IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| India and Tibet : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
INTERVIEW WITH 'TEA LAMA 215
that the Grand Secretary was ill. I then informed them
that, as I had been attacked at Gyantse without any warn-
ing, and after I had written repeatedly to the Amban
saying I was waiting there to negotiate, and as I had been
fired on from the jong continually for two months since
the attack, I must press for its evacuation. General Mac-
donald was prepared to give them till noon of the 5th—
that is, nearly two days— in which to effect the evacua-
tion ; but if after that time the jong was occupied, he
would commence military operations against it. Irrespec-
tive of these operations, I would, however, be ready to
receive them if they wished to make a settlement, and
prevent the necessity of our proceeding to Lhasa.
'T'he Grand Secretary then said that if the 'T'ibetan
troops withdrew from the jong, they would expect that we
also would withdraw our troops ; otherwise the Tibetans
would be suspicious. I replied that the Tibetans did not
at all seem to realize that they would have to pay a
penalty for the attack they had made on the Mission, and
that I could not discuss the matter further. They must
either leave the jong peaceably before noon on the 5th, or
expect to be then turned out by force. On leaving, the
Ta Lama very politely and respectfully expressed his
regrets for having kept me waiting, and begged that I
would not be angry. But the Grand Secretary went
away without a word of apology. I-Ie was the evil genius
of the 'T'ibetans throughout this affair.
The following morning the delegates had a long . inter-
view with the 'T'ongsa Penlop, and asked whether time
could not be given them to refer to Lhasa for orders. I
sent back a message saying that it was already nearly a
week since I had let the Ta Lama know that the evacua-
tion of the jong would be demanded, that they ought to
be grateful for the opportunity that had been given them
of withdrawing unmolested, and that no further grace
could be allowed.
The Tongsa Penlop also informed me that they were
very suspicious, and wanted an assurance that we really
wished a settlement. I told him he might inform them
that the best evidence that we desired a settlement was
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