THIBETAN WOMEN 175 



Then a wild-looking, mounted Thibetan, half 

 naked, his leopard skin collar rolled back, his long 

 gun with its forked rest sticking over his shoulder, 

 sword in belt, and a great dog on an iron chain 

 trotting by the pony's side, would pass us, and the 

 illusion vanish. 



Near a yak-hair tent we stopped for some food, 

 and were surrounded by a crowd of friendly 

 Thibetans, who were much interested in our rifles, 

 spy-glasses, and cameras. From one of the women 

 at the tent we obtained some milk. They wear 

 their hair in a great number of small plaits, which 

 hang down the back and are gathered in at the 

 waist. The unmarried ones have their hair done 

 into a small roll behind the ear. They all carry 

 large triangular leather pouches, ornamented with 

 brass studs, in which are kept the yaks' hairs they 

 weave. The right breast is usually left bare. 



Whilst having our food, a really pretty girl came 

 up, evidently the daughter of a well-to-do man. 

 Her ornaments were superior to any we saw, and 

 she had on a fine fox-skin cap which completed 

 the barbaric splendour of her attire and made me 

 think of the dusky Indian maids of whom I used 

 to read in Mayne Reid and Ballantyne. She was 

 very shy, but had beautiful eyes and teeth, which 

 she flashed at us from a respectable distance. 

 Many Thibetans we saw had remarkably fine teeth 

 and strong features ; a contrast after those of the 

 lax, impassive Chinaman. 



Whilst endeavouring to cross a small burn, my 



pony tried a short cut and got hopelessly bogged. 



I managed to extricate myself and my rifle with 



no greater harm than a wetting. A little later, 



13 



