In the Forbidden Land Part 45

I saw Mr. Landor and his two servants as prisoners about one and a-half month ago, this side of the Mansarowar Lake. Mr. Landor and Chanden Sing were on yaks; Man Sing on foot. They were well guarded. Tunda and Amr Sing were with me. They went on ahead to Taklakot while I stayed back with the sheep. They went to inform the Rev. Harkua Wilson of the capture. I saw Mr. Landor detained at Dogmar.

Read over to witness.

J. LARKIN.

_Statement of property confiscated by the Tibetan authorities, and recovered some months later by the Government of India._

189 .

DEPARTMENT ------------------------------- _From_ H.K. GRACEY, Esq., C.S., _The Deputy Commissioner of Almora_,

_To_ A.H. SAVAGE LANDOR, Esq., c/o GRINDLAY, GROOM & CO.

BOMBAY.

_Dated 10th December_ ) ) 1897 _Received_ )

897 ----- Revolver, 1. No. XXII. of 1897.

Jewel ring, 1. ------------------------------- Cash--68/12/--in eight-anna _File No._ .

pieces. Serial No. .

Cartridges for rifles, 110. ------------------------------- Rifles, 2 (1 damaged).

Cartridges for pistol, 37.

Cleaning-rods for rifles, 2. ------------------------------- Cover for rifle, 1. _File Heading._ " revolver, 1. _Property of_ Mr. H. SAVAGE Leather strap, 1. LANDOR.

Net to catch b.u.t.terflies, 1. ------------------------------- SUBJECT.

Has the honour to inform him that his marginally noted articles have been received by the Political Peshkar of Garbyang from the Jong-pen of Taklakote.

W. SMITH, C.S., _for_ B.R. Regr. No. 27 ) P. No. 2131 H.K. GRACEY, C.S., Dept. XXII. B.-- ) 11-9-96- _Deputy Commissioner, Almora._ 1,00,000 of 1896. ) P.D. W.J.W.

_Certificate from_ DR. WILSON.

DHARCHULA BYAS, BHOT.

I herewith certify that I accompanied Mr. A. Henry Savage Landor in his ascent up the Mangshan mountain, and that Mr. Landor and a Rongba coolie reached an alt.i.tude of 22,000 (twenty-two thousand) feet. Owing to the rarefied air, I and the other men accompanying Mr. Landor were unable to go as far as he did. Mr. Landor was at the time carrying on him a weight of thirty seers (60 lbs.), consisting of silver rupees, two aneroids, cartridges, revolver, &c. During the whole time I travelled with Mr. Landor he always carried the above weight on him, and generally carried his rifle besides (7 lbs. extra). We all suffered very much during the ascent, as the incline was very steep, and there was deep snow and much troublesome _debris_.

I also certify that I took many photographs[45] of Mr. Landor and his two servants after they were released, and Mr. Landor looked then very old and suffering, owing to starvation and the wounds that had been inflicted upon him by the Tibetans.

(Signed) H. WILSON, _In charge of Bhot Dispensaries, American Methodist Episcopal Mission._

DHARCHULA, _April_ 27, 1898.

DEAR MR. LANDOR,

Do you remember the night when we separated near Lama Chokden in Tibet, you to proceed towards Lha.s.sa, and I to return to India?

I have in my lifetime, seen few such fierce snowstorms. The storm had been raging the whole day and night, and the wind was blowing so hard that we could not hear each other speak. I can only recollect with horror at the dreadful anxiety I was in when you, with a handful of men, escaped from the Tibetan soldiers watching us, and in the dark fearful night proceeded to take your men up the mountain range, with no path, and among loose stones and boulders, a way, indeed, not even fit for goats.

That night, I well remember, you were carrying a weight much greater than the one you usually carried, thirty seers (60 lbs.), for when you left the tent you had in your hand a small bag with 200 extra silver rupees, and you carried your revolver, your rifle, and some extra ammunition. I a.s.sure you that I look back with amazement at how you succeeded in pulling through the dangers and difficulties of that night alone.

Yours sincerely, (Signed) H. WILSON, _American Methodist Episcopal Mission._

DR. H. WILSON'S _Statement_.

I herewith certify that, having heard at Gungi (Byas) that Mr. A.

Henry Savage Landor, after losing all his provisions in a large river, had been captured by the Tibetans at Toxem and had there been tortured, I proceeded to Taklakot (Tibet) in the hope of obtaining further news. At Taklakot the news was confirmed, and I heard that Mr. Landor and two servants were brought back under a strong guard. Some uncertainty prevailed as to what route he would be made to follow, and efforts were made by the Tibetans to make him proceed by the long, cold, and dangerous route _via_ the Lumpiya Pa.s.s, instead of by the shorter and easier route _via_ Taklakot. We heard that Mr. Landor and his two men were in very poor health owing to the ill-treatment by the Tibetans, and no doubt the long journey over ice and snow by the Lumpiya Pa.s.s left but little chance of their reaching Gungi alive. At the request of Jaimal Bura, Latto Bura and myself, Pundit Gobaria despatched a man to the Jong Pen at Kujer to explain that we would be thankful and would consider it a great kindness if he would allow Mr. Landor to travel through Taklakot. At last, after much trouble, our request was granted. The officer who brought us the news informed us that Mr. Landor would be made to pa.s.s through Taklakot at night, and conveyed directly over the Lippu Pa.s.s. The Political Peshkar Kharak Sing Pal arrived in Taklakot that day from India, and we held a consultation. We agreed to keep a watchman in the road all night, but Mr. Landor did not go by. In the afternoon of the 8th, Mr. Landor and his two men arrived.

