1
FATHER ESTEVAO CACELLA'S REPORT ON
BHUTAN IN 1627
Luiza Maria Baillie∗∗
Abstract
The article introduces a translation of the account written in
1627 by the Jesuit priest Father Estevao Cacella, of his
journey with his companion Father Joao Cabral, first through
Bengal and then through Bhutan where they stayed for
nearly eight months. The report is significant because the
Fathers were the first Westerners to visit and describe
Bhutan. More important, the report gives a first-hand
account of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, the Founder of
Bhutan.
Introduction
After exploring the Indian Ocean in the 15th century, the
Portuguese settled as traders in several ports of the coast of
India, and by mid 16th century Jesuit missionaries had been
established in the Malabar Coast (the main centres being
Cochin and Goa), in Bengal and in the Deccan. The first
Jesuit Mission disembarked in India in 1542 with the arrival
of Father Francis Xavier, proclaimed saint in 1622.
∗
Luiza Maria Baillie holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and
French from Natal University, South Africa, and a Teacher's
Certificate from the College of Education, Aberdeen, Scotland. She
worked as a secretary and a translator, and is retired now.
∗
Acknowledgements are due to the following who provided
information, advice, encouragement and support.
- Monsignor Cardoso, Ecclesiastic Counsellor at the Portuguese
Embassy, the Vatican, Rome.
- Dr. Paulo Teodoro de Matos of 'Comissao dos Descobrimentos
Portugueses'; Lisbon, Portugal.
- Dr. Michael Vinding, Counsellor, Resident Coordinator, Liaison
Office of Denmark, Thimphu.
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
2
The aim of the Jesuits was to spread Christianity in India and
in the Far East, but the regions of Tibet were also of great
interest to them. It was believed that Christian communities
existed somewhere in Central Asia which, through lack of
contact with the original church, practised distorted forms of
the faith. It was therefore necessary to re-introduce them into
the Church.
In the 17th century a number of Jesuit missionaries travelled
to Tibet by various routes. They experienced hardships and
dangers, for they had no maps and sometimes travelled with
guides they could not be sure they could trust. Their travels
show their courage and persistence and the sacrifices they
were prepared to make for the sake of their faith. The Jesuits
also contributed in a significant way to reveal Asian
civilisations to the Western World, either through the annual
letters they wrote to their superiors in India and Rome, or
through the systematic studies they made of the languages,
customs, religions and the history of Oriental peoples.
Bento de Goes skirted Tibet in a journey which lasted from
1602 to 1605, starting at Agra and passing through Kabul,
Yarkand, and the Gobi Desert till he reached Su-cheu in
China (Cathay). In 1624 Antonio de Andrade and Manuel
Marques set out from Agra travelling via Srinagar and across
the Mana Pass, to Tsaparang, the capital of the kingdom of
Guge in Western Tibet, and in 1626 built a church there and
established a mission which lasted until 1635.
The two Jesuit missionaries who came to Bhutan, Estevao
Cacella and Joao Cabral, followed their predecessors in an
endeavour to reach Tibet. Cacella was born in Aviz in 1585,
joined the Jesuits at the age of nineteen, and sailed for India
in 1614 where he worked for some years in Kerala. Cabral
was born in Celorico in 1599, joined the Jesuits in 1615, and
went to India in 1624.
In 1626, Father Cacella and Father Cabral travelled from
Cochin to Bengal where they spent six months preparing for a
Journal of Bhutan Studies
3
journey through Bhutan, which would eventually take them
to Tibet where they founded a mission in Shigatse, the seat of
the Panchen Lama and of the great Tibetan monastery of
Tashilhunpo. Cacella arrived in Shigatse in November 1627
and Cabral followed in January 1628. Although the Jesuits
were well received and had high hopes for the success of the
mission in Shigatse, it only lasted a few years. Father
Cacella's poor health led to his death in 1630; Father Cabral
continued his work there, but events in Tibet following a
power struggle between the lamas of the Yellow Sect and the
rajahs of the old regime resulted in the closing of the mission
in 1635. Father Cabral returned to India and continued his
long career as a missionary in Cochin, Malacca, Tonking,
Macao and Japan; he died in Goa in 1669.
While in Bhutan, Father Cacella and Father Cabral met
Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, and at the end of a stay of
nearly eight months in the country, Father Cacella wrote a
long letter from Cheri Monastery, to his superior in Cochin in
the Malabar Coast; it was a report, (The Relacao), relating the
progress of their travels.
The Relacao, dated 4th October 1627, is important because it
gives the first description of Bhutan by Western visitors. It is
a detailed account of the way of life, religion and customs of
Bhutan, but of particular importance is the description of
Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. The picture that emerges is
that of a strong leader, both spiritual and temporal, at the
same time a caring, saintly man, highly literate and a gifted
artist. The Shabdrung shows tolerance in allowing the
Jesuits to practice their religion and to offer instruction to
some young monks, as well as to lay people who were drawn
to the Catholic faith. He also offers to build a church and
house for them in Paro. Conversely, the Jesuits were less
open to the Buddhist religion, but perhaps allowance should
be made for the fact that because of the many similarities in
the ceremonies of both religions, they believed that it was a
form of Christianity that needed to be brought back to the
true faith.
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
4
The translation of Cacella's Relacao has been made from a
photocopy of the Portuguese text preserved in the archives of
the Society of Jesus in Rome. While the present article
includes the first full translation of the Relacao, Michael Aris
(1986) provides a translation of the section dealing with
Bhutan, along with many useful notes to the text. The only
other text that deals with the Relacao is Wessels (1924) which
includes a copy of the Portuguese text, as well as a
description of the lives of Father Estevao Cacella and Father
Joao Cabral, and of their travels to Bhutan and Tibet.
REPORT WHICH FATHER ESTEVAO CACELLA OF THE
SOCIETY OF JESUS
SENT TO FATHER ALBERTO LAERCIO,
PROVINCIAL OF THE PROVINCE OF MALABAR OF EAST
INDIA1,
ABOUT HIS JOURNEY TO CATHAY [CHINA],
UNTIL HE CAME TO THE KINGDOM OF BHOTANTA2
[BHUTAN/TIBET].
(Fol. 1) In my letters to Your Reverence last year, I wrote of
all that happened concerning our journey until we reached
Bihar [Koch Bihar], principal city of the kingdom of Koch but
as I do not know if your Reverence has received those letters,
I shall refer in this one to all our travels until reaching this
kingdom of Cambirasi3 [Bhutan] which is the first of the
kingdoms of Bhotanta [Bhutan/Tibet]; I shall be brief in my
references to Bihar as I do not wish to repeat myself and I
shall therefore describe in greater detail what happened
during the rest of the journey.
Dhaka
We left Hugli on the 2nd of August 1626, arriving in Dhaka
on the 12th of the same month; we left there on the 5th of
September and on the 26th of the same we passed through
Hajo, arriving at Pandu where we stayed with Rajah Satargit a
few days, and returning to Hajo, we left on the 8th of October
for Bihar where we arrived on the 21st of the same month:
Journal of Bhutan Studies
5
here, we had to wait four months before we could cross the
mountains, and on the 2nd of February 1627, we went to
Rangamati [Jaigon] the last territory of Koch; on the 21st of
the same month we entered the kingdom of Bhotanta
[Bhutan] beginning to climb the mountains on the 23rd, and
after an eighteen day journey through them, on the 10th of
April we met the Dharma-Rajah [Shabdrung Ngawang
Namgyel] King and chief lama of this kingdom considered the
most learned and most authoritative of all the highest lamas,
who are six in all the kingdoms of Bhotanta [Tibet/Bhutan].
