SOME JOURNEYS IN BHUTAN 



409 



was amusing to watch the emulation 

 among them and the flourishes some of 

 them gave as they dumped the presents 

 with a bang on the floor and whipped out 

 the scarfs to their full length. The pre- 

 sentation of white silk scarfs on the 

 meeting of officials with superiors, equals, 

 or subordinates is a universal custom in 

 Bhutan. 



When these congratulations came to an 

 end, tea and refreshments were offered to 

 all the company of guests, including the 

 lamas in the aisles, who at each course 

 intoned a sort of grace. Finally beetel 

 and pan were distributed. (Beetel-nut is 

 the fruit of a palm and pan is an astrin- 

 gent leaf, which, eaten with a small quan- 

 tity of lime, is much prized by the Bhu-" 

 tanese.) 



AN INTERESTING BEER CEREMONY 



At the commencement of the feast a 

 large cauldron of marzva, or beer of the 

 country, was placed at the lower end ot 

 the nave and a curious ceremony was 

 gone through. The Zung Donyer, with a 

 long, bowl-shaped ladle, mixed the liquid 

 three times; then, holding up the bowl 

 full of beer in one hand, raised the other 

 in prayer. 



This ceremony he repeated three times 

 and then advanced with the ladle full to 

 the Deb Raja (see page 436) , who blessed 

 it; he then turned to the Tongsa, upon 

 whose hands a small portion was poured ; 

 and, finally, the Donyer returned and 

 poured the remainder into the cauldron, 

 which was removed doubtless for the re- 

 freshment of the crowd of onlookers, who 

 were not of sufficient importance to share 

 the tea and refreshments dispensed in the 

 Durbar Hall. 



Next, with great ceremony, a wooden 

 spear, with a piece of red cloth and a 

 white silk scarf fastened to the base of 

 the head, was carried to the Deb and 

 blessed; it was then waved over the 

 Tongsa, who reverently touched the end 

 of the shaft. The spear was then sent 

 to the Tongsa's apartments. 



The final act in the ceremonial was a 

 short prayer, led by the Deb and intoned 

 by the lamas, and with this the proceed- 

 ings ended and we returned to camp. 



It was a most interesting ceremony and 



conducted throughout with the greatest 

 order and reverence and it passed off 

 without a hitch of any kind. It says a 

 good deal for the change in the conduct 

 of affairs in Bhutan and their anxiety to 

 show respect to the British government 

 that they should have made the presenta- 

 tion of the decoration to the penlop the 

 first occasion of so public and elaborate 

 a ceremony, as I understand that hitherto 

 it has been the custom of the recipient 

 of an honor merely to go to the Deb and 

 head lamas to receive their blessing, while 

 congratulations and presents were re- 

 ceived at his private dwelling. 



THE SPIRITUAL CAPITAL OP THE NATION 



While at Poonakha I paid a visit to 

 the Ta-lo Monastery, which was only 

 reached after three hours' hard climbing. 

 This monastic colony is a charming col- 

 lection of small, well-built, two-storied 

 houses, with carved and painted verandas 

 scattered all over the hillside, each in its 

 little garden of flowers and trees, with 

 here and there a chapel or decorated 

 chorten, or shrine, to break the monotony. 



The great temple, with its somber back- 

 ground of cypress and pine, dominates 

 the scene, but higher up the beautifully 

 decorated retreat of the late Dharmai 

 Raja formed a fitting crown to the whole 

 group of buildings. In the great temple 

 were many chapels, all scrupulously clean 

 and well ventilated, glass window-panes 

 being in great evidence. 



The principal objects of interest were 

 two large silver chortens containing the 

 ashes of two of the Shabdung Rimpoches. 

 They were highly chased and jeweled, the 

 stones being mostly turquoise. The cere- 

 monial instruments used by the late 

 Dharma Raja were preserved here and 

 were fine examples of the best Bhutanese 

 metal work. 



The carving on the pillars and canopies 

 was excellent, but so much overladen by 

 open-work metal scrolls it was difficult to 

 follow in detail. An elephant's tusk be- 

 fore one of the altars measured Sy 2 feet, 

 and there was a magnificent collection of 

 embroidered and applique banners ; in 

 fact, the whole building was full of treas- 

 ures. 



I was received with open arms and 



