xvi, 368 pp. Fold-out maps, black-and-white photographic plates. A travelogue written by the Indian scholar, explorer, and secret agent Sarat Chandra Das, first published in 1902. Das was a Bengali schoolmaster and explorer who worked for the British Indian Government, and undertook his second major undercover expedition to Tibet beginning in November 1881. Disguised as a Tibetan pilgrim alongside his companion lama Ugyen-gyatso, he crossed dangerous Himalayan mountain passes from Sikkim and Nepal. He then spent five months at the great Tashilhunpo Monastery, met with the Panchen Lama, and studied Tibetan language, culture, and ancient Buddhist texts. He also successfully reached the holy and forbidden city of Lhasa. This work provides interesting firsthand accounts of Tibetan customs, local politics, and daily life.