When we left Hugli, Father Joao Cabral, Brother Fonteboa
and myself were dressed as Portuguese soldiers, so that we
would not be prevented from leaving Dhaka by the Muslims
who governed the city in the absence of the nawab who was
then in Rajmahal; as Father Simao de Figueiredo knew the
Muslims who had always treated him with kindness and
respect, he came with us, even though he was ill, to help us
leave that city; however, on arrival, our boat was seized, two
servants and all the sailors being arrested; the reason was
that, at the same time, another Portuguese boat had arrived
carrying some soldiers who in the previous year had helped
the Mogul in the sack of Dhaka; on landing, one of them was
recognised and arrested, and with him the boats which had
arrived and the people in them suspected of having been sent
by the Mogul to act as spies; after twelve days, the men and
the boat were released, and I immediately sent the boat to
Sripur to collect Father Joao Cabral who had stayed there
with Brother Bartolomeu Fonteboa, as only myself and Father
Simao de Figueiredo had come to Dhaka to make our arrival
less conspicuous. I wrote to Brother Fonteboa about the
difficulties we faced from the information gathered regarding
the journey, telling him that it was not possible for all of us to
go together, and so to my great regret at having to leave him, I
ordered him to return to Hugli, assuring him that at the first
opportunity I would send word as to how he should join us; it
seems it was the will of God that the Brother should be
rewarded for his willingness to make the journey, by staying
at the College of Hugli, to enjoy its comforts, which he amply
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
6
did, rather than suffer the discomforts of the journey. Father
Joao Cabral could not come straight away from Sripur as he
was prevented from doing so by the commander of the Mogul
navy who apprehended his boat; it was during the following
eight days, while Father Cabral was prevented from leaving,
that there happened in Dhaka the incident with Jorge de
Souza, which I hasten to say, made the Portuguese there so
frightened, that those who were from outside quickly left for
Hugli, while those who lived there believed all was lost; some
who left tried to persuade Father Cabral also to leave the
area, but he didn't, comforting everyone with his presence,
and inspiring them with the spirit which led him ( Fol. 2 ) to
risk his mission, rather than try to avoid the danger of
staying in the area, as so many did; however, Father Cabral
was able to leave Sripur with the help and in the company of
some Portuguese without the Muslims knowing, arriving in
Dhaka when the disturbance had passed, although the
Christians who lived there were still very much afraid. The
incident happened as follows.
An old Portuguese man, who had long lived in Dhaka, tried to
have a soldier killed, but his servants did not do so as their
guns were taken from them, so he himself went with a crowd
to seek out the soldier, even though some people tried to
persuade him against it; the motive was to avenge the
soldier's killing of another Christian a few months earlier and
thus punish him for his sins. A mob from the opposing side
had also gathered, and when the two groups came within
sight of each other, the old man who was in front was the first
to be shot dead without the opportunity for confession as
happened in the case of the other Christian, which goes to
show that in Bengal, he who kills another without giving him
the opportunity of confession is also killed without the
opportunity of confession himself, of which there are many
examples. On both sides all were Christian soldiers and, as
captain of all, Jorge de Souza, unarmed, arrived to separate
them; on being aware of his presence, the Christians from
both factions ran away in panic; there now appeared on the
scene a large company of native, fierce and barbaric Rajput
Journal of Bhutan Studies
7
soldiers, their captain being a close relative of the rajah; all
fell on Jorge de Souza, but the captain of the Rajputs was
knocked down from his horse, and his men, abandoning
Jorge de Souza without having inflicted any injury on him,
turned their attention to the houses in the area, which they
set on fire and pillaged; the houses were large and close
together, the fire spreading every-where, and the burning,
shouting, fury and ransacking of the houses by the Rajputs,
went on for a long time without rescue of any kind by the
forces of law and order, thus making it a most terrible day;
all was disorder, everyone acting as he pleased; many were
wounded and at least twelve people died, and it would have
been much worse, if the Catual, law authority of the city, had
not come to the rescue after a few hours who, although
lacking enough men to arrest and punish such a multitude of
soldiers, still managed to bring the situation under control.
Everyone was astonished at how Jorge de Souza had escaped
from such danger alive and unscathed, attributing this to the
Lord's providence who it seems wanted to give him a sign that
He was pleased at some service rendered; this had in fact
happened, Jorge de Souza having obtained from the Governor
of Dhaka the permit for our journey to Koch which he had
sent me an hour before the disturbance, it being the will of
God that he send me one copy, rather than keep it with the
other which in fact we had no need of, and which was lost in
the fire that burnt down the houses; it was indeed providence
and the Lord's mercy that allowed the copy of the document
we needed to leave Jorge de Souza's hands and not be lost
with the other, for he was in no position to request another
permit for the supply of wood for the building of many boats
in Koch as requested in the previous permit, which would
cost many thousands of tangas [coins]4. In addition to this
mercy of the Lord, we experienced here many others from His
divine hand. We found ourselves in the midst of the fury of
the Rajputs who did not forgive any Christians they found,
killing or wounding them and setting fire to the houses of the
soldiers in that neighbourhood - we were at the time
occupying one vacated by a soldier for our convenience - the
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
8
Lord protected us, as the fire never reached us, nor did the
native soldiers know where we were while we could clearly
hear the shouting and wailing of the people in the burning
and the pillaging they were suffering. It was the will of the
Lord to show us one more mercy in that when we first arrived
here we did not occupy the houses that had originally been
prepared for us which were the very ones which the Rajputs
set on fire - from one of these a Portuguese (Fol. 3) merchant
escaped with difficulty, having first paid a Muslim neighbour
to wear his cabaya [long robe] and cap by way of disguise.
The cause and origins of this incident are well known, the
result of evils that were here committed, and I do not excuse
even those who were shown so publicly to be at fault.
Koch
Intending to have timber cut for the building of boats, we
came to Koch accompanied by the people that Jorge de Souza
had sent for that purpose; they were a great help to us in
passing the choqueys, custom houses of which there are sixty
plus in the waterways that lead to Hajo and where duty is
paid on goods - one passes through pleasant canals with good
fresh water, and through many well supplied villages that line
their banks. Hajo is the principal city of the kingdoms of
Koch 5 - a rich area with a large population where the late
Liquinarane [Bir Narayna], King of Koch, lived, and where the
nabob of Mogor receives tribute from the surrounding lands.
Having by-passed this town, we arrived at Pandu where Rajah
Satargit, a native of Busna, has his seat - he is also
commander-general of the Mogul army on the Assamese
front; Pandu is not a large place but very busy; it does not
stretch much inland but lies along the banks of this lovely
river of Koch; there is an on-going war between Pandu and
Assam, their territories lying adjacent to each other. King
Satargit received us with great kindness, granting us many
honours in the presence of a crowd of his important subjects
and Muslim captains who form part of his retinue and are a
necessary element of his war machinery of three hundred
boats. He read the letters we brought and we told him that
Journal of Bhutan Studies
9
the purpose of our journey was to go to Cathay [China], but
no one seemed to have heard of that kingdom except a
reliable muslim who said that it was beyond a town called
Coscar [Kashgar] 6 , that from Koch he did not know the way,
but that once across the mountains of Bhotanta [Bhutan] we
would find it. In order to find the best way to enter Bothanta,
Rajah Satargit advised us to go to Hajo to see Liquinarane,
King of the area between Koch and Hajo, who would know
more about it and of the people who came down to his
dominions through various points of entry.
