s encountered on his way the King of Alechan, repairing to
Peking with his gorgeous retinue, to be present at the great meeting of
the tributary princes, who, on the first day of the first moon, are bound
to offer the compliments of the new year to the Emperor. Behind the
vanguard came a palanquin carried by two splendid mules, harnessed, the
one before, the other behind, to gilt shafts. The palanquin was square,
plain, and by no means elegant; its roof was adorned with some silk
fringe, and its four panels were decorated with some pictures of dragons,
birds, and nosegays. The Tartar monarch was sitting, not upon a seat,
but with his legs crossed, in the oriental fashion. He seemed to be
about fifty years old; and his full round features gave to his
physiognomy a remarkable air of good nature. As he passed us, we cried:
"King of the Alechan, peace and happiness be on your way!" "Men of
prayer," he answered, "may you also be at peace," and he accompanied
these words with a friendly salute. An old white-bearded Lama, mounted
upon a magnificent horse, led the fore mule of the palanquin; he was
considered the guide of the whole caravan. Generally, the great marches
of the Tartars are under the guidance of the most venerable of the Lamas
of the district; for these people are persuaded, that they have nothing
to fear on their way, so long as they have at their head, a
representative of the divinity, or rather the divinity himself incarnate
in the person of the Lama.

A great number of horsemen, who surrounded, as a guard of honour, the
royal palanquin, made their horses curvet incessantly, and dash up and
down, in and out, from one side to the other, without ever stopping in
their rapid movements. Immediately behind the carriage of the king, came
a white camel of extraordinary beauty and size; a young Tartar, on foot,
led it by a silken string. This camel was not laden. From the tip of
each hump, which looked like two pyramids, floated pieces of yellow
taffeta. There was no doubt, that this magnificent animal was a present
destined for the Chinese Emperor. The remainder of the troop consisted
of numerous camels, carrying the baggage, the boxes, tents, pots, the
thousand and one utensils, that are always wanted in a country where no
tavern is to be found.

The caravan had passed on a long time, when meeting with a well, we
resolved to pitch our tent beside it. While we were making our tea,
three Tartars, one dec