NORTHERN OR KHALKA MONGOLS. 47 



CHAPTER 11. 



THE MONGOLS. 



The Mongols — Physical characteristics — Modification of character on 

 the Chinese border — Pigtail introduced — Costume — The Yuria or 

 Felt Tent — Uncleanliness — Tea-drinking — Food and beverages — 

 Gluttony — Animal food — Cattle — Importance of their herds — Indo- 

 lent habits — Physical capabilities and defects— Cowardice — Saga- 

 city and obtuseness — Curiosity — Points of the compass — Estimation 

 of distance — Calendar and Year-Cycle — Language and diversities 

 — Literature— Love of gossip — Songs — iMongol women — Marriage 

 customs and domestic relations — Hospitality and polite customs — 

 Freedom of manners — Lamaism — Religious service ' Cm mani 

 padmi hom' — The Dalai Lama — Pilgrimages — The Clergy — Mo- 

 nasticism — Superstitions — Masses for the dead — The Authors view 

 of Missions — Administrative organisation of the Mongol tribes — 

 Grades of rank among chiefs, and their salaries — Population — 

 Laws, punishment, and taxation — Military force — ^Decay of martial 

 spirit. 



The present chapter is specially devoted to the Eth- 

 nology of Mongolia, in order that in continuing the 

 narrative of our journey, anecdotes relating to the in- 

 habitants may be mentioned incidentally and not 

 dwelt on in detail. In describing the physical geo- 

 graphy and nature of the country we visited, and the 

 various episodes of our wanderings, the most notice- 

 able traits of its inhabitants might have been scat- 

 tered here and there through the volume, and thus 

 have escaped the attention of the reader. To avoid 

 this, I resolved to devote an entire chapter to a descrip- 

 tion of the people of Mongolia and the peculiar cha- 

 racteristics of their nomad life, merely making casual 