The Rajah did not want us to go alone, and he himself came
to introduce us to Liquinarane and see us on our way; some
beautifully decorated boats were made ready for us and on
the following day we went with him to visit the King. One
cannot exaggerate the kindness of the Rajah of Busna, the
honours he bestowed on us and the care which he took
regarding our endeavour – you cannot imagine the prestige of
these rulers, the pomp and splendour surrounding them, as
seen only in some parts in India; here it is very different,
these rulers treat themselves very well enjoying royal status,
their men do not go about naked, rather they are well dressed
and carry themselves with dignity, whether on foot or on
horse; it was noticeable how Rajah Satargit, because of his
wisdom and personality, is well loved in the whole of this
kingdom, as we observed in Hajo where he was acclaimed by
the people in the streets as if he were their own King - no
doubt a show of appreciation for his generosity in sharing
with many people the rents he receives, which does him
much credit, even though the total amounts to less than two
hundred tangas [coins] per annum.
In order to be received by King Liquinarane, we had to go
through three large courtyards surrounded by wide verandas
where there were many people; we passed between the
courtyards through large strong gates which are always
closed, watched by sentries and many guards; in the last
two, there were many soldiers who served as the King's
guard, grouped in an orderly manner according to rank, all
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
10
smart and well equipped as if for the battlefield. Next, we
passed into a lovely large garden in the middle of which was a
beautifully decorated house where the King awaited us. He
received us with much kindness, and after conversing with us
about the Kingdom of Portugal and other places, turning to
the subject of our journey, he advised us to go to Bihar which
was governed by his son Gaburrasa and that from there we
should go to Rangamati [Jaigon], reaching the end of his
territory before passing on to Bothanta; he then offered to
write to his son asking him to help us in every way he could;
when we said good-bye to him he gave us the letter, and very
(Fol.4) generously provided us with money for the journey;
Rajah Satargit was also very generous in sending us nine
pieces of silk, with his regrets that he was not able to show in
any other way the love he had for us - he also sent one of his
close relatives to accompany us, providing one boat for him
and one for us; after dispatching a Brahmin from his
household with a letter for Prince Gaburrasa, he returned to
Pandu and we left for Bihar.
The town of Bihar [Koch Bihar] is situated on a river
[tributary of the Brahma-putra] with nice views stretching
over several leagues; it covers an area which is as wide as
long; with the exception of the more humble houses as found
in other kingdoms of Bengal, there is much that is worthwhile
seeing; it has a big population, being well provided with all
kinds of goods from the kingdom itself as well as from goods
that come from Patna, Rajmahal and Gaur; there are many
bazaars with everything that the land produces; in
particular, there are pine- apples which are better than the
ones found in India - and there are oranges of every kind.
The Prince was not in Bihar as, on account of the floods
which occur regularly in that town, he had moved inland a
few months earlier to a cool location on one of the small
channels of the same river. The place was previously called
Kalabari. In order to please the Prince, the merchants of
Bihar were quick to develop the new town, and by the time we
arrived there, it compared favourably with Bihar [Koch Bihar]
in its beauty and the well laid out streets. At Kalabari we
Journal of Bhutan Studies
11
were well received and taken care of, by order of the Prince
who learnt from the letters of his father the King, and from
those of Rajah Satargit what the purpose of our journey was,
and offered to help us in every possible way. I soon set out
with his men for Rangamati where I met seven or eight people
from those kingdoms whom I had been looking forward to
meeting and was very pleased to see. They gave me all the
information they could but told me that it would not be
possible to cross the mountains because of the thick snows,
strong winds and heavy rains normal at that time of the year,
so although I very much wished to proceed with my journey,
it was not possible, and we were forced to wait four more
months in the kingdom of Koch.
Under those circumstances and the necessity to stay, I wrote
immediately to Brother Bartolomeu Fonteboa to come and
join us, eventually to continue our mission, as the people of
Bhotanta [Bhutan] would facilitate the rest of the journey; to
this end, and also to keep Your Reverence informed that we
were already in that kingdom, we sent to Hugli the interpreter
we had brought with us, as he was familiar with the way and
would look after the Brother well, but although the latter was
still alive when my letter reached him, it was God's will a few
months later to reward him for his dedication to his mission
in spite of his advanced age which might have made him
withdraw from the endeavour. Brother Fonteboa was gifted
with a spirit of dedication and fervour which he put to the
service of others; but, just as he was about to begin work in
another mission of the Lord, it was the Lord's will to give him
eternal rest. It was also the Lord's will and his paternal
providence that made us spend four months in that kingdom,
and He gave us the spiritual strength needed for what was left
of the journey for us; first, I fell ill and three days later,
Father Joao Cabral, both with malaria, as well as one of our
servants who became very seriously sick; there only
remained the other servant who couldn't speak the language
who, a few days later, also fell ill and died; it was the Lord's
will that my illness did not last long, as my health soon
improved and I was cured; Father Joao Cabral suffered long
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
12
and although cheerful he became extremely weak and was
near death for many days; the two servants were also near
death, unable to reason and talk, waiting for their hour; such
was our plight, alone in a small house during the months of
November and December while the sickness lasted, but we
felt we received many mercies from our Lord (Fol.5) that
showed He was with us and watching over us; for in the
midst of that situation which to human eyes made it seem as
if everything was lacking, it was not so; for even without
doctors, medicines, help and the care needed to alleviate
illness, our Lord restored us to our health.
As the time to continue our journey was approaching, Father
Cabral still being ill, I went to say good-bye to Prince
Gaburrasa and obtain the permits for the captain of
Rangamati and the men from Bhotanta [Bhutan]; the papers
were ordered without delay, and the Prince was also generous
enough to give us a horse, seeming concerned about handing
us over to the men of Bhotanta because the people of Koch
are very much afraid of them from observing how proudly
they go about Rangamati without fearing anyone; I took my
leave and said how very pleased we were. We remained the
whole of January in Bihar [Koch Bihar] waiting for the arrival
of Brother Bartolomeu Fonteboa, whose death we did not
know about, and for the interpreter who had gone to fetch
him whom we required to be with us because the two
servants were still sick and one of them was supposed to
return to Hugli; however, as no one had come by the 2nd of
February, feast of the Purification of Our Lady 7, we left for
Rangamati to wait there a few more days and buy provisions
for our journey which we hoped to begin on the 20th of
February; on the 19th, the interpreter arrived from Hugli; it
was as if an angel from heaven sent by the Lord on the last
day of our stay in Koch, a sign of His particular concern for
our journey, allowing the interpreter to hurry with the things
he had brought for us, otherwise he would not have found us
in Rangamati and he would not have been able to follow us;
we waited one more day and entered these kingdoms on the
21st of February, the first Sunday of Lent8, being comforted
Journal of Bhutan Studies
13
by the thought that it was on that day that the Lord had gone
into the desert, and in His company we had no doubt that we
would overcome any enemies which are certain to be found in
such journeys.
