NO. 2 FOLK RELIGION IN SOUTHWEST CHINA — GRAHAM 95 



tion some vegetables are raised, such as cabbage, potatoes, turnips, 

 radishes, beans, and peas, and some fruits. Plows are drawn by 

 oxen and yak. In the winter there is much wool spinning, weaving, 

 and knitting. 



There are herds of yak, horses, and sheep that graze on the grass- 

 lands. The yak yield hair from which tents are made, hides to make 

 boots and other leather objects, and milk from which cheese and 

 butter are made. The butter is eaten with tsamba, drunk in tea, and 

 burned in lamps. 



The principal food of the Tibetans is tsamba, tea, butter, and yak 

 meat or mutton. Tsamba is barley ground to a meal and parched. 

 Mixed with butter, it is eaten with the fingers from small wooden 

 bowls. Tea leaves are placed in churns full of boiling water, mixed 

 with butter, salt, and sometimes soda, and churned into powder. In 

 the highlands, for weeks at a time, tsamba mixed with butter, and 

 tea mixed with butter, salt, and soda, are often the only foods eaten. 

 Meat is added when possible, and tea leaves are a substitute for vege- 

 tables. Fruit is not available. In the lowlands vegetables and fruit 

 are eaten when they can be obtained. 



In the valleys on the east and on the south, where agriculture is 

 possible, there are stone houses two or three stories high, generally 

 with flat roofs, but sometimes with sloping roofs covered with long, 

 thick shingles. Each shingle is held in place by a large stone. In the 

 high altitudes the herdsmen live in tents made of yak hair. 



Men and boys spend much of their time riding and hunting, and 

 generally avoid hard work. They often go long distances with the 

 caravans of yak or mules, taking care of the animals or trading. 

 Women do most of the hard work. They carry the water and other 

 heavy loads on their backs, do the weaving and most of the farm- 

 ing. They also do most of the work of herding the flocks and milk- 

 ing the yaks, take care of the homes, and sometimes conduct small 

 businesses and manage other affairs. 



Yak are the principal pack animals, but mules and even sheep are 

 also used. There are practically no wheeled vehicles in Tibet, and 

 sedan chairs are very rare. Because of the high altitudes, men almost 

 never carry heavy burdens, and women generally only for short dis- 

 tances. Horses, mules, and yak are ridden, and men and women some- 

 times walk for long distances. 



There are a few great trade routes and many lesser ones, and a 

 great deal of trade. Tibetans export hides, medicines, and wool, and 

 they import from China tea, cotton cloth, porcelains, tobacco, and 



