This was doubtless the most critical point in Csoma’s literary career. He saw that time was going by, and his work still unfinished, and withal he felt quite powerless to complete his labours, without further help and encouragement. Everybody will sympathise when he reads at the end of his letter forebodings full of uncertainty and apprehension. [[79]]
[1] See the two letters above, dated 28th January and 5th May 1825, Chapters ii. and iii. [↑]
[2] Oriental Quarterly Magazine, 1825. [↑]
CHAPTER VI.
Government orders on Csoma’s last application—Dr. Gerard’s visit to Kanum, and his letter to Mr. Fraser.
On the 14th of June 1827 Mr. Stirling, Government Secretary, wrote to Captain Kennedy, commanding at Sabathú, to inform him that “the Governor-General was pleased to allow Csoma de Körös leave to proceed to Upper Besarh for a period of three years, for the purpose and on conditions specified in his letter of the 5th of May, and that his lordship had given authority to pay that gentleman fifty rupees a month for his support, and perhaps enable him to purchase Tibetan manuscripts.” The same was notified in the Government Gazette of the 10th of September following, with the remark that “these objects are the more desirable, as we understand Mr. de Körös considers the recent labours of Klaproth and Rémusat, with regard to the language and literature of Tibet, as altogether erroneous.” “Monsieur Rémusat, indeed,” proceeds the article, “admits the imperfections of his materials, but Klaproth pronounces ex cathedrâ, and treats the notion of any successful study of Tibetan, by the English in India, with ineffable contempt.”
We know not exactly the date on which Csoma left Sabathú, when he set out on his third journey into Tibet, for we find him always most reticent in everything that concerned merely his own person. The permission of Government to spend three more years in Upper Besarh, doubtless lessened the heavy load from his anxious mind. [[80]]He travelled presumably viâ Simla to Kotgarh, and thence along the valley of the Sutlej to the Monastery of Kanum. At this place he was visited by his devoted friend, Dr. Gerard, whose graphic pen has placed on record a most interesting episode in Csoma’s life.
Dr. Gerard, of the Bengal Medical Service, was travelling in the Himalayan countries, for the purpose of introducing vaccination there, with the humane object of putting a stop to the ravages of smallpox, which usually caused such devastation among the scantily peopled districts of the highlands. In this beneficent errand he was efficiently seconded by the presence of the Hungarian traveller at Kanum, and of his teacher, the learned Lama, to whose kindly influence Dr. Gerard pays a warm tribute. Dr. Gerard addressed his interesting report to Mr. W. Fraser, Agent to the Governor-General, and Revenue Commissioner of Delhi. Chiefly upon the few extracts of this report, is based what is at present known, of the details of Csoma’s industry and wonderful perseverance in the Buddhist monasteries, which, as we know, are situated in most inhospitable regions. The Government Gazette of the 9th of July 1829, gives some interesting extracts from Gerard’s paper, but the document is of such importance to the memory of the subject of this biography, that we do not hesitate to give a place for it here in extenso. It alludes also to the hardships and privations Csoma suffered at the Monastery of Yangla, in Zanskar, in 1827, “privations such as have been seldom endured;” and gives some other details of Dr. Gerard’s own journey, which are worthy of being rescued from oblivion. A copy of the document has been obtained from the Asiatic Society of Bengal, and bears date, Sabathú, 21st January 1829:—