Entering Bhutan
On the 26th of February, after travelling four days in the
mountains we arrived in the first village of these kingdoms
and although we wanted to continue we could not do so
immediately, because the man we had hired to come with us,
an important person among these people, had stayed behind
in Rangamati on his own business; he had provided people to
accompany us but they had orders to keep us in that village
till his arrival six months later, and we were not to be given
permission to proceed. We did everything we could to
overcome the obstructions put in our way; but at the end of
twelve days in the village, I decided to carry on, myself and a
Christian lad, and two natives of Koch who could speak a
little of the local language, leaving behind Father Joao Cabral
so that on arriving at the next village, I would send him
people with whom he could continue the journey; you can't
imagine the pressure they put on us not to leave the village,
saying that without a guide, robbery, arrest, death and other
dangers would befall us; however, it seemed to us, all were
excuses by the enemy to prevent our journey; ignoring all
this therefore, I left, but found on the way some people who
were travelling to Rangamati who put the same difficulties to
me, adding that I should return to the village, and that they
would take me to the King. But as I already knew that the
people there were under orders from their chief to detain us, I
did not return then but wrote to Father Joao Cabral to do
everything possible to come. As I continued on my way, I met
two soldiers from these kingdoms who said they were going in
the same direction as I was; I trusted them and agreed that
they should guide me; however, on the second (Fol. 6) day,
they plotted with the two natives [of Koch] to rob us; it was
quite obvious that this was their intention - robbery was bad
enough but there would probably follow other impediments to
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
14
our journey and in fact, after crossing a stream, they left me a
little behind, the soldiers shared their weapons with the
natives and all four left in such a hurry that they were soon
out of hearing. Finding myself without my interpreters in the
middle of mountains frequented by thieves, without a guide, I
thought it best to return to the village and find another way of
continuing the journey, but because we faced the same risks
going back to the village, we did it that night, the Christian
lad and myself, walking in the cold, wind and snow, normal
in these parts in the month of March; in the darkness of the
night, we struggled sometimes on hands and knees, up and
down, along the narrow paths of those steep valleys, my
former companions having relieved me of all possessed
except my breviary9 and walking stick. We arrived at the
village the following day, where I found Father Joao Cabral
negotiating with the travellers I had met on the way, and it
was God's compassion which moved the people who were
holding us to let us go and help us negotiate our advance thus
we all continued the journey on the 16th of March.
Having left the village, after six days in the mountains we
arrived at a bigger one called Rintan where we found the first
house of the King, whose people looked after us; on the same
day, there arrived a man who was a relative of the person in
Rangamati who had negotiated our coming - he said he would
take us to Paro, main town of this kingdom, and from there to
the King; as we were very anxious to avoid being detained
again, we were happy to leave with him for Paro, arriving
there at the end of four days journey.
Paro
The town of Paro, surrounded by mountains pleasant to look
upon, lies in a beautiful wide plain, which at the time was
covered with neat fields of wheat and rice; the plain, divided
by two large rivers, is very attractive specially because of the
presence of cool large willow trees and the many channels
that originate from the rivers; on the plain, the houses are
large and tall, usually of three, four or five floors, with thick
Journal of Bhutan Studies
15
walls and decorated windows and balconies; these buildings
are not arranged along streets but are separated from each
other at random throughout the plain and along the foothills
of the mountains, thus forming a town, but so long that we
walked for about three leagues without seeing the whole of it;
the plain continues as I have described, till it reaches a
mountain which divides the town in two; the rivers flow down
on each side of the mountain and irrigate the plain, and
hugging the sides of the mountain, two long arms of the town
climb up following the course of the rivers. It seems a lot of
people live there and I would guess more than five hundred
thousand10; it helps to find living space in the way they share
the buildings because in each there are many tenants spread
out among the floors and divisions created for
accommodation; we arrived in the town on the 25th March,
day on which the Eternal Word11 was made flesh, [Feast of
the Annunciation], and we hoped that His infinite goodness
would allow our entry in that place on that day, to contribute
to those people's acceptance of Him as their Saviour. We
were not able to reach the house of the guide accompanying
us that day, and when we arrived the following morning we
found he had robbed us of everything we had brought for our
sustenance; his house was so dark that even at midday we
couldn't see each other - it seemed more like a prison than
anything else. We asked him to go and get what we were in
need of, as it was his duty as guide to be responsible for our
safety; but he, very sure of himself, replied that he would
first rest and then do what we asked, showing very clearly
how little he cared for having betrayed us after we had
trusted him, and was annoyed at our mentioning the subject
(Fol. 7) saying that the job would not take one day, rather
months, and that once the man from Rangamati arrived, he
would do as he thought best.
Seeing the determination of that man and other signs of his
evil character that later became apparent to us, but which the
Lord protected us from, we decided to leave his house
although it would be very difficult, and after two days, seeing
that he spent a lot of time away from the house, we left;
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
16
however his relatives stopped us and sent him word of what
was happening; it was extraordinary the passion with which
this man tried to prevent us from leaving and how he tried to
force us back into the house, using weapons and everything
else he could against us; but with the Lord's help, we
resisted with patience and overcame the passion and anger
that possessed him. As a lot of people had witnessed the
unreasonable behaviour of that man, they showed sympathy
for us and whilst they were trying to calm him and take him
back into the house, we slipped away; that night we took
shelter in the house of a kind old man who, thank the Lord
our God, made us comfortable, and the next day a trusted
lama who Father Joao Cabral had already talked to, sent us
horses and attendants to take us to his house which was
quite far away; however, on arriving, we found the lama was
afraid to give us shelter in case he had to fight the man who
had robbed us; but it was God's will to encourage the lama to
overlook that inconvenience although, once we were in the
house, he was still afraid and stopped us from continuing our
journey, his attendants using weapons to prevent us from
doing so when another lama offered to take us. Seeing
ourselves in this predicament and because of many
difficulties and impediments which I shall not give details of,
in this land where no one can help, each man having absolute
power in his own house there being no one they can answer
to for their actions, we met the King's principal lama; when
he learnt of the obstacles we had to face before reaching the
King, he said that he would take us because he was there on
the King's business, and that we should stay in his house;
this we did with the approval of the lama who had given us
shelter, he took us himself and accompanied us to the King;
but even here the enemy was waiting with his usual excuses
to prevent us from continuing our journey for, when we
discussed the matter with the principal lama, he tried to
persuade us not to go, but rather wait for the King there who
he said would arrive in a month's time [false information,
because it is now six months since he was supposed to
arrive]. We believe this change of mind was due to the fear he
also had of the man who had robbed us; in spite of this, we
Journal of Bhutan Studies
17
said good-bye to the lama and we began to walk alone
determined to continue our journey trusting that God would
guide us safely, for having done everything we could, there
was no other way to go forward. Seeing how determined we
were, the lama felt he had to ask us to stay a few more hours,
in order to prepare our safe-conducts and arrange the
journey at his responsibility - for if the King were to find out
that we had travelled without proper arrangements, or if
anything untoward should happen to us on the way, he
would punish the lama severely. So we waited one day and
were given men and horses for the rest of the journey, and we
left Paro on the 5th of April, in the second week of Easter,
accompanied by the first lama.
At the end of three days, we came to a village where we found
a lama, a relative of the King who had come to meet us with
men and horses to accompany us; he immediately wrote to
the King that we were about to arrive and the King ordered
other lamas to be waiting for us at the next stop, with two
very well harnessed horses for our use; travelling thus with
all this company, sometime before our arrival he sent more of
his men to offer us tea which he and his people drink much
of; we continued along a track in very high mountains and
getting close to the place where the King was he sent other
young lamas on horseback, to entertain us with many races
in a spot where the terrain allowed this, and soon we saw
through the trees a great number of people waiting to
welcome us and we heard the sound of (Fol. 8) cornets and
trumpets similar to the instruments used in their festivals.
