304 Tibet and Turkestan
of success. The plan suggested by our Resident in Kashmir was that the Assistant Resident who annually visits Leh should enter into negotiations with the Joint Governors of Western Tibet, known as the Urkhus of Gartok, by whose agency it was hoped that communication with the chief authorities at Lhasa might be secured. Upon this suggestion we authorised Captain Kennion to visit Gartok in the autumn of 1900. He was entrusted with a letter addressed by the Viceroy to the Dalai Lama, and was instructed to hand it over to the Urkhus, should there appear to be a reasonable prospect that it would be forwarded to its destination. The letter was delivered to the Chaktar Urkhu, who undertook to transmit it to the Dalai Lama. After a delay of six months, the letter was returned to Captain Kennion with the intimation that the Urkhus had not dared, in the face of the regulations against the intrusion of foreigners into Tibet, to send it to Lhasa. This enterprise having failed, we determined to make one more effort to procure the delivery of a letter to the Dalai Lama through Ugyen Kazi. A favourable opportunity was presented by the fact that he had recently purchased two elephants on commission for the Dalai Lama, and could, therefore, proceed to Lhasa without exciting suspicion. We have accordingly entrusted Ugyen Kazi with a second letter addressed by the Viceroy to the Dalai Lama, in which stress is laid upon the forbearance shown by the British Government in their relations with Tibet, and a warning is conveyed that, if the overtures which we have made with a view to establishing friendly intercourse are still treated with indifference, we reserve the right to take such steps as may seem necessary and proper to enforce the terms of the Treaty of 189o, and to ensure that the trade regulations are observed. Should this letter meet with the fate of its predecessor, we contemplate, subject to the approval of His Majesty's Government, the adoption of more practical measures with a view to securing the commercial and political facilities, which our friendly representations will have failed to procure. As to the exact form which our altered policy should assume, we shall, if necessary, address Your Lordship at a later date. But we may add, that before long, steps may require to be taken for the adequate safeguarding of British interests upon a part of the frontier where
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