The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-24
PECULIAR PEOPLE OF STAN.
Worst Traits are Hostility and Tr1- bal Warfare.-Their Appear
 ance and Government.
| Golfers Weekly.

Golfers Weekly
 Physically. the Sifans were the finest race of people that we saw in Central Asia They were tall robust, manly in bearing, and possessed of very singular features. Notwithstanding the almost Arctic coldness of the weather, they were dressed in the thinnest of clothing the children running about in a state of ab- solute nudity without any deleterious ef- fects manifesting themselves from this apparently suicidal exposure. Both males and females were possessed of an nor- dinate love of display. wearing enormous ornaments of brass. brass-wire collars. gold beads sprinkled over the hair, and numerous contrivances of silver or gold hanging from the neck. The women were shade lighter than the men, and, judged by the Asiatic standard, really good-look ing, with no traces of Chinese cast. but more nearly approaching the physical characteristics of the North American In- dian. The general practice prevailed of shaving the head until it was entirely bald, the effect of these shining plates 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 copper -colored faces. and on the lower Dji-chu there are detached tribes almost as light as the Caucasian races of South ern Europe They are slim and we'll made; they have high cheekbones; the nose is sometimes fiat. like that of ne- gro. and sometimes aquiline The fe- males are especially distinguished by a light and elegant form. and in their walk and erect manner of carrying themselves the effect is very striking. They are a vigorous race; bold hardy, hospitable to- ward each other generous to a fallen enemy, and enthusiastic lovers of war fare and courageous enterprise.
 | The Sifans are divided into hundreds of small tribes, which in turn are split up into numerous septs and clans. each de- irving its name from some feature of the | landscape. or from some mythical legend or ancestor. These tribes, in all matters of internal economy, are independent of each other, but consolidate for purposes of security from alien aggression. The 1 head men and the chiefs. called ulmas. compose the aristocracy of the country and hold this titular dignity by heredi- tary 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 admitted. limits their au- thority in matters of merely judicial im- port.
 strange and barbarous people. they have many customs and ceremonial rites which it is but natural should be in keep ing with their aboriginal natures. Their worst traits are ungovernable hostility toward one another and love of warfare,
 Each tribe is always at war with it's neighbor, and generally upon the most | trivial pretext. 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 consid-
 cred; it Is enough that he should have
 duarrelled over 1t. War is immedia tely declared on the tribe of his rival, by send
 ing messengers with arrows dipped in
 blood, and the head of any unfortunate
 prisoner of war who may have been cap
 tured prior to the outbreak of hostili- l ties