CHAPTER V - LHASA

Summary

Our first care was to provide ourselves with proper hats. The General, indeed, had given us a handsome light one, but his was a small Ciceronian head (in shape, I mean), and neither I nor my Munshi could get his hat on, and the Munshi informed me that if it was enlarged the marks of alteration would render it unfit to wear. I, indeed, as a foreigner might wear it so, but he as a Chinaman among his countrymen would not, except in the house. Notwithstanding this, he afterwards had it altered into an excellent hat for himself, and wore it perpetually. The hatter took our measures and lent us two hats for the interim. We learnt that this was the time of reviewing the Chinese troops. There was a small encampment by the side of the town, where the mandarins daily inspected the exercises. The great men were still in their tents and would not return to their tribunals and be at leisure to see us before the evening. Thus the load of guilt which pressed so heavy on my Munshi's conscience was washed away with a single word.

I was sorely afraid lest the Tatar mandarin should recollect having seen my face at Canton, or should recollect my name, or remember having heard of an Englishman of my description, strangely residing at Canton, and suspected of wanting to get into the country.