Note 30 — Chapter VII · GOVERNMENT OF LHASA—CUSTOMS, FESTIVALS, ETC.

A special class of trained men are employed on this service. The distance between the Tibetan capital and Peking is divided into a hundred and twenty gya-tsug, or postal stages, of about 80 to 90 lebor each. This distance of nearly 10,000 lebor is required to be traversed in seventy-two days. Couriers are generally allowed a delay of five days, but when they exceed that they are punished. On occasions of very great importance and urgency the express rate to Peking is thirty-six days.30 During the last affray between the junior Amban and the people of Shigatse the express took a month and a half to reach Peking.