The recent expedition to Lhasa was full of interest, not only on account of the political issues involved and the physical difficulties overcome, but owing to the many dramatic incidents which attended the Mission's progress. It was my good fortune to witness nearly all these stirring events, and I have written the following narrative of what I saw in the hope that a continuous story of the affair may interest readers who have hitherto been able to form an idea of it only from the telegrams in the daily Press. The greater part of the book was written on the spot, while the impressions of events and scenery were still fresh. Owing to wounds I was not present at the bombardment and relief of Gyantse, but this phase of the operations is dealt with by Mr. Henry Newman, Reuter's correspondent, who was an eye-witness. I am especially indebted to him for his account, which was written in Lhasa, and occupied many mornings that might have been devoted to well-earned rest.
My thanks are also due to the Proprietors of the Daily Mail for permission to use material of which they hold the copyright; and I am indebted to the Editors of the Graphic and Black and White for allowing me to reproduce certain photographs by Lieutenant Bailey.
The illustrations are from sketches by Lieutenant Rybot, and photographs by Lieutenants Bailey, Bethell, and Lewis, to whom I owe my cordial thanks.
EDMUND CANDLER.
London,
January, 1905.
CONTENTS
| [CHAPTER I] | |
| THE CAUSES OF THE EXPEDITION | |
| PAGES | |
| A retrospect—Early visitors to Lhasa—The Jesuits—TheCapuchins—Van der Putte—Thomas Manning—TheLazarist fathers—Policy of exclusion due to Chineseinfluence—The Nepalese invasion—Bogle and Turner—TheMacaulay Mission—Tibetans invade Indianterritory—The expedition of 1888—The conventionwith China—British blundering—Our treatment ofthe Shata Shapé—The Yatung trade mart—Tibetansrepudiate the convention—Fiction of the Chinesesuzerainty—A policy of drift—Tibetan Mission to theCzar—Dorjieff and his intrigues—The Dalai Lama andRussian designs—Our great countermove—Boycottedat Khamba Jong—The advance sanctioned—Winterquarters at Tuna | 1-21 |
| [CHAPTER II] | |
| OVER THE FRONTIER | |
| From the base to Gnatong—A race to Chumbi—Aperilous night ride—Forest scenery—Gnatongthree years ago and now—Gnatong in action—Amountain lake—The Jelap la and beyond—Undefendedbarriers—Yatung and its Customs House—Chumbi—Thefirst Press message from Tibet—Arcticclothing—Scenes in camp—A very uncomfortable'picnic' | 22-34 |
| [CHAPTER III] | |
| THE CHUMBI VALLEY | |
| The Tomos—A hardy race—Their habits and diversions—Chinamenin exile—A prosperous valley—But a cheerlessclime—Kasi and his statistics—Trade figures—Tibetancruelties—Kasi as general provider—Mountainscenery—The spirit of the Himalayas—A gloriousflora—The Himalayas and the Alps—The wall ofGob-sorg—Chinamen and Tomos—A future hill-station—Lingmathang—Acosy cave—The Mounted InfantryCorps—Two famous regiments—Sport at Lingmathang—TheSikkim stag—Gamebirds and wildfowl—Gautsacamp | 35-61 |
| [CHAPTER IV] | |
| PHARI JONG | |
| Gautsa to Phari Jong—A wonderful old fortress—Tibetandirt—A medical armoury—The Lamas' library—Roadmakingand sport—The Tibetan gazelle and otheranimals—Evening diversions—Cold, grime, and misery—Manning'sjournal—Bogle's account of Phari—Historyof the fortress—The town and its occupants—Themystery of Tibet—The significance of thefrescoes—Departure from Phari—The monastery ofthe Red Lamas—Chumulari—The Tibetan New Year—Bogle'snarrative—The Tang la and the road to Lhasa | 62-82 |
