CONTENTSCHAPTER ITHE CAUSES OF THE EXPEDITIONPAGESA retrospect—Early visitors to Lhasa—The Jesuits—The Capuchins—Van der Putte—Thomas Manning—The Lazarist fathers—Policy of exclusion due to Chinese influence—The Nepalese invasion—Bogle and Turner—The Macaulay Mission—Tibetans invade Indian territory—The expedition of 1888—The convention with China—British blundering—Our treatment of the Shata Shapé—The Yatung trade mart—Tibetans repudiate the convention—Fiction of the Chinese suzerainty—A policy of drift—Tibetan Mission to the Czar—Dorjieff and his intrigues—The Dalai Lama and Russian designs—Our great countermove—Boycotted at Khamba Jong—The advance sanctioned—Winter quarters at Tuna1-21CHAPTER IIOVER THE FRONTIERFrom the base to Gnatong—A race to Chumbi—A perilous night ride—Forest scenery—Gnatong three years ago and now—Gnatong in action—A mountain lake—The Jelap la and beyond—Undefended barriers—Yatung and its Customs House—Chumbi—The first Press message from Tibet—Arctic clothing—Scenes in camp—A very uncomfortable 'picnic'22-34CHAPTER IIITHE CHUMBI VALLEYThe Tomos—A hardy race—Their habits and diversions—Chinamen in exile—A prosperous valley—But a cheerless clime—Kasi and his statistics—Trade figures—Tibetan cruelties—Kasi as general provider—Mountain scenery—The spirit of the Himalayas—A glorious flora—The Himalayas and the Alps—The wall of Gob-sorg—Chinamen and Tomos—A future hill-station—Lingmathang—A cosy cave—The Mounted Infantry Corps—Two famous regiments—Sport at Lingmathang—The Sikkim stag—Gamebirds and wildfowl—Gautsa camp35-61CHAPTER IVPHARI JONGGautsa to Phari Jong—A wonderful old fortress—Tibetan dirt—A medical armoury—The Lamas' library—Roadmaking and sport—The Tibetan gazelle and other animals—Evening diversions—Cold, grime, and misery—Manning's journal—Bogle's account of Phari—History of the fortress—The town and its occupants—The mystery of Tibet—The significance of the frescoes—Departure from Phari—The monastery of the Red Lamas—Chumulari—The Tibetan New Year—Bogle's narrative—The Tang la and the road to Lhasa62-82CHAPTER VTHE ROAD AND TRANSPORTA transport 'show'—Difficulties of the way—Vicissitudes of climate—Frozen heights and sweltering valleys—Disease amongst transport animals—A tale of disaster—The stricken Yak Corps—Troubles of the transport officer—Mules to the rescue—The coolie transport corps—Carrying power of the transport items—The problem and its solution—The ekka and the yak—A providentially ascetic beast—Splendid work of the transport service—Courage and endurance of officers and men—The 12th Mule Corps benighted in a blizzard—Rifle-bolts and Maxims frost-jammed—Difficulties of a Russian advance on Lhasa—The new Ammo Chu cart-road83-98CHAPTER VITHE ACTION AT THE HOT SPRINGSThe deadlock at Tuna—Discomforts of the garrison—The Lamas' curse—The attitude of Bhutan—A diplomatic triumph—Tedious delays—A welcome move forward—The Tibetan camp at Hot Springs—The Lhasa Depon meets Colonel Younghusband—Futile conferences—The Tibetan position surrounded—Coolness of the Sikhs and Gurkhas—The disarming—A sudden outbreak—A desperate struggle—The action of the Lhasa General—The rabble disillusioned in their gods—A beaten and bewildered enemy—Reflections after the event—Tibetans in hospital—Three months afterwards99-114CHAPTER VIIA HUMAN MISCELLANYIn a doolie to the base—Tibetan bearers—A retrospect—A reverie and a reminiscence—Snow-bound at Phari—The Bhutia as bearer—The Lepchas and their humours—Mongolian odours—The road at last—Platitudes in epigram—Lucknow doolie-wallahs—Their hymn of the obvious—Meetings on the road—A motley of races—Through a tropical forest—The Tista and civilization115-126CHAPTER VIIITHE ADVANCE OF THE MISSION OPPOSEDThe Tibetans responsible for hostilities—Their version of the Hot Springs affair—Treacherous attack at Samando—Wall-building—The Red Idol Gorge action—A stiff climb—The enemy outflanked—Impressed peasants—First phase of the opposition—Bad generalship—Lack of enterprise—Erratic shooting—All quiet at Gyantse—Enemy occupy Karo la—A booby trap—Colonel Brander's sortie—Frontal attack repulsed—Captain Bethune killed—Failure of flanking movement—A critical moment—Sikhs turn the position—Flight and pursuit—Second phase of the opposition—Advanced tactics—Danger of being cut off—The attack