the Lamas on
the house-tops ceased, the trumpets, the bells, the drums, and the marine
conchs sounded all at once three different times; the Lamas, then, all
sent forth together hideous cries and yells, like those of wild beasts,
and the ceremony terminated. The lanterns were extinguished, and silence
resumed its sway. We bade old Akaye good night, and once more went to
sleep.

We had been residing at Kounboum more than three months, enjoying the
friendly sympathies of the Buddhist monks and the protection of the
authorities. But for some time past we had been in flagrant opposition
to a leading rule of the Lamasery. Strangers who pass through Kounboum,
or who merely reside there for a short time, may dress as they please.
Those persons, on the contrary, who are connected in any way with the
Lamasery, or who are making any stay in the place, are required to wear
the sacred dress of the Lamas, that is to say, a red gown, a small
dalmatica without sleeves and showing the arm, a red scarf, and a yellow
mitre. This rule of uniformity is very strictly enforced; and
accordingly, one fine morning, the Grand Discipline-Lama sent an official
formally to request that we would observe the statutes of the Lamasery.
We replied that, not being of the religion of Buddha, we could not adopt
the sacred dress of the Lama, without insulting our own holy religion;
but that as we did not wish to create the slightest confusion in the
establishment, we were ready to quit it, if we could not obtain a
dispensation in the matter of costume.

Several days passed without any thing further being said on this
unpleasant subject. Meantime Samdadchiemba arrived with the three
camels, which he had been pasturing in a valley of Koukou-Noor. If we
had to remove, it was clear that his return was most opportune.
By-and-by, the Lamanesque government once more sent us their envoy, to
say that the rule of the Lamasery was inflexible; that they grieved that
our sublime and sacred religion did not permit us to comply with it; but
that although we could not remain in the Lamasery of Kounboum, they would
gladly retain us in the neighbourhood, and that to this end they invited
us to go and take up our abode at Tchogortan, where we might wear what
dress we pleased.

We had heard a great deal about the little Lamasery of Tchogortan, which
serves as a sort of country house and botanical garden for the Faculty of
Medicine. It stands within half-an-hour's w