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430 ADVENTURES IN TIBET.
decorate for such occasions with a gay Khotan carpet, aj
the same time spreading a table-cloth over the box whicl
served as a table. Then we sat down for a talk, while
crowd of black Tibetans clustered outside.
The two messengers, Hlajeh Tsering and Yunduk TseringJ
were governors respectively of the provinces of Namru and
Nakktsong, and also, according to what they said, member^
of the Devashung, or Great Council, of Lassa. They were
sent by the Dalai Lama to prevent me from advancing
further. There we sat then and discussed and argued hour
after hour, Shereb Lama acting as interpreter. I had
made up my mind I would no longer resist the force of
circumstances, for I had had enough of Tibet for that time,
and was longing to get home ; but just for the fun of the
thing I disputed the matter with the old men for a time. I
should not be allowed to take another step towards the
south, they said, and if we nevertheless did attempt to force
a passage, one of the parties, either we or they, would lose
our lives. They had hosts of soldiers to stop me ; and if
nothing else would serve, they would have each of my camels
held by main force by a band of Tibetans. They shouted,
they gesticulated, they perspired ; but I kept quite cool,
and smiled, and told them that we were in the hands of a
higher Power, which would protect us, and if the Tibetans
did not keep off, I warned them they would have a hot
time of it.
" It doesn’t matter," they said, " we shall have our heads
cut off in any case if we let you proceed ; we have brought
special orders from Lassa."
" Show me them," I answered, " and if they are correct,
I promise I will march straight from here to Ladak."
Then they read to me a document of which the following
is a literal translation :
" In the year of the Iron Cow, the sixth month, the nine-
teenth day, there arrived from the governor of Nakk-chu
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