The Raymer enterprise., 1922-01-12

Tibetan Houses In &
0sspsssd " tAe National osoersphis %.
1isty. Washington. D. c.)
Few Countries are more isolated
than Tibet With the huge bulk Of
China hsmming It In on the east, the
worlds greatest rampant Of noun
tatns to the south and west, and vast
desert expanse to the north. Behind
these bulwarks Tibet has existed for
centuries, inhospitable to the knock.
Ing Of modern Ideas; and It Is today,
therefore, In institutions and customs,
one Of the most primitive Of the larg-
sr continental countries which have
any ssmblance Of governmental ma
chinery. Buddhism seems to have
been the only oos Of the great forces
molding the outside world which made
itself felt behind Tibet's towering
mountains: and even that force, hav-
Ing once gained success, has been al
most swallowed up In the devil wor-
ship which b the highest religion that
the Tbstans themselves have evolved.
Untu q few years ago the West
knsw practically nothing Of Tibet ex-
cept the rathsr doubtful information
brought to the outside world BY q few
adventurous travellers Of the middle
ase9 HxDlorer after explorer dur.
Ing the past century wls turned back
with but . heedng glimpse Of the
edge of the unknown land, usually In
the sparssly settled regions Of the
aortA. Il /
But though much Of Tibet u un.
Lnown, civilization has set q few out
posts In the eastern edge Of the coun.
hy close to the Chinese border. and
% has come to know provincial IT,
bet" fairly well. The valley Of the
YanStse, where that greatest Of Chi
nese rivers nows almost due south at
the eastern end Of the Himalayas,
forms the southern portion Of the bor-
der between China proper and Tibet.
Theoretically Tibet ID vassal state Of
China, but actually since the Chinese
revolution Tibet has kept all Chinese
olhcials out and has swum tree under
her ruling priests. Even the region
on the China side Of the Yangtze Is
more Tibetan than Chinese.
This border region, which b better
known to the outside world than any
other part Of Tibet, u . country Of
high plateaus and muntains. The prin-
cipal city Of the region, Batang, is
one Of the lowest points, yet it, alti-
tude II 1000 feet above sea level,
nearly twice that Of Denver. Much
Of the surrounding plateau ID 1900
to 1900 feet high. From this great
upland rise numerous peaks 10000
feet and more In height.
Tremsndevs Mountain Panorama.
The view from the SUBMITS Of some
Of the passes that must be traversed
In travelling about this marvelously
rugged country can hardly be sur
passed anywhere In the world. The
panorama for hundreds Of miles on
Q clear day IL one of countless high
peaks interspersed with greater snowy
masses that exceed In height the top
most pinnscles Of al other continents.
Below timber line are some Hne for
ssts, snd the Alpine-like 6owers Of
the short summer are exceedingly
beautiful. Here and there among the
mountains are clear. sparkling lakes.
their waters 70 cold that In most Of
them ash cannot live.
Many Of the Tbetans are nomads,
tending ilocks Of sheep and yak on
the upiands, and living In black, yak
hair tents. In those valleys which
sre low enough to permit the matur'
ing Of grain, other Tibetans practice
4 rude sort Of agriculture
In spite Of the cold winters the tent
d the yearsaround home Of the no
mads, and they seldom even enter
house. AZ the snow melts on the
lower slopes Of the mountains In the
spring, they follow their herds up.
ward from the valleys In IT. train,
until In midsummer they are living
far up In the highlands and on the
sides> Of the peaks. When winter b.
sins to Get In they make the reverse
Journey, going down to the valleys
only az fast az the descending SNOW
line drives them.
The farmers Of the lower valleys
Hoe In mhatanttal houses q mud