The Government of India has determined not to submit to
defeat by the Lamas who govern Tibet. These persons, though formally warned of their folly by the Maharajah of Nepal, who is their feudatory as well as ours, after four months of shuffling, have finally refused to negotiate about the treaties they have broken unless the British Commissioner returns to India. They are, moreover, collecting forces to compel his retreat. Lord Curzon has, accordingly, ordered Colonel Younghusband to advance to the Valley of Chumbi, ninety miles nearer to Lhassa, and a force is being organised under Colonel Macdonald to protect his movement. He will await at Chumbi the action of the Lamas. They may yield at once, as the people show no liking for the contest ; but it is believed in Simla that they will try to fight, in the hope of assistance from some lamaseries, or monasteries, on their frostier, which, again, are supposed to have received en- couragement from Russian officers. Very little is known of the forces at the disposal of the Dalai Lama ; but Lord Kitchener is taking every precaution, and the European officers with the Mission deride the idea that the climate is unendurable. The single real difficulty, it is said, is trans- port. We have explained elsewhere the motive of the expe- dition, which, though immediately provoked by breaches of treaty, is intended, to prevent Russian agents from capturing the ruling powers at Lhassa.
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