CARAVANS LADEN WITH BRICK TEA. 193 



1 tea-cook ' is an important domestic in the train of 

 every substantial Calmuc." * 



Thus this tea may be seen traversing Central 

 Asia in all directions. Mr. Manning, the only 

 English traveller who ever penetrated to Lassa, 

 the court of the Grand Lama of Tibet, fell in with 

 several caravans of oxen laden with this tea. 

 Again, Moorcroft, during his stay at Laclakh, speaks 

 of a caravan of traders which arrived there from 

 Lassa with many yaks laden with brick tea ; also 

 another caravan from Yarkand, of twenty-five 

 horses with shawl-wool, felt, tea, and silks. 



Timkowksi on his journey with the Russian 

 embassy to Peking in 1828 also fell in frequently 

 with caravans of this tea ; and this road, though 

 not the post-road, according to this traveller, was 

 nevertheless much frequented by merchants and 

 travellers. 



"On approaching Ourga they met with a splendid 

 troop of persons, consisting of a dzassak accompa- 

 nied by his mother, his wife, and young brother, 

 his sister, and a numerous suite, all mounted on 

 fine horses, and armed with bows and arrows. 

 The women in particular were remarkable for their 

 rosy countenances, and the richness of their 

 dresses. Their robes were of beautiful blue satin, 

 their caps of sable, their silken zones interwoven 

 with silver, and adorned with large cornelians, 



* Edinburgh Review, Aug. 1817, p. 306, 



O 



