2SS 
TIBET. 
peculiarly accustomed to travel in the dark, from a desire, as I have 
heard, that their route may be unobserved, and not productive of 
trouble to the inhabitants, by withdrawing theirattention from their 
personal pursuits. 
On the day after the departure of the Regent, Soopoon Choomboo 
sent an invitation to me to meet him in the room, immediately beyond 
the gallery of idols. He was accompanied by the treasurer: our con¬ 
versation was extremely miscellaneous. Egypt, in their language, 
eunani , and the lions, singhi , were favourite topics of conversation 
with him. Between this country, indeed, and Tibet, there seemed at 
some time or other, to have existed a frequent communication ; and 
Egypt appeared even now to merit respectful mention, whenever they 
named it. From hence perhaps they have derived their veneration for 
the sovereign of brutes, which they evince by the distinguished place 
they assign him in their sacred architecture. 
There is no religious edifice, but what is adorned with the head of 
the lion at every angle, having bells pendent from his lower jaw; and 
the same figure is equally common, at every projection of the palace 
walls. It is certain, that no contiguous country can supply an example 
of the animal existing in it, in a state of nature, at this day. The lake 
Maunserore was mentioned to me, as having lions on its banks, but 
this assertion I considered as fabulous, originating possibly in a desire 
to attach greater dignity to the source of the Ganges and Berham- 
pooter, by adding to it one more object of veneration. 
Lions are the natives of a warmer region; the burning sands of 
Nubia; Ethiopia, and Arabia, seem to be their proper habitation. If the 
