298 AMONG THE TIBETANS 



the Panboh producing a cake of sealing-wax from the 

 depths of his waistbelt for the purpose. 



The negotiations having been satisfactorily concluded, I 

 made over to the Panboh ten rupees to cover the expense 

 of the promised feast. He transferred the money at once 

 to Anparh's two Chitkiil coolies and two of his own men, 

 who instantly started for Tango to bring the sheep and 

 the chhang, and I returned to my tent happy. The Panboh 

 and his companions soon after followed to pay the return 

 visit. A blanket was spread in his honour, and I sat on a 

 stone, the rest round three stones, the sine qua non in 

 Tibetan social functions. We were closely packed. One 

 old man pressed my left elbow close to my side, and another 

 ancient did the same on my right. The biggest cooking 

 vessel in the camp was soon on the fire for the usual 

 brew, which, this time, was the best Kangra valley orange 

 pekoe procurable. A handful of tea was put into the 

 cold water and allowed to boil, while pinches of dry tea 

 were served round to each man — smelt, tasted, and approved, 

 then carefully tied up in knots and stowed away. While 

 the tea was cooking we held a show. I first brought out 

 the binoculars, through which a flock of barhal high up on 

 the opposite hillside was viewed with exclamations of 

 astonishment and delight. The glasses passed round down 

 to the smallest boy, whose head hardly came up to my 

 waist. He was the ugliest but merriest and most free-and- 

 easy urchin I ever met. His shrieks of delight and his 

 grin, after he had got the focus, were most gratifying. 

 But this excitement soon palled, and inquiries were made 

 for " the long thing." Someone had seen the telescope 

 used in the morning. The Steward's " Viceroy " was then 

 brought out and placed in position on a boulder by the 

 fire. After the peep-show with this, my watch went 

 round, and everyone earnestly repeated " tik-tik-tik " for 



