The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-01-25

with fiat roofs. These dwellings are
not unlike the adobe houses Of Mex
leo, but are decidedly more substan-
tial, being constructed by the beat
ing Of mud into thick walls between
forms of timber.
The farmers have few animals but
utilize the yak for blowing, the an
imals being brought down from the
highlands at the proper time. Wood
en- plows with single handle are
used.
The living quarters in the house Of
the valley folk usually consist of
single large room, in which all work.
including the cooking, is done. and
where the members of the family eat
and sleep.
Few Comforts in the Home.
The comforts in such homes are
very meager. In few establishments
is there even the semblance of bed.
In the ordinary houses going to bed"
means merely loosening the girdle,
opening the sheepskin garment, and
curling up on the floor with the feet
toward the stove, which is an essen
tial feature of all habitations in this
high, cold country.
The stove is built of mud, with a
fireplace below and hole in the top
into which pots may be set for cook
ing. Il is usually found on one side
of the living room, and the membess
of the family, On retiring for the
night, range themselves in fam
shaped group about it.
Families possessing domestic ami
mails share their houses with them. In
two-storied houses the lower floor is
the stable, and through it the living
quarters are reached. In some one
stored houses the front portion Is
given up to the animals, while the
family lives in TIE rear.
The two princil al foods Of the IT.
| betans, "tsamba" and butter tea"
seem to westeraer neither appetiz-
| ing nor nourishint:, but in spite of a
cherries climate the mountaineers
manage to keep sturdy on them.
Tsamba is made by parching barley
and then grinding it into sort Of
emergency ration. which on mixture
with moisture is ready to eat. When
Tibetans are on journeys or are wail-
dering about with their flocks and
herds, they carry tsamba in small
leather bags insiie their coats, thus
always having at hand the materials
for hearty meal
| In preparing the other principal ar
| ticle of their dist the TibetanS first
make a strong liquid by boiling the
coarse Chinese TIA which they prize
most highly. The concoction Is
strained into a tlurn and to 1t are
added a lump of butter, more or less
stale, and a handful of salt The
queer mixture is then churned into
an emulsion. The resulting liquid is
neither tea. soup nor gravy but to an
occidental is a sort of Indifferent mix
ture of all of them.
Original Condensers Of Milk.
The Tibetans of this region were
probably the original users of con-
densed milk in the form of dry Jumps
for they have prepared this article OF
| food for many centuries. rfeSn milk
is poured into a churn which is never
washed and the liquid therefore cur
dies almost the instant it comes int
contact with the germ-incrusted walls
of the container. 1t is then churned
and the butter is extracted. After
the butter is extracted the milk is
boiled in large iron pot until il
reaches the consistency Of thick syrup
1t is then poured out in thin sheet
and allowed to dry, after which it is
broken into small pieces and stored
The Jumps often become as hard as
stone. and to eat them dry is out OF
the question. The nomads solve the
problem by substituting the dry mill
for tsamba, soaking it in their butter
tea. 1t thus becomes softened TO sont
extent and can be chewed.
The marriage customs of the pes?
Pile Of Tibet present peculiar coi.iai
nation of monogamy. polygamy, anf
polyandry-the last particularly char
acteristic of the country, though I!o
nogamy is actually the prevailing s.s
TEN.