[23] Chamdo, in Eastern Tibet. It is an ecclesiastical fief under the rule of a high dignitary of the Gelugpa sect who bears the title of Phapa lha.—(W. R.) [↑]
[24] In other words, he should take all he can possibly get without forcing the misser to open revolt.—(W. R.) [↑]
[25] This seems impossible, in view of the large flocks owned by most of the people. One in a thousand would already be a heavy tax.—(W. R.) [↑]
[26] A pretty good allowance, one would think. Cf., on this courier service, Huc, op. cit., vol. ii. p. 450.—(W. R.) [↑]
[27] In China most of the couriers are opium-smokers.—(W. R.) [↑]
[28] A lebor is, says our author, equal to 720 yards. It is the Chinese li, but I have heard the word always pronounced leu. A li, however, is about 600 yards.—(W. R.) [↑]
[29] I fancy our author means rearrange or remove his dress. A travelling Tibetan never changes his dress.—(W. R.) [↑]
[30] There are cases on record in which a despatch from Lhasa has been delivered in Peking within a month.—(W. R.) [↑]
[31] Cf., however, Jour. Roy. Asiat. Soc. xxiii. pp. 216–218. See also ‘Report on Explorations made by A. K.,’ p. 33. The Chinese punishment of the cangue is now adopted throughout Tibet, the criminals wearing it being also heavily chained. The cangue is called in Tibetan, tse-go.—(W. R.) [↑]
[32] This, I fancy, is hearsay testimony, and, I think, should be taken with several grains of salt. The Tibetans are not cruel, though, like all Asiatics, they believe in deterring from crime by the terror of the punishment.—(W. R.) [↑]