the Kingdom of Thibet. . 467 
whom they had occafionally made tributary to their 
power, they never had attempted a folid or permanent- 
dominion over them. It was on occafion of a difputed 
fucceffion between the heirs of one of theRajah’s or petty 
fovereigns of thofe people, that the Boutaners were called 
down from their mountains to the affiftance of one of 
the parties ; and our government engaged on the oppofite 
fide. The party affifted by us did not fail in the end to 
prevail; and in the courfe of this little war two people 
became acquainted who, although near neighbours, were 
equally Grangers to each other. At the attack of a town 
called Cooch Behar, our troops and the Boutaners firft 
met; and nothing could exceed their mutual furprize in 
the rencounter. The Boutaners, who had never met in 
the plains any other than the timid Hindoos flying naked 
before them, faw, for the firft time, a body of men, uni- 
formly cloathed and accoutred, moving in regular order, 
and led on by men of complexion, drefs, and features, 
luch as they had never beheld before : and then the ma- 
nagement of the artillery, and inceflant fire of the muf- 
quetry, was beyond any idea which they could have con- 
ceived of it. On the other hand, our people found them- 
felves on a fudden engaged with a race of men unlike 
all their former opponents in India, uncouth in their ap- 
pearance, and fierce in their aftault, wrapped up in furs. 
P 
P P 
and 
a 