on Kangma—Desperate gallantry of the enemy—Patriots or fanatics?127-151CHAPTER IXGYANTSE (BY HENRY NEWMAN)A happy valley—Devastated by war—Why the Jong was evacuated—The lull before the storm—Tibetans massing—The attack on the mission—A hot ten minutes—Pyjamaed warriors—Wounded to the rescue—The Gurkhas' rally—The camp bombarded—The labour of defence work—Hadow's Maxim—Life during the siege—Tibetans reinforced—They enfilade our position—The taking of the 'Gurkha Post'—Terrible carnage152-169CHAPTER XGYANTSE—continuedAttack on the postal riders—Brilliant exploit of the Mounted Infantry—Communications threatened—Clearing the villages—A narrow shave—Arrival of reinforcements—The storming of Palla—House-fighting—Capture of the post—A fantastic display—Night attacks—Seven miles of front—Advance of the relief column—The Tibetans cornered—Naini monastery taken—Capture of Tsaden—Our losses—The armistice—Tibetans refuse to surrender the Jong—A bristling fortress—The attack at dawn—The breach—Gallantry of Lieutenant Grant and his Gurkhas—Capture of the Jong170-194CHAPTER XIGOSSIP ON THE ROAD TO THE FRONTA garden in the forest—A jeremiad on transport—The servant question—Jung Bir—British Bhutan—Kalimpong—'The Bhutia tat'—Father Desgodins—An adventurous career—A lost opportunity—Chinese duplicity—Phuntshog—New arms and new friends for Tibet—A mysterious Lama—Dorjieff again—The inscrutable Tibetan195-206CHAPTER XIITO THE GREAT RIVERFailure of peace negociations—Opposition expected—Details of force—March to the Karo la—Villages deserted—The second Karo la action—The Gurkhas' climb—The Tibetan rout—The Kham prisoners—Hopelessness of the Tibetans' struggle—Their troops disheartened—Arrival at Nagartse—Tedious delegates—The victory of a personality—Brush with Tibetan cavalry—The last shot—The Shapés despoiled—Modern rifles—Exaggerated reports of Russian assistance—The Yamdok Tso—Dorje Phagmo—Legends of the lake—The incubus of an army—Why men travel—Wildfowl—Pehte—View from the Khamba Pass—From the desert to Arcadia—The Tibetan of the tablelands—The Tuna plateau—Homely scenes—A mood of indolence—The course of the Tsangpo—The Brahmaputra Irawaddy controversy—The projected Tsangpo trip—Legendary geography—Lost opportunities207-238CHAPTER XIIILHASA AND ITS VANISHED DEITYThe passage of the river—Major Bretherton drowned—The Kyi Chu valley—Tropical heat—Atisa's tomb—Foraging in holy places—First sight of the Potala—Hidden Lhasa—Symbols of remonstrance—Prophecies of invasion—And decay of Buddhism—Medieval Tibet—Spiritual terrorism—Lamas' fears of enlightenment—The last mystery unveiled—Arrival at Lhasa—View from the Chagpo Ri—Entry into the city—Apathy of the people—The Potala—Magnificence and squalor—The secret of romance—A vanished deity—'Thou shalt not kill'—Secret assassinations—A marvellous disappearance—The Dalai Lama joins Dorjieff—His personality and character—The verdict of the Nepalese Resident—The voice without a soul—The wisdom of his flight—A romantic picture—The place of the dead239-264CHAPTER XIVTHE CITY AND ITS TEMPLESSullen monks—A Lama runs amok—The environs of Lhasa—The Lingkhor—The Ragyabas—The cathedral—Service before the Great Buddhas—The Lamas' chant—Vessels of gold—'Hell'—White mice—The many-handed Buddha—Silence and abstraction—The bazaar—Hats—The Mongolians—Curio-hunting—The Ramo-ché—Sorcery—The adventures of a soul—Lamaism and Roman Catholicism—The decay of Buddhism—The three great monasteries—Their political influence—Depung—An ecclesiastical University—The 'impossible' Tibetan—An ultimatum—Consternation at Depung—Temporizing and evasion—An ugly mob—A political deadlock265-285CHAPTER XVTHE SETTLEMENTAn irresponsible administration—An insolent reply—Tibetan haggling—Release of the Lachung men—Social relations with the Tibetans—A guarded ultimatum—A diplomatic triumph—The signing of the treaty—Colonel Younghusband's speech—The terms—Political prisoners liberated—Deposition of the Dalai Lama—The Tashe Lama—Prospect of an Anglophile Pope—The practical results of the expedition—Russia discredited—Why a Resident should be left at Lhasa—China hesitates to sign the Treaty—The 'vicious circle' again—Her acquiescence not of vital importance—The attitude of Tibet to Great Britain—Fear and respect the only guarantee of future good conduct286-304
