'Volume II. MEMORANDA REGARDING OTHER EXTERNAL AFFAIRS. 1905.' [‎83v] (171/228)

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in Tibet, and there is no reason to think that
there will be any general political disturbance
amongst the Tibetans. Mr. Litton thinks that
the local disorder was due to gross miscon
duct on the part of the Chinese troops which
are a disorganised rabble.
11. On the 24th August 1905, His
Britannic Majesty’s Minister at Peking
reported that his United States colleague,
Mr. Boekhill, had communicated to him parti
culars of a visit which he had recently received
from the Abbot of the Sera Monastery at Lhasa,
accompanied by a Mongol priest. They were
emissaries of the Dalai Lama, and brought a
letter of introduction to Mr. Itockhill, written
in English, from a person named Tcherbatski,
a Russian Professor at Urga. After delivering
the letter, the Abbot begged Mr. Itockhill
to use his good offices in order to facilitate the
disposal of the question of the Convention
between Great Britain and Tibet, as the Dalai
Lama was anxious to return to Lhasa, but
could not do so till this was effected. Mr.
Rockhill’s reply to the Abbot was to the
effect that the United States had no interest
in the matter, and that his best plan would
be to see the British Minister, who was known
to be a just and reasonable man. This how
ever, the Abbot said, w 7 as impossible, as he had
not called on any of the other Ministers. He
asked whether Mr. Rockhill advised him
to do so. Mr. Rockhill answered that he had
better see no one but the British Minister; but
that, if that was not agreeable to him, he would
himself see the British Minister and endeavour
to ascertain his views. Sir E. Satow, in the
course of conversation with Mr. Rockhill on
the subject, informed him that the British
Government were desirous of cultivating good
relations with Lhasa, but that a necessary
condition of such relations would be that the
Tibetans should change their ways. In the
past they had intrigued with a Power that lay
several thousand miles away and had declined
all intercourse with their immediate neighbour,
the Government of. India. This had been the
USG °^.^ e difficulties that had arisen,
and the Dalai Lama had only himself to thank
if he now found himself an exile, in conse
quence of his having quitted Lhasa for the
immediate vicimty of that other Power instead
of remaining m his capital to receive the
Mission sent to him by his neighbour. The
American Minister informed Sir Ernest that
he had said very much the same thing to the
Abbot namely, that the Tibetans had brought
heir troubles on themselves by refusing to
observe the engagements made on their behalf
some years ago. He added that he would
s A h ° rt] y take an opportunity of returning the
Abbot s visit, and would repeat Sir Ernest’s
language to him.