236 
TIBET. 
I believe, with mutual reluctance, which on his part only yielded to 
a sense of duty. 
Early in the morning after our arrival, intimation was brought to 
me, that the Regent proposed, in the course of the morning, to admit 
us to an audience. Several messages passed between us, before the 
appointed time, for the purpose of arranging every thing completely 
in due form. At length, about noon, Mr. Saunders and myself, accom¬ 
panied by Poorungheer, as interpreter, proceeded to a part of the 
palace, with which, though it was at a considerable distance from our 
rooms, there was a communication, without descending into the street. 
We were then ushered into the presence chamber, a large and lofty 
hall, of an oblong shape, surrounded with a colonnade, and enlightened 
by an opening, over the centre. This central part of the room, con¬ 
tained an area, about twice as wide as the distance at which the pillars 
stood from the side walls. Light, air, and the grateful warmth of the 
sun, were occasionally admitted into the hall, by shifting the skreen, 
or rather moveable roof, which was placed immediately over the open¬ 
ing. The pillars that composed the colonnade were painted with ver¬ 
milion, and richly ornamented with gold, as were also the edges of the 
scolloped arches, and the mouldings over them; various symbolical 
devices were also represented in the gilding above the arches. The 
walls were painted blue, skirted by two broad fillets of red, and an 
intermediate one of yellow. The floor was of a mottled composition, 
apparently of brown and white flint, intermixed with some strong 
compost, which admitted a high polish. No window, or door, opened 
into this hall, except that by which we entered, at one end; at the 
