yak, so much;" until, at last, Chinese diplomacy is pushed into a corner,
and the oulah is paid. The inhabitants of the district of Midchoukoung
treated us with great politeness and courtesy: the chiefs of the village
had a spectacle got up for us, by a troop of buffoons, who were assembled
for the new year's festival. The large courtyard of the inn, where we
lodged, served for a theatre: first, the artists, masked, and
fantastically dressed, performed for some time, wild, deafening music, in
order to summon to the play the inhabitants of the neighbourhood. When
all were come, and arranged in a circle round the stage, the Dheba of
Midchoukoung approached in a solemn manner to offer to our two guides,
and to ourselves, a scarf of blessings, and invited us to take our places
on four thick cushions which had been placed at the foot of a large tree,
that rose from an angle of the court. As soon as we were seated, all the
troop of players put themselves in motion, and executed to the sound of
music a sort of satanic round, the rapidity of which nearly made our
heads swim; then came leaping, jumping, pirouetting, feats of strength,
combats with wooden sabres; the whole accompanied alternately by songs,
dialogues, music, and imitations of the cries of wild beasts. Among this
troop of comedians, there was one more grotesquely masked than the
others, who acted as a sort of clown to the ring, monopolising the jests
and repartees. We had not knowledge enough of the Thibetian language to
appreciate his sallies; but judging from the stamping of feet, and the
shouts of laughter of the audience, he seemed to acquit himself
wonderfully as a wit. Altogether, the exhibition was amusing enough; the
Thibetians were perfectly enthusiastic. When they had danced, leaped,
and sang for upwards of two hours, the performers ranged themselves in a
semicircle around us, took off their masks, and put their tongues in
their cheeks at us, with profound bows. Each of us presented to the
chief of the troop a scarf of blessings, and the curtain fell.

In the afternoon, we invited Ly-Kouo-Ngan to a short walk.
Notwithstanding the indifferent elasticity possessed by his legs, he
acceded to our proposal with good grace, and we proceeded together to
explore the country. The village of Midchoukoung is populous; but
everything announces that its inhabitants are living in anything but a
state of comfort. The houses are generally built of stones stron