India and Tibet : vol.1 / Page 371 (Color Image)

0371	India and Tibet : vol.1

PROCEED TO POTALA 303

show in return for all they went though. Now they had

been led to a remote sacred city, and had not only

reached their goal, but were also to bring back something

with them as the tangible result of their labours. Their

satisfaction was therefore great.

All the military arrangements for the ceremonial were

1* in General Macdonald's hands, and no one could have

arranged them with greater care and precaution. Every detail, both for effect and for defence was regarded. The

route to the Palace was lined with troops, equally for

We show and for use in case of emergency, and a battery to

require, was stationed in a suitable position.

On the political side we had to arrange the ceremonial

in detail, so that there might be no inconvenient hitch at

it the last moment. The copy of the Treaty which the

Tibetans were to keep was written on an immensely long

and broad stretch of paper, so that the whole Treaty in all

three languages—English, Tibetan, and Chinese—might

be on one piece of paper. Four other copies had to be

made : one for Calcutta, one for London, one for the

IT$ Chinese Government, and one for our Minister in Peking.

All these were carried on a large silver tray by my

Bengali head clerk, Mr. Mitter, who had accompanied me

ii from the Indore Residency Office, and undergone all

the hardships and dangers with unfailing cheerfulness.

My camp-table was taken in to sign the Treaty on, and on

it was laid the flag which had flown over the Mission

headquarters throughout.

Half an hour before the time fixed for the ceremony

the whole of the route leading up to the Potala, and the

inside passages as well, were lined with troops. Soon

after 3 p.m. General Macdonald and I, accompanied

by the members of the Mission and the military staff,

reached the Potala. We were received in the Durbar

Hall by the Chinese Resident. The chamber was one

in which the Dalai Lama holds Durbars, and was large

enough to hold about 200 of our troops (some of whom

were formed up as an escort, while others had been

allowed to attend as spectators), and also about 100

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