Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-08-27
PECULIAR PEOPLE OF SIFAN.
Interesting Asiatic Race whose
Worst Traits Are Hostility
and Tribal Warfare.

Physically, the Sifans were the finest
race of people that we saw in Central
Asia, says a writer in Golfers Weekly.
They are tall robust, manly in bear
ing and possessed of very singular fea-
lures Notwithstanding the almost
arctic GOODNESS of the weather, they
were dressed in the thinnest of cloth
ing, me children running about in a
state of absolute nudity without any
deleterious effects manifesting them
selves from this apparently suicidal
exposure.
Both males and females were pos
sessed of an inordinate love of display,
wearing enormous contrivances Of sill
yer or gold hanging from the neck.
The women were a shade lighted than
the men, and, judged by the AsiGtic
standard, really g9od-looking, with no
traces of Chinese cast, but more near
ly approaching the physical character
istics of the North American Indian.
The general practice prevailed Of shaw
ing the head until it was entirely bald.
the effect of these shining patcs when
gathered in groups being ludicr0us in
the extreme.
The color OF these Sifan Tibetan
tribes is not uniform, however. Some
are quite black, but many have copper
cOlored faces, and on the lower Dji-chu
there are detached tribes almost rs
light as the Caucasian races Of south
ern Europe. They are slim and well
made; they have high cheek bones;
The nose is sometimes fiat, like That
OF a negro, and sometimes acquiline
The females are especially dls.in-
guished by a light and elegant form.
and in their walk and erect manner ot
carrying themselves the effect is very
strikinG. They are a vigorous race;
aold, hardy, hospitable toward each
other, generous to a fallen ezemy and
enthusiastic levers Of warfare and
courageous enterprise.
The Sifsns are divided into hundreds
Of small tribes, which in turn are split
I'D lillO HliitAtIONo EtUNG anu Al-lA'f. ~fA'-At
deriving its name from some feature
Of the landscape or from some myth
ical legend or ancestor. These tribes
in all matters Of internal economy
are Independent of each other bit
consolidate for purposes Of security
from alien aggression. The head men
and the chiefs. called ulmas, compose
the aristocracy of the country, and
hold this titular dignity by hereditary
descent in the male line and in the or
der Of primogeniture. These chiefs,
however, are little more than lenders
in war, for he right Of personal re-
venge. which IS fully admitted limits
their authority in matters Of merely
judicial import.
A strange and barbarous people. they
have many customs and ceremonial
rites which it is but natural should be
in keeping with their aboriginal na-
lures. Their worst traits are ungOv-
ernable hostility toward one another
and love of warfare Each tribe IS al
ways 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. !lis
right TO the article in question IS never
considered; It Is enough that he choI'd
lave Quarreled over it. War IS imme-
lately declared q the tribe Of his
rival by sending messengers with ar
rows dipped in blood and the head Of
my unfortunate prisoner Of war who
may have been captured prior 10 tie
outbreak Of hostilitics