Here there were a hundred young lamas between the ages of
twelve and twenty lined up in two rows to receive us - in the
middle were three small lamas carrying incense in their
thuribles12, an honour only given to the King.
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
18
Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel
They took us to the place which had been prepared for us, a
very well made tent lined with Chinese silk with a canopy and
area where we could rest; shortly, the King sent word that we
could go to him and we found him in another tent well
decorated with silk - he was sitting on a high platform
dressed in red silk trimmed with gold; to his right and quite
close to him, in a corresponding position, there was an image
of his father with a lamp in front which was always kept
burning; there were two high places for us, but no place for
any lama however important, except on the mats on the floor.
The King received us with great affability, showing that he
was happy to meet us - he wanted to know where we came
from, from which kingdom or nation and asked us many
other questions as is usual on a first encounter; we told him
that we were Portuguese, and as strangers never come to
these mountains, no one could remember ever having seen or
heard that similar people had passed through that land, and
therefore had never heard the word Franguis which is the
name the Portuguese are known by, throughout the East.
We were more than a little disappointed at finding ourselves
here without a good interpreter, because although we had
with us someone who spoke Hindi, Persian and the language
of Koch very well, we only found a lama from Tsaparang
[Western Tibet], a favourite of the King, who understood
something, but very little of Hindi; through him, we
communicated as best we could but with difficulty, and to the
regret of ourselves and the King who very much wished that
we would speak directly to him during the long conversations
he had with us; we told him that we had been sent here to
preach the religion of Christ our Lord, in the belief that it had
been practised in the past although forgotten for lack of
teachers and the passing of time, and that some elements of
it still existed; he showed pleasure in our coming and said
that we should learn the language well so that we could speak
to him, and that he could not refuse to accept our teaching
for it could only be for very good reasons that we had come so
Journal of Bhutan Studies
19
far to find him; he therefore immediately released the lama of
Tsaparang from his ordinary duties and ordered him to give
us lessons daily.
This King, known as Dharma Rajah [Shabdrung], is 33 years
old; he is both King and highest lama of this kingdom of
Cambirasi [Bhutan], the first kingdom of Bhotanta
[Bhutan/Tibet] in these parts - it is very large and well
populated; the King prides himself in his gentleness for
which he is very much esteemed rather than feared; in fact
at this particular time there is a lama in his house, a relative,
who committed a serious offence against him, but he treats
him well and told us that he would soon set him free for he
did not have the heart to give him another punishment even
though he knew that once out of detention he would probably
offend again. The King is also famous for his abstinence as
he never eats rice, meat or fish, sustaining himself only with
milk and fruit; he is also renowned for the three-year retreat
he went on before we arrived here, having lived in a tiny hut
he built above a rock on a high mountain, without seeing or
being seen by any one; he got his food by sending down two
ropes from his little hut linked to two others below which he
then pulled up, never talking to anyone during all that time;
he told us he occupied himself in praying, and in his spare
time carved some pieces - he showed us one which was his
best, an image of God in white sandalwood, small but
exquisitely made - he is very proud of this piece of art, and he
is also a good painter - he showed us some of his paintings;
having seen a panel of St. Raphael which we carried with us
he wanted to paint one himself and started immediately, and
has got on with (Fol. 9) it very well but has not yet finished
because of his many occupations. This King is also well
known as a man of letters and is revered as such by all the
other high lamas - kings send him gifts and he is very much
sought out by people around this area, being host to lamas
from far away kingdoms. The reason for finding him living in
a tent on this mountain is that the people from each village
ask him to visit and so he camps at some place where he is
near to all of them; they give him many presents of horses,
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
20
cattle, rice, cloth and other goods which are his principal
revenue, and those people that do not invite him to their
villages because they are very far away, come themselves to
him with their offerings. It was for this reason that he was in
that mountain with his lama school which always
accompanies him; the school has more than a hundred
lamas who apply themselves to their studies and perform
ceremonies.
These lamas are called guelongs [dGe-slon] - they are the
most important lamas because they do not marry and do not
eat more than once before midday, after which they are not
allowed to eat rice, meat or fish, and they never drink wine thus
they are different from other lamas who are not so strict;
they spend the whole day at the school where they eat and
sleep, all going out together twice a day, once in the morning
and once in the afternoon; they retire in an orderly manner
one after the other very composed and with modesty, so well
taught and disciplined are they - but on the other hand, it is
very sad to see them so occupied with the errors they are
taught and how they spend a good part of the day saying
their prayers, how they all get up at night at a signal and pray
for half an hour and again at dawn when they chant in
chorus like priests.
For two months we accompanied the King through these and
other mountains until we reached his house which is situated
in the mountain where he went on retreat13; he keeps no
more than his lamas with him because the place cannot hold
more people as in order to build a house one would have to
cut many rocks and work very hard to level some space in
that very steep mountain; he had chosen that place to protect
himself from a King who lives some eight days distance from
here, Demba Cemba [sDe pa gTsang pa], the most important
king of Bhotanta [Tibet] who had fought him [the Shabdrung]
some years previously, as he told us, for not wanting to give
him a bone14 from his late father and for which reason he left
his town of Ralun [Ra-lung], a large and important one, which
is five days walk from here. He made us very comfortable in
Journal of Bhutan Studies
21
part of his house where we found space to put up a well
decorated chapel to which we invited him on the feast of our
Saint Father Ignatius15, and it was God's will that in spite of
two robberies we still had everything we needed for the altar
and all the images - even a picture of our Virgin Lady16 that
had been stolen in the first robbery was recovered by a lama
who found it in the hands of one of the thieves and brought it
back to us here, together with a bible that had also been
stolen; the King came to see the chapel with his master17 who
is a very old lama and scholar he has great respect for, and
with the other lamas, who were all very pleased with what
they saw, spending some hours looking and asking about
everything.
During these months we tried very diligently to learn the
language, but in spite of being on the move from tents to
unfamiliar houses which wasted much of our time, God
showed us many mercies in this and in other matters; the
greatest problem was not having a teacher, because we had
much difficulty in understanding the one available - as he
was not of this kingdom but from Tsaparang [Western Tibet],
he did not know the language of this area which was the one
we most needed because although in these kingdoms they all
speak the same language there are differences in
pronunciation and word endings, and the corruption of the
language in some areas almost makes it foreign specially in
this kingdom where the language is very changed – this
kingdom being in a remote corner does little business with
other kingdoms; however, all the lamas and the people
generally understand the other languages and so with the one
we know we are able to communicate in all these parts and
we try very hard to learn well the one spoken here where by
the will of God we are in the (Fol 10) first stage of our
mission, and thus, thanks be to God our Lord, at present we
understand quite a lot reasonably well, and we practice our
holy faith; we compose prayers and the necessary
instructions in this language and have them written in their
script so that the people can more easily learn them; it is
also a great help to us that we can already read their books
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
22
although we do not always fully understand them because
they are written in the best and most polished form of the
language.
During all this time, we frequently spoke with the King on the
subject of our Lord which he enjoyed listening to; but we
were aware that there was a big difference in belief between
him and us regarding our holy faith and we noticed quite
clearly a dislike and coldness about the things that concerned
us; therefore after thanking him very much for the kindness
shown to us, and as in this kingdom we had nothing to do,
we asked if he would graciously give us permission to
continue our journey towards Tsaparang and to provide us
with guides.