They had been rifled of all they possessed and their clothes were torn and dirty. Mr. Landor and the two men looked very ill and suffering, Mr. Landor's face being hardly recognisable. He and his bearer Chanden Sing gave us an account of the tortures that had been inflicted upon them at Toxem and Gals.h.i.+o, and Mr. Landor showed the Peshkar Kharak Singh, Pundit Gobaria, myself and many Bhotiyas (Shokas) twenty-two wounds on his spine, feet and hands received from the Tibetans. Chanden Sing, who had been administered two hundred lashes, showed numerous black marks and open sores where the skin had been torn on both legs. From Lamas and soldiers who had been present at Mr. Landor's arrest and tortures I heard the following account.

An ambush had been laid, and Mr. Landor and his bearer were caught by treachery when some hundred and fifty yards away from their tent, inside which were the rifles and revolver. They made a desperate resistance and fought for over fifteen minutes, struggling to get at their weapons. Thirty men were on Mr. Landor and twelve or fifteen held Chanden Sing, while four hundred soldiers armed with matchlocks and swords, and who had kept hidden behind sandhills, quickly surrounded them. They were tightly bound with ropes round the neck, chest, and legs, and the arms were pinioned behind their backs. Chanden Sing received two hundred lashes that same day. Mr. Landor and Mansing were taken to Gals.h.i.+o three days later. Ponies were provided for them, Mansing riding bare-back, while the wooden frame of a saddle was provided for Mr. Landor, the frame having several iron spikes sticking out of it in the back part of it. During the long ride to Gals.h.i.+o these nails produced several wounds on Mr. Landor's spine and back. Efforts were made, by means of a rope attached to his handcuffs, to pull him off the saddle and have him trodden to death by the hundreds of ponies of the Lamas, soldiers and officers that came full gallop behind. Moreover, two shots were fired at Mr. Landor. Mansing, unable to use his hands that were bound, fell many times off his steed and remained some two miles behind. When Gals.h.i.+o was reached Mr. Landor was pulled off his saddle, and they told him that his head would be cut off immediately. Dragged mercilessly by soldiers, he was taken to a wooden log. Here they stretched his legs wide apart, and his feet were made fast on the cutting edge of the log by means of tightly bound ropes that cut into his flesh. Then while an officer held him in a standing position by the hair of his head, a hot iron was pa.s.sed in front of his eyes and a matchlock laid on his forehead and fired. Lastly, the head Lama approached with a long sword and swung it right and left close to Mr. Landor's neck, as if about to cut off the head. Mr. Landor remained composed and spoke no words. After some twenty minutes Mansing arrived, and was tied to the same log in front of Mr. Landor, and pretence was made to behead Mansing, Mr. Landor's face having been covered with a cloth. The Lamas professed to have been very astonished when, after having tied the prisoners' hands high up to poles behind them, Mr. Landor asked for some _tzamba_ (oatmeal), meat and rice, and Mansing for some b.u.t.ter.

The amazement of the Tibetans appears to have been even greater when food was brought and Mr. Landor and Mansing partook heartily of it and asked for more. Mr. Landor was kept chained to the log for twenty-four hours, Mansing twelve hours. When they were brought back to Toxem they found that Chanden Sing had been kept four days tied hands and feet to an upright post, and he had been given no food.

At Taklakot, an officer (called Nerba) confessed in my own tent, and before Pundit Gobaria and the Political Peshkar Kharak Sing, that he himself had held Mr. Landor by the hair when he was about to be beheaded. He had also fired a shot at Mr. Landor, and had moreover been ordered by the Lamas to cut off Mr.

Landor's toe and finger nails, as well as a lock of his hair. The Taklakot Lamas and the Tokchim Tarjum professed to be sorry at the Gals.h.i.+o Lamas having behaved in such a cruel manner.

At Taklakot we made a list of Mr. Landor's property that was still missing, and we gave a copy to the Jong Pen and one to the Tokchim Tarjum, that they may try to recover what they can.

(Signed) HARKUA WILSON, _Methodist Episcopal Mission._

GUNGI BYAS BHOT, DARMA. _Sept._ 21, 1897.

DR. H. WILSON'S _Certificate of_ A. HENRY SAVAGE LANDOR'S _injuries and wounds_

TAKLAKOT, TIBET, _Sept._ 8, 1897.

I herewith certify that I have examined the wounds that Mr. A.

Henry Savage Landor received during his imprisonment at Gals.h.i.+o in Tibet.

There are _five_ large sores along the spinal column and the spine itself has sustained severe injuries. At the time they were inflicted these wounds must have caused profuse bleeding.

The feet bear the marks of cruel treatment. On the right foot are still well visible to-day (nineteen days after wounds were inflicted) _six_ wounds, viz.--

On the heel one wound one inch long; Outside ankle " half-inch long; Front of ankle " one inch long; Top of foot, three inches above the toes, one wound one and a-half inch long.

Two small wounds on the upper part of foot.

On the left foot the _four_ wounds are of a very severe character, and were produced by ropes cutting into the flesh.

One nasty wound above heel, two and a-half inches long.

One wound below the ankle, one and one-fourth of an inch long.

One wound three inches above the toes, two inches long.

One wound on the heel, half an inch long.

These wounds have caused the feet to be much swollen, the left foot especially having been considerably injured. Its strained tendons give still intense pain when touched and the foot is very heavy, inflamed and swollen.

On the left hand there are _five_ wounds.

On middle finger a wound one inch long and deep to the bone.

On root of middle finger, a wound half an inch long.