The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-08-18

III many ways to that Of medieval
Europe. The mobiles live in castle-forts
with large groups Of retainers. Some
of these till the fields while others
carry on industries necessary for the
maintenance Of the establishment. In
the "factory wings" Of some Of the
great castles many girls and women
are kept busy weaving silk, wool, and
soften fabrics. Men make eXccllently
tempered swords and other weapons
from charcoal iron, and others engage
in gold and silverSmith's work. In the
monaSteries bells and images are cast
from metals.
Their swords are very handsome
weapons, with finely finished blades,
deliberately wrought, silver-handled,
inlaid with turquoise and coral, and
silver Scabbards with gOld-washed pat
terms, attached to handsome leather
belts With brightly colored silk cords
and taSsels. Their daggers are also
very fine, many Of them with triangu-
lar blades and fluted sides with sheaths
of exquisite open silver and gold work
set with turquoise.
The monasteries possess an art
which is probably peculiar to Bhutan.
They make most beautiful needlcWork
pictures Of the saints on hanging ban
nerS. Innumeraale' pieces Of colored
silks ana brocades are applied IL a
most artistic MANNER with elaborate
stitches Of all kinds. Many Of them
are yeritable works Of art.
Another industry in which the
Bhutanese excel is basket-w0rk and
fine mating, made from split cane.
The baskets are beautifully woven of
very finely split cane and some Of the
lengths are colored to form a pattern.
They are made in two circular pieces,
rounded top and bottom, and the two
pieces fit SO closely and well that they
can be used to carry water. They are
from 6 to ID inches in diameter, and
the B~hutanese use them principally
to carry cooked Eice and food. They
also make much larger and stronger
baskets, very much in the shape of a
mule-pannier, and these are used in u
similar way for pack animals.
Why Their Work Is Excellent.
Possibly the excellence Of the work
produced in Bhutan owes much to the
feudal system which still prevails
there. Each penlop and jongpen has
his own WOrkmen among his r~etalners,
men who are not paid by the piece
and are not obliged either to work up
TO time or TO work ut all if the spirit
is not in them, II consequently they
put their souls into what they do, with
the result that some pieces of splendid
individuality and excellent finish are
still made. No two pieces ere quite
alike, and each workman leaves his
impress on his work.
If Bhutan is ever opened up as q
resort for sightSeers Americas Grand
canyon and its Yosemite valley may
have TO look to their laurels. The gorge
of the TChin-chu is bordered by stu
pendOuS cliffs Of the most weird
shapes, among the lowest of which FL
CAPTAIN of the Yosemite would be
dWaried. The towering rocks are cleft
in numberless places from top TO bot
tom, leaving narrow Sits or assures,
some Of which are said to be a mile
or more long.
The Bhutancse men are fine, tall,
well-developed, with an open, honest
east of face, and the women are come
ly, clean and well dressed and excel
lent ~houSekeepers and managers.
Their religion is Buddhism and their
language a dialect Of Tibetan. The
population Of Bhutan is about 400, 900.
The clothes of the higher officials
are always immaculate, their brOcades
and silks fresh and unStained in any
way, and even the coolies are q great
contrast to the usual Tibetan or Oar
jeeling coolic. A great part of the
country is under cultivation, and they
raise sufficient crops to support the
whole population, including the lamas.
AS the lamas in Bhutan are fed,
clothed and housed at state expense,
and as their numbers have steadily
increased, they have become a very
heavy burden.