| [CHAPTER V] | |
| THE ROAD AND TRANSPORT | |
| A transport 'show'—Difficulties of the way—Vicissitudesof climate—Frozen heights and sweltering valleys—Diseaseamongst transport animals—A tale of disaster—Thestricken Yak Corps—Troubles of the transportofficer—Mules to the rescue—The coolie transportcorps—Carrying power of the transport items—Theproblem and its solution—The ekka and the yak—Aprovidentially ascetic beast—Splendid work of thetransport service—Courage and endurance of officersand men—The 12th Mule Corps benighted in ablizzard—Rifle-bolts and Maxims frost-jammed—Difficultiesof a Russian advance on Lhasa—The newAmmo Chu cart-road | 83-98 |
| [CHAPTER VI] | |
| THE ACTION AT THE HOT SPRINGS | |
| The deadlock at Tuna—Discomforts of the garrison—TheLamas' curse—The attitude of Bhutan—A diplomatictriumph—Tedious delays—A welcome move forward—TheTibetan camp at Hot Springs—The LhasaDepon meets Colonel Younghusband—Futile conferences—TheTibetan position surrounded—Coolnessof the Sikhs and Gurkhas—The disarming—A suddenoutbreak—A desperate struggle—The action of theLhasa General—The rabble disillusioned in their gods—Abeaten and bewildered enemy—Reflections afterthe event—Tibetans in hospital—Three months afterwards | 99-114 |
| [CHAPTER VII] | |
| A HUMAN MISCELLANY | |
| In a doolie to the base—Tibetan bearers—A retrospect—Areverie and a reminiscence—Snow-boundat Phari—The Bhutia as bearer—The Lepchas andtheir humours—Mongolian odours—The road at last—Platitudesin epigram—Lucknow doolie-wallahs—Theirhymn of the obvious—Meetings on the road—Amotley of races—Through a tropical forest—TheTista and civilization | 115-126 |
| [CHAPTER VIII] | |
| THE ADVANCE OF THE MISSION OPPOSED | |
| The Tibetans responsible for hostilities—Their version ofthe Hot Springs affair—Treacherous attack at Samando—Wall-building—TheRed Idol Gorge action—A stiffclimb—The enemy outflanked—Impressed peasants—Firstphase of the opposition—Bad generalship—Lackof enterprise—Erratic shooting—All quiet at Gyantse—Enemyoccupy Karo la—A booby trap—ColonelBrander's sortie—Frontal attack repulsed—CaptainBethune killed—Failure of flanking movement—Acritical moment—Sikhs turn the position—Flight andpursuit—Second phase of the opposition—Advancedtactics—Danger of being cut off—The attack onKangma—Desperate gallantry of the enemy—Patriotsor fanatics? | 127-151 |
| [CHAPTER IX] | |
| GYANTSE (BY HENRY NEWMAN) | |
| A happy valley—Devastated by war—Why the Jong wasevacuated—The lull before the storm—Tibetansmassing—The attack on the mission—A hot tenminutes—Pyjamaed warriors—Wounded to the rescue—TheGurkhas' rally—The camp bombarded—Thelabour of defence work—Hadow's Maxim—Lifeduring the siege—Tibetans reinforced—They enfiladeour position—The taking of the 'Gurkha Post'—Terriblecarnage | 152-169 |
| [CHAPTER X] | |
| GYANTSE—continued | |
| Attack on the postal riders—Brilliant exploit of theMounted Infantry—Communications threatened—Clearingthe villages—A narrow shave—Arrival ofreinforcements—The storming of Palla—House-fighting—Captureof the post—A fantastic display—Nightattacks—Seven miles of front—Advance of the reliefcolumn—The Tibetans cornered—Naini monasterytaken—Capture of Tsaden—Our losses—The armistice—Tibetansrefuse to surrender the Jong—A bristlingfortress—The attack at dawn—The breach—Gallantryof Lieutenant Grant and his Gurkhas—Capture ofthe Jong | 170-194 |
