CHAPTER VII - THE JOURNEY TO TIBET

Summary

FROM TASSISUDON TO PARI-JONG.

While I was at Tassisudon an insurrection broke out in favour of Deb Judhur, the former chief; and the disturbances which this occasioned protracted my stay. The malcontents, after a fruitless attempt on the palace of Tassisudon, seized Simptoka, a castle in its neighbourhood, in which they found arms and ammunition.

There are no cannon in this country. The castles are built on eminences, with lofty and thick walls which have loopholes; the windows are high, project out, and are provided with heaps of stones to throw upon assailants. The doors are strong and secured by bars of iron; the entrance to some of them is by a covered way, defended by towers; and they want but the mote and the bridge to resemble the Gothic castles of our ancestors. There are only two ways of reducing them—by fire or by famine. The first appears easy enough, for as there are no arches, the roofs and floors are all of wood. But Simptoka having been built by Deb Seklu, a very popular Rajah, and being full of furniture and effects belonging to the government, it was resolved to blockade it. Troops were accordingly collected from the distant provinces, and three of the roads were stopped up. The fourth, however, was still open. The Deb Rajah's force increased every day. Deb Judhur's party saw no prospect of assistance; and after a siege of ten days they abandoned Simptoka, and being favoured by moonlight, escaped over the mountains into Teshu Lama's country.