Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1903-06-27
PECULIAR PEOPLE or sIFAN.
Worst Traits Are Hostility and Trl'
bal Warfare.

NV ''Sss''y 49,
bal Warfare.
Physically. the Sfans were the fin
est race of people that we saw In Con-
trail Asia, says writer In Golfers
Weekly. They were tall, robust, manly
In bearing and possessed of very sin
gular features. Notwithstanding the
almost Arctic GOODNESS of the weather,
they were dressed In the thinnest OF
clothing. the children running about
In state of absolute nudity without
any deleterious effects manifesting
themselves from this apparently sui
cidal exposure. Both males and TO-
males were possessed Of an inordi'
nate love of display, wearing enormous
contrivances OF silver or gold hanging
from the neck. The women were
shade lighter than the mon. and,
judged by the Asiatic standard, really
good looking, with no traces Of Chin
csc cast, but more nearly approaching
the physical characteristics OF the
North American Indian. The general
practice prevailed Of shaving The head
until it was entirely bald, the effect OF
these shining pates when gathered In
groups being ludicrous in the extreme,
The color Of these Sifan Thibetan
tribes is not uniform, however. Some
are quite black, but many have cop
per colored faces, and on the lower Dj-
chu there are detached tribes almost
as light as the Caucasian races Of
Southern Europe. They are slim and
well made; they have high check.
bones; the nose is sometimes fiat, like
that Of a negro, and sometimes aqui-
line. The females are especially dis
unguished by light and elegant form,
and in their walk and erect manner Of
carrying themselves the effect is very
striking. They are vigorous race;
bold, hardy, hospitable toward each
other, generous to fallen enemy,
and enthusiastic lovers of warfare and
courageous enterprise.
The Sifans are divided into hundreds
Of small tribes, which in turn are split
up into numerous seats and clans, each
deriving its name from some feature
of the landscape, or from some my.
thical legend or ancestor These
tribes, in all matters of internal econ
omy, are independent of each other,
but consolidate for purposes of secur.
ity from alien aggression. The head.
men and the chiefs, called ulmas,
compose the artistocracy of the coun-
try, and mold this titular dignity by
hereditary descent in the male line,
and in the order of primogeniture.
These chiefs, however, are little more
than leaders in war, for the right OF
personal revenge, which is fully ad-
mitted, limits their authority in mat
tiers of merely judicial import.
A strange and barbarous people,
they have many customs and ceremon'
ial rites which it Is but natural should
be in keeping with their aboriginal ma
lures. Their worst traits are ungov'
and love of warfare. Each tribe is
always at war with its neighbor, and
generally upon the most trivial pre-
text. Two men may quarrel over the
possession of a knife, or an equally
valueless article. The aggrieved party
returns to his tribe and reports the
facts of the case to his chief. His
right to the article in question Is
never considered; it is enough that
he should have quarreled over it.
War is Immediately declared on the
tribe of his rival by sending messen-
H.,
the head of any unfortunate prisoner
Of war who may have been captured
prior to the outbreak of hostilities.