the Cartesians, nor the
requisitory of the Lamennaisians: all he wants is instruction.

The eagerness of the Lamas to visit us, and especially their favourable
tendencies towards Christianity, gave, after a while, umbrage to the
zealous tenacity of Sandara; he turned desperately sulky, and after going
through the lesson of the day, in the driest and briefest manner
possible, he would say not another word to us for the rest of the
twenty-four hours, but observe towards us the most contumelious silence.
If we asked him in the humblest manner the Thibetian name of some object,
or the meaning of some particular phrase in the Dialogues, he would not
condescend to a word of reply. In this extremity we usually had recourse
to our neighbour, the young student in medicine, who always gave us the
information we needed with the most frank cordiality; and although he was
not very learned in Thibetian, we found him of very great utility. His
open, good-natured character, moreover, encouraged us to ask him many
questions respecting some of the Lama practices, which we desired to
understand. In return for these services, we aided, with all our hearts,
his desire to become acquainted with the Christian religion. Far
different from Sandara, he was full of respect for the truths we
announced to him; but his timid, irresolute temperament kept him from
openly abjuring Buddhism. His idea was, that he could be, at one and the
same time, a good Christian and a fervent Buddhist; in his prayers, he
invoked alternately Tsong-Kaba and Jehovah, and he carried his simplicity
so far as to ask us sometimes to take part in his religious practices.

[Picture: Sending Horses to Travellers]

One day he proposed to us a service of devotion in favour of all the
travellers throughout the whole world. "We are not acquainted with this
devotion," said we; "will you explain it to us?" "This is it: you know
that a good many travellers find themselves, from time to time, on
rugged, toilsome roads. Some of these travellers are holy Lamas on a
pilgrimage; and it often happens that they cannot proceed by reason of
their being altogether exhausted; in this case we aid them by sending
horses to them." "That," said we, "is a most admirable custom, entirely
conformable with the principles of Christian charity; but you must
consider that poor travellers such as we are not in a position to
participate in the good work; you know that we possess o