, for we had remained in
bed, without ceremony, during his long visit. After having offered up
our morning prayer, and prepared our hearts to patience and resignation,
we ate the breakfast which had been sent to us by order of the Regent.
It consisted of a plate of rolls stuffed with sugar and minced meat, and
a pot of richly-buttered tea. But we gave the preference to the cakes
and dried fruit, which the governor of Katchi had presented to us.

Three Lama ushers soon came and announced to us the order of the day;
viz., that our luggage was to be inspected. We submitted respectfully to
the orders of the Thibetian authority, and proceeded to our lodgings,
accompanied by a numerous escort all the way. From the palace of the
Regent to our habitation we observed great excitement; they were sweeping
the streets, removing the dirt, and decorating the fronts of the houses
with large strips of poulou, yellow and red. We asked ourselves what all
this meant? for whom were all these demonstrations of honour and respect?
Suddenly we heard behind us loud acclamations, and turning round we saw
the Regent, who was advancing, mounted on a magnificent white charger,
and surrounded by numerous horsemen. We arrived at our lodgings nearly
at the same time with him. We opened the padlock by which the door was
fastened, and requested the Regent to honour us by entering the
apartments of the French missionaries.

Samdadchiemba, whom we had not seen since our audience with the Chinese
ambassador, was there too. He was quite stupified, for he could not
comprehend these proceedings. The servants of the Regent, with whom he
had passed the night, could not give him any information. We said to him
some words of encouragement, giving him to understand that we were not
yet quite on the eve of martyrdom.

The Regent took a seat in the middle of our room on a gilded chair, which
had been brought from the palace for this purpose, and asked whether what
he saw in our room was all we possessed? "Yes; that is all we possess;
neither more nor less. These are all our resources for invading Thibet."
"There is satire in your words," said the Regent; "I never fancied you
such dangerous people. What is that?" he added, pointing to a crucifix
we had fixed against the wall. "Ah, if you really knew what that was,
you would not say that we were not formidable; for by that we design to
conquer China, Tartary, and Thibet." The Regent laughed, for he on