ind, white or black. All these
doubts about our origin were at first amusing enough; but they soon
became serious. Some ill-disposed persons went on to consider that we
must be Russians or English, and ultimately almost everybody honoured us
with the latter qualification. It was set forth, without further
hesitation, that we were Pelings from Calcutta, that we had come to
investigate the strength of Thibet, to make maps, and to devise means to
get possession of the country. All national prejudice apart, it was very
annoying to us to be taken for the subjects of her Britannic Majesty.
Such a _quid-pro-quo_ could not but render us very unpopular, and,
perhaps, end in our being cut to pieces; for the Thibetians, why, we know
not, have taken it into their heads that the English are an encroaching
people, who are not to be trusted.

To cut short the various chatter circulated about us, we resolved to
conform to a regulation in force at Lha-Ssa, and which commands all
strangers, who are desirous of staying in the town, to present themselves
to the authorities. We went accordingly to the chief of police, and
declared to him that we belonged to the Western Heaven, to a great
kingdom called France, and that we had come to Thibet to preach the
Christian religion, of which we were the ministers. The person to whom
we made this declaration was cold and impenetrable as became a
bureaucrat. He phlegmatically drew his bamboo quill from behind his ear,
and began to write, without the slightest observation, what we had told
him. He contented himself with repeating twice or thrice, between his
teeth, the words "France," and "Christian religion," like a man who does
not know what you mean. When he had done writing, he wiped his pen,
still wet with ink, in his hair, and replaced it behind his right ear,
saying, "Yak poze" (very well); "Temou chu" (dwell in peace), we replied,
and putting out our tongues at him, we left him, delighted at having
placed ourselves on a proper footing with the police. We then walked
about the streets of Lha-Ssa with a firmer and more assured step, and
regardless of the remarks that continually assailed our ears. The lawful
position we had established raised us in our own eyes, and restored our
courage. What a happiness at length to find ourselves in a hospitable
land, and to be able to breathe a free air, after living so long in
China; always in constraint, always outside the law, always occupied wit