“How do you account for that, Mr. Kawaguchi?”
“I imagine it all comes from the impotency of the Peking Government, on the one hand, and from the fact of His Holiness being a man of great ability, decision and political acumen.”
“Do you know Tsan-ni Kenbo of Russia?”
“No, Your Highness. He was not in Lhasa while I was there.”
“But you must have heard something about him?”
“That I have,” I admitted.
“Who among the Government officials of Tibet is said to be on the most friendly terms with him? Do you think he enjoys the confidence of the Dalai Lama, as well as that of His Holiness’s high officials?”
“Shata alone, with the Dalai Lama, seems to place infinite confidence in Russia; but the latter is an object, as far as I know, of much distrust and dislike to all others.”
Here the true King, sitting next to the Prime-Minister, asked in Nepālese whether or not what I was saying coincided with the stock of information in this latter’s possession. The reply was a full affirmative. Then the catechism was resumed:
“Supposing,” asked the Minister “that Tibet concludes a secret treaty with Russia, do you think that our neighbor will be able to give effect to such a treaty?”