154 
BOOTAN. 
Trusting to his own ideas of its power and effect, lor the relief of some 
disorder that he either felt or fancied himself affected by, he took, 
according to the directions he had received, a moderate dose; yet, 
not choosing to run the risk alone, he obliged his doctor at the same 
time, to try the experiment along with him. Ridiculous as it may 
seem, I am assured that this is no novel practice; for the Raja never 
takes any medicine, but his physician is indispensibly obliged to 
swallow a dose of the same sort. 
The ipecacuanha he had taken, being rather tardy in its operation, 
he repeated the cjuantity, which soon acted most violently, and for the 
space of two days, kept him in perpetual agitation. The doctor, being 
a younger man, and of a stronger habit, was first relieved; but the 
Raja paid dear for his quackery; and when we saw him next was 
woefully sick and weak. 
The Raja having determined, before the great festival, to retire to 
his villa, situated upon the ridge of the western mountain, he invited 
us to come early one morning, and pass the day there, which we 
agreed to; and soon after he had left the palace, a time was fixed for 
our visit. 
The villa lay within the distance of two miles from our house, yet, 
notwithstanding this short space, our expedition was marked by a mis¬ 
fortune, the greatest that had yet befallen us. While on the way, we 
were overtaken by the mournful news, that the Booteea, who was to 
follow with our dining apparatus, had, previously to his taking up 
his load, drank a cup too much; nor had he ascended far, before 
his strength and steadiness forsook him; he reeled, fell down, and 
