were minors; and the
regency was intrusted to the first kalon, or minister, whose
one-absorbing object was to endeavor to resist the daily interference
and encroachments of Ki-Chan, and to emancipate Thibet from the
oppressive friendship of the court of Pekin. No pope, protected by an
army of occupation, was ever more hampered. But the Celestial Emperor
had declared himself the "protector" of the Tale-Lama; and as such was
he not bound to interfere on every occasion where his dignity or
interests were concerned? The arrival of two Europeans at Lha-Ssa, was a
circumstance well calculated to excite the suspicions of Ki-Chan, who,
in the true spirit of Chinese policy, considered the total exclusion of
Europeans as the only safeguard against foreign invasion. In
consequence, the missionaries had to undergo more than one minute
interrogatory, and a most searching domiciliary visit. The object of
this latter seems especially to have been, to ascertain whether they
possessed any maps. Although convicted of having in their possession
several of these prohibited articles, they managed, by their guarded
replies, and a little adroit flattery, to lull the suspicions of the
Chinese envoy, and even to obtain the favor of the Regent. This latter,
indeed, repeatedly assured them, with that self-deceit by which the
oppressed often seek to delude themselves into a belief of their own
independence, that they had nothing to fear as long as _he_ supported
them, for that it was he "who governed the country." For a little while
things went on smoothly enough: the missionaries followed their religion
openly, and even worked hard at making converts--not very successfully,
it seems to us; but still, so long as they were allowed to sow, they
might hope one day to reap. The Regent himself would frequently
discourse with them on religious topics:

The Regent was fond of talking on religious matters, and they
formed the principal subject of our conversations with him. In
the beginning of our intercourse, he said to us the following
remarkable words: "All your long journeys have been undertaken
solely with a religious object.... You are right, for religion
is the great business of life. I see that the French and the
people of Thibet think alike in that respect. We are not like
the Chinese, who take no account of the care of their souls.
Nevertheless, your religion is not the same as ours.... It is
o