The King was very embarrassed with our request and
deferring his answer for a few days made efforts via the other
lamas to persuade us not to go; we persisted in our request
but he gave us the same answer saying that it would be a
discredit to him if we left - that all the surrounding kingdoms
knew we were with him and that having us here was a great
honour for him for which reason we should not leave,
particularly as we had told him that we would always remain
here and not leave him. To this we replied that we would stay
if he would be pleased to let us preach the true law of Christ
our Lord in his kingdom and especially if he himself accepted
the law and wished to become a Christian; but as we had
seen in him little interest in this matter which was the only
reason for our being here, there was no point in staying. He
acknowledged that this was true but that he feared he would
die immediately if he embraced our law because he believed
in the same law as his ancestors and they had never been
Christians; however, he added that we should continue to
read his books and talk more deeply about the law with him;
in the meantime we should start to make Christian converts
and preach our faith which was a very good one, he believed,
and we would soon have many Christians as was our wish ,
and that to begin with he would give us, and indeed he did in
his presence, a twenty year old lama who was close to him
Journal of Bhutan Studies
23
and first cousin of another lama who is the whole government
of the King18; he would then give us two more, followed by
many others and he also said that he would build a house for
us and a church in Paro. Seeing the resolution of the King we
said we wanted to please him as it was his pleasure that we
should stay in this kingdom and because of the hope he gave
us of spreading the faith of the Lord here; we thanked him
for the lamas he gave us who wanted to become Christians
and for the church he wanted to build in Paro; we said that
on the matter of his dying immediately for accepting the faith
of the Lord, he would see the opposite in those that would
become Christians, because Christ being the true life of our
souls did not kill our bodies, rather in Him would be found all
that was good of body and soul.
On Buddhism
I will inform Your Reverence about the religion of this
kingdom which we learnt from the conversations we had with
the King and his old master; first, they say they were never
Christians and that they have not found in their books any
reference that their ancestors in the whole of Bhotanta had a
knowledge of Christ our Lord or of the gospels; they say they
are not pagans, rather they laugh and mock pagan beliefs like
the worship of animals and they abominate the killing of
cattle in the temples and other rituals of the pagans; they are
very critical of the muslims and muslim is a word they use to
describe a very bad man. They say they worship only one
God and have well made images of him - the King showed us
one of yellow metal, very well made, simple and artistic,
holding between his hands a vase with water, and he told us
that the water was the symbol of how God washes our souls
from sin. He also showed us a painting of God on dark blue
cloth; when we remarked that it was a strange colour he
explained that God was painted thus, not because He was of
that (Fol 11) colour but because his abode was in heaven and
therefore He was portrayed in the colour of the sky; he also
showed us another painting of the sky with a square house19
in the middle where God lives; it is generally believed that
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
24
God is infinite and that therefore he is everywhere; they say
there are three persons [manifestations] in one God - two do
not have a body, but one has and he is known as Trulku
which means son, and from the way they speak of his birth
the implication is that he was born to a virgin mother and
they showed us an image of a woman who is said to be the
mother of God20. They believe in heaven where the good go,
and in hell where the bad are punished and where they suffer
the torments of fire and cold. It is quite clear to us that
somehow the light of the Holy Gospel 21 reached this place,
and from other ceremonies and blessings they perform, there
are many similarities with Christianity; but they also have
other very far fetched beliefs - they say that six hundred years
ago no one existed in this kingdom of Bhotanta, that there
was only water everywhere and when it dried up, there were
trees on the earth and only two monkeys and from these two
descend all the inhabitants of Bhotanta; the monkeys then
went to heaven; when these kingdoms first came into
existence there was a King who had twelve heads22. When we
laughed at this and said that it was all false and derisory, he
very seriously replied that it was written in the books. They
also believe in three paradises where the good pass from one
to the other till they are completely spiritualised, and that
those who go to heaven enter the same God and become gods
themselves; thus they worship their masters and kings who
they believe become saints, like God, after they die; this is
the reason why this King uses his imagination and artistic
ability to make well crafted images of his father and
celebrates him in festivals - he built a shrine, where he prays,
to house only a large image of his father in a beautiful silver
casket23. On hearing us say that it was only in the law of
Christ our Lord that we could find salvation, they declared
that many ancestors of this King had risen to heaven in body
and soul witnessed by many people and that this was not
something that happened a long time ago but only a few years
back - also that the father of the Dharmaraja (Zhabs-drung
Ngag-dbang rNam-rgyal) was so holy that when he stepped on
a rock there would sometimes appear the imprint of his foot;
they also related stories about their ancestors, the work of the
Journal of Bhutan Studies
25
devil (we believe) who cheats them and keeps them in
ignorance.
Regarding the Son of God they believe he is Sakyamuni whose
image is found in a very famous temple in these parts twelve
days walk from here - they say he was borne two thousand
years ago and that his mother carried him in her womb for
twelve months; this was told to us by the principal lama who
governs the King's house; previously, the King had told us
that Sakyamuni was not God and that the educated lamas
did not worship him, only the common people who were
ignorant; the King, however, hearing what the lama said did
not contradict him, both becoming embarrassed and
confused, apparently not knowing who this son of God was
who they seemed to know but did not know much about - we
told them the many things we knew about the son of God they
have not shown, up till now, that they have any idea of
the other mysteries of the life of the Lord, nor have we found
here any signs of the Holy Cross24, except a similarity in the
name because what we call cross they call cruca (sku-ru-kha)
but they do not recognise that this sign has a sacred
significance. Everyone has great esteem for this King and
high lama and they give him what they can so that when they
die, he may send them to heaven; when very near death, the
King is called to preside at a ceremony where he assists the
person dying with his prayers, and after death the King pulls
their hair25 and thus performs what they call the great act of
mercy, that is the sending of the soul to heaven. I asked one
of the lamas if he had pulled the hair of a lama who died,
before or after his death; he was very surprised at the
question and said that pulling the hair before death was a
very serious sin. After a man dies they divide his belongings
between as many people as possible to help his soul get on
well in his other life, and those that are absent at the death of
a relative, take the most important belongings of the deceased
to the King for him to pray over. Such, more or less, are the
religious ceremonies (Fol 12) practised in all these kingdoms
of Bhotanta [Bhutan] as we understood from the King and the
lamas who are here from all these kingdoms.
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
26
China/Shambala
We asked as many questions as we could about the kingdom
of Cathay [China] but have heard nothing of it by this name,
which is completely unknown here; however, there is a
kingdom which is very famous here and which they say is
very large called Xembala [Sham-bha-la] next to another
called Sopo [Sog-po] (Mongolia); the King does not know the
law of Xembala and he has asked us about it many times.
We believe it might be the kingdom of Cathay because that of
Sopo belongs to the Tartars who we understand are
constantly at war with China, according to information given
by the King who also says that the King of China rules over a
larger population; however he believes that the people of
Sopo are stronger and thus normally defeat the Chinese,
which is in agreement with all that is already well known
about the war between the Tartars and the Chinese, and as
the kingdom of Cathay is very large and the only on this side
that is next to that of the Tartars as the maps show, it seems
we can deduce with some probability that it is the kingdom
known here as Xembala. The fact that it is not known here by
the other name does not contradict our assumption, as
neither China, Tartary or Tibet are known by these names,
the people here having no knowledge of them; China they call
Guena [rGya-nag], Tartary Sopo, and Tibet Bothanta; we are
told that the way to the kingdom of Xembala is very difficult;
however, I trust in the Lord because as He has brought us
this far with our thoughts focused on that kingdom, so will
He take us where we can see it close up, and thus next year I
shall send Your Reverence news of it.
