actually must await Pekin's action before claiming the whole thing as a fait accompli?
But surely we have done enough to justify us in further interference. We can ever claim that this treaty, signed by our Pantchen Lama, gave us vested rights. There ! Is not that worth a whole deluge of decorations ? Think of it ! We have vested rights in Tibet ! Why these people are under ourprotcction! In our paternal care of them we may exclude everybody else. We may even exclude the Buriat worshippers (Russian subjects) from the shrine of their religion ; for did not great danger come to our wards through one of them ? Were we not vexed by his taking of presents to the Czar ? And suppose we had not been the considerate, too-tender, too-forgiving Christians that we are, how terrible might have been the fate of these people !
Twice have they grievously sinned against us, yea, thrice. Once—never let it be forgot !—they sent presents to the Czar; once they refused to receive a peaceful mission of soldiers, when and where Colonel Younghusband desired to be received ; and once they declined to be disarmed by us. And yet many of them are alive! Has ever a people been so full of Christian grace as the English people? And, lastly, we can now arrange that these people shall buy tea from us. It may be cheaper than the tea they now prefer, and yet at a lower price there will be profit in it for us. Truly our Good-Samaritanism is without bounds!
And now we must go, because we see we cannot be comfortable here, all of us, during their dreadful winter; and though we have won their love,
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