1936 - 1937 Mission Diary

The official diary of the Gould mission to Lhasa sent by the British government. Read more about the mission diary.

16th September, Wednesday, Lhasa.

see photographs below

The Kashag have kindly placed the grounds of the Norbu Lingka at Mr. Gould's disposal. In the life time of a Dalai Lama these grounds can only 'be visited on rare occasions so we are fortunate to have the freedom of the peaceful and lovely, but now rather unkempt, grove and gardens. Mr. Gould went there today; Chapman and Nepean accompanied him in order to take photographs which could not be done conveniently on our previous, formal, visit.

Norbhu, in view of his high Tibetan rank of Dzasa went to the Potala for the ceremonies which take place at the end and beginning of each month. All the officials in Lhasa attend; today they were kept from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. drinking tea and eating porridge, while the Regent blessed the monks of Sera who had come in today for their holidays in the same way as the Drepung monks came in yesterday.

All of us except Mr. Gould dined with Ringang. It was a convivial and rio-tous party. Ringang's elder brother, Kapshopa (the Accountant General) and the wives of the two Ringangs were also there.

Author: Hugh Richardson [see handwritten annotations in Diary by Hugh Richardson in MS. Or. Richardson 2, Bodleian Libary, Department of Oriental Collections, University of Oxford]

Page Reference: Pt VI p.2

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