INTEEVIEW WITH THE RAJAH 277 
the interview was the open friendship displayed by the Lamas 
and people of Sikkim. 
This man [the Dewan] and Campbell had become great 
friends, and he also became intimate with me. He was 
educated at Lhassa, and has very agreeable manners and 
personal address, but is the very most consummate liar and 
scoundrel in all pohtical matters that you can imagine, and 
the coolest withal. He took me for a brother spy and rogue, 
and probably does so still. Next day we had an audience of 
the Rajah. He is a httle, old, black man, of quick manners 
and eye, thoroughly Chinese in every thought and action, 
and very sorry indeed to see us so far into his country. We 
crossed the river on a bamboo raft ; I wore a shooting-coat 
lent me by Campbell, my travelling cap and plaid ; Camp- 
bell more respectable. We were received in a shed, fitted 
up so as to show off the Rajah to immense advantage, accord- 
ing to the taste of his poor self and people. The shed was 
hung with faded China silk ; there was no furniture ; we 
brought, at the Rajah's request, our own chairs ; the leg of 
mine poked through the bamboo floor, and kept up a squeak- 
ing in a very high key. At the upper end of the httle room 
was a high stage 6 feet ! also covered with tattered silk, and 
over it a shabby canopy, under which the Rajah squatted, 
cross-legs, a little body swathed in yellow silk, with a pink, 
broad-brimmed and low-crowned hat on. Such an attempt 
at display was really humiliating ! He never returned our 
salutes, but looked wistfully at us, and then at his courtiers, 
some dozen of very dirty fellows in silks (Kajis), ranged 
against the wall as mutes. The conversation was brief and 
trifling ; it related chiefly to Campbell's insisting on having 
a responsible authority from the Rajah at Darjeeling. In 
the middle presents were brought, and white scarfs thrown 
round our necks, as a signal to depart, but we stuck to our 
seats in spite of all hints, and told him of my intention to visit 
again in spring the Snowy Passes to the east of Kinchin, 
and of how dissatisfied I was with the permission coming so 
late. He made no reply to all this. 
After the interview the two friends travelled together till 
January 2, when Campbell was recalled by business. After 
two months' travel without a European companion, this ten 
