On the 19th of January, I ascended the Tukvor spur
to Dorjiling, and received a most hospitable welcome
from my friend Mr. Muller, now almost the only European
inhabitant of the place; Mr. Hodgson having gone down
on a shooting excursion in the Terai, and Dr. Campbell
being on duty on the Bhotan frontier. The place
looked what it really was—wholly deserted.
The rain I had experienced in the valley, had here
been snow, and the appearance of the broad snowed patches
clear of trees, and of the many houses without smoke
or inhabitant, and the tall scattered trees with black
bark and all but naked branches, was dismal in the
extreme. The effect was heightened by an occasional
Hindoo, who flitted here and there along the road,
crouching and shivering, with white cotton garments
and bare legs.
The delight of my Lepcha attendants at finding themselves
safely at home again, knew no bounds; and their parents
waited on me with presents, and other tokens of their
goodwill and gratitude. I had no lack of volunteers
for a similar excursion in the following season, though
with their usual fickleness, more than half failed
me, long before the time arrived for putting their
zeal to the proof.
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I am indebted to Dr. Campbell for the accompanying
impression and description of the seal of the Dhurma
Rajah, or sovereign pontiff of Bhotan, and spiritual
head of the whole sect of the Dookpa, or red-mitred
Lama Boodhists. The translations were made by
Aden Tchehu Lama, who accompanied us into Sikkim in
1849, and I believe they are quite correct. The
Tibetan characters run from left to right.
The seal of the Dhurma Rajah is divided into a centre
portion and sixteen rays. In the centre is the
word Dookyin, which means “The Dookpa Creed”;
around the “Dookyin” are sixteen similar
letters, meaning “I,” or “I am.”
The sixteen radial compartments contain his titles
and attributes, thus, commencing from the centre erect
one, and passing round from left to right:—
1. I am the Spiritual and Temporal Chief of the
Realm. 2. The Defender of the Faith. 3.
Equal to Saruswati in learning. 4. Chief of all
the Boodhs. 5. Head expounder of the Shasters.
6. Caster out of devils. 7. The most learned
in the Holy Laws. 8. An Avatar of God (or, by
God’s will). 9. Absolver of sins. 10.
I am above all the Lamas of the Dookpa Creed. 11.
I am of the best of all Religions—the Dookpa.
12. The punisher of unbelievers. 18. Unequalled
in expounding the Shasters. 14. Unequalled in
holiness and wisdom. 15. The head (or fountain)
of all Religious Knowledge. 16. The Enemy of
all false Avatars.
