TIBET. 
S31 
and besides these, I am informed that no less than three hundred 
Hindoos, Goseins, and Sunniasses, are daily fed at this place, by the 
Lama’s bounty. 
We travelled leisurely through the valley, and twice halted to take 
refreshment, which our conductor had providently secured on the 
road. Our resting place was the open plain; a carpet spread upon 
the ground serving us to sit upon, and a bright blue sky being our 
only canopy. The weather was tranquil, and the genial warmth of the 
sun most highly grateful. 
Our halting place was called Tsondeu, which is reckoned ten miles 
from Teshoo Loomboo. It was an easy stage, and, as we made an 
early meal, our afternoon was long. I walked through a grove of 
willows, where we had pitched our tents, upon the skirts of this vil¬ 
lage, and found upon its borders a shallow brook, whose waters were 
completely frozen, and what was my joy, when I found the ice firm 
enough to bear my weight! My skates were immediately sent for, and 
I had the satisfaction of skating for two hours upon a piece of ice, which 
though narrow, was tolerably smooth, and above a mile in length. It 
was a matter of surprise to most of the spectators, to view the appa¬ 
rent ease and velocity with which we moved; though some who were 
with me had accompanied the Teshoo Lama to Pekin, and seen, among 
the splendid spectacles, exhibited by order of the Emperor, for his 
amusement, skating in all its forms. They mentioned to me, in par¬ 
ticular, one circumstance, which was strongly impressed upon their 
memories. This was a match between .a skater and a horseman, for 
whom a good road had been made, by the side of a large sheet of ice; 
Uu 
