India and Tibet : vol.1 / Page 76 (Color Image)

0076	India and Tibet : vol.1

CHAPTER V

THE CONVENTION WITH CHINA

THE Chinese Amban, or Resident, at Lhasa now appeared

upon the scene to effect a settlement, and during 1889 we

endeavoured to have the frontier line properly fixed and

our exclusive supremacy in Sikkim, which was recorded in

well-known treaties, definitely recognized. We also wished,

if possible, to have trade regulated. Considering that we

had abandoned the proposed mission to Lhasa out of

deference to Chinese and Tibetan susceptibilities, that the

Tibetans had assumed the offensive, and that the Chinese

had shown themselves utterly unable to control them, this

was not an unreasonable expectation to hold. We made

no demand for indemnity or for any accession of territory.

We merely asked that the boundary and trade should be

regulated. Yet a year of negotiation passed and no result

was obtained, and the Government of India told the

Chinese negotiators that they had decided to close the

Sikkim incident, so far as China is concerned, without

insisting upon a specific agreement."

But now that the Indian Government, knowing that they

could perfectly well hold their own up to their frontier, and

finding that the Chinese were of little use in controlling

events beyond it, were quite prepared to drop negotia-

tions, the Chinese themselves came forward and pressed

for their conclusion. This is an important point. It was

now the Chinese who were pressing for an agreement.

Further, and this is still more important, they stated that

44 China will be quite able to enforce in Tibet the terms of

the treaty," and they asked the Government of India to

depute officers to meet the Chinese Resident at Gnatong.

For the agreement which was subsequently reached the

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