At last, when they see you thus occupied, the Comptroller of the
Table pays you his official visit, a personage of immensely elegant
manners, and ceaseless volubility of tongue, who, after entertaining you
with his views upon the affairs of the world in general, and each country
in particular, concludes by announcing what there is to eat, and
requesting your judgment thereupon. As you mention the dishes you
desire, he repeats their names in a measured chant, for the information
of the Governor of the Pot. Your dinner is served up with admirable
promptitude; but before you commence the meal, etiquette requires that
you rise from your seat, and invite all the other company present to
partake. "Come," you say, with an engaging gesture, "come my friends,
come and drink a glass of wine with me; come and eat a plate of rice;"
and so on. "No, thank you," replies every body; "do you rather come and
seat yourself at my table. It is I who invite you;" and so the matter
ends. By this ceremony you have "manifested your honour," as the phrase
runs, and you may now sit down and eat it in comfort, your character as a
gentleman perfectly established.

When you rise to depart, the Comptroller of the Table again appears. As
you cross the apartment with him, he chants over again the names of the
dishes you have had, this time appending the prices, and terminating with
the sum total, announced with especial emphasis, which, proceeding to the
counter, you then deposit in the money-box. In general, the Chinese
restaurateurs are quite as skilful as those of France in exciting the
vanity of the guests, and promoting the consumption of their commodities.

Two motives had induced us to direct our steps, in the first instance, to
Tolon-Noor: we desired to make more purchases there to complete our
travelling equipment, and, secondly, it appeared to us necessary to place
ourselves in communication with the Lamas of the country, in order to
obtain information from them as to the more important localities of
Tartary. The purchases we needed to make gave us occasion to visit the
different quarters of the town. Tolon-Noor (Seven Lakes) is called by
the Chinese _Lama-Miao_ (Convent of Lamas). The Mantchous designate it
_Nadan-Omo_, and the Thibetians, _Tsot-Dun_, both translations of
Tolon-Noor, and, equally with it, meaning "Seven Lakes." On the map
published by M. Andriveau-Goujon, {35} this town is called
_Djo-Naiman-Soume_, which in Mo