VOL. LXVII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. IQS 



we consider that the distance cannot be less than 2000 English miles: and yet an 

 express from Lahassa reaches Pekin in 3 weeks, a circumstance much to the honour 

 of the Chinese police, which knows to establish so speedy and effectual a commu- 

 nication through mountains and desarts for so long a way. The trade with Siberia 

 is carried on by caravans to Seling, which is undoubtedly the Selinginsky of the 

 Russian travellers on the borders of Baykal Lake. The Indians have an 

 admirable method of turning godliness into great gain, it being usual for the 

 Faquiers to carry with them, in their pilgrimages from the sea coasts to the 

 interior parts, pearls, corals, spices, and other precious articles, of small bulk, 

 which they exchange on their return for gold-dust, musk, and other things of a 

 similar nature, concealing them easily in their hair and in the clothes round their 

 middle, and carrying on, considering their numbers, no inconsiderable traffic by 

 these means. The Gosseigns are also of a religious order, but in dignity above the 

 Faquiers; and they drive a more extensive and a more open trade with that country. 



Besides their less traffic with their neighbours in horses, hogs, rock-salt, 

 coarse cloths, and other articles, they enjoy 4 staple articles, which are sufficient 

 in themselves to procure every foreign commodity of which they stand in need; 

 all of which are natural productions, and deserve to be particularly noticed. 

 The first, though the least considerable, is that of the cow-tails, so famous all 

 over India, Persia, and the other kingdoms of the east. It is produced by a spe- 

 cies of cow or bullock different from what is found in any other country. It is of a 

 larger size than the common Thibet breed, has short horns, and no hump on its 

 back. Its skin is covered with whitish hair of a silky appearance; but its chief sin- 

 gularity is in its tail, which spreads out broad and long, with flowing hairs, like that 

 of a beautiful mare, but much finer and far more glossy. Mr, Bogle sent down 

 1 of this breed to Mr. Hastings, but they died before they reached Calcutta. 

 The tails sell very high, and are used, mounted on silver handles, for chowras, 

 or brushes, to chase away the flies; and no man of consequence in India ever goes 

 out, or sits in form at home, without two chowrawbaders, or brushers, attending 

 him, with such instruments in their hands. 



The next article is the wool from which is made the shaul, the most delicate 

 woollen manufacture in the world, so much prized in the east, and now so well 

 known in England. Till Mr. Bogle's journey, our notions on that subject werfe 

 very crude and imperfect. As the shauls all come from Cassemire, we con- 

 cluded the material from which they were fabricated to be also of that country's 

 growth. It was said to be the hair of a particular goat, the fine under hair 

 from a camel's breast, and a thousand other fancies; but we know it for certain 

 to be the produce of Thibet sheep. Mr. Hastings had one or two of these in 

 his paddock when I left Bengal. They are of a small breed, in figure nothing 

 differing from our sheep, except in their tails, which are very broad; but their 



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