the other of nuts. "These are fruits of our
country," said Proul-Tamba to us; "they grow in a fine valley not far
distant. In the Western Heaven, have you fruits of this kind?" "Oh,
yes, plentifully; and you cannot conceive how much pleasure you give us
in presenting to us these fruits, for they recall to us our country,"
and, as we spoke, we took a handful of raisins from the gilt plate.
Unfortunately, they were only remarkable for a tough and sour skin, and
for a number of pips, which cracked under our teeth like gravel. We
turned to the nuts, which were of a magnificent size, but were again
deceived; the kernel was so solidly fixed in its hard shell, that it was
as much as we could do to extract a few morsels with the tips of our
nails. We returned to the raisins, then again to the nuts, travelling
from one plate to the other in search, but vainly, of something wherewith
to quiet the gnawings of our stomach. We were growing convinced that
Mrs. Proul-Tamba had resolved to play us a trick, when we saw two
vigorous Thibetians approach, carrying another table, on which was a
whole kid, and a superb haunch of venison. This unexpected apparition
gladdened our hearts, and an involuntary smile must have announced to our
Amphitryon how favourably his second service was received. They removed
the skins of raisins and the nut shells; Thibetian beer took the place of
the buttered tea, and we set to work with incomparable energy. When we
had triumphantly achieved this Homeric repast, we offered to the grand
chief a scarf of blessing, and remounted our horses. Not far from the
feudal castle of the illustrious Proul-Tamba, we came to a calcareous
hill, with great apertures on its summit, and on its rugged sides
numerous Buddhic sentences cut in gigantic characters. All the
Thibetians stopped, and prostrated themselves thrice to the ground. This
mountain was the retreat of a hermit Lama, for whom all the tribes of the
province of Kham entertained profound veneration. According to the
statement of the natives, this holy Lama had withdrawn, twenty-two years
before, to one of the caverns of the mountain; since that time, he had
remained in it, without quitting it once, passing day and night in
prayer, and in the contemplation of the ten thousand virtues of Buddha.
He allowed no one to visit him. Every three years, however, he gave a
grand audience of eight days, and, during that period, the devout might
present themselves