Lama, and the viceroy of Lassa, accompanied by all the court; one 
of the Chinese generals, stationed at Lassa, with a part of the troops 
under his command ; two of the four magistrates of the city; the 
heads of every monastery throughout Tibet, and the Emperor’s am¬ 
bassadors appeared atTeshoo Loomboo, to celebrate this grand epocha 
in their political and theological history. 
The 28th day of the seventh moon, corresponding nearly, as their 
year commences with the vernal equinox, to the middle of October, 
1 784, was chosen as the most auspicious for this solemnity. A few 
i 
days previous to this, the Lama was conducted from Terpaling, the 
monastery in which he had passed his infancy, with every mark of 
pomp and homage, that could be paid by an enthusiastic people. So 
great a concourse as assembled, either from curiosity or devotion, was 
never seen before, for not a person of any condition in Tibet was 
absent, who could possibly attend. Hence the procession was necessa¬ 
rily constrained to move so slow, that though Terpaling is situated at 
the distance of five and twenty miles only from Teshoo Loomboo, three 
days expired in the performance of this short march. The first halt was 
made at Tsondue; the second at Summar, about six miles off; from 
whence the most splendid parade was reserved for the Lama’s entry 
on the third day. An account of his entry has been given me by a 
person who was present in the procession. The road, he says, by 
which the Lama had to pass, was previously prepared, by being 
whitened with a wash, and having piles of stones heaped up, with 
small intervals between, on either side. The procession passed be¬ 
tween a double row of priests, who formed a street, extending all the 
