The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-07-20
ALBEIT has had for centuries q fas-
cination which has led many
explorers to their death. It &c

cination which has led many
explorers to their death. 1t oc-
cupies an immense area of the
oldest Of the continents, and it is in
habited by strange Monoloid people
who have vainly tried to live a hermit
existence. Several centuries ago a
law was enacted and made part Of the
Tibetan religion prohibiting any Euro
pean entering the country, and this
law was rigidly effective until the Brit
ish expedition under Colonel Young
husband captured the capital of Tibet
several years ago. The remoteness of
Tibet, the hardships to be met In cross
inc the immense ranges Of mountains.
the hostility of the barbarous tribes
Of the country and the jealousy Of the
lalnaS or priests aided in keeping this
region unknown to the rest of the
world, writes Henry l.. Peterson in
Irit.
Tibet is practically ~treeless and bit
terly cold, for the mountains here
reach great attitudes and nature pre-
Sents her widest and most repellent
moods The rng@edness of the land
scape is reflected in the people them
selves who are very low in the scale Of
civilization. One explorer Of this lit
tle-known country says in describing
the inhabitants
among the varying scales of hui
mankind the Tibetan is entitled to
the lowest position it would be impos-
Sible to imagine a people more unen-
lightened and barbarous. savage and
degraded in all the terms savagery and
degradation imply. One who has never
seen a Tibetan nomad on his native
heath can have no conception of his
unpleasant appearances; the swarthy
complexion, long black hair, piercing
coal-black eyes, half-naked figure with
an enormous spear slung on his back
and a rusty matchbox in his hand,
makes the best figure for q painter /
ever saw. When opportunity presents
Itself to attack and plumber a small
caravan without chance of resistance
he Is a perfect embodiment of vain
glorious bravery, but at the first show
of aggression, or ever the feeblest of
real dangers, he Is the veriest cow
ard"
Many Small Tribes.
The Tibetans are composed Of many
small tribes, varying in customs. man
ners and wen language, but held to-
gether by the religious domination Of
the Dalai Lama, for in government
Tibet is a theocracy almost pure and
simple. Their habits of life are indie
scribably filthy. and morals. according
20 Western standards. have no exist
ence Says one writer who has lived
among them for a time:
"The love Of eating Is common to all
Tibetans. For many months I lived
among them to bear witness to their
dipping their hands up to their wrists
in n dish, eating sleeps insides, and
sleeping under tents crawling with YER
min engendered by their filthy habits.
They are gluttonous and will eat at all
times until gorged, then lie down and
sleep like brutes.'
The pest of vermin is widespread.
sor their religion, particularly among
the more educated, forbids the taking
Of life, and to kill a louise is considered
q moral sin which may condemn the
slayer's soul to an eternity Of horrible
punishment.
Wretched Lot Of the Women.
The traveller cannot fail to be struck
by the hardness and misery Of the tt
betan woman's lot, says the writer just
quoted. Although, owing to the dispar-
ity between the sexes, a woman Is a
valuable commodity, she Is treated
with contempt and her existence IS in
definitely worse than that of domestic
animals. Polyandry, several husbands
for one wife, Is generally practiced, in
creasing the horror Of her position, for
she is required to be the slave to a
number Of masters who treat her with
rigorous harshness and brutality. From
the day OF her birth to that Of her
death her life Is one %protracted pc
Rod Of degradation. She Is called
upon to perform the most degrading
and mental Of services and she Is
obliged to perform almost the entire
manual labor Of the community, as It
is considered debasing for q man to
engage In other labor than that Of the
chase or warfare. The woman has no