SOME JOURNEYS IN BHUTAN 



405 



escort, commanded by Subadar Jehandud 

 Khan, a native officer of the 40th Pa- 

 thans, proceeded to the fort, where we 

 were ushered with great ceremony into 

 the Durbar Hall. This is a fine, hand- 

 some room, with a wide balcony over- 

 looking the Po-chu, and a double row of 

 pillars forming two aisles. The center 

 or nave, a wide span open to the lofty 

 roof, was hung with a canopy of beauti- 

 fully embroidered Chinese silk. 



Between the pillars were suspended 

 "chenzi" and "gyantsen" hangings of 

 brilliantly colored silks, and behind the 

 tongsa's seat hung a fine specimen of 

 needle-work picture, a form of embroid- 

 ery in which the Bhutanese excel (page 

 445) and which compares favorably with 

 anything I have seen in other parts of 

 the world, even in Japan or China. At 

 the upper or north end of the room was 

 the high altar and images always to be 

 met with in Bhutanese chapels, and in 

 frcmt of this was a raised dais, on which 

 sat the Deb Raja, a rich yellow silk stole 

 over his red monastic dress, with the 

 Abbot of the Poonakha Ta-tshang lamas, 

 in ordinary canonicals, on his left (see 

 page 406). 



To the right of the dais was a row of 

 four scarlet-covered chairs for myself, 

 Major Rennick, Mr. Paul, and the suba- 

 dar, and in front of each chair was a 

 small table with fruit and refreshments. 

 Close behind me stood my servants with 

 presents. 



On the opposite side of the nave, fac- 

 ing me, was a low dais with a magnifi- 

 cent cushion of the richest salmon-col- 

 ored brocade, on which Sir Ugyen Wang- 

 chuk sat, dressed in a handsome robe of 

 dark-blue Chinese silk, embroidered in 

 gold with the Chinese character "Fu," 

 the emblematic sign of good luck. Below 

 him were ranged the chairs of the offi- 

 cials present in order of their rank. 



In the aisles were double and treble 

 rows of the chief Ta-tshang lamas seated 

 on white carpets, while four flagellants, 

 carrying brass-bound batons of office and 

 formidable double-thonged whips of rhi- 

 noceros hide, walked up and down among 

 the rows to maintain order. At the lower 

 end, by which we had entered, were col- 



lected the subordinate officials of the 

 court, standing, with my own escort 

 formed up in front of them, facing the 

 Deb. It was altogether a brilliant and 

 imposing scene. 



KNIGHTING THE PRESENT KING 



After my party and the high officials 

 of state, who had risen on my approach, 

 had taken their seats, there was a short 

 pause for order and silence to be re- 

 stored. I then rose and directed Rai 

 Lobzang Choden, my interpreter, to read 

 a' short address in Tibetan, and on its 

 conclusion I stepped forward, with Major 

 Rennick carrying the insignia and war- 

 rant on a dark-blue cushion fringed with 

 silver, in front of the Deb Raja (see page 

 436) as the Tongsa Penlop (Sir Ugyen) 

 advanced from his side to meet me. 



I placed the ribbon of the order round 

 his neck, pinned on the star, and handed 

 the warrant to Sir Ugyen, who suitably 

 expressed his most grateful thanks for 

 the honor the King-Emperor had con- 

 ferred on him. I then handed him pres- 

 ents and, placing a white silk scarf in his 

 hands, offered my hearty congratulations 

 and good wishes. 



The presentation of gifts by the re- 

 mainder of my party brought our part of 

 the ceremony to a close. Sir Ugyen 

 Wang-chuk then turned and made his 

 obeisance to the Deb Raja, who, as Chole 

 Tulku, is the head of the Bhutanese 

 Church, awaiting the reincarnation of 

 the Dharma Raja, and received his bless- 

 ing. In like manner Sir Ugyen also re- 

 ceived the blessing of the abbot. 



Now began an almost interminable 

 procession of lamas, officials, and retain- 

 ers, each bringing a scarf and presents, 

 till Sir Ugyen was almost smothered in 

 scarfs, while the whole nave from end 

 to end gradually became filled up with 

 heaps of tea, bags of rice and Indian 

 corn, rolls of fabrics — silk, woolen, and 

 cotton — of all colors and values, with 

 little bags of gold dust and rupees ap- 

 pearing on the top (see page 407). 



As each present was placed on the floor 

 the name of the donor was announced. 

 I had no means of verifying, but I should 

 think there were at least 200 donors. It 