CHAPTER ITHE CAUSES OF THE EXPEDITIONPAGESA retrospect—Early visitors to Lhasa—The Jesuits—The Capuchins—Van der Putte—Thomas Manning—The Lazarist fathers—Policy of exclusion due to Chinese influence—The Nepalese invasion—Bogle and Turner—The Macaulay Mission—Tibetans invade Indian territory—The expedition of 1888—The convention with China—British blundering—Our treatment of the Shata Shapé—The Yatung trade mart—Tibetans repudiate the convention—Fiction of the Chinese suzerainty—A policy of drift—Tibetan Mission to the Czar—Dorjieff and his intrigues—The Dalai Lama and Russian designs—Our great countermove—Boycotted at Khamba Jong—The advance sanctioned—Winter quarters at Tuna1-21CHAPTER IIOVER THE FRONTIERFrom the base to Gnatong—A race to Chumbi—A perilous night ride—Forest scenery—Gnatong three years ago and now—Gnatong in action—A mountain lake—The Jelap la and beyond—Undefended barriers—Yatung and its Customs House—Chumbi—The first Press message from Tibet—Arctic clothing—Scenes in camp—A very uncomfortable 'picnic'22-34CHAPTER IIITHE CHUMBI VALLEYThe Tomos—A hardy race—Their habits and diversions—Chinamen in exile—A prosperous valley—But a cheerless clime—Kasi and his statistics—Trade figures—Tibetan cruelties—Kasi as general provider—Mountain scenery—The spirit of the Himalayas—A glorious flora—The Himalayas and the Alps—The wall of Gob-sorg—Chinamen and Tomos—A future hill-station—Lingmathang—A cosy cave—The Mounted Infantry Corps—Two famous regiments—Sport at Lingmathang—The Sikkim stag—Gamebirds and wildfowl—Gautsa camp35-61CHAPTER IVPHARI JONGGautsa to Phari Jong—A wonderful old fortress—Tibetan dirt—A medical armoury—The Lamas' library—Roadmaking and sport—The Tibetan gazelle and other animals—Evening diversions—Cold, grime, and misery—Manning's journal—Bogle's account of Phari—History of the fortress—The town and its occupants—The mystery of Tibet—The significance of the frescoes—Departure from Phari—The monastery of the Red Lamas—Chumulari—The Tibetan New Year—Bogle's narrative—The Tang la and the road to Lhasa62-82CHAPTER VTHE ROAD AND TRANSPORTA transport 'show'—Difficulties of the way—Vicissitudes of climate—Frozen heights and sweltering valleys—Disease amongst transport animals—A tale of disaster—The stricken Yak Corps—Troubles of the transport officer—Mules to the rescue—The coolie transport corps—Carrying power of the transport items—The problem and its solution—The ekka and the yak—A providentially ascetic beast—Splendid work of the transport service—Courage and endurance of officers and men—The 12th Mule Corps benighted in a blizzard—Rifle-bolts and Maxims frost-jammed—Difficulties of a Russian advance on Lhasa—The new Ammo Chu cart-road83-98CHAPTER VITHE ACTION AT THE HOT SPRINGSThe deadlock at Tuna—Discomforts of the garrison—The Lamas' curse—The attitude of Bhutan—A diplomatic triumph—Tedious delays—A welcome move forward—The Tibetan camp at Hot Springs—The Lhasa Depon meets Colonel Younghusband—Futile conferences—The Tibetan position surrounded—Coolness of the Sikhs and Gurkhas—The disarming—A sudden outbreak—A desperate struggle—The action of the Lhasa General—The rabble disillusioned in their gods—A beaten and bewildered enemy—Reflections after the event—Tibetans in hospital—Three months afterwards99-114CHAPTER VIIA HUMAN MISCELLANYIn a doolie to the base—Tibetan bearers—A retrospect—A reverie and a reminiscence—Snow-bound at Phari—The Bhutia as bearer—The Lepchas and their humours—Mongolian odours—The road at last—Platitudes in epigram—Lucknow doolie-wallahs—Their hymn of the obvious—Meetings on the road—A motley of races—Through a tropical forest—The Tista and civilization115-126CHAPTER VIIITHE ADVANCE OF THE MISSION OPPOSEDThe Tibetans responsible for hostilities—Their version of the Hot Springs affair—Treacherous attack at Samando—Wall-building—The Red Idol Gorge action—A stiff climb—The enemy outflanked—Impressed peasants—First phase of the opposition—Bad generalship—Lack of enterprise—Erratic shooting—All quiet at Gyantse—Enemy occupy Karo la—A booby trap—Colonel Brander's sortie—Frontal attack repulsed—Captain Bethune killed—Failure of flanking movement—A critical moment—Sikhs turn the position—Flight and pursuit—Second phase of the opposition—Advanced tactics—Danger of being cut off—The attack on