1936 - 1937 Mission Diary

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

February 17th, Wednesday.

By soon after 9 we were all packed up and ready to go. Ringang came in to say goodbye and then went off to his work. At the appointed hour of 10 we started off, with young George Tsarong as escort. Otherwise there were no farewells at Deki Lingka, the Tibetans having the sensible habit of getting farewells over a day or two before departure and then letting one depart in peace. At the usual place, two miles from Lhasa, a strong guard of regulars and of police was drawn up on the left of the road, the former under Yutok Depon and the latter under Kyipup. A little further on we went into a garden where we were entertained with Tibetan tea and bread by representatives of the Regent, the Prime Minister, and the Kashag (who presented farewell good wishes and scarves). Mondo accompanied us another mile or two, past Drepung monastery, to a spot where we said good-bye to everybody, including Richardson, Dagg, and Doctor Bo. It was a perfect morning for starting on the journey back to India.

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 XIV p.8

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