The Indianapolis journal., 1901-09-29
They Have More Substantial Houses
and Enjoy More Comforts and
Luxurfes than do Nomads.
A HUMANE FORM OF SLAVERY
DWELLINGS ARE UNsANITARY AND
WHITE MEN COMPLAIN or THEM.
Nation Is StrfcIy Religious. and in
Worship All Their Finer senti-
ments Find Expression.

". q. J. Reidl
The population OF Areki-tang may amount
to nearly two thousand. including all
classes; I should judge that the number Of
lamas in the neighboring monastery, which
is a small one did not exceed one hundred:
Thibetans and Mongols existing in about
equal proportions; of the two. the former
are much more intelligent. and on an in
fnitely higher plane OF civilization. The
Mongols are either herders or agricultur-
lists. while the Thibetans are mostly EN-
ployed in buying and selling. There are,
however, a great number of blacksmiths.
artisans and weavers. yet all these are en-
gagged in buying and selling. though never
going on long journeys TO trade. Here
also we were more fully acquainted with
the wide prevalence of the slave trade i'm
Thibet. We saw slaves exposed for sale in
the market place, mostly young girls and
boys whose parents had either died. or
who were too poor TO maintain their off,
spring. Their position. however. was by no
means unenvable one; most Of them
were bought by the head men and are
looked upon as children of the family OF the
latter and if they behave well, are hu-
namely treated, the males freed as soon as
they arrive at manhood and the females
given i'm marriage the same as free women,
without any stigmatizng or deterring con-
ditions. In fact, instead of looking up TO
their purchaser as their lord and master,
they call him, or her. father and mother,
and enjoy privileges almost equal TO the
legitimate children, except i'm the matter OF
inheritance.
a description of the customs and char
acteristics of this town will serve TO give
a general idea of the manner OF living
among the more civilized Thibetans and
Mongols. and likewise show the wide vari-
ance OF economic and social conditions be-
tween these settled races and the barbarous
and untutored savages Of the more sparseiy
settled districts. Naturally, there is no
great difference in physical or featural
traits between the two branches. but in
their domestic economy the variance is
marked
SUBSTANTIAL DWELLINGS.
The houses in these large towns are
usually built Of stOne-some OF large blocks
among the poorer classes smaller stones
of shaly rock roughly laid on top ot each
other, the surface covered with plaster OF
mud which soon dries in the sun. and, being
whitewashed, presents a similar appearance
to the adobe dwellings common in the
southwestern part OF the United States
This structure. usually two stories in
height, although often three, is arranged
in rectangular form around a central
courtyard. the lower story serving as a
storehouse for cattle, agricultural imple-
ments and dried yak dung to be laid up
against the cold winter nights, the upper
apartments used as the place for human
habitatiOn, the roof of the first floor serv-
ing a gallery to the second story. A
notched pole or a ladder OF yak skin is
yard in lieu OF more substantial stairs:
these can be drawn up at night and Sc
cure to the sleeping occupants all the
splendid isolation from INSCRIPTIONS and
pillaging neighbors enjoyed by a (, ldaI
baron in his moated castle.
The smaller houses are usually divided
into two rooms, one for the general Occu-
patton of the family during the daytime. the
other serving as a sleeping apartment in
the larger ones there are as many as ten
rooms, reached by dark labyrinthine pass
ages. Holes are cut in the floor OF this
upper dwelling in order that smoke and
nOxious Odors may escape into the lower
story. although TO the unfortunate travel
er, whose chiefest boon is fresh air and
light the idea cannot help suggesting it.
self that existence would be a little less
synonymous with torture were the Thbetan
EN.
with the fact that smoke and noxious odors
have tendency to rise instead OF fall. Some
of the more important dwellings have
small apertures cut in the walls facing the
courtyard to let I'm a meagre amount OF
light Ga natural element which FOR some
unaccountable reason the Thibetan has a
decided aversion to-; they are simply OPEN
ings about two feet square in the walls,
without any means OF keeping out the
wind and cold. Therefore. one has the
choice Of darkness and sitting or light and
freezing.
A CENTRAL FIREPLACE
The common luxury OF all these dwell
ings is the large k ang. or fireplace. sunk
IN a sort Of hollow trough ia the middle
Of the room, in which dry powdered ma
nure is burned, or another form Of k'ang,
raised like sacrificial altar three OF four
feet from the floor. constructed Of stones
and mud, and taking up more than half
the room. On top OF its fat. smooth sur
face are spread numerous reed mats and
skins. In addition 10 its culinary pur-
pose it likewise serves as the general rest
ing place of the occupants OF the abode.
be they man. fowl or beast: in short. a
sort Of primitive furnace. In front OF il
three immense coppers. set in glazed eartn.
turcs by which these monster boilers are
heated communicate with the interior OF
the kang. so that its temperature Is COZ
stantly maintained at a high elevation
even in the terrible cold OF winter The
best OF these native houses are duh hove:s
enough. offering their backs 10 the public
thoroughfare. the front entrance being
through the stOutly walled COURTYARD
where asthmatic fowls. convivial pigs and
equally democratic half-naked and un-
washed children play with each other.
Among these stereop;yped dwellings are
more pretontious structures painted pink
and blue. Here live the mead men. tine
wealthy traders and the exclusive upper
tendon OF the Thbetan Four Hundred.
THE INTERIOR FEATURES
The simplicity OF the no-nad is found in
the interior fittings OF even the most
sumptuous OF these dwellings: there Ia
absolutely no furniture, unless one shonld
class the small mats and bundles OF skin.
scattered before the fireplace in this cate