Travels in Tartary, Tibet and China, 1844-46

This is the narrative of 2 Lazarist missionaries who were deputed to the petty mission of si-wang in China and were given instructions to go into the heart of Tibet to Lhasa, to ascertain the nature and extent of the Apostolic Vicariat of Mongolia reestablished about the year 1844. Their travels took 2 years, from 1844 to 1846 and the entered so Tibet via its North East borders with China. Passing along the Kokonor the continued South West through the wild Tibetan countryside to reach Lhasa. From there the struck East through central China and then South to reach Macao from where they took the sea route back to Europe.This book is full of amusing and entertaining anecdotes that describe the manner of life of the Tibetan and Chinaman. The routes are colorfully described and give the reader a feel of belonging to the travel. Religious observances, holy edifices, temples and monasteries, are noticed with acute interest and, being missionaries, they never miss to point out how their system is truer than that of the native. A very interesting read. This book is a reprint of the 1898 edition. This title is translated from French by W.Hazlitt. It is illustrated with 50 engravings in each volume.