Chapter V

Embarrassing position—Csoma petitions Government to be allowed to
visit Calcutta, or to go to Tibet for three more years to complete
his studies.

Csoma’s arrival at Sabathú from Pukdal was notified by Captain Kennedy on the 17th January 1827, when he wrote to Dr. Wilson, stating that he was shown by Csoma “an immense mass of manuscripts and many printed volumes, and that he appeared to have attained a thorough familiarity with the language and literature of Tibet. He bids me say,” continues Captain Kennedy, “that it will afford him pleasure to correspond with you upon any literary subject you may please to propound to him. He is in no immediate need of money, having about one hundred and fifty rupees left out of the five hundred which the Government advanced to him upwards of two years ago. He declines any attention that I would be most happy to show him, and he lives in the most retired manner. Out of nine Tibetan words which you sent to him, printed at Serampore, he says there are five errors. I shall introduce him to Mr. Stirling when the Governor-General arrives.”

Immediately after returning to Sabathú, Csoma felt it his duty to inform Captain Kennedy, for the information of Government, of the disappointing result of his second visit to Tibet. This he did in a report, of which the original, bearing the date of the 18th January 1827, is still extant, in the possession of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. After expressing his acknowledgments for many kindnesses received at Captain Kennedy’s hands, he writes as follows:—

“Since my former reports [30] addressed to you I have developed the
contents of the Tibetan library works, and have specified some
papers in my possession, and also given a scheme of a grammar, a
vocabulary, and other works which I am about to prepare. Now, I
will not expatiate again on Tibetan literature; I think it
sufficient to state, that I was disappointed in my intentions by
the indolence and negligence of that Lama to whom I returned. I
could not finish my planned works as I had proposed and promised. I
have lost my time and cost. But I have brought now with me many
small printed columns of good authority treating on grammar,
chronology, astronomy, and on moral subjects. I have sufficient
materials for a grammar, and being acquainted with the grammatical
structure of the language, now I am able to prepare the elementary
work, so large as they will require.

“The dictionary is too large: it is yet in pure Tibetan, written by
a good hand in fine capital characters of small size, arranged
alphabetically. I had not yet leisure to add the signification of
each word in English. I can translate the greatest part without
mistake, but for the explanation of many words I must get the
assistance of an intelligent Tibetan. I have also extracts of
chronology, geography, and literary history, written by the Lama
according to my direction.

“From Dr. Wilson’s letter and the Quarterly [31] sent to me I
observe, there is nothing yet known of the Tibetan language and
literature, and they seem also to be not much interested for them.
It is certain that the Tibetan books mentioned in my former reports
have been taken in the seventh century after Christ from India,
especially from Nepal, Central India, Kashmir, and other countries.
They contain both materially and formally (sic) more than the
literature of any country in Asia.

“I will not make any application to Government, as Dr. Wilson
advises me. I am already under heavy obligations to Government and
to some gentlemen. I never meant to take money, under whatever
form, for the editing of my works. I will prepare them to the best
of my ability, and afterwards I wish to convince some qualified
Oriental scholars of the authenticity and correctness of my
communications. And I shall be happy to deliver to your Government
all my papers on Tibetan literature, for the received assistance
from his lordship in Council and from other gentlemen. My honour is
dearer to me than the making, as they say, of my fortune.

“I have resolved not to return again to any part of Tibet, until I
have delivered to the Government my present materials. I humbly
beseech you to have the kindness to take me under your protection
and patronage this year, and be pledge or security before
Government, if it be necessary, for my conduct. I shall endeavour
to be worthy of your patronage.

“I wish to live a retired life till October next, either at this
place or in the neighbourhood, wherever you please to permit me to
reside.”

The tone of this epistle is vividly suggestive of Csoma’s position; he was disappointed in his instructor and unable to find another in the Monastery of Pukdal, to render him the requisite assistance. “I have lost my time and money,” was his complaint, although he did all he could, and had collected Tibetan books in large numbers, with which, after an absence of eighteen months, he returned to Sabathú at the beginning of 1827. He made a truthful report to Captain Kennedy, and through him to the Asiatic Society. His best and first friend, Mr. Moorcroft, was already in his grave; the circumstances had altered since; Csoma found that the Calcutta savants knew little of the Tibetan language and literature; and he, moreover, suspected that they did not take any particular interest in these subjects.