Teaching Christianity
It will not be possible for both Father Joao Cabral and myself
to go together in view of the decision of this King that we
should not continue the journey; therefore God willing, Father
Joao Cabral will stay here in the house and church which the
King is having built for us, preaching the Holy Gospel to these
people with the help of the three lamas the King provided,
Journal of Bhutan Studies
27
seeing what success can be made in gaining souls in this
kingdom, after which we can discuss the establishment of a
mission; with the help of the Lord I shall try to go into the
kingdom of Xembala where perhaps, either there or in
another kingdom in the area, our Lord will give us the
opportunity to serve Him, and next year I shall inform Your
Reverence of everything we can find out.
The King offered us the two more lamas he had promised one
is a twelve year old candid and able boy and the other is
nineteen and applies himself very well to what he is taught;
we are teaching the catechism26 and instructing all three in
the things of our Holy Faith. Also, there is another lama, 27
years old, from an important family with many relatives, who
has been helping the King during all these months in the
interests that occupy him like painting, sculpture and
cabinet-making for the adornment of the image of his father;
he has also promised me many times that he will become a
Christian as soon as he finishes the work he is doing for the
King, which will be in a month and a half from now - he helps
me to put down correctly in writing our prayers and Christian
doctrine; a few days ago as he was writing the chapter in the
catechism on the Holy Cross being the sign of Christ and
other items about the birth of Christ our Lord and the purity
of the immaculate Virgin, Our Lady, he was very pleased and
told me afterwards that it was close to his heart and that it
made him very happy.
Also, a man who came here from another village seeing our
chapel and hearing about some of the teachings of our Lord,
said he wanted to stay with us and that if he went to our
house by being in our presence the Lord might forgive a sin
he had committed and which was making him very unhappy by
accident, he had killed a man with an arrow; this person
has come back and persists in the same intention. There are
also others drawn to our beliefs who have promised to bring
their children for us to teach, and one of these is particularly
grateful for the mercy which he says God showed by restoring
the health of his son - he had brought his sick son to us while
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
28
we were with the King in his tent - when he asked for a holy
object to use for healing, Father Joao Cabral gave him a relic,
to which the man attributes the return to health of his child;
many other people often ask for holy water which they believe
cures them of their aches and pains. The lamas and other
people who come here to see us, also bring offerings of milk
and fruit; when they see the images and the decoration of the
chapel they are amazed (Fol.13) and they prostrate
themselves repeatedly before the image of our Virgin Lady and
of Christ our Lord, kissing the foot of the altar with much
devotion.
All this happens inside the house of the King, next to his
temple where the devil wages a continuous war against
souls27 with the singing and praying of the lamas of the King's
school and the sound of the various instruments which they
always use during their ceremonies in the presence of the
King him- self who knows about everything that goes on here;
the people compare our ceremonies with his and prefer ours,
and it is quite obvious that he does not like it; thus, from
these beginnings, we think it likely that we will make better
progress in winning souls, having faith in God our Lord that
once we leave this fortress held by the devil, He will help us
win many victories dispossessing the devil of the many souls
now subject to him.
Other than this one, temples are very rare, as when we
walked through these mountains during the first sixteen days
of our journey we found none, only a structure made of
stones roughly put together with some paintings of the devil
and idols; besides, in Paro the town that I described, we saw
no more than a small house of a private lama which he used
as a temple; thus, if we build churches where the people can
come, we can expect, the Lord willing, the reward of achieving
what is good for the souls of the people who quite clearly
show the thirst they have for knowledge of their creator, the
willingness and pleasure in hearing what we tell them about
God, the devotion and reverence they have for any image of
God that we show them and to the ritual of the divine
Journal of Bhutan Studies
29
service28; the freedom that exists in this fairly large and well
populated kingdom will greatly help to achieve our ends, as
the people willingly submit to the King, without feeling any
obligation to defer to him or follow his doctrine, nor does he
have the power to force anyone to do anything; rather, his
main revenues come from what the people voluntarily give
him - he does not wish anyone to be unhappy and everyone is
free to do what he wants, as the King himself told us many
times when speaking of his lamas who are the group most
dependent on him.
This is the situation we find ourselves in at the present time;
to help us make progress, we ask Your Reverence to
commend us to our Lord in that province [Malabar]29,
because it is through the sacrifices and prayers of the faithful
there that we have been able to carry out the work of the Lord
and receive many blessings from His divine hand, both in our
actions and in the interior satisfaction of our souls, as in
these journeys it seems the Lord provides in different ways
than in His colleges and houses, and apart from everything
we do for love of Him we owe Him a debt for all the mercies
we receive from Him; it seems as if his mercies buy spiritual
consolation for every step we take for love of Him, and as it is
the Lord's custom, like an affectionate father, to sometimes
hide himself, we wish to please him even more in order to
avoid the suffering of not feeling Him so close; here, He is like
a dedicated mother occupied in giving pleasure to her
children, providing so much beauty in all that can be seen in
these mountains, guiding us through these rocky paths,
giving warmth and comfort during the cold rain and snow on
the nights when we sleep in caves inside the rocks, providing
abundance when there is scarcity, alleviating setbacks and
difficulties, bringing gentleness into meetings with people of
irascible nature - all this gives our spirits complete
satisfaction - clearly the measure by which the Lord grants
his mercies, as He has said, full to the brim.
You are well aware in your colleges of the good things the
Lord gives a taste of in order to attract the souls of his
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
30
servants to the success of this enterprise; however, there you
care, whereas here we see and experience, and in this matter
it is indeed appropriate to say that it is one thing to care and
quite another to experience; but it is also true that care and
expectations do not always match reality. Yet, he who will
deeply feel spiritual consolation in the preaching of the Holy
Gospels, once involved in the work, will experience it very
strongly, being able to speak clearly to kings about the
teachings of the Lord, putting doubt even in the minds of the
learned about their belief in sects from Hell, showing them
the errors of their ways, helping many to escape from the
mouth of Hell inside which they already are, assisting them to
honour the real God, persuading them to come to know and
adore Him and to make war on Hell by winning vassals;
Heaven will thus be pleased at the sight of infidels gradually
reaching understanding and showing willingness to enter
Heaven, and, ultimately, co-operating with the most precious
blood of Jesus Christ30, Redeemer, Lord and all that is good
for us, as proof of the love that his faithful have for Him, He
will use them to give testimony to the infidels that He is their
Saviour. All this will create such a rich treasure of
consolation for the soul, that the cost of whatever hard work
there might be, and of sacrifices made, will be nothing in
comparison. For myself, I particularly ask Your Reverence to
grant me the favour of your prayers, so that no impediments
are put in the way of these blessings and also, that I may be
able with other faithful servants to enter the enjoyment of the
Lord, earning many souls for Him, with profits, for in His
infinite goodness, He has seen fit to profit from this
enterprise.
