tever obsolete weapon is nowadays issued to
them, took a prominent place in the procession and made a brave show. We
marched past that pleasant country seat known as 'Paradise,' where the
political mission had their quarters, and proceeded along a path lined
with troops, across a bog into the outskirts of the city, and up the
road which leads up the Pota-La hill into the Pota-La. We had eventually
to dismount, leave our ponies, and climb up a paved pathway, half
staircase. This pathway was smeared with the holy grease of ages and was
dangerously slippery. At the top we found some of the guard of the
Nepalese resident, looking very warlike in red secondhand tunics that
had once been the property of British soldiers, but were of a now
obsolete pattern. Ushered through a dark passage, we entered at last
into the throne-room or audience-hall of the Pota-La, where the ceremony
was to take place. When all that portion of the escort who were allowed
within the hall had taken their places Colonel Younghusband and General
Macdonald with their respective Staffs arrived. The room already held
the various contingents of Eastern officials of different nationalities
who were to assist at the function. After we had all stood up, there was
a great deal of handshaking between the representatives of East and
West. The Chinese Amban shakes hands in a manner that, when last I
frequented London drawing-rooms, was, I believe, considered fashionable.
One of the lay council of Tibet certainly thought so, for he tried to
imitate the particular method, but only partially succeeded. The party
then sat down to tea. A great deal of tea was drunk--that milkless tea
in handleless china cups with which we had most of us now become
acquainted. All sorts of Chinese sweetmeats were provided with it, and
these were followed by cigarettes (our old friend the 'Pedro'). These
dainties did not extend into the outer circles; those of us who were
behind contented ourselves by lighting up our own Pedros.

A glance round the room showed many bright colours and striking
contrasts. There, near to the throne, were our political officers in the
rich but not gaudy uniform of their service; next them the G.O.C. and
his Staff in the sober khaki, while all round the room in less prominent
places was more khaki. But next to Colonel Younghusband in robes of
bright blue silk sat the Amban. Next to the Amban was the Regent, who,
since the disappearance of the Dalai Lama, had