This was not an encouraging position for a zealous investigator, and though he could not blame himself in being unable to fulfil engagements which he so earnestly strove to accomplish, he felt, nevertheless, that he could make no further claim for support from Government, and therefore declined asking for it. He was most desirous, however, to make over to the authorities his literary collections and the grammar, which he had already completed, as a slight acknowledgment for the generous help he received at “His Lordship’s and other private English gentlemen’s hands.”

The correspondence which passed between the parties concerned, does credit to all, as indeed does almost every letter which this memoir contains, bearing testimony to the liberality of Government on the one hand, or to the merits and deep gratitude of its object on the other. On the 3d of April, that is, two months and a half after his last letter, Captain Kennedy wrote to inquire of Dr. Wilson the result of his communication as to the fate of the Tibetan scholar, his protégé, and says:—

“Csoma is very anxious to hear from you. I have just introduced him to Lord Amherst. He proposes to remain here and compile his grammar and dictionary until next October. I rather suspect that Mr. Csoma’s finances are at a low ebb, and how we shall be able to approach the Government for a further grant to him I am not very certain. Perhaps a letter from the Asiatic Society would be the most proper channel to solicit a further sanction of a few hundred rupees for him.”

It is evident that a good deal of correspondence had passed between the Government officers, the Asiatic Society, and Dr. Gerard, as to what steps should be taken with respect to the further prosecution of Csoma’s labours; doubtless the question was seriously discussed as to the advisability of remaining content with what had been already attained, before sanctioning further expenditure of money, which a third journey into Tibet must necessarily entail upon the public treasury.

We find that his friend Dr. Gerard wrote to Csoma asking for copies of reports he had already furnished to Government. With reference to these, Csoma wrote to Captain Kennedy on the 5th of May 1827, as follows:—

1. “Dr. Gerard desired to obtain from me a copy of my former
letters and communications to you, for the purpose of showing them
to Mr. Mackenzie. I am a very bad writer; I could not copy them in
a more proper manner. I thought it my duty to send them direct into
your hands. If it may be your pleasure, I beg you to permit Dr.
Gerard to show them.

2. “I was much perplexed by that gentleman’s letter to me. In my
answer to the stated subjects, I would not enter into the wide
field of speculation as I was directed. My objects of research are
a comprehensive grammar, vocabulary, and an account upon Tibetan
books and learning. The grammar and literary history I can give
whenever I shall be desired to furnish them, and will accompany
them with a short geography and a succinct chronological history of
Tibet, in Tibetan and English. But, as there is yet nothing fixed
with respect to Tibetan orthography, I fear if I should send my
papers, without going myself to Calcutta, they could not make
proper use of them there, and it would give again rise to many
mistakes, which, as I observe in every publication on the Tibetan
language, are now also too much multiplied. The completion of the
vocabulary or dictionary, since I missed my aim on my second return
to Ladak, must be the fruit of some years’ industry.

3. “If, then, there is no objection, I beg you will do me the
favour to obtain for me the Government’s permission to go to
Calcutta next November, for the purpose of communicating my papers;
or, if Government would yet delay my visiting Calcutta, as I
observe from Dr. Wilson’s letter to you: to give me leave for three
years to go to Upper Besarh, where the language is Tibetan, and to
direct the Rajah of Besarh, that I should have leave to read such
of the Tibetan volumes deposited in the Monastery at Kanam, in Bali
Ram’s possession, as I should find interesting for my purpose; and
if Government will please to approve my further application to the
Tibetan, and accept afterwards the results and fruits of my
labours, I beg that you will have the kindness to obtain some
assistance for my necessary expenses.

4. “If neither of my wishes can meet with Government’s approbation,
as uncertainty and fluctuation is the most cruel and oppressive
thing for a feeling heart, I beg you to favour me with the
Government’s resolutions when obtained.”

This was doubtless the most critical point in Csoma’s literary career. He saw that time was going by, and his work still unfinished, and withal he felt quite powerless to complete his labours, without further help and encouragement. Everybody will sympathise when he reads at the end of his letter forebodings full of uncertainty and apprehension.