lonel Younghusband
decided that the time had come for a guarded ultimatum. He told the
delegates that, if the terms were not accepted in full within a week, he
would consult General Macdonald as to what measures it would be
necessary to take to enforce compliance. Their submission was complete,
and immediate.

[22] The liberation of the Lachung men and the destruction of the
Yatung and Gob-sorg barriers.

Colonel Younghusband had achieved a diplomatic triumph of the highest
order. If the ultimatum had been given three weeks, or even a fortnight,
earlier, I believe the Tibetans would have resisted. When we reached
Lhasa on August 3, the Nepalese Resident said that 10,000 armed monks
had been ready to oppose us if we had decided to quarter ourselves
inside the city, and they had only dispersed when the Shapes who rode
out to meet us at Toilung returned with assurances that we were going to
camp outside. At one time it seemed impossible to make any progress with
negociations without further recourse to arms. But patience and
diplomacy conquered. We had shown the Tibetans we could reach Lhasa and
yet respect their religion, and left an impression that our strength was
tempered with humanity.

The treaty was signed in the Potala on August 7, in the Dalai Lama's
throne-room. The Tibetan signatories were the acting regent, who affixed
the seal of the Dalai Lama; the four Shapes; the Abbots of the three
great monasteries, Depung, Sera, and Gaden; and a representative of the
National Assembly. The Amban was not empowered to sign, as he awaited
'formal sanction' from Peking. Lest the treaty should be afterwards
disavowed through a revolution in Government, the signatories included
representatives of every organ of administration in Lhasa.

On the afternoon of the 7th our troops lined the causeway on the west
front of the Potala. Towards the summit the rough and broken road became
an ascent of slippery steps, where one had to walk crabwise to prevent
falling, and plant one's feet on the crevices of the age-worn
flagstones, where grass and dock-leaves gave one a securer foothold.
Then through the gateway and along a maze of slippery passages, dark as
Tartarus, but illumined dimly by flickering butter lamps held by aged
monks, impassive and inscrutable. In the audience-chamber Colonel
Younghusband, General Macdonald, and the Chinese Amban sat beneath the
throne of the Dalai Lama. On either side of them were the British