TIBET. 
429 
now four hundred and fifty indermiUees, so that the exchange was 
much in favour of the trader. 
Poorungheer, during his residence at Teshoo Loomboo, had fre¬ 
quent interviews with the Regent and the ministers, and he assures 
me, that he found the heartiest dispositions in them, to encourage the 
commercial intercourse, established under the auspices of the late 
Governor General, whose departure, however, the Regent regretted as 
the loss of the first friend and ally he became acquainted with, I be¬ 
lieve it may be said, in any foreign nation. In him, was acknowledged 
also, the original cause of opening the communication, and commen¬ 
cing a correspondence between the governments of Bengal and Tibet. 
But though, in consequence of the Regent’s having, from the begin¬ 
ning, been used exclusively to address himself to the agents of Mr. 
Hastings, his attachment to the English nation, during a long inter¬ 
change of conciliating offices, had been mixed with a great degree of 
personality, yet, free from all unworthy capriciousness of temper, he 
descended not, to take advantage of the opening offered him, to close 
the new connection. The respect he had learned to entertain for our 
national integrity of character, was deep and sincere; and apparently 
from a conviction, that our views tended to no scheme of ambition, 
but were confined merely to objects of utility and curiosity : Poorung¬ 
heer assures me, he expressed an anxious desire for continuing, with the 
succeeding Governor General, the exercise of those offices of friendship, 
so long supported by his predecessor. And, in the hope that his own 
would be met with equal good wishes on your part, he determined to 
invite you to join him, in preserving between Tibet and Bengal, the 
