NOTES ON THE ETHNOLOGY OF TIBET. 713 



being used this fork rests on the groiiiid and the marksman shoots 

 kneeling or even lying down. 



Most Tibetans carry a number of horn or brass chargers around their 

 necks or in their bosoms, and in a leather bag hanging from a belt on 

 their right side is a horn primer, which can be opened by a bit of thiu 

 elastic horn which covers the end, also a powder horn, frequently made 

 Oi' the horn of an ovis poll, or of wood covered with leather. In 

 another small pouch hanging from the same belt, but on the left side, 

 is kept a supply of leaden bullets. 



The gun described is a good specimen of the matchlocks used in 

 eastern Tibet and among the Ts'aidam Mongols. Guns mounted by 

 these latter people are much prized in parts of Tibet, as they are much 

 lighter than any others. 



The stock and lower end of the giin are kept wrapped in a waterproof 

 case of different colored woolen cloths or in a case of pulo or one made 

 of marmot skin or simply in a piece of felt. 



The barrels of all Tibetan guns are imported from either China or 

 India, the Tibetans not being able apparently to make them, though 

 those 1 have seen were of very rough workmanship and far from being 

 true.* 



Dr. Griffiths (Journal, p. 106) says that the matchlocks used in 

 Bhutan are of Chinese manutacture but gun forks are not used among 

 this people, ^ain Singh, speaking of the nomads of northwestern Tibet, 

 says: 



Most families possess a matchlock, generally of Nepal mannfactnre, and the men of 

 the Rndokh district seldom move about without either a gun or a bow and arrows, 

 in the use of which latter they are very expert. (.Jouru. Roy Geog. Soc, XLVii, 

 p. 93.) 



To the fork of their gun Tibetans often attach a small piece of white 

 cotton cloth on w^hich are printed magic formulas, and it is customary 

 among the wilder tribes to smear the stock of the gun with some of the 

 blood of any animal they may kill. This, as explained to me, was " for 

 good luck." 



The spear {dumj) is a weapon in common use in Tibet, especially 

 among the black-tent people. It varies in length from 7^ feet to 10 or 

 12 feet. One in my possession (See Diary of a Journey, etc., p. 170), 

 made in Poyul, has a shaft 5 feet 7^ inches long; the point is of iron, 

 the shaft fitting into a socket at its end. The point is a long, nar- 

 row two-edged blade. The butt of the shaft has a heavy iron shoe. 

 A strong band of iron is coiled around the shaft its whole length; 

 this device is resorted to throughout the country to strengthen the 

 shaft, for making which the country supplies no good wood. The shaft 

 of the spear in my possession appears to be of cocoanut wood. 



*' Kashmh- produces fine gun barrels. In all likelihood many are imported into 

 Tibet. On their manufacture, see Moorcroft, Travels, ii, 203-213. 



