body, already swollen on its previous way by a great number
of Mongol caravans, which, like ourselves, availed themselves of this
favourable escort to Lha-Ssa. Formerly, the Thibetian government sent an
embassy every year to Peking. That of 1840 was attacked on its journey
by a large body of Kolos. The engagement lasted a whole day, but, in the
end, the Thibetians were victorious over their assailants, and continued
their journey. Next morning, however, it was discovered that they had no
longer amongst them the Tchanak-Kampo, {104} a Grand Lama, who
accompanies these embassies to Peking, in the character of representative
of the Tale-Lama. For several days he was sought all around, but to no
effect, and the only conclusion was that during the fight he had been
taken prisoner by the Kolos, and carried off. The embassy, however,
proceeded on its way, and arrived at Peking without its official head.
The emperor, of course, was tremendously afflicted.

In 1841, there was another battle with the brigands, and another
catastrophe. This time, the Tchanak-Kampo was not carried off by the
brigands, but he received from them a gash in the chest, of which he died
in a few days afterwards. The emperor, on hearing these melancholy
tidings, was, it is affirmed, altogether inconsolable, and forthwith sent
dispatches to the Tale-Lama, setting forth that, considering the
difficulties and dangers of the journey, he would henceforth require the
compliment of an embassy only once in three years. Accordingly, the
present embassy was the first which had been dispatched from Lha-Ssa
since 1841. On its journey out it had been fortunate enough to encounter
no brigands, and, consequently, its Tchanak-Kampo had been neither stolen
nor stabbed.

Next day, after our departure from Koukou-Noor, we placed ourselves at
the van of the caravan, and then halted on one side, in order to see the
immense procession defile before us, and so make acquaintance with our
travelling companions. The men and animals composing the caravan might
be thus estimated: 1500 long-haired oxen, 1200 horses, 1200 camels, and
2000 men, Thibetians and Tartars, some on foot, some on ox-back, but most
of them on horses and camels. All the cavalry were armed with lances,
sabres, bows and arrows, and matchlocks. The foot-men, designated Lakto,
were charged with the conduct of the files of camels and of the
capricious and disorderly march of the cattle. The Tchanak-Kam