| [CHAPTER XI] | |
| GOSSIP ON THE ROAD TO THE FRONT | |
| A garden in the forest—A jeremiad on transport—Theservant question—Jung Bir—British Bhutan—Kalimpong—'TheBhutia tat'—Father Desgodins—Anadventurous career—A lost opportunity—Chineseduplicity—Phuntshog—New arms and new friendsfor Tibet—A mysterious Lama—Dorjieff again—Theinscrutable Tibetan | 195-206 |
| [CHAPTER XII] | |
| TO THE GREAT RIVER | |
| Failure of peace negociations—Opposition expected—Detailsof force—March to the Karo la—Villagesdeserted—The second Karo la action—The Gurkhas'climb—The Tibetan rout—The Kham prisoners—Hopelessnessof the Tibetans' struggle—Their troopsdisheartened—Arrival at Nagartse—Tedious delegates—Thevictory of a personality—Brush withTibetan cavalry—The last shot—The Shapés despoiled—Modernrifles—Exaggerated reports of Russianassistance—The Yamdok Tso—Dorje Phagmo—Legendsof the lake—The incubus of an army—Whymen travel—Wildfowl—Pehte—View from theKhamba Pass—From the desert to Arcadia—TheTibetan of the tablelands—The Tuna plateau—Homelyscenes—A mood of indolence—The courseof the Tsangpo—The Brahmaputra Irawaddy controversy—Theprojected Tsangpo trip—Legendarygeography—Lost opportunities | 207-238 |
| [CHAPTER XIII] | |
| LHASA AND ITS VANISHED DEITY | |
| The passage of the river—Major Bretherton drowned—TheKyi Chu valley—Tropical heat—Atisa's tomb—Foragingin holy places—First sight of the Potala—HiddenLhasa—Symbols of remonstrance—Propheciesof invasion—And decay of Buddhism—Medieval Tibet—Spiritualterrorism—Lamas' fears of enlightenment—Thelast mystery unveiled—Arrival at Lhasa—Viewfrom the Chagpo Ri—Entry into the city—Apathy ofthe people—The Potala—Magnificence and squalor—Thesecret of romance—A vanished deity—'Thoushalt not kill'—Secret assassinations—A marvellousdisappearance—The Dalai Lama joins Dorjieff—Hispersonality and character—The verdict of theNepalese Resident—The voice without a soul—Thewisdom of his flight—A romantic picture—The placeof the dead | 239-264 |
| [CHAPTER XIV] | |
| THE CITY AND ITS TEMPLES | |
| Sullen monks—A Lama runs amok—The environs ofLhasa—The Lingkhor—The Ragyabas—The cathedral—Servicebefore the Great Buddhas—The Lamas'chant—Vessels of gold—'Hell'—White mice—Themany-handed Buddha—Silence and abstraction—Thebazaar—Hats—The Mongolians—Curio-hunting—TheRamo-ché—Sorcery—The adventures of a soul—Lamaismand Roman Catholicism—The decay ofBuddhism—The three great monasteries—Theirpolitical influence—Depung—An ecclesiastical University—The'impossible' Tibetan—An ultimatum—Consternationat Depung—Temporizing and evasion—Anugly mob—A political deadlock | 265-285 |
| [CHAPTER XV] | |
| THE SETTLEMENT | |
| An irresponsible administration—An insolent reply—Tibetanhaggling—Release of the Lachung men—Socialrelations with the Tibetans—A guarded ultimatum—Adiplomatic triumph—The signing of thetreaty—Colonel Younghusband's speech—The terms—Politicalprisoners liberated—Deposition of theDalai Lama—The Tashe Lama—Prospect of anAnglophile Pope—The practical results of the expedition—Russiadiscredited—Why a Resident shouldbe left at Lhasa—China hesitates to sign the Treaty—The'vicious circle' again—Her acquiescence not ofvital importance—The attitude of Tibet to GreatBritain—Fear and respect the only guarantee offuture good conduct | 286-304 |