striped cloak, drawn round the waist by a girdle of
broad brass or silver links, to which hung their knives,
scissors, needle-cases, &c., and with which they often
strapped their children to their backs; the hair was
plaited in two tails, and the neck loaded with coral and
glass beads, and great lumps of amber, glass, and
agate. Both sexes wore silver rings and ear-rings, set
with turquoises, and square amulets upon their necks
and arms, which were boxes of gold or silver, containing
small idols, or the nail-parings, teeth, or other reliques
of some sainted Lama, accompanied with musk,
written prayers, and charms. All were good-humoured
and amiable-looking people, very square and Mongolian
in countenance, with broad mouths, high cheek-bones,
narrow, upturned eyes, broad, flat noses, and low
foreheads. 'White is their natural colour, and rosy
cheeks are common amongst the younger women and
children, but all are begrimed with filth and smoke;
added to which, they become so weather-worn from
exposure to the most rigorous climate in the world,
that their natural hues are rarely to be recognised.
Their customary mode of saluting one another is to
loll out the tongue, grin, nod, and scratch their ear;
but this method entails so much ridicule in the low
countries, that they do not practise it to Nepalese or
strangers; most of them when meeting me, raised
their hands to their eyes, threw themselves on the
ground, and kotowed most decorously, bumping their
foreheads three times on the ground; even the women
did this on several occasions. On rising, they begged
for a bucksheesh, which I gave in tobacco or snuff, of
which they are immoderately fond. Both men and
women constantly spin wool as they travel.
These groups of Tibetans are singularly picturesque,
from the variety in their parti-coloured dresses, and
their odd appearance. First comes a middle-aged
man or woman, driving a little silky black yak, grunting
under his load of 360 lbs. of salt, besides pots, pans,
and kettles, stools, churn, and bamboo vessels, keeping
up a constant rattle; and perhaps, buried amongst all,
a rosy-cheeked and lipped baby, sucking a lump of
cheese-curd. The main body follow in due order, and
you are soon entangled amidst sheep and goats, each
with its two little bags of sa lt: beside these stalks
the huge, grave, bull-headed mastiff, loaded like the
rest, his glorious bushy tail thrown over his back in a
majestic sweep, and a thick collar of scarlet wool
round his neck and shoulders, setting off his long silky
coat to the best advantage; he is decidedly the noblest
looking of the party, especially if a fine and pure black
one, for they are often very ragged, dun-coloured, sorry
beasts. He seems rather out of place, neither
guarding nor keeping the party together, but he knows
that neither yaks, sheep, nor goats, require his attention
; all are perfectly tame, so he takes his share of
work as salt-carrier by day, and watches by night as
well. The children bring up the rear, laughing and
chatting together; they, too, have their loads, even
to the youngest that can walk alone.
The last village of the Limboos, Taptiatok, is large,
and occupies a remarkable amphitheatre, apparently a
lake-bed, in the course of the Tambur. After proceeding