Three years in Tibet : with the original Japanese illustrations / by the Shramana Ekai Kawaguchi.

  • Ekai Kawaguchi
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Three years in Tibet : with the original Japanese illustrations / by the Shramana Ekai Kawaguchi. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    62/772 (page 30)
    THHEE YEARS IN TIliET. resembles veiy mucli that of marriage, and its celebra- tion is made an occasion for a great festival, in which the relatives and connexions of the parties concerned take part. To be brief, the ceremony generally takes the form of exchanging glasses of the native drink between the mutually chosen two, and they each have to extend their liberalities even to their servants in honor of the occasion. It is only after the ob.servance of these formalities—which signify a great deal to the natives— that any two Nepalese may eacli call themselves the friend of the other. It so ha])])ened that my erstwhile imjuisitor ])roved to be the official owner and Lama-Su])erior of the Great 'J’ower above mentioned, who stood in the relationship of a, ‘ friend ' to Mr. Jibbahadur. It was most unexpected, but the discovery was none the less welcome to me, and I besought him to take me, henceforth, under his care and protection. Thus I came to be no longer a stranger and a solitary pilgrim, but a guest, a companion, to a high personage of Nepal. My newly actpiired friend, as 1 should call the Lama in our language, jiroposed that wo .should start for Nepfd the next morning. 'I’liis jtroposal was agreeable to me, as was another that we should go afoot instead of on hor.se-back, so that we might the better enjoy each other’s company, and ])erchance, also, the grand scenery on the way. I say that all this was agreeable to me, because, in addition to the obvious benefit I was sure to derive from being in the company of these men, I entertained a secret hope that 1 might learn a great deal, which Avould hel]) me in executing the main jiart of my adventures, yet to come. While our talk was progressing in this fashion, two servants of the Lama’s came in, running and all ])ale, will) the uuwc'lcome ])iece of news tlutt a thief luul bi’oken into their shed. This caused my otllei’s lo take