The Land of Bhutan
(Fol. 14) I have not told your Reverence yet of the particulars
of this land itself and of its climate; it is very healthy as after
entering these mountains we have always had very good
health, mine never as good in India as here; this is usual
with everyone here because very rarely do we find anyone
sick, and
Journal of Bhutan Studies
31
there are many people who although very old are very healthy
and vigorous; some of our servants who were not feeling well
when they first came with us and who had previously been ill
have recovered perfect health; we have already been here
seven months and the weather has always been very
temperate without cold or excessive heat at the moment; in
the four months that will follow from November to February it
will be colder, but the people have very good quality woollen
cloth with which they clothe themselves. The land produces
an abundance of wheat, rice, meat, all very cheap - there is a
variety of very good fruit, pears of different types, some very
big, all good, excellent peaches, apples, nuts, quinces,
everything in great abundance, and also no shortage of rose
apples from India; there are also peas and very good turnips
as well as other foods and indigenous fruits. There are no
fish here but it comes either from the nearby Salt Lake which
also provides salt, or from the kingdom of Koch; some of the
things which are not available here come from other places
not very far away, like grapes, from which wine is made,
available in a town called Kong-po, twenty days journey from
here. This country receives goods from China such as silk,
gold, and porcelain all coming south from the town of Kongpo
[in Tibet]; also from Kashmir via Tsaparang [in Western
Tibet], there is commerce with the countries which adjoin this
kingdom, and many foreigners go to Gyantse [in Tibet] which
is the Court of Demba Cemba [sDe-pa gTsang-pa], the most
powerful King of Bhotanta [Tibet], eight days journey from
here, and to Lhasa the town where the temple of Sakyamuni
is found much frequented by yogis and foreign merchants;
however, in the mountains where we are, no foreigner comes,
the local people remembering only the very rare occasion
when a yogi passed by; nor do people from Koch come here
except captives who are brought to this kingdom by locals
who go down there; an uncle of the King of Koch who was
curious to see these lands was captured a few days after
entering these mountains and put to work at the plough - as
soon as the King heard the news, he retaliated by arresting all
the people of these parts [Bhutan] working in his kingdom
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
32
and threatened to punish them if his uncle was not released
which they [the Bhutanese] were obliged to do.
This kingdom [of Bhutan] is a little over one month's journey
from the kingdom of (Fol. 15) Tsaparang [Western Tibet] and
since we've been here we have had news of the priests31 who
live there, not directly as it seems they do not know of our
arrival in these parts, but through some lamas who came
from there via other lamas who have gone that way, we have
written to the priests three times, and I also sent them letters
to be sent via Goa to Your Reverence.
The people here are white although it does not show because
of their poor standard of cleanliness; they let their hair grow
till it covers their ears and part of the forehead but do not
normally grow beards, and around their necks they carry well
made tweezers used to pluck out any unwanted hair; their
arms are bare and they cover themselves with a woollen cloth
from the neck to the knees, over which they wrap another
cloth like a cape; they wear leather belts with very well made
buckles - the bracelets normally worn on their arms and
caskets for relics slung over their shoulders are also very well
crafted; normally they go barefoot but they also wear leather
boots or socks made of their cloth specially when they are
travelling; their weapons are bow and arrow, short swords
and daggers made from excellent iron, beautifully decorated
in a rare design.
Shabdrung's Physical Appearance
The lamas do not carry weapons and shave their heads;
some, but not many let their beards grow; the King has a
long one which reaches to his waist, and he normally keeps it
wrapped in silk, except during festivals when it is uncovered
as when we first met him; the hair on his head is nearly one
and a half metres long; it seems he is very proud of it and
wears it thus as a mark of greatness; however, he told us
that he planned to cut it when he had a son who would be his
successor, and that he would then go into retirement and
Journal of Bhutan Studies
33
leave the world because he did not want death to come upon
him while he had his hair long, as had happened to another
King, his ancestor, who had caused a scandal for not having
cut his hair before his death. The dress of the lamas is a
short tunic which covers the chest leaving the arms bare; the
rest of their body down to the feet is well covered with a large
cloth over which is another cloth worn as a cape; they never
wear anything else nor do they go about naked.
Prayer
May it please God our Lord to look upon them all with His
divine mercy and bring them to His divine knowledge such
that they will take advantage of His mercy by knocking at His
door to learn news of the Holy Gospel, and to this end I ask
Your Reverence once more to ask the faithful in all your
Province to continue their prayers and sacrifices; and I
commend myself to the blessing of Your Reverence.
From this kingdom of Cambirasi [Bhutan] and house of the
King, 4th October 1627.
Your son in Christ our Lord, Estevao Cacella.
Father Estevao Cacella's Report on Bhutan in 1627
34
Notes
1East India - as opposed to the West Indies.
2Bhotanta - Tibet which in this text includes Bhutan.
3Cambirasi - a name for Bhutan used by the people of Koch
Bihar.
4Tanga - Bangladeshi 'taka' a denomination of coin which had been
used over a vast extent of territory, including India.
5Koch - in Assam; Hajo, its principal city, being situated east of
Koch Bihar.
6Kashgar - a town in the kingdom of Kashgar to the east of the
Pamirs, north of Tibet.
7Purification of our Lady - religious feast to honour the mother of
Jesus.
8Lent - 40 days of penance and fasting in the Catholic Church
calendar.
9Breviary - book containing a priest's daily office.
10Five hundred thousand - an exagerated guess; the 1969 census
gives the figure of 63,032.
11Eternal Word [God] - Feast of the Annunciation celebrates the day
when the Archangel Gabriel announced that Mary would become the
mother of Jesus, son of God, who would save all mankind.
12Thurible - incense burner.
13Retreat - reference to the three-year retreat at Cheri monastery.
14Bone - a vertebra which was actually a relic of gTsang-pa rGya-ras
(1161-1211) founder of the 'Brug-pa school, and a remote, though
direct, ancestor of the Shabdrung. The relic is still kept in Punakha
Dzong today.
15Saint Ignatius Loyola - founder of the Society of Jesus - the Jesuit
order.
16Virgin Lady - Mary the mother of Jesus.
17His master - lHa-dBang Blo-gros, the great astrological scholar.
18First cousin of another lama - the first 'Brug sDe-srid, bsTan-'dzin
,Brug-rgyas.
19Possibly a mandala.
20Mother of God - Queen Maya from whose right side the Buddha
Sakyamuni was born.
21Holy Gospel - teachings of Christ.
22King with 12 heads - a reference to the eleven-headed form of
Avalokitesvara.
23Silver casket - dNgul-'bum mChod-rten, containing the remains of
the Shabdrung's father.
24Holy Cross - the cross where Jesus was crucified.
Journal of Bhutan Studies
35
25Pulls their hair - the ritual of 'pho-ba chen-po (transfer of
consciousness).
26Catechism - book of instruction in Catholic religious doctrine.
27The Jesuits believed that the devil tempted the people to practice
the wrong religion.
28Divine service - the Mass - a celebration in the Catholic Church of
a ritual in which the worshipper is united to Christ by partaking of
consecrated bread and wine.
29Province of Malabar - in writing to his superior at the headquarters
of the Catholic Mission in India, Father Cacella is asking for their
prayers and blessings.
30Blood of Jesus - reference to the suffering of Jesus on the cross.
31In 1627 there was a total of seven Jesuits in Tsaparang [Western
Tibet] working in the Catholic Mission that had been founded there
in 1626 by another Jesuit, Father Antonio de Andrade. The mission
was closed in 1634.
Bibliography
- Aris, Michael. Bhutan, the Early History of a Himalayan
Kingdom. (India) 1980.
- Aris, Michael. Sources for the History of Bhutan. (Wien)
1986.
- Caraman, Philip. Tibet, The Jesuit Century. Halsgrove
(Tiveron) 1998.
- Wessels, C. Early Jesuit Travellers in Central Asia 1603-
1721. The Hague, 1924.