Wes referred last week to the responsibil lity of China for the hindrance of intercourse between India and Thibet, and to the attempts which had been made under Warren Hastings to open up relations between the two countries.
Tt is curious that those very efforts seem to have led to the complete isolation which has been maintained during the present century. There bad previously been a certain amount of trade carried on by natives, but the Chinese afterwards insisted that intercourse should be completely cut off; this inter fence arising out of the Nepanlese invasion of Thibet, which seems itself to have arisen indirectly out of the English Mission. Notwithstanding the honorable reception given to the Lama at Peking, on the occasion of the visit when he promised Mr. Bogle to persuade the Emperor to allow friendly communication, his brother seems to have entertained suspicions of foul play; and to have had apprehensions for his own safety. Though acting as regent of Thibet at the time of Colonel Turner's visit, he subsequently fled into Nepaul, and promoted the Nepaulese invasion which led to the more direct interference of China.
The occurrence of those events so soon after the British Envoy's mission, lends colour to the surmise that it was the friendly disposition shown towards the English which involved the brothers in disaster. It was in opposition to instructions from Peking that Colonel Turner was allowed to see the young Lama; and it is plain from his narra tive, that a friendly feeling was entertained towards the English by all those about his person, which would be highly distasteful to the Chinese. He was, in fact, being educated to favour intercourse with India, and China would be sure to view that leaning with extreme jealousy. It is no very wild surmise, therefore, which connects the flight of the Regent into Nepaul, with his conduct in the matter of the English mission and his general leaning towards Calcutta, However this may be, it seems clear that, soon after Colonel Torner's departure, he conceived it wise to take refuge with the Rajah of Nepaul; and the latter, in 1792, invaded Thibet, and overran the country, pillaging the monasteries, and meeting with scarcely any resistance from a people who were in the last degree unwarlike and peaceful in disposition. An appeal seems to have been made to Calcutta for assistance, and refused, Possibly the sympathy of the Indian Government was with the Nepaulese, who were taking the part of the friendly Regent; possibly the dislike to enterprise beyond the Himalayas, which still prevails in Indian Councils, deterred the Governor. China, however, answered the call of her feudatories, Nepaulese in two battles, and eventually by sending an army which defeated the
penetrated their country and compelled them to purchase peace, by restoring all their plauder and paying tribute to China. The Nepaulese had in their turn appealed to Caleatta, when threatened by a Chinese invasion, and a Captain Kirkpatrick was sent to Khatmandu, but with the result parently of rather increasing the irritation of the Chinese, who were annoyed to seo the English now entering into relations with Nepaul as they had been doing with Thibet. The Chinese Commander is said to have been once a Viceroy of Canton, and strongly hostile to the English. His proceedings at the close of the Nepaulese war were evidently dictated by this sentiment, and were a fitting climax to the hostility with which the Chinese had all along viewed the Indian tendencies of their vassals. He established a chain of forts along the southern frontier of Thibet, accepted the proffered vassalage of Sikbim, and placed a garrison in that country and on the Northern frontier of Bhootan. Guarding these forts with their habitual jealousy, the Chinese interrupted all communication between Hindustan and the countries under their influence; allowing no strangers to cross the frontier, and prohibiting even the visits of Indian pilgrims to the residence of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.