706 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1893. 



The only alcoliolic drink of the Tibetans is barley wine, or nds cWang. 

 Jaeschke (Tib. Engl. Diet., p. 154, s. v. cli'ang) tbus describes its jjrepara 

 tion: 



When the boiled barley has ^rown cold some pahs (or yeast) is added, after which 

 it is left standing for two or three days, until fermentation commences, when it is 

 called (jlum. Having sufficiently fermented, some water is poured on it, and the 

 beer is considered ready for use. 



In some parts of the country this nlis cWang is distilled, and a very 

 strong colorless liqnor of considerable strength thus obtained, which 

 is called arralc. 



Houses. — Tibetan liornes are so nutch alike throughout the whole 

 country that a description of one will serve for all. They may, how 

 ever, be divided into two classes, those of the ricli, in which there is a 

 central court, around three or more generally four, sides of which rise 

 buildings usually three stories high, and those of the poorer class, which 

 are two storied, and have a coitrtyard in front or behind them. In both 

 classes of houses the ground floor is used as a stable and godown. 

 The following description of the houses of East Tibet will apply, with 

 such slight differences as the scarcity or abundance of timber in the 

 different localities must occasion, to houses throughout Tibet: 



The walls of the houses are generally made of Hat stones, held together with mud 

 mortar. I do not believe that lime is ever used. Often the walls are of beaten earth. 

 The ground floor is ordinarily given up to cattle; On the tirst floor are the rooms, 

 usnally large, and lit by means of little square or oblong windows divided by a bar 

 in the shape of a cross. There is no glass in the window frame — not even paper, as in 

 China. The windows have wooden shutters, which are carefully closed at night. 

 Around the doors and windows is sometimes a molding painted in red, white, and 

 blue, consisting of the ends of the projecting rafters, and freqitently on this kind of 

 cornice are flat stones, on wliich are written the famous prayer Oni mani peine hum. 

 In large buildings the first-story apartmeuts form three sides, and sometimes even a 

 square around an interiorcourtyard, which is always disgustingly dirty. In the bet^ 

 ter sort of buildings there is always a covered gallery opening onto the courtyard in 

 front of the rooms. The roof forms a terrace, is of earth, and is used as a thrashing 

 floor. On the uppermost terrace there is usually a little pavilion, or idol room, sur- 

 mounted by a terrace, where are ]ilanted la-der, long poles to which are attached 

 narrow pieces of linen covered with sn])erstitious sentences.* As a general rule, at 

 each corner of the house there is a small tower, on the top of which is an earthen 

 vase, in which every morning the devout burn in honor of the devil, sweet-smelling 

 wood, little twigs of cypress or pine.t Ninety-nine times out of a hundred the 

 stairway is only a long log of wood 6 or 8 inches broad and 4 or 5 thick, on one 

 side of which and 7 or 8 inches apart are notches about 2 or 3 inches deep, just 

 enough to rest half the foot in when going up sideways. The })eople prefer these 

 ladders to ordinary stairways because in case of an attack by robbers they can 

 draw them up and defend tliemselves better. It is also as a measure of safety that 

 they are careful to have only one door leading into the courtyard, and no windows 

 on the ground floor. (C. H. Desgodins, Le Thibet, pp. 379-381.) 



Cunningham, speaking of the houses of Ladak, says: 



*Gcorgi, Aphabetum tibetanum. p. 509, calls these "iarpocli'e arbor salutaris, 

 depulsoria mali." 



t Conf. Land of the Lamas, p. 218. 



