Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-06-17
QUEER WAYS in r,eer


~" the natives Make ana g..
other Peculiar Customs.
"Fhe people of Tibet have the fu,.
"iest way OF making tea you ever heard
~ SAID lieutenant Rockhill, that far.
away country's most recent explorer.
10 begin with, the tea they use comes
rom Western China in the shape of
orlcks' which are pressed into such con-
Senient shape for carrying overland. All
SORTS OF teas are made into bricks for
purposes Of transportation across Asia
IL being very well understood by connojs-
seufs IN the herb that sea trip spoils
IL. But the tea imported into Tibet is
Oh very poor quality as rule. There
leaves.
Having pounded portion of the
prlck tea in some sort OF mortar. the
Iloetan housewife puts in large con-
per vessel and there permits it to boil
over ire made from dry manure. The
resulting solution she pours into queer
looking wooden churn through coarse
willow basket that serves as a strainer
10 the liquid in the churn, before pro-
ceedlng further, she adds a portion Of
butter and soma salt. The mixture ia
then churned up in ordinary fashion,
ana, when it is thoroughly mixed, is
poured into teapot OF bronze. From
the teapot 1t is dispensed into the little
clip-shaped vessels which each Tibetan
carries with him or her
The cup-shaped vessel I refer to is
usually of wood, sometimes lined with
silver Tibetans employ it not only as
their sole drinking utensil, but also as
dlsh for solid food What thew
consume mainly as a substantial diet is
parched barley. When gentleman of
Tibet feels hungry he sits down, and
taking from leather pouch portion of
barley he mixes little water with it,
and stirring it up into dough eats it in
that shape. Thus hunger is satisfied
and he goes on his way rejoicing. In
what We call the pleasures of the table
the Tibetan takes no stock whatever.
There never was typical Asiatic yet
who cared any thing about amusement
IN the ordinary sense Of the word. He
doesn't 20 to the theater-there Is no
such institution in the land of the
lamas. Nor does he indulge in any 9TH
er rational enjoyment OF ci' ,lization,
though he does not scorn what might be
called the primary vices.
Tibet is very cold country, but It's
inhabitants do not warm themselves by
the consumption of fuel. When the
weather is chilly they simply put on
rI 1+ In,
curry might fall, if there was a Their
mometer to register the temperature by.
Their garments consist mainly for each
individual of a voluminous cloak with
sleeves and a high collar under which
shirt is sometimes worn. Boots, with
soles OF rawhide and uppers OF cloth and
cotton, are made for them ir China. For
rainy days circular cape of felt is pro-
vided. The gun used by Tibetan has
a long fork attached to it, which is
stuck in the ground for use as rest for
the weapon. Naturally, the deadly in
strument is of primitive pattern, in
tended to be set off with printing, and
the native wears attached to his belt a
number of little brass cones, each Of
them containing an exact load of gum
powder. Those people of the country
who live on the great elevated plains or
steppes dwell in black tents; but the
villagers reside usually in two-story
stone houses, the lower story being
given up to a stable for the cattle. Not
all of Tibet, as is popularity supposed, is
actually subject to China The country
is divided up, politically speaking, into
many tribes, and not few of these
tribes are governed by chiefs who owe
no allegiance to anybody-not even to
the Chinese Emperor. ''-Washington