Kangma—Desperate gallantry of the enemy—Patriots or fanatics?127-151CHAPTER IXGYANTSE (BY HENRY NEWMAN)A happy valley—Devastated by war—Why the Jong was evacuated—The lull before the storm—Tibetans massing—The attack on the mission—A hot ten minutes—Pyjamaed warriors—Wounded to the rescue—The Gurkhas' rally—The camp bombarded—The labour of defence work—Hadow's Maxim—Life during the siege—Tibetans reinforced—They enfilade our position—The taking of the 'Gurkha Post'—Terrible carnage152-169CHAPTER XGYANTSE—continuedAttack on the postal riders—Brilliant exploit of the Mounted Infantry—Communications threatened—Clearing the villages—A narrow shave—Arrival of reinforcements—The storming of Palla—House-fighting—Capture of the post—A fantastic display—Night attacks—Seven miles of front—Advance of the relief column—The Tibetans cornered—Naini monastery taken—Capture of Tsaden—Our losses—The armistice—Tibetans refuse to surrender the Jong—A bristling fortress—The attack at dawn—The breach—Gallantry of Lieutenant Grant and his Gurkhas—Capture of the Jong170-194CHAPTER XIGOSSIP ON THE ROAD TO THE FRONTA garden in the forest—A jeremiad on transport—The servant question—Jung Bir—British Bhutan—Kalimpong—'The Bhutia tat'—Father Desgodins—An adventurous career—A lost opportunity—Chinese duplicity—Phuntshog—New arms and new friends for Tibet—A mysterious Lama—Dorjieff again—The inscrutable Tibetan195-206CHAPTER XIITO THE GREAT RIVERFailure of peace negociations—Opposition expected—Details of force—March to the Karo la—Villages deserted—The second Karo la action—The Gurkhas' climb—The Tibetan rout—The Kham prisoners—Hopelessness of the Tibetans' struggle—Their troops disheartened—Arrival at Nagartse—Tedious delegates—The victory of a personality—Brush with Tibetan cavalry—The last shot—The Shapés despoiled—Modern rifles—Exaggerated reports of Russian assistance—The Yamdok Tso—Dorje Phagmo—Legends of the lake—The incubus of an army—Why men travel—Wildfowl—Pehte—View from the Khamba Pass—From the desert to Arcadia—The Tibetan of the tablelands—The Tuna plateau—Homely scenes—A mood of indolence—The course of the Tsangpo—The Brahmaputra Irawaddy controversy—The projected Tsangpo trip—Legendary geography—Lost opportunities207-238CHAPTER XIIILHASA AND ITS VANISHED DEITYThe passage of the river—Major Bretherton drowned—The Kyi Chu valley—Tropical heat—Atisa's tomb—Foraging in holy places—First sight of the Potala—Hidden Lhasa—Symbols of remonstrance—Prophecies of invasion—And decay of Buddhism—Medieval Tibet—Spiritual terrorism—Lamas' fears of enlightenment—The last mystery unveiled—Arrival at Lhasa—View from the Chagpo Ri—Entry into the city—Apathy of the people—The Potala—Magnificence and squalor—The secret of romance—A vanished deity—'Thou shalt not kill'—Secret assassinations—A marvellous disappearance—The Dalai Lama joins Dorjieff—His personality and character—The verdict of the Nepalese Resident—The voice without a soul—The wisdom of his flight—A romantic picture—The place of the dead239-264CHAPTER XIVTHE CITY AND ITS TEMPLESSullen monks—A Lama runs amok—The environs of Lhasa—The Lingkhor—The Ragyabas—The cathedral—Service before the Great Buddhas—The Lamas' chant—Vessels of gold—'Hell'—White mice—The many-handed Buddha—Silence and abstraction—The bazaar—Hats—The Mongolians—Curio-hunting—The Ramo-ché—Sorcery—The adventures of a soul—Lamaism and Roman Catholicism—The decay of Buddhism—The three great monasteries—Their political influence—Depung—An ecclesiastical University—The 'impossible' Tibetan—An ultimatum—Consternation at Depung—Temporizing and evasion—An ugly mob—A political deadlock265-285CHAPTER XVTHE SETTLEMENTAn irresponsible administration—An insolent reply—Tibetan haggling—Release of the Lachung men—Social relations with the Tibetans—A guarded ultimatum—A diplomatic triumph—The signing of the treaty—Colonel Younghusband's speech—The terms—Political prisoners liberated—Deposition of the Dalai Lama—The Tashe Lama—Prospect of an Anglophile Pope—The practical results of the expedition—Russia discredited—Why a Resident should be left at Lhasa—China hesitates to sign the Treaty—The 'vicious circle' again—Her acquiescence not of vital importance—The attitude of Tibet to Great Britain—Fear and respect the only guarantee of future good conduct286-304