New-York tribune., 1906-12-30

,sc the fra. half OF the tribute Of T5cccoo rupsa
(about g 10000 IN American money! which na0
been demanded by their Eoverruent we passee
through British and Independent sikkira WITH no
unusual happenings, the Journey being Aca-csty
out OF the ordinary and open to all regular uav.s
ellers who wished TO make t. AT the border oe
independent Sikkin encountered my first dslAy.s
hut found Httle difficulty, because had ai1oady4
secured through Colonel Younghusband. pas
from the Indian government. and shortly was toSd(
10 go ahead
NO American had entered that region and
come back alive. ! have the honor ot hatn4 tnG
first In spite OF our color and strange dress. thA
natives offered no bar TO our prog-esA II waA
merely a journey through a country where the
people and customs seemed strange hAva noes
vet become accustomed to thinking OF them The
English officers and myself were the only whitoI
persons in our party. and OF our coolies. who dtd;
the work. about twenty were women OF that
number about half a dozen washed their facan
when they made their morning toilet The rest Lee
washing go.
We found the natives for the most part practi-
caIIy cowed. They stand between tho devil and
the deep sea On side is a fear OF tho Chinese
and on the other side greater fear OF the Eng
Ish Whether this condition will continue ia onIyn
a matter of guesswork. for believe that when the
country has paid the immense tribute demanded BY.
the English the latter will nave excuse tox
manning longer there. In that case. no reason
why IL should not become closed 10 outsiderA is
for centuries before the English made their
invasion.
The population Is mixture or ClinsSe anu
Tfbetans, inc navlnS lntermarrted 10 a great
extent. same Tune they have solved the
problem oI popuat tOn- Their solution Is by poiyan-
ury or polys4lny. Wnen the eldest son marries hIs
vile becomes wife also of hls second and 1nlrd
proIhers W nen only son marrleS Ne takes TWO
OF more the former case, few children
are born, but II female Is BORN Sne IS killed, and
II a male is placed IN a monastery.
'"Ine Custom or dtSpOslnS OF dead bodies tS
strange 1or lneir heueI is that to bury bodies in
Ihe eorth is conCamlnate them. lhey thererors
slice the 1lesh all bodies and feed 1t 70 tho
plrQs. 4 Witnessed this service for two bodies
rne Tibetans skilfUlly cut away all flesh. and,
after drying the bones. pulverizo them ana Feed
them 10 VuiCureS
.'In religious matters their customs arouse
riOsily. 1he monks live entirely aE-rt from one
anOthcr occupying separate huts cells. where
they are cut OF from communication with their
brothers In Oertng prayer II Is necessary 20 have
as a medium some moving object "A barrel. hlied
with prayers and kept continually rolling, Is no
unusual Sigat while windmillS constructed and
prayers written upon the Wings. Banners and
strearners whicn fly in the air hold other prayers
The temples used for centuries still StaNd-
ins and they are strange looking AFFAIRS went
into several and took number OF pictures OF fn-,
teriors, showing the altars and the queer offerings
and the lights. watch always kept burning.
Altogether took about eight hundred pictures and
stopped The natives seemed to like II.
THE furthest point TO which I allowed to-
go was Gyamtse one of the three English gar.
TiSOns In Tibet. At that place / was told of the
ceeded in penetrating into the country few years
before He sucCunbed 10 fever and when
allowed To go with the expedition was warned
that l likely 10 meet the same fate man
aged. however. TO keep my health. and when lAeo
Tibet ! never felt better.