Political Officer and Tibetan signatories. In another corner were the
Tongsa Penlop of Bhutan and his lusty big-boned men, and the dapper
little Nepalese Resident, wreathed in smiles. British officers sat round
forming a circle. Behind them stood groups of Tommies, Sikhs, Gurkhas,
and Pathans. In the centre the treaty, a voluminous scroll, was laid on
a table, the cloth of which was a Union Jack.

When the terms had been read in Tibetan, the signatories stepped forward
and attached their seals to the three parallel columns written in
English, Tibetan, and Chinese. They showed no trace of sullenness and
displeasure. The regent smiled as he added his name.

After the signing Colonel Younghusband addressed the Tibetans:

'The convention has been signed. We are now at peace, and the
misunderstandings of the past are over. The bases have been laid for
mutual good relations in the future.

'In the convention the British Government have been careful to avoid
interfering in the smallest degree with your religion. They have annexed
no part of your territory, have made no attempt to interfere in your
internal affairs, and have fully recognised the continued suzerainty of
the Chinese Government. They have merely sought to insure--

'1. That you shall abide by the treaty made by the Amban in 1890.

'2. That trade relations between India and Tibet, which are no less
advantageous to you than to us, should be established as they have been
with every other part of the Chinese Empire, and with every other
country in the world except Tibet.

'3. That British representatives should be treated with respect in
future.

'4. That you should not depart from your traditional policy in regard to
political relations with other countries.

'The treaty which has now been made I promise you on behalf of the
British Government we will rigidly observe, but I also warn you that we
will as rigidly enforce it. Any infringement of it will be severely
punished in the end, and any obstruction of trade, any disrespect or
injury to British subjects, will be noticed and reparation exacted.

'We treat you well when you come to India. We do not take a single rupee
in Customs duties from your merchants. We allow any of you to travel and
reside wherever you will in India. We preserve the ancient buildings of
the Buddhist faith, and we expect that when we come to Tibet we shall be
treated with no less consideration and respect than we show you in
India.