

 the steps overlapping in front, and being often lined with iron on the 

 part most subject to be worn. We found him in the south room of 

 the upper story of the citadel. We waived our right to sitting in 

 his presence as the question was put to us with respect and delicacy. 

 The Rajah is a good looking boy, of eight or ten years old : he was 

 seated in the centre, but in an obscure part of the room, and was 

 not surrounded by many immediate attendants. The balcony was 

 filled with scribes with handsome black, gilt, lettered books before 

 them. Two other scribes were likewise engaged on our right, noting 

 down what passed, but they seemed to be very bad writers. The 



